Top 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies You've Probably Never Seen
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VOICE OVER: Dan Paradis
Script written by Max Lett
Seems only the hardcore sci-fi fans would have the time for these. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down top 10 sci-fi movies you've probably never seen. For this list, we're focusing on the science-fiction movies that you may've heard of, but chances are that most people today have never bothered to sit down and actually watch in their entirety.
Special thanks to our user Phil Collins for submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Seems only the hardcore sci-fi fans would have the time for these. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down top 10 sci-fi movies you've probably never seen. For this list, we're focusing on the science-fiction movies that you may've heard of, but chances are that most people today have never bothered to sit down and actually watch in their entirety.
Special thanks to our user Phil Collins for submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Seems only the hardcore sci-fi fans would have the time for these. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for top 10 sci-fi movies you’ve probably never seen.
For this list, we’re focusing on the science-fiction movies that you may’ve heard of, but chances are that most people today have never bothered to sit down and actually watch them in their entirety.
#10: “Coherence” (2013)
You know that feeling when you’ve just dropped acid during an important algebra test? No? Well then pop this one in your media player and enjoy. “Coherence,” unlike its title suggests, makes zero sense upon first viewing, but by viewing number nine you’ve watched this movie too many times and still don’t understand. A bunch of friends are hanging out as a meteor passes overhead and suddenly reality is shattered. They meet alternate versions of themselves and try desperately to get back to their original reality while avoiding or killing their doubles. In the end it doesn’t matter, everyone’s happy and we still don’t know we just watched. Maybe.
#9: “The Last Man on Earth” (1964)
Imagine “I Am Legend,” but instead of Will Smith, Vincent Price! Well, hop in the wayback machine because they did it in 1964, and it’s pretty okay. In the “near future” – 1968 – a plague has wiped out mankind and replaced them with zombie-like vampires. Zompires? Vampies? Whatever. The only man left is Dr. Robert Morgan and he and his pencil-moustache take to the streets during the day to brutally murder the vampire horde. If you haven’t seen this version yet, that’s probably because the story keeps getting remade, as we saw in 1971’s “The Omega Man” starring Charlton Heston. Or maybe because the title is confusingly slapped onto other properties.
#8: “Naked Lunch” (1991)
Peter Weller, giant bugs and drug use? Sounds like an unforgettable combination, right? Well, now you can watch and enjoy the full incomprehensible splendor of “Naked Lunch, directed by the master of “why would you show me that” gore himself, David Cronenberg. If you’ve seen Cronenberg films before then you know that sci-fi and body horror are coming and “Naked Lunch” doesn’t disappoint. William Lee is an exterminator/writer who’s gotten high off his own supply and now does the bidding of giant bugs and aliens while trying to publish a book and shoot glasses off the head of his wife or anyone who looks like that. Fun for all!
#7: “Soylent Green” (1973)
In the distant future of 2022, cities are overcrowded, pollution is rampant and food is scarce. The only solution? Artificial food, of course! Detective Frank Thorn is caught up in a suspicious murder case and falls down the rabbit hole of industrial espionage and assassination plots. When the truth is discovered, although we won’t reveal that here, Thorn must expose it to the world, although he’s effectively telling everyone a truth they didn’t want to know. “Soylent Green” produced what has now become a famous quote. But when your film’s most famous line reveals the twist of your movie, there may not be much incentive for a new audience to see it.
#6: “Timecrimes” [aka “Los Cronocrímenes”] (2007)
Not yet tired of time travel paradox movies? Well, give this one a spin and sit back as your mind is blown. The premise is simple in absolutely no way: a man ends up in a time loop and ends up having to try to prevent the death of his wife. The events of the film are played over and over again until he gets it right, and – as is to be expected – there are several versions of him running around out there to ensure things play out as they should – although sometimes they’re working at cross-purposes. If you loved all that time travel stuff from “Back to the Future,” but thought it could use more horror and thrills and less comedy, this Spanish weird-fest may just be up your alley.
#5: “Westworld” (1973)
“Jurassic Park” with killer cowboy robots? What’s the catch, friend? No, catch just grab the popcorn and enjoy. Before Michael Crichton penned his now famous and sequel-ized sci-fi epic about dinosaurs running amok in a theme park, the author had a first draft of the very same story but with another villain that young kids love. When two buddies visit a different kind of theme park, full of gun slinging androids, they begin to suspect something is amiss when the robots begin brutally murdering tourists. They must survive as chaos descends upon the park and dinosaurs relentlessly chase them. Uh, sorry, robot cowboys... robot cowboys relentlessly chase them.
