One of the best things aboutsci-fimovies is that they take existing concepts and ideas and push them to their limits. This explores the audience to fantastical worlds they’ve never dreamed of. However, sometimesscience fiction goes so far that the outlandish narrative starts to alienate the viewer.When the story gets too weird and incorporates bizarre elements that spark confusion, this can make it harder to watch. Though it can be fun to push yourself to understand these complex plots, these sci-fi movies are almost confusing on purpose.
There are manylittle-known sci-fi movies that are thought-provoking, and some of these projects are lesser known because they’re difficult to engage with. However, plenty of these films have become cult classics with time, with viewers who appreciate their intricate narratives finding them and giving them a new life in the contemporary era. A good sci-fi movie should push boundaries and make the audience question everything they know about the world, but if the viewer doesn’t understand the conceit of the plot, this becomes a problem.
The stellar ensemble cast of David Cronenberg’sCrimes of the Futurehelps anchor the project in reality, but the story takes on a life of its own by the end of the movie. Cronenberg is well-known for his contributions to horror and dedication to bringing disgusting and shocking body horror to the big screen.Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart lead the cast ofCrimes of the Future,as their characters push their physical bodies to their limits in the wake of humanity’s sudden evolution.
Though it’s a shocking project,Crime of the Futureis an interesting next step in Cronenberg’s filmography.
The line of dialogue, “surgery is the new sex,” defines the ethos and narrative ofCrimes of the Future, as intense operations are performed onscreen with conscious patients. In conversation with the extremity of performance art in the modern era and intense physical mutilation,Crimes of the Futuresees its characters at odds about where the future of humanity’s physical evolution should go. Though it’s a shocking project,Crime of the Futureis an interesting next step in Cronenberg’s filmography.
Crimes of the Future (2022)
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One ofA24’s most underrated horror movies,Under the Skinstars Scarlett Johansson playing against type as a terrifying sci-fi femme fatale.Her character, an alien disguised as a young woman, preys upon men throughout the film’s runtime, bringing them into a disturbing void in a dramatic shift in tone and visuals. However, as the story progresses, the alien begins to interrogate the nature of humanity and her own role as a woman within society and how she can take the form of both hunter and prey.
The director, Jonathan Glazer, went on to receive numerous accolades and critical acclaim for his later work,The Zone of Interest, butUnder the Skinis a clear precursor to this in many ways.Empathy, or the lack of it, is a key feature of both movies,with the protagonist ofUnder the Skinencountering this for the first time as she becomes aware of the inequalities of the world she’s come to inhabit. ThoughUnder the Skinconcludes on an open-ended and shocking note, it’s a fitting end to the offputting nature of the narrative.
Under the Skin (2013)
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Terry Gilliam’s directorial projects shine a light on the innovation of his style, andBrazilis one of his most experimental works. Part of Gilliam’sTrilogy of Imagination,Brazilstars Jonathan Pryce as Sam Lowry, a government employee searching for meaningand the mysterious woman from his dreams in this dystopian sci-fi dark comedy. With supporting performances from Robert De Niro and other iconic actors,Brazilis a wild ride of a movie, taking the audience on an adventure with unbelievable twists and turns.
Visually engaging and entertaining with elements of retrofuturism,Brazilstarts to lose the viewer as the story continues with its increasingly impenetrable narrative.
Thanks to Gilliam’s roots in the Monty Python comedy troupe,Brazilis full of the sharp satire and political commentary that Gilliam and his partners are known for. ThoughBrazilstarts off a little strange, the plot starts to go off the rails toward the end of the movie, with Gilliam introducing many misdirects and red herrings to confuse the audience and make them question Lowey’s motivations. Visually engaging and entertaining with elements of retrofuturism,Brazilstarts to lose the viewer as the story continues with its increasingly impenetrable narrative.
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The French dark comedyDelicatessenwill be shocking for many viewers, but its zany sense of humor and strange logic are consistent, if difficult, to parse through.Delicatessenis set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world, putting murderous butchers next to sad clowns and incorporating vegetarians living in tunnels into its already jam-packed script. If this sounds a little out there,Delicatessenhas no illusions about staying grounded, going as far as possible in its comedy and plot twists.
The visual style ofDelicatessensets it apart from the first moments of the film, plunging the viewer into a universe they no longer recognize. As time has progressed,Delicatessenhas become a cult classic all over the world, as its deeper themes about French history have become more prominent in conversations about the film. Though it’s clear that murder and mayhem are on the menu inDelicatessenfrom the start, it grows even more unbelievable with each passing moment.
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The ultra-low-budget independent sci-fi thrillerPrimertook the time travel genre to new heightsand is considered a cult classic today. Following the fallout between two friends, Abe and Aaron, after they inadvertently discover time travel,Primerfocuses on the different ways that the men want to use the technology and their disagreement about going back to stop themselves from making the discovery.Primerpurposefully utilizes scientific jargon and technical language to immerse the audience in Abe and Aaron’s world.
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The greatest time travel movies have complex plots and interweaving storylines, making them fun to watch and rewarding to unravel the many threads.
