The 1980s were one of the very best decades for sci-fi movies. From the infectious horror of John Carpenter‘s <em>The Thing</em>, and one of the best horror blockbusters ever with the sequel Aliens, to an adaptation of Philip K. Dick‘s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in Blade Runner, and the Star Wars franchise’s best entry, Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, some of the finest pieces of sci-fi cinema were released in the ’80s.
Of all the great 1980s sci-fi movies, none are as perfect for the whole family as Back to the Future. Starring Michael J. Fox, fresh from his time as the star of the hit TV series Family Ties, Back to the Future paired Fox with Christopher Lloyd, creating one of film’s best partnerships in the process. When an experiment by Lloyd’s eccentric Doc Brown goes awry, and Fox’s Marty McFly is sent back to the ’50s, he must make sure his parents fall in love; otherwise, he is wiped from existence. Add to that the need to get back to the present day to save the life of Doc, and a near-impossible task faces Marty.
Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, Back to the Future is considered one of the best and most important movies of its time. A hit with critics, the film boasts a near-perfect 93% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus on the site reading, “Inventive, funny, and breathlessly constructed, Back to the Future is a rousing time-travel adventure with an unforgettable spirit.” Just as popular today as it was in 1985, the film ranks among the ten most-streamed titles on AMC+ in the U.S., at the time of writing.
‘Back to the Future’ Was a Huge Box Office Hit
Not just one of the greatest films of all time, Back to the Future was also a major hit in theaters in 1985 and has also proved successful in subsequent re-releases. Against a reported budget of just $19 million, the movie returned an enormous$398 million worldwide, split between a domestic haul of $225 million and a further $173 million from overseas markets. When adjusted for inflation, the film has earned over $650 million, which would place it in the top tier of highest-grossing sci-fi movies.
Back to the Future is a streaming hit. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.
