People love their lists, especially when those lists dare to rank the “best of this” or the “best of that.” The subjectivity of it all makes the exercise both fun and fruitless at the same time. I can say this is the best, you can say it sucks ass, and there you go.
With that preamble out of the way, I couldn’t help but tweak a list I stumbled across two weeks ago. The audacious headline read:
The 31 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Okay, I thought, I’ll bite. Whatta ya got?
As I scanned the long list of films, a notion took seed in my brain. The popularity of a science fiction film often is influenced by its visual aspects—which is fair. I don’t necessarily have a beef with that; Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” relied heavily on its stunning visual interpretation of a future that sailed past us more than two decades ago without us being anywhere close to what he and writer Arthur C. Clarke predicted.
Other than video phone calls. We’ve at least managed that.
But I wanted to step away from the out-and-out imagery of the pictures and focus on the imagery created by the story itself. Its premise. Its words. Or rather, its Big Fat Words.
To me, as wonderful as “2001” is, and as much as that ending blows your everlovin’ mind, it just barely snuck inside my top twelve.
I’m looking for a nice balance between story and popular appeal. There are dozens of sci-fi flicks that can claim to have a brilliant story and remarkable writing—but if no one sees them, the list would bore the shit out of everyone. Sorry, but we kinda have to know the movie, whether you enjoyed it or not.
Hey, my rule. Make your own list, ya big snob.
With all that in mind, I’ve compiled twelve films I think many writers would agree combine those elements. They have a riveting, entertaining story, often one that’s doing what science fiction has always done best: observing and critiquing this flawed-yet-beautiful society we’ve cobbled together. No other genre has put our culture under the microscope like sci-fi. That’s not my bias; that’s just the truth.
Some of these movies have the added bonus of being visually stimulating, perhaps even groundbreaking—but that’s not what catapulted them into the top twelve. I won’t even use images within this post.
So away we go, working our way up:
#12 Jurassic Park
Here’s one that relied heavily on computer-generated artistry, obviously. But that doesn’t detract from the story; it just makes us so comfortable with the setting we can concentrate on what the writers (Michael Crichton, David Koepp, and Steven Spielberg) were telling us.
Namely, that nature will never bow down to the greedy, misguided aspirations of one frail, arrogant species. As Ian Malcolm (such a great character) announces: Life finds a way.
What elevated this movie onto the list was the fact it’s just one of the greatest Saturday matinee popcorn movies ever.
#11 2001: A Space Odyssey
There’s so little left to be written about this masterpiece from the late 1960s. I won’t presume to find nuggets that every film critic of the last half-century may have missed.
But let’s agree that, visual artistry aside, this is one of the all-time “make you think” movies. Even if what you think makes no sense—well, join the crowd. Kubrick had no intention of making that popcorn movie.
Bonus points for treating us to the possibilities—both good and bad—of A.I. decades before the average person had even heard of it.
I’ll also credit this movie with “saying” the most without actual dialogue. Given that, it’s wonderful that we all know the line: “Open the pod bay doors, Hal.”
#10 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
If I lose credibility points for this, well, so be it.
But one thing that allowed this movie to romp its way into the top ten is the fact that it pretty much saved the iconic franchise. Three years prior to Khan, the first Star Trek movie could rank as both one of the most anticipated films of all time and the most disappointing. No doubt the latter was mostly because of the former.
As bad as “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”—could the title have been any more uncreative?—turned out to be, the producers knew the sequel had to grab us and hold on tight. It did. The movie’s classic tale of revenge, mixed in with Trek nostalgia and a nice sprinkling of humor, makes for an entertaining two hours.
The film needed to score big and it did, for the benefit of the fans and for the cast. Another bomb might’ve doomed the franchise to just two films.
But as Captain James T. Kirk tells us around bites of the apple: “I don’t like to lose.” He didn’t.