Thoughthe time travel system inPrimeris complex and eventually results in the characters doubling back and overlapping their own timelines,it’s well thought out and logic-based. It’s largely because ofPrimer’s commitment to realism that the tone becomes so out-there. When sci-fi films are obviously fake and aren’t committed to incorporating any real science or math into their stories, this makes them easier to understand as fiction. The truthfulness ofPrimermakes it difficult to grapple with as Abe and Aaron disrupt the timestream.
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Before David Cronenberg made his more mainstream horror masterpiece,The Fly, in 1986, he was recognized for the shocking and gory 1981 projectScanners.The titular scanners are the classification for psychics within the story’s world,and these individuals are used as weapons and machines for profit.Scannersfollows Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) as he discovers his powers as a scanner and is tasked with bringing down a dangerous rival scanner who’s out to destroy the other psychics.
If there’s one thing Cronenberg is known for above all, it’s his grotesque body horror that comes to define all of his projects. Full of exploding heads and disgustingly visceral imagery,Scannerscan be tough to watch at times. As the story progresses,Scannerstakes some big leaps, revealing a shocking plot twist that results in the final showdown between Vale and his rival scanner. Though this part ofScannersrequires you to suspend your disbelief,the purpose ofScannersis to be a delivery system of style and violence rather than make you care deeply about the plot.
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ThoughZardozrarely ranks amongSean Connery’s best non-James Bondmovies, it’s a unique and unexpected addition to the actor’s filmography. ThoughConnery would foray into the speculative fiction genre once again withHighlanderin the 1980s,his work in the science fantasy projectZardozstands out. Set in a future where humanity is split into subjugated mortals and corrupt immortals, Connery plays Zed, a mortal who journeys into the immortal world to find peace and balance.
Today, revisitingZardozreveals its value, as the story’s mysteries can be solved with some dedication.
The convoluted and often nonsensical story ofZardozcan be confusing. As Zed learns more about his world, it’s revealed that much of the society has been fabricated as part of a larger conspiracy. It’s an ambitious project with gorgeous visuals and complex social rules. However, this makes some of the world-building difficult to grasp, which ultimately makes some of the narrative more complicated than it needs to be. Today, revisitingZardozreveals its value, as the story’s mysteries can be solved with some dedication.
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Bringing Jeff VanderMeer’s iconic sci-fi novel to life was always going to be a challenge,but Alex Garland’sAnnihilationdoes a solid job translating the book to the screen. With such a surreal and otherworldly story, it can sometimes be better to allow the audience to use their imagination and interpret the descriptions independently, but a movie doesn’t have that luxury. Garland and the production team had to create concrete visuals and physical representations of many of Garland’s most abstract concepts.
Due to this,Annihilationgets pretty strange by the end of the movie, when Lena (Natalie Portman) finally comes face to face with the alien entityshe’s been drawn to since the film’s start. All the time spent in the Shimmer, the zone where the life form has altered nature and reality, leads up to this critical interaction, but it’s still shocking when it finally happens. Many ofAnnihilation’s larger themes and discussions are explored in this encounter, but the visual language of this moment is distracting.
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Combining sci-fi with horror is a surefire way to shock the audience, andAltered Statesexcels in this area. Directed by Ken Russell,Altered Statesexplores the use of psychedelic drugsand how they can reshape a person’s consciousness through the lens of the protagonist, Eddie (William Hurt). His experiences while under the influence of one of these drugs spark hallucinations and tap into deeply repressed memories and his more animalistic tendencies.
The relationship between the primordial and the human mind is at the forefront ofAltered States.
The relationship between the primordial and the human mind is at the forefront ofAltered States. As Eddie gets further from his higher mind and goes too far in his experimentation with the drug, it soon becomes clear there’s no going back. Though Eddie’s devolution throughoutAltered Statesis a little hard to believe by the end of the movie, the emotional pull of his relationship with his wife will keep audiences engaged. Additionally, becauseAltered Statesdoes such a good job immersing Eddie in his work, the viewer is just as transported by the story.
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Fans of Christopher Nolan’sInceptionwill appreciate how much the film owes to the 2006 animated surreal sci-fi adventurePaprika. The director ofPaprika,Satoshi Kon, is known for his intricate animated worlds.His other projects,Perfect BlueandMemories, push the boundaries of what sci-fi can do through this visual style. However,Paprikamight be his most famous work, as it follows Atsuko Chiba and her work invading and shaping people’s dreams.
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Christopher Nolan made an intense heist set in the subconscious with Inception, but another great film about dreams did something just as interesting.
Set in an excitingsci-fifuture that allows Atsuko to enter people’s dreams and walk through their inner thoughts,Paprikasees her use the dream space to grapple with the opposing sides of herself. Within the dream world,Paprikatakes the visuals and surreal elements of this space to the extreme, exploring how dreams can turn on you and become dangerous. The shocking world ofPaprikacan be difficult to engage with at times since there’s so much stimulation onscreen, but it’s a gorgeous landscape to get lost in.
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