Top 10 Times the Crazy Guy Was Right in Sci-Fi Movies

“Pacific Rim” (2013)
When dealing with a hostile race of genetically engineered amphibious creatures, it’s best to be prepared. It’s just too bad nobody was prepared to heed the warnings of Pan Pacific Defense Corps scientist Hermann Gottlieb. Following complex calculations, Hermann surmised that these strange beasts would be increasing their attacks… exponentially. He warned that the next set of occurrences would be, not in months or weeks, but rather days or even hours - all leading to (gulp) simultaneous “events.” But, as is often the case with predicting impending giant monster assaults, Hermann’s theory was dismissed – to the detriment of humankind.

“2012” (2009)
A fringe-science conspiracy theorist/radio talk-show host probably shouldn’t be relied upon to correctly predict imminent global cataclysms. Then again, maybe they should. Broadcasting amongst the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park, Charlie Frost rightfully forewarned his listeners that a worldwide disaster was well on its way. His proof? Why the Mayan Calendar of course. Oh, he also accused the government of covering the whole thing up in a massive conspiracy. Alas, poor Charlie ended up crumbling along with the earth’s crust. But, at least he went out knowing his diatribes were not in vain.

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978)
Alien “Pod People” have taken over human bodies! What’s not to believe? Well, Health Inspector Matthew Bennell found himself in quite the uphill battle when it came to sharing his body-snatching theory. Following his own bout of conviction, Matthew tried warning the authorities of the bizarre phenomenon being experienced by his friends and colleagues. When he is met with overall unhelpfulness, Matthew becomes convinced that the alien doppelgängers have now infiltrated the local government. They have integrated more of the population than he thought. The “Pod People” are everywhere and no one can be trusted! He was right of course.

“Edge of Tomorrow” (2014)
Being stuck in a time loop during an alien attack is bad enough. Unsuccessfully trying to warn others of their imminent dire fate while in said loop? That’s perhaps worse. Well, Major William Cage finds himself in this exact scenario when he gets a face full of toxic alien blood and accidentally sets off his unfortunate predicament. Luckily, amidst the reoccurring chaos, Cage meets a notorious soldier who knows all too well the situation at hand. So, alongside Sergeant Rita Vratask, William successfully equips an army into super soldiers ready to battle alien scum. Aren’t never-ending time loops just SO much better when there’s someone who believes you?

“I, Robot” (2004)
Perhaps no one in the history of cinema has a bigger robot vendetta than Detective Del Spooner. In a futuristic world where robots are unanimously viewed as harmless helpers, Spooner is convinced these mechanical-objects are capable of much more than meets the eye. In short – he doesn’t trust them. And while his robot paranoia is fairly excessive, to say the least, it’s not like Del is without his reasons. When a robot intervened following a car accident and chose to save him over a young girl, in his eyes, it all but proved that these hunks of metal and lights are unfit for humanity. Of course, no one believed him – until it was nearly too late.

“Godzilla” (2014)
Apparently believing in colossal predatory monsters has a way of making others think you’re more than a little crazy. Take William Randa, the sole survivor of a warship attack by an unidentified Titan, he spent 30 years attempting to prove that such monsters exist. And then there’s Joe Brody, an engineer at the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant who witnessed his wife perish during a devastating breach - a breach he believed was caused by something other than what he was being fed to believe. Sure, Brody’s decade-plus obsession left him a little on the nutty side, but he was right all along about the Godzilla-sized cover-up.

“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016)
Former US Sailor Howard Stambler has all the hallmarks of a whacko survivalist psychopath. Underground bunker? Check. Far-fetched conspiracy theories? Check. Imprisoned civilians? Uh, check. Of course, Stambler believes he is helping his prisoners, providing them shelter from the toxic outside air and attacking aliens. As you might imagine, his captives have other thoughts on the situation, especially following the discovery that a previous hostage was, well, disposed of. It’s not until Howard dies and an escape from the bunker is made, that we realize just how crazy RIGHT he was.

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991)
Sounding the alarm on time-traveling Terminators, the inevitable robo-pocalypse, and subsequent nuclear Armageddon, is apparently enough to get you thrown in the loony bin. As was the case with Sarah Connor, mother of the future leader of the Resistance, and for a time, an inmate at a maximum-security prison for the mentally insane. Ironically, when human resistance fighter, Kyle Reese, was sent back in time to protect her, Sarah herself questioned everything she now believes to be true. We get it, the whole robot war/apocalypse thing is a pretty hard sell. That is until the relentless cyborgs start showing up. Then they believe you!

“Back to the Future” (1985)
Would you believe a kooky old inventor if he told you he’d come up with the means of making time travel possible after slipping off a toilet and hitting his head? Well, what if you confirmed this story with his “past self” - you know, after you accidentally rode off in his plutonium-fueled time machine built out of a DeLorean sports car? Yeah, Doc Emmett Brown may come across as a crazy kook, but there’s no denying his results. Trust us, you won’t need roads where Doc’s genius takes you! Right, Marty?

Um, it’s called a flux capacitor, and you’d better believe Doc Brown! Aren’t the crazy guys like the best characters? We have one that, honestly, you really would never have believed if he were a real life person, but turns out he *was* right AND he stepped up when we needed him even though no one bought was he was selling. So let’s look through a few HMs and then we’ll see which movie crazy guy was the most right

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Truman Burbank
“The Truman Show” (1998)

Burt Gummer
“Tremors” (1990)

Detective Eddie Walenski
“Dark City” (1998)

“Independence Day” (1996)
With the vast amount of reported alien abductions out there, we probably shouldn’t be too surprised if other-worldly creatures eventually touchdown on our big blue marble of a planet. Unfortunately, most alien whistle-blowers resemble that of Russell Casse. A former fighter pilot turned laughing stock alcoholic, Casse is dismissed by everyone, including his children, as just another whack-job who believes in the existence of extraterrestrials. Russell gets the last laugh, however, as hostile aliens DO arrive on earth, leading the ‘ol war vet to spring back into action at the most opportune time. Well then, maybe it’s time we start to believe the Russell Casse’s of the world!?