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Science fiction is a tremendously fun and flexible genre of cinema.
But even still, it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Sci-fi comedies, sci-fi horror, sci-fi romances there’s a flavor of sci-fi for everyone.
Except, of course, if you’re someone who hates sci-fi.
You might not likeconventionalsci-fi.
You might change your mind after this.
(2020)
War of the Worlds meets millennial anxieties in this hilarious send-up of space invasion thrillers.
With dynamite chemistry between its leads and a fun, modern spin on classic sci-fi themes, Save Yourselves!
is a worthwhile movie night selection even for the sci-fi averse.
Arrival (2016)
Many sci-fi films deal with the thrilling terror of first contact.
But few are as riveting, emotional, and compassionate as Arrival.
That’s where Come True comes in.
Next Exit (2022)
Imagine if the afterlife is proven true.
Years after its release, the movie remains a blaring alarm about our self-destructive apocalypse.
Amid their experimentation, they realize time travel is more complex than they ever anticipated.
It’s also a science fiction movie, just without a spaceship or lightsaber in sight.
Feeling hurt by her actions, Carrey’s character sets out to do the same thing.
Beautiful and sentimental to a fault, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a precious one to remember.
Most of the movies are phenomenal.
(Notallof them, mind you.)
What he finds instead is an ape with rapidly evolving intelligence.
No space suits or ape kingdoms here.
And as anyone would in Hollywood, they race to snap proof of its existence.
While there, he meets Nathan’s mystifying creation: a beautiful, advanced A.I.
named Ava (Alicia Vikander).
But even with all its obvious inspirations, this handsome gem unearths new depths in the genre.
Of course, there is something very big, very old, and very mean causing the ruckus.
Half escape thriller, half monster horror, Underwater floats more than it sinks.
His experiments escalate into severe abuses of power which ultimately threatens the world.
Unconventionally funny and darkly entertaining, LFO begs turning up the volume.
But the 2023 blockbuster Godzilla Minus One, from director Takashi Yamazaki, restored the icon’s true magnificence.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Suburban ennui meets psychological horror in this pseudo-time travel epic from director Richard Kelly.
It’s a damn fine picture.
The Abyss (1989)
James Cameronisn’t just a movie director.
He’s also a passionate diver with a genuine love for the ocean blue.
In 1989, Cameron dove into the dark depths with his cinematic stunner The Abyss.
Contagion (2011)
Once upon a time, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion was merely speculative science fiction.
By 2020, however, it was all too real.
Sleight (2016)
Gritty crime epics meet coming-of-age superhero origin stories in J.D.
Dillard’s filmmaking debut.
Sleight is a quality experience that is no illusion.
In 2001, the series got a theatrical spin-off in Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven’s Door.
Aniara (2018)
From filmmaker Pella Kagerman, Aniara adapts Harry Martinson’s 1956 poem.
But this multi-layered movie is so much more than that.
Under the Skin (2013)
Don’t let its inclusion of Marvel superstar Scarlett Johansson fool you.
