Buzz
Science fiction is generally seen as stories set in the future or that showcase significant technological or environmental transformations. These tales often unfold in outer space or alternate versions of Earth and may occur in either the distant or near future. However, this definition is broad, as sci-fi can be set anywhere, including Earth, another planet, or even the farthest corners of the universe. It can span across past, present, or future timelines.
The fictional universe in a sci-fi film could either be drastically different from our reality or nearly identical. It may include extraterrestrials, robots, or futuristic gadgets, but these elements are not always essential. Within the sci-fi genre, there are numerous sub-genres, not to mention the blending of sci-fi and fantasy elements in certain films. Back in 2007, we shared a comprehensive list of the Top 15 Science Fiction Movies. Now, in 2020, we’ve narrowed down the vast world of sci-fi into 10 major categories. Perhaps your all-time favorite sci-fi movie fits into one of them—or maybe it doesn’t. Let us know your thoughts.
10. Time Travel
Time travel films each bring their own unique twists, with several distinct sub-genres. You might encounter romantic time travel (e.g., The Time Traveler’s Wife), comedic time travel (e.g., Hot Tub Time Machine), nostalgic teen coming-of-age time travel (e.g., Back to the Future), or those stories focused on the longing for different ages, where a mysterious Chinese character with a mop/fortune cookie grants a wish through unexplained means.
Then there are the action-packed time travel films like Terminator, where the travelers have mastered hopping through time, but they still haven't quite figured out how to outrun the good guys in a car chase.
At times, time travel serves as a convenient plot tool to escape tricky situations. Take Avengers Endgame, for instance. After 21 movies that didn’t involve time travel, Thanos wipes out half of the universe's population. What now? Well, you could go back in time, stop Thanos from collecting the stones, and snap your fingers to fix everything. And if that fails, just call up the lady with the laser eyes to beat him down (why wasn’t she called earlier? Oh right, she was busy).
Like Endgame, many films breeze through the intricacies of time travel. Just hook up the MacGuffin to the Flux Capacitor, crank it up to 11, and voilà.
The reason for this is simple: time travel is impossible. The math behind it is likely to be quite complex and, let’s face it, a bit boring. However, the most 'realistic' take on time travel might be Primer, a low-budget film that didn’t cater to the non-mathematical minds. It won a Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Festival and is known to have gained a following—among mathematicians. Enough said. And just to remind us, math can actually be pretty cool! Proof: Top 10 Coolest Mathematics Results.
9. Steampunk
Steampunk blends the best of both worlds: it's set in the past, but with a futuristic twist. Think of it as a realm filled with extraordinary gadgets, enormous guns, all powered by steam, and countless gleaming gears. Typically set in the late Victorian era, these films take a loose approach to science, focusing more on style and aesthetics than any sort of realism.
Take Wild Wild West, for example. Starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline, this film delivers all the expected elements of a western, with a twist—bicycle-powered airplanes and giant mechanical spiders. And, of course, magnets. Lots of magnets. While the film wasn’t exactly a hit, it did take home 5 Razzies, including Worst Picture and Worst Original Song, thanks to Smith's cringeworthy rap-based theme song.
A superior steampunk film is Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese. This heartwarming tale of an orphan boy trying to fix his father’s automaton also pays homage to Georges Méliès, a cinematographic pioneer, and his 1902 fantasy film *A Trip to the Moon*. It's a nice touch.
For steampunk fans, The Mysterious Geographic Explorations Of Jasper Morello is a must-watch. Although it’s an animated short, it packs in all the steampunk essentials—dramatic lighting, fantastic costumes, dirigibles, and intricate steam-powered contraptions. And if you're into ancient technology, check out Top 10 Facts About The Pyramids That Could Prove Advanced Ancient Technology.
8. Generation Ship
Generation Ship is one of the lesser-known sci-fi sub-genres. It revolves around the concept of an interstellar ark, where a massive population from Earth sets off into deep space to find a new home. The original travelers will be long gone by the time they reach their destination, but they hope their descendants will be able to settle on a new planet and continue the cycle of planetary destruction.
A prime example of this genre is Pandorum, a 2009 Sci-Fi/Horror film in which 60,000 people flee a dying Earth on a 123-year journey to a planet with a similar atmosphere. The passengers are put into hypersleep, waking periodically to take turns operating the ship.
