With all the risk of diving into this really dangerous territory, it’s a topic way too fascinating for us to be able to avoid it. Sci-Fi is a genre that has established itself as one of the most popular, creative, and surprising forms of cinematography of all time. This is mostly due to the fact that it’s truly an open door that allows for a profound exploration of all the things that we can never encounter in real life. As difficult as this task is, we’ve tried to compile a list containing the Top 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Made So Far. Objectively, based on statistics, and with just a little bit of subjectivity.
Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures
#10 The War of the Worlds (1953)
Although there is a remake going by the same name starring Tom Cruise, it’s the 1953 Byron Haskin adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds that made the cut to this list. Even though the trope may seem slightly outdated by now, it was this movie that truly gave us the first instance of aliens versus men scenario that’s so popular today.
#9 Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Based off a popular anime series, Edge of Tomorrow was a thrilling experience from start to finish. Its greatness comes from a fantastic combination of the mecha suits and advanced technology every sci-fi needs and the always dazing concept of a man forced to relive a day all over again. However, even though the writing and characters are sufficiently compelling, it’s the twist at the end that makes out Emily Blunt’s character to be the real hero that brought a new “edge” to action movies.
#8 Children of Men (2006)
The movie in set in the year 2027, when humanity is struggling with the fact that women have become infertile. Salvation comes from one particular woman who, despite it all, managed to have a wondrous baby. The thing that really makes this movie stand out is that it seems to be treading painfully close to a plausible reality. Rather than flying cars and robots, we get the aftermaths of years of terrorism, bigotry, and corruption.
#7 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
It’s rare to see a sequel that has managed to dethrone its original through the power of the improvements brought to the table. Terminator was, by all means, revolutionary, but it was its sequel that took everything we loved and upped it by one hundred.
#6 Inception (2010)
Alongside The Dark Knight, Inception was one of the movies added to Christopher Nolan’s portfolio that made him out as a true force to be reckoned with. Even though there are some people who would rather recognize the movie by its iconic sound effect and music, the very fact that this movie has so many aspects easy to recognize prove that it’s become iconic.
#5 Planet of the Apes (1968)
We love Tim Burton, but just keep him away from this one. Planet of the Apes was one of the earliest movies to give us the premise of a future inhabited by creatures that aren’t actually men. It was even stranger that it was primates we were talking about. This iconic flick ranks among the greatest sci-fi movies thanks to its story and revolutionary effects.
#4 The Matrix (1999)
If the amount of times a movie has been ripped off would be the biggest indicator for a movie’s status, The Matrix should be crowned as the king of the greatest sci-fi movies. It’s a shame there are so many other great competitors. Compelling, innovative, deep, philosophical, challenging, and full of rip-off-worthy bullet slow-motion action, this movie is a definite legend.
#3 Alien (1979)
It’s worth mentioning that Aliens is just as worthy of being here, but we chose to go with the first installment for teaching us what true terror in space feels like. This isn’t just one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, but a very strong competitor for the title of one of the greatest thrillers ever made.
#2 Jurassic Park (1993)
When Steven Spielberg said that he was going to make a dinosaur movie, did anyone predict how big of a cultural trademark it would become? It managed to scar children everywhere with its suspense while also awing us all with the stunning visual effects that still live up today as better than most CGI produced in the 2010’s.
#1 Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Last but not least, it should come off as a given that Star Wars would be included on this list. Although the first movie was fantastic, once we’ve grown close to the characters and understood the lore, The Empire Strikes Back took us above and beyond, changing the course of sci-fi and movie making forever.
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