When one thinks of the greatest science fiction movies ever made, the most often titles that come to mind are the late Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ridley Scott’s Alien, or The Matrix Trilogy by Lily and Lana Wachowski. However, there are some splendid sci-fi movies that are rarely talked about or even known by many fans of the genre. In this article, you will find 10 of the most underrated sci-fi movies that you should watch if you proudly declare yourself to be a sci-fi fan.
10. Snowpiercer (2013)
Credit: Snowpiercer
Before Bong Joon Ho won his Academy Award for Best Director with Parasite, he worked on this thrilling dystopian dark science fiction movie. Snowpiercer focuses on the thin line that separates chaos from order within society and does so using a self-sustaining train that holds the only remaining human population in a world frozen over. With strong performances from Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer is an ambitious dystopian sci-fi that succeeds on every level.
9. Pitch Black (2000)
Credit: Pitch Black
During an era when space movies were all the rage, Pitch Black seemed to be another among the list of forgettable films. However, what we got was a fast-paced character-driven thriller about a ship that crashes and leaves its crew deserted on a desolate planet occupied by ferocious creatures that come out of hiding during an eclipse. Although Vin Diesel is most famous for The Fast and Furious franchise, this was the film that made him a Hollywood catch.
8. Coherence (2013)
Credit: Coherence
A group of friends getting together at a dinner party the same night a comet is set to pass by the Earth. That is all it takes to turn a simple idea into 89 minutes of a gripping sci-fi thriller that makes you question everything you see. Filmed on a budget of $50,000 at the director’s own house over just 5 days with no script, Coherence puts to shame most of the sci-fi movies made with enormous budgets.
7. Dredd (2012)
Credit: Dredd
A reboot of its 1995 predecessor, this movie could not have a better cast than Karl Urban as the unflinching Judge Dredd. Set in the futuristic Mega-City One, the narrative follows Dredd and the rookie Anderson taking on a violent drug dealer Ma-Ma and carrying out ruthless justice on her henchmen. If you liked its predecessor, then you will love this reincarnation.
6. Event Horizon (1997)
Credit: Event Horizon
What do you get when you combine sci-fi with horror? Event Horizon! Unarguably one of Paul W.S. Anderson’s best movies, Event Horizon tells the story of a rescue crew investigating a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and returned years later. Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne both delivered tremendous performances and made this lesser-known movie a cult classic among its few fans.
5. Predestination (2014)
Credit: Predestination
A non-linear time paradox sci-fi movie filled with twists and turns would have you think that Predestination is a creation of Christopher Nolan. The Spierig Brothers bring together Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook to produce an intricate story where the less you know, the more rewarding it is.
4. Children of Men (2006)
Credit: Children of Men
Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men is a story about a former ideologue in a post-apocalyptic world who became a frustrated pragmatic after being disappointed by life, and his eventual journey toward salvation, not only for the human race but also for his own life.
3. Arrival (2016)
Credit: Arrival
With a very simple plot about a linguist working with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world, Arrival is a movie that trusts the intelligence and patience of its audience. It is a complex and thought-provoking sci-fi that glimpses into human behavior and interaction with the unknown.
2. Sunshine (2007)
Credit: Sunshine
A film that seems to have been released a decade too early, Sunshine is one of the most visually spectacular sci-fi movies. A breathtaking deep space adventure, Sunshine is the complete sci-fi experience that comes around so rarely in today’s modern films, and still holds up incredibly well so many years later.
1. Primer (2004)
Credit: Primer
Labeled as one of the most confusing movies ever made, one of the reasons Primer is among the best underrated sci-fi movies is that it doesn’t lay everything out for you. It is an enigma to be decoded and as a result, it is absolutely worth multiple viewings and the more you watch it, the deeper you understand it.Event HorizonAlfonso CuaronEvent Horizon
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