#9 Minority Report
This one was tough for me, because I have an odd relationship with Tom Cruise movies. I get that he’s a mega-star. I get that people love love love his films. And it’s not like he’s a terrible actor.
I guess I just have a niggling sense at all times that I’m watching him act. Does that make sense?
Anyway, this fascinating story of a future world where crime can be predicted is just too rich to pass up. Yes, like Jurassic Park and a few others on the list, the visual imagery is wowser—but it’s also still a Philip K. Dick tale. (One of his other stories shows up at #4.)
So yes, I looked past my irrational bias about Mr. Mapother and simply enjoyed the ride.
#8 Ex Machina
Another entry that titillates us with the pros and cons of robots and artificial intelligence. I think many of us feel the same way: we’re curious and excited about what these technological advances could do for us, while also nervous about the outcomes.
Those potentially bad turns don’t have to be the fault of the machines. They may not turn against us, as so many fear, but they might fall into the hands of nefarious human beings who corrupt their original benevolent purpose.
We can’t trust anyone, really. And Ex Machina leaves enough to our own imagination that it’s almost worse.
Because we can imagine some pretty shitty things.
#7 Back to the Future
Okay, we’ve had some heavy stuff, so let’s have two in a row that are built around fun. That doesn’t mean they can’t be great science fiction movies. Case in point: Marty McFly and the DeLorean time machine.
Sure, a little cutesy. The acting? Yeah, campy.
But we have to acknowledge that this movie is perhaps the most popular time travel film ever, reaching an audience that otherwise might yawn at a heady concept.
And since I’m basing so much of the criteria on a captivating story and a well-written script, it would be far too snooty to not allow BTTF.
The story moves perfectly, from set-up to conflict to resolution to perfect ending. Yeah, it deserves a top ten spot.
#6 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Again, fun. Lots of it. Some terrific comic relief. And yes, visuals for days.
But Spielberg is an acknowledged master of storytelling. And if we’re going to contemplate first contact, well, I don’t mind him weaving the tale. You know you’ll get a beautiful story arc and you know the writing will be first rate. All of that ticks the boxes.
But the film also does a great job of making you feel the burning desire in Richard Dreyfus’s character, Roy, to understand what the hell is happening to him. To pursue at all costs—the cost of his wife, his family, his life, for crying out loud—to discover what humans have pondered for thousands of years. You’re right there with him, through the puzzlement, the fear, the frustration, and the drive.
If you think it’s just a movie about a bunch of aliens flying around, you need to sit down and watch it again.
#5 The Martian
Now we get to the real meat as we dive into the top five.
Two of my favorite books of all-time are from the same author: Andy Weir. And I’m confident that when the movie version of “Project Hail Mary” is made, it’ll blow our socks off. The audiobook is out of this world—pun sorta intended. Seriously, get it today and listen to it.
(I push people toward the audiobook instead of a print or ebook version on this particular title for reasons I can’t tell you without it being a spoiler. Just trust me.)
But I’m straying from the path. Ridley Scott and Drew Goddard successfully adapted Weir’s first smash hit, staying true to the high-octane tension while keeping the book’s sense of humor. That’s not an easy coupling to master, but Weir did it, and so did the filmmakers.
And as a big-time science nerd with (I believe) a solid sense of humor, I rate the writing in this science fiction adventure story as a ten.
#4 Blade Runner
I may be cheating a bit with this 1982 adaptation of another Philip K. Dick story because it’s so visually (and musically) strong. So strong, in fact, that for many people it overwhelms the senses to the point where the story is difficult to follow.
Personally, I would’ve cast someone besides Harrison Ford. I know that’s heresy for millions of fans, but I could never really get beyond the whole Han Solo image up on the screen. This is one of those times where—bear with me here—a relatively unknown actor may have been the better choice.
Regardless, one can’t help but be sucked into the chase for the outlaw Replicants. And it should be noted that we’ve finally (nearly) caught up with that vision from Mr. Dick—the exponential growth lately of both artificial intelligence and robotics have brought us to the verge of creating our own Replicants.