Naturally, things go awry—faulty computers, unstable nuclear reactors, space-induced madness, and a lurking monster throw a wrench in their plans. You get the picture. It all gets a bit absurd after that.
Passengers, starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, follows a similar storyline but includes a quirky android bartender, played by Michael Sheen, who steals the show (not that it’s too hard to do). While it nods to some of the horror themes in Pandorum, Passengers takes a more optimistic turn, even if it gets a little wild.
And what happens to Earth after it’s abandoned? They send a Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth-class (aka WALL-E) to clean up the mess. It’s a cute touch, right? Now, can movie journeys really compare to real-life ones, like these 8 Worst Journeys Ever Undertaken?
7. Alien Invasion
Alien Invasion is a classic Sci-Fi genre, and there’s no shortage of films to pick from. If you like your alien invaders served with over-the-top patriotism, you might opt for Independence Day. But if you prefer something more visually stunning, try Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim, where enormous alien reptiles rise from the sea to battle human-controlled robots. Sure, it’s still a bit silly and patriotic, but it’s a feast for the eyes.
Not all Alien Invasion films are big-budget action spectacles. For a more grounded take, check out Attack the Block. “What kind of alien would invade a crappy council estate in South London?” “One that’s looking for a fight.” While it doesn’t splurge on special effects, the script is truly stellar.
For a more absurd approach, watch Mars Attacks. A parody of 1950s B-movies (because, of course, it’s a Tim Burton film), Mars Attacks takes the prize for the best-looking evil aliens. The movie boasts an all-star cast, including Jack Nicholson as the self-serving president, Glenn Close as the first lady, and Pierce Brosnan as a particularly obnoxious Brit who acts as an interpreter for the Martians while puffing on a briar pipe.
He believes they come in peace. Spoiler: He’s wrong. “Nice Planet. We’ll Take It.” But don’t be too pessimistic. After all, the real aliens might actually be quite helpful, as shown by top 10 Signs That Aliens Could Be Contributing To Our World.
6. Colonization
Sometimes, aliens don’t just want to invade; they want to settle down. That’s where Colonization films come in. The 1950s were filled with movies of this type, with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) being one of the most famous. In this film, aliens duplicate human bodies and replace them. But they can't replicate human emotions, which means they must be stopped. Of course, when it comes to colonizing another planet, that’s perfectly fine.
In Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film Interstellar, humanity, having ruined their own planet’s ecosystem, sets out to take over someone else’s. When a wormhole appears, Matthew McConaughey’s character embarks on a mission to find a new planet capable of sustaining life. However, no one considers whether that planet is already home to other lifeforms or how those lifeforms might react to a mass invasion by creatures who will ravage the land and destroy the planet. Presumably, they’re okay with it. Let’s hope so, eh Elon? 10 Things We Know About Elon Musk’s Future Colony On Mars.
5. Human as Slaves
The future is an uncharted territory, and no one can predict what it holds. While humans are currently the most advanced species on Earth, who can say what evolution has planned for us?
The premise of Planet of the Apes is a classic example of this. Charlton Heston plays an astronaut who crashes on a mysterious planet, strikingly similar to Earth, where apes have risen to power and humans are reduced to slaves, pets, or oddities. The film was a huge success, spawning four sequels, a TV show, an animated series, a successful remake, and an even more successful reboot of the Ape vs. Man genre, where the Ape is not just the dominant species, but the hero.
While humans were subjugated in Planet of the Apes, they weren't quite as exploited as they are in The Matrix. In the Wachowskis' groundbreaking film, where ‘bullet-time’ was introduced, humanity’s role is far more depressing.
Unless you're Neo, you're stuck in a slimy, egg-shaped pod for the rest of your life. And if Neo shows up to save you, things are about to get a lot worse. Maybe you should’ve just taken the blue pill. Just stay away from the black pill... 10 Ways The World Could End Today.
4. Utopia
Science fiction doesn’t always revolve around people in metallic uniforms with massive weapons, or apocalyptic wastelands with starving survivors caused by humanity’s reckless consumption. It often does, but occasionally, we are offered a more hopeful vision of the future. A perfect example is Avatar.
So, humans have wrecked their home planet, but luckily there’s another nearby that’s absolutely beautiful. The air, however, is toxic to humans—great news for the native species of Pandora. But even though we can’t live there, surely there’s a way to make some money off of it, right?