#4: “A Boy and His Dog” (1975)
Ah, the classic tale of a young man and his telepathic dog that helps him find women to sex up in an apocalyptic wasteland. If you haven’t seen “A Boy and His Dog” yet, why not? The plot, based on stories by fantasy writer Harlan Ellison, boasts a solid, if slightly unusual, premise and introduces a lot of what we now take for granted as post-apocalyptic story tropes, like mutants, crazed robots and underground communities living in bunkers. You never quite root for the eponymous boy or his dog – or any of the other characters, for that matter – but the film has become integral to sci-fi and post-apocalyptic lore.
#3: “Brazil” (1985)
If you’re familiar with any of Terry Gilliam’s directorial work then you know that most people consider this his magnum opus. In an Orwellian dystopia, government employee Sam Lowry is tasked with investigating a clerical error that caused the interrogation and death of an innocent man. The film blends cartoonish fantasy with gloomy sci-fi as the hapless Lowry navigates a bleak bureaucratic world while imagining himself in heroic situations. Because we’re dealing with Gilliam, you can expect a lot of wacky caricatures and lavish sets. Though it’s gotten rave reviews over the years, it was also described as “hard to follow” by Roger Ebert, which perhaps explains why more people haven’t seen it.
#2: “Forbidden Planet” (1956)
It doesn’t get much more sci-fi than this. When an invisible force begins murdering human colonists on a distant planet, a crew goes to investigate to see what all the fuss is about. A young, dashing and dark-haired Leslie Nielsen stars as Commander John Adams and leads his crew to uncover the truth about the invisible menace. Robots, spaceships and jumpsuits abound in “Forbidden Planet” and this hidden gem is well worth uncovering. In fact, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry cites this movie as one of the inspirations he used to come up with his sci-fi series – so it has merit.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Europa Report” (2013)
- “They Live” (1988)
- “Slaughterhouse-Five” (1972)
- “Upstream Color” (2013)
- “Logan’s Run” (1976)
#1: “Metropolis” (1927)
Though it was made before most of our grandparents were even born, most people have heard of “Metropolis,” either from pop culture references or a friend who keeps going on about its social relevance. The film is an impressive work of German filmmaking by Fritz Lang, a production so big and lavish that it caught the attention and praise of Adolf Hitler – much to the director’s shock. The story deals with social and political change, which was a big issue in Germany at the time. Despite its futuristic setting, audiences drew many parallels between “Metropolis” and the current events of the era – which is the aim of all good sci-fi.
Do you agree with our list? What sci-fi films have you never had time to actually watch? For more entertaining top 10s everyday be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
For this list, we’re focusing on the science-fiction movies that you may’ve heard of, but chances are that most people today have never bothered to sit down and actually watch them in their entirety.
#10: “Coherence” (2013)
You know that feeling when you’ve just dropped acid during an important algebra test? No? Well then pop this one in your media player and enjoy. “Coherence,” unlike its title suggests, makes zero sense upon first viewing, but by viewing number nine you’ve watched this movie too many times and still don’t understand. A bunch of friends are hanging out as a meteor passes overhead and suddenly reality is shattered. They meet alternate versions of themselves and try desperately to get back to their original reality while avoiding or killing their doubles. In the end it doesn’t matter, everyone’s happy and we still don’t know we just watched. Maybe.
#9: “The Last Man on Earth” (1964)
Imagine “I Am Legend,” but instead of Will Smith, Vincent Price! Well, hop in the wayback machine because they did it in 1964, and it’s pretty okay. In the “near future” – 1968 – a plague has wiped out mankind and replaced them with zombie-like vampires. Zompires? Vampies? Whatever. The only man left is Dr. Robert Morgan and he and his pencil-moustache take to the streets during the day to brutally murder the vampire horde. If you haven’t seen this version yet, that’s probably because the story keeps getting remade, as we saw in 1971’s “The Omega Man” starring Charlton Heston. Or maybe because the title is confusingly slapped onto other properties.
#8: “Naked Lunch” (1991)
Peter Weller, giant bugs and drug use? Sounds like an unforgettable combination, right? Well, now you can watch and enjoy the full incomprehensible splendor of “Naked Lunch, directed by the master of “why would you show me that” gore himself, David Cronenberg. If you’ve seen Cronenberg films before then you know that sci-fi and body horror are coming and “Naked Lunch” doesn’t disappoint. William Lee is an exterminator/writer who’s gotten high off his own supply and now does the bidding of giant bugs and aliens while trying to publish a book and shoot glasses off the head of his wife or anyone who looks like that. Fun for all!
