Top 5 Sci Fi Films of All Time
Sci-Fi is a genre which has a cult like following, some of the most loved Sci-Fi films are followed like a religion. In the 1970's, Star Wars was perhaps the first Sci-Fi film to create a fully realised universe full of lore and deep narrative that millions of people around the world adore to this day. It is the escapist nature of Sci-Fi films that brings massive audiences together, so this week I'm giving a run down of my personal best Sci-Fi films of all time.
#5 The Man Who Fell To Earth
Roeg's The Man Who Fell To Earth is one of the more strange films on this list. The film revolves around an alien who crashes to Earth to find water for his home planet, and so begins to work his way up the business ladder in an attempt to build a ship for his return home. The interesting thing about The Man Who Fell To Earth is that it is both an entertaining and funny Sci-Fi film in the form that is widely recognised, and at the same time a more artsy social commentary on the capitalist world we currently live in. It's a brilliant combination, giving the film an intelligent satirical edge that always manages to undercut the sometimes cliche and predictable plot. David Bowie stars as the extraterrestrial, and does a magnificent job, using his weird and wonderful persona to his advantage. A must watch for any Sci-Fi fan.
#4 Avatar
While some may condemn this film for being a rehash of similar plot ideas and set pieces, I find Avatar to be massively refreshing amongst a backdrop of generic Sci-Fi blockbusters. Of course Avatar's visuals are completely astounding and still impress to this day, but perhaps even more impressive is Avatar's focus on character development. We all know that Avatar has the action set pieces and the stereotypical characters we associate with the genre, but at the same time a good two thirds of the film are focused on the relationship between two people. It's a rare thing in Sci-Fi films for the attention to be focused on characters over action scenes or deep and technical stories, but that is what sets Avatar apart from some of the more bombastic films that could have been put on this list. By the end of the film, we care about the characters, something that should not be pushed aside in favour of pure adrenaline fuelled entertainment.
#3 Terminator 2: Judgement Day
The Terminator franchise has long been thought of as one of the best in Sci-Fi, and most of that praise is down to this film. It's rare for a sequel to rival the original film, but in this case Judgement Day surpasses the original Terminator film by a mile. The film is pure entertainment, it is escapism and doesn't pretend to be anything else, but rather than go the easy route and imitate other similar films for easy cash, T2 attempts to be something different. John and Sarah Connor have a genuinely touching relationship, and the chemistry between the two far exceeds any mother and son seen in a Sci-Fi film, this is what sets the film apart. Like Avatar, T2 does not forget about character development, in a sense T2 is both an action blockbuster and a coming of age story, as we see John transform from a boy into a young man by the end of the film. It helps that the action in T2 is structured brilliantly, with some excellent use of early CGI in the form of the T-1000, and some great set pieces, most noticeably the final scene in the Steel Mill. While Schwarzenegger usually drives me nuts, his over the top masculinity and emotionless acting ability works as a robot, and he gives a fine performance as the Terminator himself. Overall its brilliant escapist fun, and something that any Sci-Fi fan should watch.
#2 Alien
Ridley Scott's Alien is perhaps one of the best films of all time, so its no surprise that it has made it onto my list. While some argue that the sequel Aliens is better, I disagree. Alien bests the sequel with its atmosphere and genuine mystery, rather than the action scenes or set pieces which feature heavily in the sequel. The basic plot is based around a ship that lands on an alien planet when they receive a distress beacon, as they explore the planet they begin to uncover sinister and disturbing things, and the rest is history. Sigourney Weaver is outstanding in Alien as well as all of it's sequels, she has become somewhat of a female empowerment icon through her role as Ripley, which is thoroughly deserved. In terms of Sci-Fi, Alien raised the bar of what can be done in terms of atmosphere and mood, giving us one of the most terrifying landscapes ever seen on film. The film's lack of dialogue and long takes can turn many viewers off hoping for a thrill a minute roller coaster ride, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with some of the best Sci-Fi ever created.
(Also one of the best trailers of all time in my opinion)
#1 2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick's absolute masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey is the best Sci-Fi film of all time. You'll find it at the #1 spot on a good majority of lists, and there are a number of reasons why. Firstly, this 1968 film is shot in a way that is still to this day completely revolutionary and state of the art. Considering that Star Wars didn't come out until 1977, this film was way ahead of its time in terms of set design, camera work and special effects. As well as the visuals, the film brims with ideas and concepts about life and evolution, which any Sci-Fi fan will drool over. As with Alien, 2001 is filmed in a way that some people will find hard to watch and off putting, with little dialogue and sometimes achingly long shots of apparent nothingness taking up much of the film. If you're in the right frame of mind to see this film, you will instead see art at its finest, with each frame obsessively perfected and refined, making it a joy to watch for cinephiles. 2001 has inspired countless films, most recently Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, which shares 2001's spiritual and meditative style of minimalistic plot. This is the kind of film that everyone should see at least once.
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