10. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
If you only ever watch one sci-fi film in your life, let it be Stanley Kubrick’s '2001: A Space Odyssey'. A beautiful meditation on the evolution of humankind, the film’s vast scope and breathtaking cinematography make it a bit of a mind-bender.
9. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
When you’re a 31-year-old director who just invented the blockbuster with a flawless film about a vengeful shark, there’s only one thing to do: make an alien movie. In Steven Spielberg’s 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' focuses on the practical implications of discovering extra-terrestrial life. Nearly 40 years later, it’s still one of the most intelligent first-contact films ever made.
8. Alien (1979)
'Alien' turned Ridley Scott into a sci-fi icon while also launching a franchise that continues to this day. The movie also set the stage for the director’s other bit of essential sci-fi viewing: 1982’s 'Blade Runner'.
7. Star Wars V: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
George Lucas' 'Empire Strikes Back' is the rare sequel that manages to outshine its predecessor. Taking place a few years after the original film, the movie sees Darth Vader trying desperately to find the Rebel Alliance. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are out there own their own, and as any Star Wars fan knows, the Rebels are at their most powerful when our trio of heroes is working together.
6. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Like 'Star Wars', the 'Max Max' franchise got a narrative boost with its second entry, 'Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior'. Whereas George Miller’s original 1979 film saw Mel Gibson’s Max Rockatansky fighting against the decline of a futuristic society, 'Road Warrior' was a full-on dystopia centered on the aftermath of the events in the original movie and Max’s attempt to reclaim his own humanity.
5. Escape from New York (1981)
Science fiction and dystopia go together like John Carpenter and synth scores. Fortunately, 'Escape from New York' has all four. Set in the then-future year of 1997, Escape’s America is essentially a war zone where Manhattan is one big maximum security prison. Like much of Carpenter’s output, there’s a certain kitschiness to the entire thing, which is exactly what makes it a classic.
4. Back to the Future (1985)
Yes, it’s a comedy. And sort of a family film, too. But at its heart, 'Back to the Future' is a sci-fi movie, and one of the most perfect examples of the genre. Marty McFly is still a symbol today of the cool '80s teen who messed with history and with his own future.
3. RoboCop (1987)
In the same year that Gordon Gekko was declaring “greed is good” in 'Wall Street', Paul Verhoeven was unleashing one of the decade’s most subversive sci-fi flicks, which sees the mayor of Detroit hand over control to the evil Omni Consumer Products (OCP), an outfit that turns Motor City into a testing ground for new technology. That new tech includes RoboCop, a law-enforcing cyborg who attempts to eradicate the city of crime.
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
If 'The Terminator' raised the bar for sci-fi films, 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' makes this list for one important reason that has nothing to do with plot: amazing VFX. For 'Terminator 2', director James Cameron employed some truly groundbreaking CGI to create Terminators that moved like nothing else had before. And those liquid-metal shots are still impressive more than 25 years later.
1. The Matrix (1999)
Given the immense popularity of 'The Matrix', it was obvious that many sequels would follow. And while they may have slightly diluted the impact of the first film, 'The Matrix' still stands alone in its ability to combine impressive direction with mind-bending action sequences and a storyline that actually makes you think. It also brought the directing duo the Wachowskis to the forefront of the action movie scene, and it’s been a better place ever since.