Thesci-figenre is an incredibly broad one, but despite this fact, it seems that many of its films seem to cover the same topics over and over again. For every unique sci-fi movie, there is another that follows the same tired tropes that can be found throughout the genre. These include first contact films and near-future space mission movies, both of which have seen countless installments over the years.
Although films that fit into these tropes can often be very good, sometimes viewers need a unique movie that either strays from these conventions entirely or puts a fresh spin on them. Manylong-running sci-fi TV showsmanage to stay fresh by doing this, changing or building upon the parts of the genre in which they find their niche. There are manysci-fi movies set to release in 2025, and with any luck they will also have their own unique formulas as well.
Timecrimes
Cast
Timecrimes is a Spanish science fiction thriller directed by Nacho Vigalondo. Released in 2007, the film follows Héctor, who unwittingly becomes entangled in a time loop after encountering a mysterious phenomenon. Forced to confront the repercussions of his actions across different timelines, Héctor navigates through layers of intrigue and suspense. The movie explores themes of causality and the unforeseen consequences of time travel.
Beginning in the unassuming Spanish countryside, Héctor’s life is thrown into chaos when he is lured into a mysterious mechanical device. This device sends him back in time roughly an hour, freezing Héctor in a time loop in which another version of himself exists. The film follows his struggle to return to his own time, escaping the time loop and erasing the other versions of himself from existence.
An English-language remake ofTimecrimeswas originally planned to be created by the iconic filmmaker David Cronenberg. However, with no deadline, the project never started production.
Although time loops have been covered in movies likeGroundhog DayandEdge of Tomorrow,Timecrimeshas the unique element of simply adding more of the main character, making that the main point of tension in the film.As the time loop repeats and more Héctors appear, the film only devolves into more chaos. This added element is a fresh take on the time loop sub-genre of science fiction, makingTimecrimesa worthy watch.
Event Horizon
Paul W. S. Anderson steps further into the world of sci-fi horror with Event Horizon, a movie set in the future following a crew of Astronauts attempting to locate a missing ship known as the Event Horizon. When the crew finds the ship floating near Neptune, the distress signal relayed is haunting, followed by the discovery what awaits the rescue team isn’t the crew of the missing ship but something far more sinister.
Starring the legendary Laurence Fishburne in one of his most iconic roles,Event Horizonis aterrifying outer-space horror movie.Filled to the brim with tension and gore, the film follows the crew of the rescue shipLewis and Clarkas they answer a distress signal from theEvent Horizon,a ship that mysteriously disappeared and reappeared around the planet Neptune. When the crew arrives, they are shocked to find the entire crew has been ripped to shreds.
Event Horizontakes cues from horror movies likeHellraiserand not only amplifies the horror aspect through the lense of traditional horror, but also through psychological manipulation.
Despite the fact that outer-space horror is very common,Event Horizontakes cues from horror movies likeHellraiserand not only amplifies the horror aspect through the lens of traditional horror, but also through psychological manipulation. The characters in the film are put through hell, making it seem reasonable that none can escape the torture that awaits them on theEvent Horizon. It is a gruesome classic, and despite its lower score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film manages to be genuinely frightening throughout the whole story.
Space Station 76
Space Station 76 is a comedic drama set in a retro-futuristic space station, exploring interpersonal tensions among the crew. The arrival of a new Assistant Captain triggers the release of repressed emotions, leading to conflicts as an asteroid threatens them, blending interpersonal drama and sci-fi elements.
Built from the ground up to emulate the nostalgic aesthetic of 70s science fiction,Space Station 76is equal parts comedic satire and dramatic commentary.With a star-studded cast that includes Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, and Matt Bomer, the film takes place on a space station and details the day-to-day lives of the people living on it. Even with a relatively small cast compared to many sci-fi movies,Space Station 76covers a lot of ground during its 95-minute runtime.
The aesthetic is not the only thing this film borrows from the ’70s, as it makes the brave choice to take on the social commentary of the time. It is unafraid of approaching topics such as misogyny and homophobia, doing so while being a salient sci-fi story that stands on its own two feet. This sci-fi marvel is an underrated one, with both incredible writing and even better acting performances.
High Life
High Life, directed by Claire Denis, stars Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche in a science fiction story about a group of criminals sent on a mission to extract energy from a black hole. As the journey unfolds, the crew confronts the isolation of deep space while struggling with their pasts and the manipulative intentions of those in charge.
The story ofHigh Lifeis told in a non-linear fashion, featuring a group of criminals as they make their way towards a black hole. Along the way, they participate in scientific experiments with an emphasis on human fertility. The movie itself is incredibly cinematic, with beautiful and often haunting imagery that only grows more impressive as the film goes on.
Robert Pattinson’s Upcoming Sci-Fi Movie, Mickey 17, Being Delayed Again Is Good News, Despite Now Coming Over 1 Year Later Than Originally Planned
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Plenty of films cover science experiments and black holes, withInterstellarbeing one of the most notable. However, it isn’t often that a story with such a gripping non-linear storyline comes around, especially one that focuses so deeply on the characters in the story.The film doesn’t take the easy route of using artificial intelligence to examine what it means to be human, but instead takes a hard look at the humanity in the prisoners on board the ship as well as its main scientist.
