The most memorable sci-fi movies are born from fascinating premises that directly or metaphorically address some relevant social norm. The most engaging sci-fi worlds are either entirely ficтιтious and futuristic worlds where society functions differently from ours, or closely resemble our real world and differ in a specific aspect that also informs the central theme of the corresponding sci-fi movie.
The best sci-fi movie quotes thus often talk about societal issues through allegory, alluding to a recognizable version of a real moral conundrum or political scenario. The best sci-fi movie characters of all time are thus stuck in familiar circumstances that we feel trepidation about in our real lives, or have journeys we either want to undertake or must avoid.
The lack of an answer to the questions sci-fi movies often ask is among the biggest challenges facing films in the genre. Balancing multiple characters and telling a self-contained story with a satisfying conclusion, thus making a sci-fi movie with an incredible ensemble cast, is the safer approach. Some of the best sci-fi premises have been ruined by indecisive conclusions.
Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar isn’t just one of the most visually stunning movies of the past 50 years, but is regularly featured on lists of the greatest movies ever made. Matthew McConaughey’s Cooper goes on an emotionally impactful journey to help save the planet from extinction, and ends up traveling for years, only to finally meet his daughter on her deathbed.
While there aren’t any major plot holes, the convenience of Interstellar‘s ending is a flaw, compared to the grounded approach the rest of the film takes, especially in its approach to the scientific backdrop of the plot. The predestination paradox that links Cooper’s future to his initial decision to leave Earth may be emotionally satisfying, but it is frustratingly unoriginal.
Annihilation (2018)
Alex Garland’s movies regularly divide the sci-fi community, but something everyone agrees with is that the bear from Annihilation is a horror movie monster that’s actually nightmare fuel. Annihilation is arguably Garland’s most gorgeous film, and despite the untapped potential in worldbuilding, it’s an unforgettable viewing experience. However, if you’ve read Jeff VanderMeer’s 2014 novel, you might not like it.
While some of the changes to the book are justifiable and contribute to making the viewing experience entertaining and memorable, the ending is particularly disappointing. Despite the obvious open-endedness regarding Natalie Portman’s character’s idenтιтy, the conclusion is too convenient and simple for the scope of the film’s premise. Humanity’s self-destructiveness could be explored with a more expansive and messy conclusion.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
It’s quite natural for one of Steven Spielberg’s films to be among the most underrated movies of the 2000s, considering how many classics he’s directed and the vast number of genres he’s dabbled in. However, A.I. Artificial Intelligence has still not found the audience it deserves, despite being more relevant today, since it explores an artificial human’s ability to love.
The film follows a young robot boy who embarks on a journey to become a human in order to earn his mother’s love. Bleak conclusions are a staple of the sci-fi genre, but the logical fallacy of his mother being revived just for one day for a few hours makes the heartbreaking nature of A.I. Artificial Intelligence‘s ending feel forced.
Source Code (2011)
Jake Gyllenhaal’s entire filmography is a scavenger hunt for hidden gems. His whole career is an exhibition of performances across various genres that deserved Oscars but were consistently overlooked. For fans of the actor, though, sci-fi is a sweet corner, because one of his earliest movies, Donnie Darko, features an iconic horror movie moment that changed millennials’ lives as kids.
His 2011 time travel movie Source Code is also an underappreciated movie with an incredible concept. Gyllenhaal plays an army pilot who enters a simulation to prevent a train bombing, utilizing technology that keeps his body alive and enables him to travel back in time in his mind. Changing the technology’s mechanism is an immersion-breaking creative choice for the ending.
Glᴀss (2019)
Few filmmakers have a bigger reputation for their movie endings than M. Night Shyamalan. His signature twist endings keep fans enthused about him, despite his recent string of flops, only occasionally broken by a movie that wins over viewers. He’s made very few perfect films, but Split, featuring James McAvoy’s thriller movie performance that deserved an Oscar nomination, is one.
Unbreakable is another fantastic Shyamalan film, with one of the greatest superhero origin stories ever told. However, the third part in the trilogy, Glᴀss, struggles to live up to its predecessors, and its weakest moment is its ending. After setting up a promising final confrontation, the film kills off Bruce Willis’ character in the most unceremonious way, utterly disappointing viewers.
Lucy (2014)
Luc Besson’s action movies are known for their immersive cinematography and intense choreography. However, an issue that many of his sci-fi movies, most of which are action-heavy, suffer from, is the lack of delivery on the promise that their premises create. Most of the potential for worldbuilding and exploration remains untapped in his films, despite their fascinating and thought-provoking concepts.
“What if we used 100% of the brain?” With that question, Luc Besson’s Lucy sets out to follow its тιтular character’s journey of developing enhanced intelligence after an accidental drug exposure. While the frenzied action sequences keep you hooked, the surrealistic ending of Lucy living in the spacetime continuum feels like a lazy conclusion to a project that’s too ambitious.
I Am Legend (2007)
Before we started living in an era of cinema entirely occupied with remaking classics, rebooting older franchises, and creating more spinoffs, a remake didn’t automatically bring skepticism with it, and 2007’s I Am Legend is one of the best examples of a sci-fi movie remake that’s actually awesome. Will Smith’s powerful performance elevates the movie’s emotional impact until the climax.
It is rumored that the sequel to I Am Legend, which is currently in development, will retcon the film’s ending.
While the film’s ending doesn’t betray any of the conventions of sci-fi cinema, knowing that the original ending in the source material, Richard Matheson’s novel, was much more somber and meditative, and had a more poignant reason for the story’s тιтle makes the ending in the 2007 movie disappointing, especially because it’s among the best moments in sci-fi literary history.
Jurᴀssic World Dominion (2022)
Not only are Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard’s characters poorly developed in the sequels, but the main plot of Jurᴀssic World Dominion is also an insult to committed audiences. The fascinating premise of humans and dinosaurs cohabiting the Earth presents many interesting facets to explore that don’t involve the biblically themed prehistoric locusts that detract from the central conflict.
So, despite bringing back original cast members Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum, Jurᴀssic World Dominion is only a sci-fi movie that could have been better, because it minimizes their roles. The film, which doesn’t properly address the concerns of dinosaurs being free to roam, conveniently wraps up with a plaтιтude-laden speech and the promise of inexplicably perfect coexistence.
Watchmen (2009)
It is not the worst of the many movie and TV show adaptations of Alan Moore’s works, but Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen betrays his lack of understanding of the source material. Not only does his film sympathize with the wrong characters and glorify behavior that the original comic mocks or vilifies, but it also ends on a tone-deaf note.
Ozymandias’ plan in the original graphic novel comments on the absurdity of world peace as a concept in our strife-ridden world. The movie, however, ends with nations uniting after Dr. Manhattan is framed for attacking various cities. It misses the point of the original ending and doesn’t bother explaining why the other countries easily forgive and unite with the States.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Disney believes in the potential of Daisy Ridley’s character, Rey, but most Star Wars fans will disagree. She is difficult to care about because we don’t know enough about her, and every detail about her backstory feels contrived or forcefully inserted into the story to make her relevant or explain the plot holes that her competence as a Jedi presents.
Despite the narrative incoherence and obvious nostalgia-baiting, The Rise of Skywalker‘s worst moment is its climax. Few movie sequels have betrayed the audience like the Star Wars sequels, and The Last Jedi may be the most disappointing movie in the entire franchise. However, Rey calling herself a Skywalker while epic music soars in the background is too egregious to forgive.
