It’s easy to mistake the sci-fi genre for one dominated only by major franchises in recent years. The attention that theMarvel Cinematic Universeand theStar WarsSequel Trilogy got over the last decade makes it easy to dismiss other science fiction films that deserved better than they got from audiences and critics alike.
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Whereas many took it upon themselves to try and create new franchises that could emulateStar Warstoday, others looked to the more serious, realistic, and possibly not too fictitious side of the genre. Fortunately for genre fans, both approaches have yielded movies that many people will return to fondly despite them not being among the greatest.
8Ready Player One
In dystopian 2045, the world is obsessed with the OASIS, a VR simulation used to escape the real world. A young man called Wade Watts finds a clue left behind by the creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, which will lead to the golden egg that grants ownership of the simulation. Watts and his friends must race through a series of challenges to find the egg before an evil corporation manages to do so.
There is something for everyone in this action-packed, emotional, comedic film that earns a place on this list for everything from the cheesy romantic subplot toThe Iron Giantbeing included in the third act, that’s arguably the most endearing character in cinema!
7In Time
Set in a dystopian world,In Timetakes place in a world where time is the most valuable commodity. At age 25, a timer starts counting down on a person’s forearm from one year. Time is earned and spent in place of money and if your time runs out, you immediately expire. If the plot doesn’t make much sense, don’t worry there are a lot ofsci-fi movies that don’t make sense.
Justin Timberlake stars as Will, a man who uncovers a plot to keep the rich immortal and the poor dying while being gifted over a hundred years of time from a tired, wealthy man. He and the daughter of a rich time-loaner go on the run in a literal race against time to try and crash the system and equal the playing field.
6Super 8
When JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg work together, movie fans get a film that generally feels a lot likeE.T.orStand By Methematically while giving viewers a much darker take on certain elements. In the case ofSuper 8, a group of children making a short film for a festival happen upon a train crash which leads to an alien escaping from the government’s control.
The adventure that follows is emotionally-powered, particularly by the father and son relationship between Joel Courtney and Kyle Chandler. It also has a wide appeal with the youthful leads, and the comedy provided by that group is a particular high, feeling at times like a precursor toStranger Things. Revisit this one in order to get excited about theJJ Abrams Portal adaption.
5John Carter
A civil war confederate captain finds a hidden cave and is accidentally teleported to Barsoom, known to him as Mars. Because of his bone density, he is able to jump incredible distances and has much greater strength, enabling him to play a huge part in a war between rival clans on Barsoom.
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Taylor Kitsch and a huge cast play the parts of the novel brought to life, which was intended to be just the first in a trilogy,the next film,Gods of Mars, was canceled in the aftermath of the film’s debut in cinemas. While that didn’t come to fruition, the film stands as a story alone with a lot of action, heart, and a well-built world that feels like it could be revisited down the line.
4Battleship
With a strong cast that surprisingly included singer Rihanna, a plot that nearly inexplicably dealt with an alien invasion, and a feel-good story, what more could genre fans ask for or expect from a movie based on the Hasbro Battleship game.
With inspiration drawn fromIndependence Dayand the newerStar Trekfilms on the way to creating another blockbuster that, like many on this list, may have underperformed at the box office, a trend forsome classic sci-fi movies. Despite that, it remains a guilty pleasure for many fans of similar blockbusters that keeps an easy place on this list between cheesy action scenes and references to the game, as well as a romantic heart that keeps it feeling intensely watchable.
3Riddick
Riddickis the one franchise film on this list, and the reason for that is that it didn’t do much to expand on or earn the franchise any new fans, for the most part. Fortunately, it gave another option for fans ofPitch BlackandThe Chronicles of Riddicka view of Vin Diesel’s best and broodiest characters.
While the film’s plot boils down toRiddickgetting tired of being in charge of everybody and deciding a new adventure is a good idea, it was a satisfying way to wrap up the character and franchise, though apparently, they may bemaking a fourth Riddick movie!
2Real Steel
Real Steelis simply justRockywith robots. Actually,Rocky 4was just Rocky with robots, however, this isRockywith Hugh Jackman controlling a robot that fights another robot in an extremelyRocky-adjacent setting.
However, with a father and son dynamic that strikes a chord, great performances all-round, and a lot of fun action to it, this film has got something for everybody. It did such a great job visually that it doesn’t look all that dated overall. Director Shawn Levy has had huge success recently withFree GuyandThe Adam Project,so if you’ve enjoyed those you should absolutely revisit this classic piece of cinema.
1Ender’s Game
Another big-budget box office film that maybe didn’t deserve the harsh treatment it received from critics isEnder’s Game. With a big cast who put in solid performances, a story that surprises and asks difficult moral questions, and exciting sequences that survive the test of time,Ender’s Gameis a strong film for a fun evening with a lot of heart behind it.
The story focuses on Ender, a young man who enters a training program used to find new commanders for an assault on the homeworld of an alien race who previously attacked Earth. The questions asked by our young leading man along his journey are difficult, and uncommon even amongst the futuristic films on this list, though the sci-fi genre has a long history ofgiving viewers existential crises.
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