Biosphere
Biosphere is a sci-fi comedy film directed by Mel Eslyn and stars Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass as two best friends who discover they’re the last living beings on Earth. The two will attempt to adapt and survive their isolation while trying to find the answers that will save humanity.
Underrated and rarely discussed,Biosphereis a modern look at the end of the world. After the world has fallen into ruin, the previous President of the United States and his best friend, a scientist and one-time political advisor, live out their days in a biosphere that protects them from the harsh world outside. However, when the last of their female fish dies, leaving only male fish left in the tank, a new scientific discovery might hold the key to their survival.
Biosphereleans into the weirder parts of its narrative, managing to stay interesting despite there only being two actors in the entire film.The stakes are life and death, and even though the film takes place in one location throughout its entire duration, the titular biosphere, the premise remains fresh.Biosphereis filled with unique twists and turns, making it an incredible example of science fiction creativity.
Inception
Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.
Directed by Christopher Nolan and well known for its mind-bending plot,Inceptionfollows a group of thieves and con-men who achieve their goals by entering the dreams of their targets.They often do this to alter the subconscious of the individual they target, going down several layers in their mind and creating dreams within dreams, making it less likely that they will somehow be caught. It features massive stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Elliot Page, and Tom Hardy, along with many others.
Christopher Nolan took six months to write the first draft ofInceptionand spent even more time to rewrite the script once Leonardo DiCaprio was attached to the project.
As if the idea of entering someone’s dreams to alter their subconscious wasn’t unique enough already,Inception’sambiguous endinghas been a hot topic of conversation for years.Inceptionis a technical marvel, winning Academy Awards in several categories, including Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing, and it was nominated for many others. Even today, the film manages to stay in the zeitgeist of popular culture, as it is frequently referenced in other media.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynski, a couple who rediscover their love after erasing each other from their memories. The 2004 drama is written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and includes Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Wilkinson in its cast.
Although Jim Carrey is best known for comedy films such asThe MaskandBruce Almighty,some of his best work lies in his more dramatic performances.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindis one of those more dramatic films, focusing on a man who undergoes a procedure to forget his ex-girlfriend. During the procedure, once he remembers the happy times he once had with her, he realizes that he does not actually want to forget, but the procedure continues regardless.
The film’s nameEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindcomes from a 1717 poem by Alexander Pope titledEloisa to Abelard.
The film continues as the two of them meet all over again, continuing in what is both a sweet and heart-wrenching examination of love.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minddoesn’t go overboard with science fiction tropes and technology, instead staying more grounded in reality.This makes it easier to watch and understand than many science fiction films, which often find themselves bogged down in technological jargon.
District 9
Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 combines sci-fi with social commentary in an alternate history in which humans and aliens eke out a tentative coexistence. When a large alien ship appears outside of Johannesburg, humans find it full of sickly and malnourished extraterrestrials they name “Prawns”. After housing the aliens in a slum named District 9, one human finds himself far closer to the Prawn community than he bargained for.
Filmed more like a found-footage documentary than a traditional sci-fi film,District 9begins after a group of aliens has mistakenly made their way to Earth. They are not greeted with kindness, and instead of working with the aliens, humanity forces them to live in an internment camp called District 9.District 9explores these themes of xenophobia and isolationism, examining first contact in a way that no film ever has.
First premiering at San Diego Comic-Con,District 9went on to be a box office success. It is generally praised for its impressive approach to social commentary, taking the idea of extraterrestrial aliens and presenting them in a way that feels both organic and tragic.ADistrict 9sequel is a very real possibility, even now, more than 15 years after the original’s release, making watching this film even more of a must.
They Cloned Tyrone
They Cloned Tyrone is a comedic sci-fi mystery movie by director Juel Taylor and writer Tony Rettenmaier. The film follows a group of people who stumble upon a top-secret cloning experiment being conducted by the U.S. government when a man who died following a failed drug deal reappears - completely unscathed.
They Cloned Tyroneis a unique take on the idea of cloning and what it could mean for society, taking place in a suburban neighborhood rather than some grand metropolis in the far future. It begins with a drug dealer named Fontaine who witnesses a shooting, only for the man who was shot to be kidnapped by a group of people driving a black SUV. As Fontaine investigates, he slowly begins to unravel the conspiracy lingering at the center of his neighborhood.
They Cloned Tyronepremiered at the American Black Film Festival, and despite positive reviews and award nominations, it received a limited showing in select theaters before finding its home on Netflix. Still,They Cloned Tyronehas an astounding 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.The film is a compelling mystery with its own brand of comedy, with a commentary on modern society that makes it stand out against other films that revolve around cloning.
The Thing
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
The Thingis one of the most well-known science fiction films of all time, following a group of researchers as they discover alien life in what is perhaps the most brutal way possible. They encounter the Thing, an alien that was once buried in the ice that can take over the body of any living creature. At its core,The Thingis a film about paranoia,allowing the viewer to watch as the researchers featured in the film slowly devolve into madness in an attempt to sort out who has been assumed into the Thing and who is still human.
The Thingis based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s 1938 novella titledWho Goes There?
With incredible special effects for the time and an ending that still leaves viewers guessing and theorizing to this day,The Thinghas cemented itself as an important part ofsci-fifilm history. Not only did it portray paranoia in a way that feels realistic despite the film’s outlandish premise, but it also featured incredible performances from actors such as Kurt Russell and Keith David. It is an incredible film, even decades later, and comes highly recommended.