The people of Pandora live in perfect harmony with nature, a peaceful and gentle species. Naturally, they’re prime targets. Humans use technology to control avatars remotely and send them to explore the planet in search of a rare and absurdly named mineral: unobtainium.
If you’re enchanted by Pandora’s breathtaking beauty, you’ve stumbled upon a Utopia. Unfortunately, it won’t last because, inevitably, someone will show up to ruin it. This seems to be a common thread in Utopian-themed films.
Whenever there’s a pristine planet, lush with life, you can be sure that some power-hungry human will appear and start stomping all over the flora to extract oil, treasure, or minerals with nonsensical names.
Thankfully, there’s usually at least one person—or occasionally a small group—who truly appreciates the planet’s inherent value and gets to stay. But if you think the idea of a perfect society is heartwarming, prepare for a harsh reality check: 10 Failed Attempts To Create Utopian Cities.
3. Space opera
Forget about singing, space operas are all about scale and spectacle. These grand tales of adventure, melodrama, and romance unfold across the vastness of the cosmos. Typically set in the depths of space or on distant, exotic planets, space operas almost always feature dashing heroes taking on a dark and menacing Evil Overlord, who’s almost always decked out in black. In short, we’re talking about Star Wars.
Space operas often come in a series of installments. A prime early example is Flash Gordon, which debuted in 1936 as a 13-episode serial starring Buster Crabbe. Flash Gordon’s battle with the villainous Emperor Ming the Merciless aired on Saturday mornings for years, making magic with minimal sets and special effects.
The essence of Space Opera lies in heroic quests against evil empires. Expect stirring soundtracks, long speeches that explain the plot, and bold, if somewhat futile, actions. In short, it's the type of thing that practically begs for a parody film. Enter Space Balls.
Written and directed by Mel Brooks, who also plays the pointy-eared alien sage Yogurt, and starring Rick Moranis as the comically villainous Black Helmet, Space Balls lovingly mocks every space opera film ever made. If you're not big on the sci-fi elements of a sci-fi movie, this one’s for you. And may the Schwartz be with you. For more on movie effects, check out Top 10 Amazing Movie Sound Effects Made With Animals.
2. First Contact
First contact films aren't really focused on the aliens themselves, but rather on the people who meet them. Take Close Encounters of the Third Kind, for instance—aliens don't even show up until the very last moments of the film. In Contact, Jodie Foster plays a woman who might have encountered aliens, though it's possible she's just imagining the whole thing.
Arrival, the 2016 blockbuster about first contact, was another movie centered more on people than on aliens. Starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner (in a rare role where he barely overacts), the film focuses on the challenge of communicating with beings who have no shared language—or even a common understanding of communication itself. The aliens are a relatively minor part of the story. What truly matters is the way governments interact, or fail to, and their ability to understand those who are fundamentally different.
Arrival was both a commercial and critical hit. It was hailed as one of the most intellectually stimulating alien films ever made, and arguably the best where the heroes are a physicist and a linguist. There's not a single Evil Overlord or intergalactic weapon in sight—strange, right? Even the Chinese are portrayed as heroes, though perhaps that can be explained by Top 10 Things Hollywood Does To Kowtow To The Chinese.
1. Dystopia
If the idea of Utopia feels a bit too sweet for your taste, dystopia might be a better choice. There’s an abundance of these films, typically set in barren deserts or abandoned shopping centers, presenting a grim view of what awaits us if we don’t stop wrecking the planet. The twist? Dystopian movies tend to be far more thrilling than their Utopian counterparts.
Sure, Avatar offers a tranquil world with flowers, trees, and serenity, but then there’s Mad Max, where the action is all about armored vehicles and unrestrained driving. Fuel shortage? Who cares when you can go as fast as you want, even on the wrong side of the road, and face no consequences?
In Avatar, you’re armed with a bow and arrow. But in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, you’ve got a flamethrower mounted on your truck. By the time Mad Max: Fury Road rolls around, even your guitar gets a flamethrower attached to it. Talk about escalating the chaos.
Sure, the shops are bare, the water’s toxic, and the only food left might be Soylent Green (Wait, what’s in that exactly?). But who cares when you can wield a flamethrower like a true badass? If the dystopian world is your jam, check out 10 Sci-Fi Dystopias That Are Everyday Realities Today.
