Thesci-fi genre has consistently delivered some of the most interesting and revolutionary movies of the past decade, with big franchises and original ideas both making a splash.Sci-fi in the 21st century has benefited from the boundless potential of CGI, and filmmakers now have more freedom than ever to tell the stories they want to tell without worrying too much about practicality. However, it takes a special kind of director to harness these magical visual effects in a way that feels both grounded and necessary.
Over the last ten years, directors such as Denis Villeneuve, Alex Garland and Yorgos Lanthimos have delivered inventive sci-fi movies which have redefined the expectations of the genre.The best sci-fi movies can introduce mind-bending concepts without losing sight of the humanitywhich makes stories compelling.The last decade has seen movies which combine cinematic spectacle with relatable, character-driven narratives.
Annihilation
Cast
Alex Garland’s Annihilation is based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. It follows a group of explorers - comprised of biology professor Lena (Natalie Portman), psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), geomorphologist Cassie Sheppard (Tuva Nvotny), and paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez) - as they enter “the Shimmer”, a quarantined zone of mutated plants and animals caused by an unknown extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Lena agrees to enter the Shimmer in search of her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), who was sent in as part of a special forces operation.
Alex Garland’sAnnihilationis a brilliant adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel, with just as much mystery and wonder. Natalie Portman delivers a superb performance as the leader of a team of scientists who venture into a strange scientific anomaly known only as The Shimmer. As the story progresses and the researchers journey further and further from reality,Annihilationdelves into increasingly supernatural horror.
Annihilation’s many layers of meaningmake a brilliant mystery to unpick, but there are some questions that aren’t meant to be answered. The lack of any real resolution leaves some ofAnnihilation’s biggest conundrums hanging over the characters, and the audience. After a confronting nightmare,Annihilationpulls back in its finale, returning some characters to a fragile and disquieting peace.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a standalone film set in the Star Wars universe, where a group of resistance fighters, led by Jyn Erso, embarks on a mission to steal the Death Star plans. This pivotal event sets the stage for the iconic saga to follow.
TheStar Warsfranchise has had a tumultuous decade on the big screen, with the sequel trilogy splitting opinions andSolobeing deemed a flop. One thing thatStar Warsfans seem to largely agree upon is the quality ofRogue One,the franchise’s first spinoff movie.The story follows a band of rebels who come together and attempt to steal the schematics for the Death Star.
Rogue Onebrings some of the franchise’s best elements into the 21st century. It provides some interesting backstory for the original trilogy, but it still has the scope to tell a completely original story.Rogue Onefollows the structure of a heist movie, rather than a typicalStar Warsmovie. There are still some jaw-dropping sci-fi action sequences, including a highlight for Darth Vader, butRogue Oneis enjoyable for bothStar Warsdiehardsand more casual fans.
Blade Runner 2049
Set thirty years after the original film, Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi neo-noir film by the director of Dune, Denis Villeneuve. The film follows LAPD replicant officer K, who discovers a devastating secret that could throw society into total chaos. To stop a potential war between replicants and humans, he’ll need to locate missing former blade runner Rick Deckard and uncover the truth.
Denis Villeneuve has made a career for himself by doing things that don’t work on paper. He released two critically-acclaimed thrillers in one year in 2013, he adapted Frank Herbert’sDune,and he succeeded in creating a legacy sequel to one of the most influential sci-fi movies of all time. Taking over from Ridley Scott,Villenueve honors the legacy ofBlade Runner,although he adds plenty of his own ideas.
Blade Runner 2049retains the neo-noir atmosphere and the subtly perplexing mystery which work so well in the original movie, but it adds even grander visual set pieces. Part of what’s so impressive aboutBlade Runner 2049is the way it doesn’t over-explain anything from the first movie, so it never takes the shine off of Ridley Scott’s work. In a way,Blade Runner 2049is a minor miracle in modern Hollywood. It’s a slow-paced, cerebral drama that never had any hope of breaking even, but it is spectacular cinema for sci-fi fans.
Poor Things
Poor Things is a sci-fi romance film from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos. The story focuses on the bizarre and fantastical world of Bella Baxter after a scientist named Dr. Godwin Baxter brings her back to life. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray.
Sexually explicit and shockingly violent,Poor Thingsis one of the most confronting movies of recent years. DirectorYorgos Lanthimos has always delighted in surprising his audience, and his adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel is filled with strange imagery. The story concerns a young woman who is reanimated after a suicide attempt, although her brain is replaced by that of her unborn child.
Emma Stone won her second Oscar for her performance inPoor Things,as her character Bella rushes through the full gamut of human experience in her rapidly aging state. Lanthimos reflects the development of her mind in plenty of interesting ways. The music goes from discordant to harmonious, and Lanthimos slowly dials back his use of fish-eye lenses and Dutch angles as Bella grows. The result is a visually rich sci-fi fantasy that leaves itself open to myriad interpretations.
Godzilla Minus One
In Godzilla Minus One, set in postwar Japan, an unyielding Godzilla emerges in a landscape already ravaged, leaving survivors to unite against the monstrous threat. With no aid from military forces or government, the community must confront their fears to fend off the escalating peril.
Godzilla Minus Onequickly garnered praise as one of the best Godzilla movies ever made, with critics and fans astounded by its minuscule budget. At a cost of just $10-15 million,Godzilla Minus Onewas around ten times cheaper to produce than 2024’sGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire.Godzilla Minus Oneisn’t just impressive in terms of its budget, however. It would be just as popular at any cost.
