Movies are made to evoke emotions. Comedies aim for laughter, dramas for tears, and horror seeks to elicit screams. Sci-fi, when executed effectively, operates on multiple levels. The genre’s intricacy is ideal for profound social commentary. It can also delve into darkness and frighten the audience. Regardless of the intention, sci-fi prompts viewers to think and perceive the world differently.
There have been countless iconic sci-fi movies over the decades. <em>Planet of the Apes</em>, Alien, <em>The Thing</em>, and The Matrix are just a few that come to mind. That’s the 20th century, though. Now, we’re living in a future where advancements in technology have created the world sci-fi warned us about. These eight movies are the best to do it so far.
1
‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014)
Take Groundhog Day, throw in an alien invasion, and you have the basis for <em>Edge of Tomorrow</em>. Directed by Doug Liman, the film stars Tom Cruise as Major William Cage. With the help of Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), he takes the fight to the aliens, which is typical for the genre, but there’s a major twist. Every time Cage dies, he comes back to fight the villains again, improving with each attempt.
The Groundhog Day-type time loop has been done often, but never quite like this. Edge of Tomorrow made the format feel fresh. Although the plot is deadly serious, the script remembers to incorporate fun with many lighthearted moments. The movie is filled with great visuals, terrifying monsters, and plenty of action. It’s Cruise and Blunt who carry the wild premise by playing against type, with Blunt as the badass hero this time and Cruise as the character who must learn how to fight.
2
‘Arrival’ (2016)
Arrival is not your typical alien invasion flick. If you’re looking for giant spaceships blowing up major American cities, look elsewhere. Amy Adams stars in Denis Villeneuve‘s film as a linguist named Louise Banks. When aliens come to Earth and hover over cities without attacking, it’s up to Banks to go to them and find a way to communicate. Just what do the aliens want? Are they here for peace or destruction?
Arrival is beautifully filmed, with great performances from Adams and Jeremy Renner, among others. What it’s not is a horror movie. Instead, it relies on a complex plot that aims to make the audience think about the importance of language and how we communicate. Forget big CGI effects and what you think you know — give yourself over to Villeneuve and Adams’ immense talent and be amazed by what aliens can teach us about our own world.
3
‘Inception’ (2010)
Coming off the heels of The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan stunned moviegoers again with Inception, which he both wrote and directed. The sci-fi thriller is stacked with top Hollywood talent, including Leonardo DiCaprio,Joseph Gordon Levitt,Tom Hardy,and Cillian Murphy. The far-out plot has a thief named Dom Cob (DiCaprio), who goes from stealing from the dreams of others to planting an “inception” in their minds. What follows is an unpredictable story like no other.
Inception is a heist film with deep science fiction influences. The story alone will have you on edge, but where it really sets itself apart is what it does to your senses. As usual,Hans Zimmer’s score is masterful. Wally Pfister won a much-deserved Oscar for Best Cinematography due to stunning imagery he put on screen. Fights in zero gravity and spinning rooms brought impossible scenarios to life in magical ways.
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