Your top 5 sci-fi movies (and why)

[Kannik]

Hmmm... in no particular order and likely missing some:

Blade Runner (and I'll put 2049 here too)
Arrival
Wall-E
Akira
2001
Trek II & VI
Robocop
Tron
Star Wars Trilogy
Macross: Do You Remember Love?
Aliens
The Matrix
Gattaca


Also gonna give mention to Outland. Something about it's grit hooks me. Also have a soft spot for '84 Dune (and yes, I have read the novel ). And the movie Explorers.

 

[overgeeked]

1. Strange Days. Bruce Sterling said the essence of cyberpunk is “the Street has its own uses for things”. In that spirit, this story of what’s gained and lost in a world where memories can be recorded and millennial fever is everywhere is th most deeply cyberpunk movie ever made. It’s beautiful, with a bunch of actors in top form, and intensely emotional as characters struggle with unwanted responsibilities.

100% this. It’s a stellar movie in every way. The soundtrack kicks ass, too.

 

[Piperken]

1. 2001 (& 2010 on coat tails): ...I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that. (chilling)
2. Arrival: I liked the creativity and cinematography decisions that went into the communication scenes.
3. Aliens: Remember the sentry guns scenes? I still do.
4. Back to the Future: Watched many times; the only bit that hasn't held up well like many films from the 1980's, is the typecasting of the terrorists.
5. The Fifth Element: Watched many times; many little bits I adore, but Ruby Rhod was both amazing and prescient.

 

[Koloth]

No particular order.

Galaxy Quest : How well would you hold up if you were dropped into your fantasy world?
Spaceballs : Very predictive on the importance of merchandising. And password security. Good entertaining satire.
Star Wars : The original version before Lucas started editing it. Nice mix of escapism with comedy. Later movies became too serious.
ST - Wrath of Khan : Good recovery for ST after the dreck that was ST The Motion Picture. Probably saved the franchise.
Jurassic Park : Fun entertainment with a warning. That we are mostly ignoring.

Lots of others. Many mentioned already.

 

[Clint_L]

I don't know about anywhere else but in Canada, we got the original "Battlestar Galactica" pilot as a movie in theatres. For the TV show they had to un-dead Baltar, because he was executed by the Cylons in the original movie.

I saw it at a drive-in in Langley.

 

[Older Beholder]

I tried to pick some faves of mine that hadn't been mentioned yet.
Shout out to anyone that mentioned Gattaca previously, I've always loved that film.

No particular order:

The Lobster - I looked at the world differently after I left the cinema.
Solaris (1972) - Probably Tarkovsky's most accessible film.
Under the Skin - Original, disturbing, astonishing.
Moon - What's better than a performance from Sam Rockwell? Answer: Two performances by Sam Rockwell.
Her - Probably some of the most accurate depictions of the future I've seen on film.

 

[dragoner]

Solaris (1972) - Probably Tarkovsky's most accessible film.
Under the Skin - Original, disturbing, astonishing.

Both of these are awesome, I almost picked Solaris.

 

[Autumnal]

I have several of those really serious consideration for my list. Good choices.

 

[overgeeked]

My favorite sci-fi author is Philip K. Dick, so I'm a big fan of mindscrew sci-fi stories. Despite having a few adaptations made of his work, most of them are not that great as movies and the best, Bladerunner, has already been listed a dozen times so no need to repeat that here.

City of Lost Children. An LSD trip of a French steampunk / clockwork film. Nightmares, dreams, visions, kidnapped children, a cyclops cult, a circus strongman, and an endless supply of clones. Absolute madness in the best possible way.



Dark City. The fundamental question of the film is: do your memories determine who you are? That and: do you know how to get to shell beach? Anita Kelsey provides the singing voice of Jennifer Connelly's character.



Minority Report. A Philip K. Dick adaptation that's really good. It's got Tom Cruise in, but don't hold that against the film. The future has cops with precognition and you will be arrested before you've actually committed any crime. So how do you get away with the perfect murder?



They Live. Rowdy Roddy Piper and one of the longest fistfights in movie history. Infinitely quotable. "I am here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I'm all outta bubblegum." A clear indictment of modern society and consumerism wrapped in a sci-fi shell. Utterly entertaining from start to finish.



Strange Days. Already covered by Autumnal. Utterly spectacular movie.

Runners up.
Abyss.
Brazil.
Dreamscape.
Enemy Mine.
Logan's Run.

 

[Autumnal]

In addition to the PKD adaptations I expect his fan to know about, like A Scanner Darkly, there’s a small but very good movie of Radio Free Albemuth with Dick as the protagonist.

City of Lost Children is a jewel, though I tend to think of it as a fantasy.

Dark City in the director’s cut is also a jewel. No voice-over, and different shots in a lot of scenes.

They Live shows how funny you can be while making a really angry movie. It speak truth even when it’s not factual.