#7: “Soylent Green” (1973)
In the distant future of 2022, cities are overcrowded, pollution is rampant and food is scarce. The only solution? Artificial food, of course! Detective Frank Thorn is caught up in a suspicious murder case and falls down the rabbit hole of industrial espionage and assassination plots. When the truth is discovered, although we won’t reveal that here, Thorn must expose it to the world, although he’s effectively telling everyone a truth they didn’t want to know. “Soylent Green” produced what has now become a famous quote. But when your film’s most famous line reveals the twist of your movie, there may not be much incentive for a new audience to see it.
#6: “Timecrimes” [aka “Los Cronocrímenes”] (2007)
Not yet tired of time travel paradox movies? Well, give this one a spin and sit back as your mind is blown. The premise is simple in absolutely no way: a man ends up in a time loop and ends up having to try to prevent the death of his wife. The events of the film are played over and over again until he gets it right, and – as is to be expected – there are several versions of him running around out there to ensure things play out as they should – although sometimes they’re working at cross-purposes. If you loved all that time travel stuff from “Back to the Future,” but thought it could use more horror and thrills and less comedy, this Spanish weird-fest may just be up your alley.
#5: “Westworld” (1973)
“Jurassic Park” with killer cowboy robots? What’s the catch, friend? No, catch just grab the popcorn and enjoy. Before Michael Crichton penned his now famous and sequel-ized sci-fi epic about dinosaurs running amok in a theme park, the author had a first draft of the very same story but with another villain that young kids love. When two buddies visit a different kind of theme park, full of gun slinging androids, they begin to suspect something is amiss when the robots begin brutally murdering tourists. They must survive as chaos descends upon the park and dinosaurs relentlessly chase them. Uh, sorry, robot cowboys... robot cowboys relentlessly chase them.
#4: “A Boy and His Dog” (1975)
Ah, the classic tale of a young man and his telepathic dog that helps him find women to sex up in an apocalyptic wasteland. If you haven’t seen “A Boy and His Dog” yet, why not? The plot, based on stories by fantasy writer Harlan Ellison, boasts a solid, if slightly unusual, premise and introduces a lot of what we now take for granted as post-apocalyptic story tropes, like mutants, crazed robots and underground communities living in bunkers. You never quite root for the eponymous boy or his dog – or any of the other characters, for that matter – but the film has become integral to sci-fi and post-apocalyptic lore.
#3: “Brazil” (1985)
If you’re familiar with any of Terry Gilliam’s directorial work then you know that most people consider this his magnum opus. In an Orwellian dystopia, government employee Sam Lowry is tasked with investigating a clerical error that caused the interrogation and death of an innocent man. The film blends cartoonish fantasy with gloomy sci-fi as the hapless Lowry navigates a bleak bureaucratic world while imagining himself in heroic situations. Because we’re dealing with Gilliam, you can expect a lot of wacky caricatures and lavish sets. Though it’s gotten rave reviews over the years, it was also described as “hard to follow” by Roger Ebert, which perhaps explains why more people haven’t seen it.
#2: “Forbidden Planet” (1956)
It doesn’t get much more sci-fi than this. When an invisible force begins murdering human colonists on a distant planet, a crew goes to investigate to see what all the fuss is about. A young, dashing and dark-haired Leslie Nielsen stars as Commander John Adams and leads his crew to uncover the truth about the invisible menace. Robots, spaceships and jumpsuits abound in “Forbidden Planet” and this hidden gem is well worth uncovering. In fact, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry cites this movie as one of the inspirations he used to come up with his sci-fi series – so it has merit.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Europa Report” (2013)
- “They Live” (1988)
- “Slaughterhouse-Five” (1972)
- “Upstream Color” (2013)
- “Logan’s Run” (1976)
#1: “Metropolis” (1927)
Though it was made before most of our grandparents were even born, most people have heard of “Metropolis,” either from pop culture references or a friend who keeps going on about its social relevance. The film is an impressive work of German filmmaking by Fritz Lang, a production so big and lavish that it caught the attention and praise of Adolf Hitler – much to the director’s shock. The story deals with social and political change, which was a big issue in Germany at the time. Despite its futuristic setting, audiences drew many parallels between “Metropolis” and the current events of the era – which is the aim of all good sci-fi.
Do you agree with our list? What sci-fi films have you never had time to actually watch? For more entertaining top 10s everyday be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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