Top 10 Most Violent Sci-Fi Movies

In the dystopian future depicted in this film, humankind no longer has the ability to have children, as the majority of people have inexplicably become sterile. However, one pregnant woman is discovered, and she and her guardian find themselves in the midst of a struggle to escape the totalitarian regime they live under to deliver her to scientists that can study why she’s able to have a child. The pair’s frantic journey is fraught with danger, including frantic chase scenes, gun battles, and traveling through a warzone. “Children of Men” depicts humanity’s desperation when we have nothing left to hope for, and the result is entertaining, but shockingly violent.

Presented partially through found footage, “District 9” depicts a version of South Africa where sickly aliens, nicknamed prawns, arrived on Earth and were confined to the titular district, in a reference to Apartheid. When a bureaucrat named Wikus is exposed to a substance that transforms him into a prawn, he becomes embroiled in the conflict, with his very future in the balance. The violence on display is brutal, and made even more visceral due to the found footage approach, as well as the overall realistic aesthetic of the film. This, along with the sharp social commentary, makes “District 9” a surprisingly humanizing sci-fi experience.

In this sci-fi action film, a man named Douglas Quaid goes to a memory implant company looking for a little escapism in the form of a fantasy role playing trip as a Secret Agent of Mars. However, the procedure awakens dormant memories that he really is a spy from the red planet. An action-packed adventure ensues, in which he fights goons and corporate greed to help the oppressed Martian people. “Total Recall” has a flair for violence that few films can match, exposing its audience members to dismemberment, gunfights, and even explosive decompression. Add some quotable one-liners, humor, and an ambiguous ending, and you’ve got a bloody good time.

Are you ready for the truth? “The Matrix” is a highly influential sci-fi action movie that follows a group of people battling against oppressive machines who keep humanity trapped in a simulated dream world. The violence is stylish, and present throughout, with plenty of bloody shootouts, breathtaking fight scenes, and even some torture and body horror thrown in. The inclusion of philosophical questions about the nature of our existence and the many literary allusions help make “The Matrix” more than just a standard action flick. As Neo arguably put it up best: “Whoa.”

When you’re tackling the subject of war in outer space, violence is a given. But Starship Troopers really relishes it. The film follows Johnny Rico and his friends and classmates, as they rise through the ranks of a futuristic military and fight against an insectoid alien species. War is gory, even in the future, and there’s wide variety of carnage on display thanks to all the explosions, gunplay and terrifying creatures. “Starship Troopers” also satirizes many aspects of war, particularly the disparity between the realities of war and the propaganda that glorifies it back home. As the soldiers learn… there’s a lot more guts than glory.

Although it was tempting to choose the first “Terminator” film, its sequel simply does everything bigger, better, and more intensely. “Terminator 2” ups the ante by featuring a reprogrammed robot assassin charged with protecting humanity’s future savior John Connor and his mother from an even more advanced, liquid metal Terminator. The action is pulse-pounding and engaging throughout, with shootouts, car chases, robot fights, and a grim look at the apocalypse. Even with some light-hearted and touching scenes, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” remains a wild and violent ride.

Although initially a straightforward action movie, following a group of commandos on a jungle bound mission, “Predator” takes a turn into science fiction when the group begins getting picked off one by one by an alien hunter in search of a worthy opponent. The Predator’s deadly game sees plenty of bullets fired (almost too many), as well as lots of blood, gore, and dismemberment. If you’re up for a thrilling, testosterone-fueled, extremely quotable buffet of violence, “Predator” is a movie with a ton of things to make you “stick around.”

“Dredd” follows the titular Judge and his rookie partner as they take on a ruthless drug queenpin and her thugs in one of the massive apartment blocks that make up the dystopian Mega-City One. Despite its gritty, realistic aesthetic, “Dredd” features plenty of sci-fi elements, including psychic powers, drugs that alter the users’ perceptions of time, and those awesome Swiss-army-knife guns. The shootouts are fantastic and bombastic, the violence is vicious, and the effects are spectacular, which, along with the simple, yet captivating story, make “Dredd” one hell of a trip.

After her first frightful encounter with terrifying a violent alien, Ellen Ripley is called in as a consultant when a colony becomes infested with them. Ripley and her accompanying marines soon find themselves overwhelmed and outmatched by the relentless creatures, and their monstrous queen. Chock full of intense, often claustrophobic action, as well as the “Alien” franchise’s characteristic horror elements, “Aliens” delivers more thrills and chills than some viewers might be able to handle. Boasting iconic characters and scenes, this is one “bug hunt” you don’t want to miss.



Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:



“Looper” (2012)



“Escape from New York” (1981)



“The Chronicles of Riddick” (2004)

When police officer Alex Murphy is gunned down, he’s rebuilt into RoboCop: a cyborg police officer out to clean up the crime-ridden streets of Detroit; taking on drug dealers and (eventually) corporate fatcats as well. The film features copious violence, including graphic shootings, veritable volumes of blood, death by acid, and a ton of people thrown through glass. “RoboCop” also has clever social commentary, offering critiques of corporate greed, corruption, and the media. All said and done, this is one seriously violent sci-fi action film that any movie junkie needs in their collection. We just wouldn’t recommend watching it with your more squeamish friends.