The movie was set in 2019, which, at the time of its release, put it way in the future, right? Nearly four decades. Well, now it’s passed us by, but just barely. The film’s predictions could wind up being but a few years late.
#3 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Some say it’s science fiction, some say it isn’t. But this is my list. I get the deciding vote.
And I say it not only belongs in the genre, but it zooms past an awful lot of classics with its mind-bending premise, twisty plot, and the depth of its interesting characters.
Besides, the underlying theme is just so goddamned powerful: Don’t we all have memories of people and circumstances we’d give anything to forget? That very thought strikes such a painful nerve for everyone that you have to watch and see how things will end for Joel and Clementine. They are us. We have been a Joel or a Clementine at least once in our lives. And that connection with an audience is gold, Jerry. Gold.
I have a strong affection for goofy comic actors who step outside their comfort zone—or at least out of their bankable zone—into serious dramatic roles. Melissa McCarthy was terrific in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, Bill Murray proved he has the chops in “Lost in Translation,” and the best role Robin Williams ever pulled off was Sean Maguire in “Good Will Hunting.”
Jim Carrey spent years making us laugh with his outlandish physical comedy. Here, he absolutely kills.
#2 Planet of the Apes
To be clear, I’m talking about the original from 1968. Forget the fact that Charlton Heston took a bit of a career risk (as did the whole cast, for that matter) when they agreed to bring this sci-fi tale to life.
Based on a bestselling book by French author Pierre Boulle—who also penned another hit novel that became an Oscar-winning film, “The Bridge on the River Kwai”—the screenplay for “Planet of the Apes” was written by Rod Serling, best known for “The Twilight Zone.”
The story is filled to the brim with satirical jabs at the arrogance and ultimate naïveté of we silly humans. At times the message is delivered like a blow over the head, but you sometimes wonder if that’s what it will take for our species to learn its lessons. I think Boulle must’ve felt that way.
Bonus points for this film because of just how taxing the actual filming must’ve been. To get accomplished actors like Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter to perform while draped in heavy, complex ape costumes and makeup had to require extreme effort. And they pulled it off.
At times, the movie can come across a bit too cartoonish—such as the blatant “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” poses of the ape council—but given the basic premise that apes have evolved to be the masters of humans, it was probably hard to avoid.
I’m generally not big on movies that get heavy-handed with a “message,” but this time . . . well, it all needed (and still needs) to be said.
#1 Alien
I would never call a movie ‘perfect.’ But for me, it’s hard to find any faults in this truly iconic science fiction beauty.
I still remember seeing this in a theater with some high school buddies when it opened in 1979. We went into it expecting a B-movie experience; I mean, an alien attacking a spaceship’s crew? We’ve seen it a thousand times.
We walked out of the theater with our mouths hanging open.
Like “Planet of the Apes,” it’s ultimately a story of human weakness; in this case, greed.
But the combination of suspense, horror, action, and science blend perfectly. And yes! We get another robot/A.I. character, to boot.
Written by Dan O’Bannon, based on a story he created with Ronald Shusett, this is a master class on pacing, with exceptional dialogue and a buffet of diverse characters.
Sure, the alien-erupting-from-the-belly scene is legendary, but it would be a shame if generations condensed this treat down to that one scene. Can we all agree, however, that it probably ranks up there as one of the most stunning, most unexpected scenes in film history?
I can’t say enough about the cast, either. Every single part was absolutely nailed, and the direction was superb. The fact that “Alien” picked up one measly Academy Award—for Visual Effects, naturally—is a crime. It deserved better.
It’s possible the movie was so ahead of its time and so unique that it caught Academy voters off-guard.
It’s my number one. And it’ll be hard to knock it off its throne.
And there you have it. Like all lists, this one is fluid—primarily because I’m sure I’ll remember a title I completely spaced on (sorry). I reserve the right to amend. 🙂