Godzilla Minus Oneprovides all the chaos and destruction that fans have come to expect from a Godzilla movie, but it also takes the time to develop the human side of its story.The plot uses kaiju as a means to examine the human effects of war and nuclear attacks.With the help of some vulnerable performances and some acutely observed dialogue,Godzilla Minus Onefeels just as vital without Godzilla on screen.
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
In the first animated Spider-Man film released in theaters, Miles Morales, a teenager who idolizes Spider-Man, gains Spider-Man powers of his own. While learning to use his new abilities, Miles crosses parallel dimensions and teams up with the different versions of Spider-Man from those dimensions to stop a threat to all reality.
Two common gripes with the sci-fi genre in recent years have been the saturation of superhero movies and the abundance of multiverse stories.Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versechecks both boxes, but it has beena massive success, both critically and financially.The first movie to thrust Miles Morales into the spotlight shows a different side to the familiar story of Spider-Man, with a multiverse story that still feels urgent and contained.
One of thebest recent superhero movies,Into the Spider-Verseis a true synthesis of two art forms; comic books and film. The groundbreaking animation also takes inspiration from street art and old-school cartoons. This rich swirl of influences spills into every frame ofInto the Spider-Verse,making it a glorious artistic patchwork, and it has a compelling story to match.Across the Spider-Versewas just as irreverent and stylish, leading to excitement already forBeyond the Spider-Verse.
Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two continues the epic saga of Paul Atreides as he allies with Chani and the Fremen. Pursuing retribution for his family’s devastation, Paul grapples with a significant decision impacting his personal desires and the universe’s future, attempting to avert a dire destiny that only he anticipates.
Duneis one of the most influential sci-fi novels of all time, but Frank Herbert’s work was saddled with the reputation of being “unfilmable” for decades. David Lynch’s divisive 1984 adaptation was the only project that ever achieved liftoff before Denis Villeneuve took on the novel.2021’sDunewas a huge success, butPart Twomarks a noticeable improvement.Herbert’s work finally has a worthy adaptation that’s both approachable and detailed.
Early on in the development ofDune,Villenueve made the wise decision to split the novel into two movies. This means thatDune: Part Twofinally introduces some important characters who were missing from the first act, including the Emperor and Princess Irulan.It’s Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha who steals the show, however.Hopes are already high forDune: Part Three.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is a post-apocalyptic film set in a desolate desert landscape where society has collapsed. Released in 2015, the story follows two rebels, Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa, as they attempt to survive and bring balance to a world torn by chaos and strife.
After 30 years away from hisMad Maxfranchise, during which time he directed twoHappy Feetmovies,George Miller made his triumphant return withFury Road,proving that he hadn’t lost his flair for explosive action. Tom Hardy takes on the role of Max Rockatansky forFury Road,and he is joined by Charlize Theron in sparkling form as Furiosa. Their tense dynamic propels the drama throughoutFury Road,as they form a reluctant truce to escape from a vicious warlord.
With an admirable commitment to practical effects,Mad Max: Fury Roadis one of the best action movies of the 21st century. It presents a hopeless vision of a desert wasteland, populated by strange characters at every turn.Fury Road’s subdued approach to sci-fi worldbuilding is extremely effective, as it eschews all clunky exposition in favor of tantalizing mystery. There are stilted figures stalking the land and various military factions with obscure motives. The lack of certainty makesFury Road’s post-apocalyptic world feel even more dangerous.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
In Everything Everywhere All at Once, a middle-aged laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) is distracted from her financial and family issues by a multiversal crisis. With just her husband (Ke Huy Quan) to support her through the confusion, she must contend with her overbearing traditional father (James Hong), a pencil-pushing auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), and her emotionally-distant daughter (Stephanie Hsu).
The directing duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert already set a marker as creators of weird comedy-dramas with 2016’sSwiss Army Man,butEverything Everywhere All At Oncewas still a blindingly inventive treat.Michelle Yeoh leads a stellar caston a bizarre multiverse adventure that focuses just as much on laundry and tax returns as it does on the fate of all life in existence.
It can be easy to miss themeaning ofEverything Everywhere All At Oncebeneath the layers of absurd humor and the rapid conveyer belt of new universes being introduced. Ultimately, the jokes about sausage fingers, racacoonie and two sentient rocks reveal the optimistic nihilism of the Daniels.Everything Everywhere All At Onceuses a barrage of surreal nonsense to deliver an uplifting message about taking joy in the little things.
Arrival
Arrival is a science fiction film centered on linguist Louise Banks, who is recruited by the military after alien spacecraft land across the globe. Tasked with determining the extraterrestrials' intentions, she embarks on a critical mission to decipher their complex language, exploring themes of communication and time.
Arrivalfeatures a career-best performance from Amy Adams, who plays a linguist tasked with deciphering an alien language after strange spacecraft touch down all over Earth.Arrivalis based on “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, a brilliant sci-fi short story that examines the ways that language shapes our perception of the world around us.Arrivaltranslates the story for the big screen with intelligence and respect, adding a few ingenious flourishes.
Arrival’s non-linear timelineis beautifully constructed. It acts like a riddle begging to be solved, just like the alien language that Louise’s research focuses on. In a brilliant twist, one holds the key to the other, andArrivalurges its audience to go back and watch it all over again.Doing so will reveal the subtle clues and the intricate machinations which makeArrivaltick. Few movies use their sci-fi premise as such a key facet of their structure, butArrivalpulls it off.
10 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies With A Cult Following
Sci-fi movies are brilliant, but some niche and off-beat sci-fi films have managed to secure a cult following thanks to their incredible creativity.
