The Science Fiction genre is one that has been popular through the ages, ever since its inception in literature through the likes of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, and it will probably still be for years to come. The genre offers countless possibilites, explorations of humanity and how they cope and/or come to terms with the evolutions of technology, society and even nature. In the vein of my last review, and given that its been a while since I’ve done a genre list like this, I’ve decided to give it a shot at counting down what could be the 20 best Sci Fi flicks of all time.

Honourable mentions: “A Trip to the Moon” (1902, Georges Melies), “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951, Robert Wise), “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956, Don Siegel), “Alphaville” (1965, Jean Luc Godard), “THX 1138” (1971, George Lucas), “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977, Steven Spielberg), “Return of the Jedi” (1983, Richard Marquand), “12 Monkeys” (1995, Terry Gilliam), “Primer” (2003, Shane Garruth), “Children of Men” (2006, Alfonso Cuarón), “Ex Machina” (2015, Alex Garland).

20. Aliens (1986, James Cameron)

Some view this film as superior to the 1979 original, but for me that is not the case. It is a great sci fi piece, and James Cameron adds a lot of action and excitement to Ridley Scott’s creation, but the original’s use of suspense and cosmic horror ultimately eclipses this action-packed Vietnam metaphor. Still, there is no denying that Cameron does a great job with what he’s given, producing a complete thrill ride that ultimately cemented the franchise as one of the genre’s classics. Add to that a very strong Sigourney Weaver performance and you’ve got a film for the ages. Sadly, as fas as Alien-films go, after this one the franchise just went downhill.

19. Jurassic Park (1993, Steven Spielberg)

A classic from the blockbuster, high-concept era, helmed by one of the most celebrated directors of the world today. A cautionary tale about man’s ambition and the limits of science, Jurassic Park offers a lot more than just (outdated) CGI and the thrill of dinosaurs roaming the Earth. Spielberg is one for high-concept filmmaking, and nowhere is he better at this than here (well, Jaws does also fit the bill, and to tell the truth the great white shark is highly superior than its prehistoric counterparts). And as far as great scenes go, the first appearance of the T-Rex is one that has already gone down in history.

18. The Thing (1982, John Carpenter)

Cosmic horror is, indeed, one of the most terrifying concepts that can be tackled on fiction. Functioning as a marriage between science fiction and horror, the idea of the infinite vastness of space and all the possible monstruosities that could be lurking in the darkness is certainly an unsettling one. John Carpenter, famous for his slasher classic “Halloween” (1978), takes this idea and extrapolates it to the point that paranoia and mistrust seem the most reasonable option. Boasting spectacularly grotesque practical special effects and a main cast that you believe are thoroughly astounded and terrified out of their minds, The Thing is an entry that fans of the genre should not miss.

17. Terminator (1984, James Cameron)

Cameron is at it again (and it won’t be the last time you’ll see him on this list). His very first feature film turned out to be one of the most important of his career, and of the genre itself. This tale about the ultimate killing machine (Schwarzenneger in the role that would define his career) hunting down the mother of the future messiah of mankind’s rebellion will never get old. Sure, some of the special effects may seem outdated nowadays, and to be honest the acting does leave us wanting more, but the action, concepts, themes and impact this film has had in popular culture is just too big to ignore. Even the great Andrei Tarkovsky claimed to be impressed by this movie. Well done, Mr. Cameron, well done.

16. Ikarie X-B1 (1963, Jindrich Polak)

A little known czekoslovakian film that has been criminally ignored in the decades after its release. I caught a restored version on a film festival last year and boy, I’m I glad I did. Probably its greatest achivement was to inspire Stanley Kubrick’s magnus opus “2001”(we’ll come to that film later), but that doesn’t mean that “Ikarie” doesn’t deserve a place of its own. It focuses on a large crew of cosmonauts who travel to the mysterious “White Planet” in the year 2163, as they encounter different obstacles that will challenge their perceptions of the universe. With a strong plot and an interesting character constellation, boasting excellent sound design and raising all sorts of questions that science fiction movies should raise, “Ikarie X-B1” is definitely a film that should be more widely seen.

15. Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis)

The ultimate time travel movie, one that succeeds by not taking itself too seriously, has been extremely successful since its release, spanning two sequels and becoming a pop culture phenomenon. The characters of Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) are icons of their era, and the plot in which they star goes beyond absurdism in the best and most fun sense of the word. Facing all sorts of time-travel-shenanigans (that would be further explored in the following installments of the trilogy), Marty and Doc learn to cope with their new invention and the ramifications that it may have across space-time. Definitely a classic (shame on anyone that dares to say otherwise), “Back to the Future” might easily be Zemeckis’ greatest achievement.

14. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991, James Cameron)

One of the few sequels that surpasses the original in both production level and thematic depth, Cameron’s T2 goes beyond what he initially expected with his 1984 original. Of course, the success of the first film ensured that he’d have a bigger budget for this one, therefore more possibilities, and he seizes this expertly. The ultimate killing machine switches sides this time around and teams up with Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son John (Edward Furlong), humanity’s future hope, to prevent the rise of Skynet and the impending doom of mankind. Pioneering digital effects, a plot that builds on its predecessor’s already succesful formula, and characters that evolve all too organically, T2 is not only better than the original, but its also the best film in the franchise (which too went sadly downhill after its second installment).

13. The Matrix (1999, Wachowski Siblings)

Another cult classic that has let its mark in pop culture. Back in 1999, as the turn of the century lurked ominously above us, the Wachowskis asked themselves some deep questions and transformed them into an action-packed spectacle that would define a generation. Tackling ideas taken from post-modernist author Jean Baudilliard and Plato’s allegory of the cave, The Matrix presents a bleak future in which humans are being harvested for energy by sentient machines, who keep them connected to a virtual world that resembles our own back a the end of thw 20th century. Little is left to say about The Matrix, but the impact this film has had in our culture since then is hard to deny. Again, the sequels ended up being quite disappointing, but that shouldn’t take away from the original’s prowess and the Wachowskis fantastic vision.

12. Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)

Speaking of movies that defined a generation, today its hard to find another movie that has been as influential and as culturally significant as the original Star Wars. I think little introduction is needed for this one. Spanning two sequels, plus two additional trilogies, anthology movies, countless books, comics, video games and tv series, Lucas’ vision has redefined the idea of cultural phenomenon. And none of it would’ve been possible if it weren’t for the original, later retitled A New Hope. The introduction of the Jedi, the Force, the Millenium Falcon, the Death Star, Luke Skywalker and of course Darth Vader is something that any of us will hardly remember, and given that we’ll still be getting Star Wars films for years to come, its impact will still be felt by many generations in the future.

11. E.T: the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, Steven Spielberg)

Spielberg is at it again with what he does best: taking a high-concept story and turning it into multi-million-dollar success. This time he asks “what if a stranded, defenseless alien was found by a group of children in a small U.S. town?” One of his sweetest and most personal films, maybe because it is mainly told through the perspective of kids, E.T. was an incredible commercial and critical success back in ’82, and is still seen widely around the world today. Raising issues about empathy, health and children’s point of view, not to mention unexpected connections to the previous film on this list, this movie is without a doubt one of the strongest entries in its filmmaker’s career.

10. Brazil (1985, Terry Gilliam)

Terry Gilliam creates a surrealist dystopia that is overly-burocratic and disturbingly kafkaesque. Jonathan Pryce stars as Sam Lowry, a government employee with a life that lacks any sort of excitement. In his dreams appears a woman (Kim Greist), and he sees himself as her saviour. His life will be thrown into chaos when he notices that she’s real, and also as he randomly encounters a plumber named Tuttle (Robert DeNiro), who may or may not be part of a terrorist movement. The future portrayed in this film is bleak and depressing, but Gilliam mixes a good dose of absurdist humour that caricatures such forms of government. Famously, the ending of the film caused a battle between Gilliam and Universal, resulting in two different cuts being released. Fortunately for us, Gilliam’s original ending can still be found nowadays, which is way better than Universal’s more “positive” conclusion.

9. Empire Strikes Back (1980, Irvin Kershner)

The ultimate Star Wars film ever (even if some fans won’t agree), and it will remain that way since I don’t think Disney will ever be able to simulate Episode V’s success. Giving it a darker spin to the original’s hopeful story, and with the twist ending that changed the landscape of space operas forever, Empire remains the strongest entry in the franchise. Lucas concentrates on writing and steps down from the director’s chair and hands it to Irvin Kershner, who does a wonderful at helming this deliciously dark follow-up. This time Han, Luke and Leia must face greater challenges than they ever imagined, and the introduction of Yoda stands as one of the strongest moments in the franchise. We may still be getting new Star Wars films for years to come, but I’m positive none will be as deep-cutting as Empire was and still is today.

8. Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott)

A cult classic that wasn’t as well received at its time (neither commercially nor critically), and yet today stands the test of time, telling us all how wrong we were at judging this film back then. Of course, the trouble Scott faced with the many edits and studio intervention did harm its chances for success, but we can certainly say that Blade Runner is one of the most important films of the genre’s rich history. With neo-noir aesthetics, a story based on a celebrated Phillip K. Dick novel that raises all sorts of questions regarding human nature, excellent characters and fantastic performances by Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, it is hard to ignore the quality of Scott’s vision. It spanned a sequel 35 years later, and while it does carry its own merit, the original still remains the superior piece of art.

7. Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)

Another Ridley Scott film, showing the mastery he had over his craft at the time (he hasn’t been as great since this period unfortunately). As I already mentioned in the entry number 20 of this list, the glory of the original Alien lies in its cosmic horror, an aspect that has sadly been ignored in the later installments of the series. The suspense grows as we don’t see the monster for the majority of the film, and for that reason when we finally do get a glimpse from H. R. Giger’s terrifying creature it is even more breath-taking. Scott’s direction has us on the edge of our seats through the complete runtime, and Sigourney Weaver as Ripley defines the bad-ass female heroin that has been way too absent in recent movies. A great film and the preeminent exercise on filmic cosmic horror, Alien still stands as the strongest entry in its franchise.

6. Planet of the Apes (1968, Franklin J. Schaffner)

The original that spanned a franchise which has seen its ups and downs throughout its history is not only the best of the series, but also one of the quintessential science fiction films of all time. The film follows a group of astrounauts who crash-land on an unknown planet that is ruled by apes and humans seem to be underdeveloped. Tackling many complex issues such as evolution, racism, religion and nuclear weapons, Schaffner’s film does exactly what every great sci fi film should do: make us question our own conceptions and belief systems. The twist at the end is probably one of the most famous in film history, not to mention Charlton Heston’s terrific performance in that scene. Even if the more recent installments have faired particularly well, it is pretty damn hard to top this masterpiece.

5. Solaris (1972, Andrei Tarkovsky)

One of the greatest filmmakers to ever live tackles a novel by Stanislaw Lem, taking the genre to places where it had seldom been and would seldom be afterwards. Psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis) is sent to a space station orbiting an oceanic planet called Solaris. As he soon finds out, the ocean sends probes into the space station’s habitants heads and manifests what lies in their unconscious minds. As you can imagine, all sorts of moral and onthological dilmmas rise with regards to the meaning of being human, memory and our position in the vastness of cosmos. Tarkovsky is a master in what he does, and with Solaris he creates a science fiction piece that trascends the genre and leaves the viewer with all sorts of questions with no easy answer.

4. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)

The genre categorization with this one is a little tricky, but it is widely accepted that Orange belongs to the dystopian science fiction region, and therefore more than deserves a place on this list. In a future Great Britain where civilization seems at the brink of collapse and juvenile delinquency runs wild, our protagonist Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) faces many consequences for his actions, at times seeming way too harsh, since it was the system that failed him and not the other way around. Dealing with moral issues such as the existence of free will and the nature of evil, Kubrick creates a portrait of a society in dispair that ultimately revels in its own hypocrisy while pretending to cleanse the youth of what they deem filth.

3. Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang)

The only silent film on this list, but one of the reasons that the dystopian science fiction subgenre even exists today. Fritz Lang’s expressionistic tale about an unfair society that alienates its citizens and ties them down to a life full of consumism and social determination is one that has stood the test of time and is still regarded as one of the defning pieces of the genre and of cinema itself. While parts of the footage have been lost, many restoration attempts have been made and today we can find versions that include around 95% of what Lang originally intended. While being received mixedly at its time (due mainly to its perceived marxist ideology), more contemporary critics agree that this is a masterpiece of german cinema at the time of the Weimar Republic. Visually stunning and showcasing its celebrated director’s talent, Metropolis is a film that should be in every film buff’s list.

2. Stalker (1979, Andrei Tarkovksy)

As beautiful, thoughtful and poetic as science fiction films can get, Tarkovsky’s second outing within the genre proves to be without question one of the greatest movies ever made. The film follows three men in an expedition within a zone that has been struck by a meteorite, and in its center its supposed to be a room that is capable of conceding a person’s deepest desires. This isn’t your typical sci fi film with special effects, aliens or spacecrafts, instead Tarkovsky relies on a powerful and extremely well told story and three well-rounded characters to hit home with its heavy themes. In contrast to Solaris, this movie trascends the genre in a sense that goes beyond visuals and production design. A tale about humanity and the cost of dreams, featuring world-building that could jump start an entire cinematic universe (but thank God that didn’t happen), Tarkovsky’s film is not only one of the best of the genre, but also one of the best entries in the global film history canon.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)

It may be cliché to place this one at the top spot, but cliché exist for a reason. Kubrick’s epic masterpiece spans millenia of human evolution and poses the question of the role that extra-terrestrial forces may have played in this long, still going process. With no real overarching plot that engulfs its four acts, nor a protagonist that serves as the audience’s surrogate, 2001 instead goes deep into space with its exploration on issues such as evolution, artificial intelligence, humanity’s cosmical position and Nietzschean ideas such as the etenral recurrence. Even today it still remains as one of the most breath-taking visual experiences in film, the stargate sequence being one of the most cited examples. At the time of its release the movie wasn’t all that well received, mainly for its controversial issues, but we can safely say that history and academia has been fair to the merits of Kubrick’s finest contribution to the medium. For these and many other reasons is 2001: A Space Odyssey regarded by many as the very best science fiction film of all time.

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