33 Great Sci-Fi Movies

I love science fiction [1] - books, books on tape, and movies. I've been revisiting some of my favorites in the latter category, and was reminded how difficult it must be to create a good science fiction movie. So of the 100s of films out there, I'd like to share the ones I find most entertaining.

So just for fun, following is my take, culled from the The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)'s Best/Worst "Sci-Fi" Titles and Sci-Fi Lists' Top 100 Sci-Fi Films, which span the range from 1951 to last year.

I'm curious: What are your favorites?

(Related: Check out my Definitive Guide To Superhero Novels, which links through to my Listmania list, The Definitive Guide To Superhero Novels.)

Some of Matt's Favorite Sci-Fi Movies

• The Abyss (1989)


• Alien (1979)


• The Andromeda Strain (1970)


• Batman (1989)


• Blade Runner (1982)


• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)


• The Dark Knight (2008)


• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)


• Deep Impact (1998)


• District 9 (2009)


• Fantastic Voyage (1966)


• Forbidden Planet (1956)


• Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)


• Galaxy Quest (1999)


• Ghost in the Shell (1995)


• The Incredibles (2004)


• Iron Man (2008)


• Jurassic Park (1993)


• The Lost Room (2006)


• The Matrix (1999)


• Men in Black (1997)


• Minority Report (2002)


• Planet of the Apes (1968)


• Quatermass & the Pit (1967)


• Serenity (2005)


• Soylent Green (1973)


• Spider-Man (2002)


• Star Trek (2009)


• Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan (1982)


• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)


• Star Wars (1977)


• Westworld (1973)


• X-Men (2000)

References

• [1] Note that I don't include fantasy, even though they're grouped mysteriously together. No disrespect to readers who like the genre - it's just not my cup of tea. Interestingly, when I asked my local library why the didn't at least use different genre stickers on the spine, they said the board couldn't decide on an image. How about this: Space ship and Unicorn ;-)
  

Comments

[Mark - Productivity501]

A few of my favorites:

Stargate - But this my possibly be because I loved the SG-1 series.

2001 A Space Odyssey - I like this one not because it is particularly exciting, but because so many other sci-fi films reference it in one way or another.

Primer - One of the most complicated plots you'll ever see. Written directed and produced by a mathematician on a budget of $7,000.

[matthewcornell]

Stargate I couldn't get into. 2001 is a classic, of course, though it should be included for the reasons you point out.

I didn't know about Primer - can't wait to check it out! Found it online: [ Primer (2004) | http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3909854615539675694# ]. Thanks for the tip Mark.

[Alex]

I'd like to add:

Dark City
eXistenZ
Contact
Gattaca
Innocence (Ghost in the Shell 2)

[TesTeq]

There is a great Polish sci-fi movie "Seksmisja" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/ ).

[matthewcornell]

Looks awesome, TesTeq. Thanks!

[matthewcornell]

Thanks, Alex. I hadn't heard of Dark City, eXistenZ, or Innocence - thanks! I haven't seen Contact in ages.

[MattR]

I would definitely add:

Sunshine - I LOVE this movie, especially the soundtrack
Contact - the machine is amazing, despite the crazy ending!
Solaris - Soderbergh suits science fictionh
Moon - Amazing film

Great List though!

[matthewcornell]

Thanks for the movies, Matt.

Sunshine - couldn't stand it!
Contact - I need to re-watch it.
Solaris - couldn't get into it
Moon - hated it!

As always, opinions and arse holes ;-)