Of course, I’m not going to be recommending romance movies on a sci-fi blog. But according to me and Rotten Tomatoes, here are a few classic sci-fi movies everyone should see at least once.
- Number One, of course, is 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is a thought-provoking, often confusing, film, but it’s an essential one for the science fiction lover.
- Blade Runner. This movie didn’t get rave reviews when it first came out, but it has become a cult favorite, an amazingly visual film about the human condition.
- Metropolis. Now for a really old movie (1927) about a stylized futuristic utopia.
- Back to the Future. The first of the trilogy, in my opinion, is the best. It’s hard to do a sequel that lives up to the original.
- Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope). Again, the first is the most original (and I actually like the original, un-edited version best).
- The Matrix. One of the first CGI-heavy films, back when the techniques were new and original.
- Inception. Another CGI feast for the eyes.
- Terminator 2 (Judgement Day). A rare sequel that beats the original, this one offers in-depth characters, both human and machine.
- Alien. This one’s more of a horror movie, but it still gives you another way to think about life in the universe.
- The Thing (either version). Another horror/thriller with a sci-fi twist.
- Edge of Tomorrow. A time-travel thriller with aliens out to eat humanity.
- The Day the Earth Stood Still. Classic sci-fi with a moral.
- Robocop. This one’s an over-the-top satire if you read between the lines.
- A Clockwork Orange. One viewing may be enough for this disturbing dystopian film, but do watch it once.
- District 9. A thought-provoking film about what would probably happen if alien refugees did arrive on our planet.
- Star Trek II (Wrath of Khan). This is an unusual film in that you need to have watched the original TV series to fully understand some of the subtext, but worth watching both.
- Galaxy Quest. This one’s a comedy, but if you can take it literally, it’s a great sci-fi movie.
- Brazil. A dark comedy with strange, imaginative visuals.
- Ghost in the Shell. The perfect introduction to anime if you’ve never seen any.
- Jurassic Park. A good old-fashioned monster movie.
- Forbidden Planet. A twist on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, set on another planet.
- Godzilla (the 1954 version). One of the original monster movies everyone should see.
- E.T. The Extraterrestrial. An interesting twist on the old “aliens out for human blood” film.
- Wall-E. Another animated film, this one with some machine romance.
- Arrival. A thought-provoking film with a more realistic version of first contact than some.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This one’s a more traditional version but still worth watching.
- Fantastic Voyage. Good old-fashioned science fiction with (now) cheesy side-effects.
- The War of the Worlds. Another thriller with aliens out to destroy humanity.
- Star Trek (the 2009 remake). This is a case of the remake actually being better than the first Star Trek movie.
- Planet of the Apes. Yeah it’s kind of cheesy, but the plot twist at the end was original then.
- Predator. This is a good alien-from-another-viewpoint movie.
There are many, many more great movies out there, and just because your favorite didn’t make my list doesn’t mean it’s not a good film. It’s hard to make a list like this, you know. I’d love to hear your top picks in the comments!
