The Best Science Fiction Movies For Science Lovers
On a clear night, it is hard sometimes to not look up to the stars and imagine the endless possibilities that are floating throughout our vast universe, with so many questions that will never be answered in our lifetime. As a chance to visualize those limitless possibilities, the science fiction genre has thankfully given us the opportunity to explore the universe’s greatest “What ifs,” from pondering the likelihood of an highly advanced alien race eager to speak with us to theorizing the viability of interstellar travel. Here are some of the best science fiction movies ever made designed specifically for the science lovers out there searching for answers.
Contact (1997)
Any movie starring Jodie Foster has a good chance of being well-made, but Contact is one of those great movies that not only scratches that inquisitive sci-fi itch, but it also may make you shed a tear or two along the way.
The main question that is central to the 1997 film is, “Are we alone in this universe?” Not only does Contact take a realistic approach in attempting to answer the question, but it also explores the very real element that defines us as humans.
Primer (2004)
Ever since humans developed their first thought, the concept of time has been at the forefront of our minds, which is a theme that is heavily prevalent in this 2004 time travelling thriller from filmmaker Shane Carruth. As one of the most inventive science fiction movies in the early 2000s, Primer took a stripped down approach at a highly imaginative concept and made time travel seem oddly obtainable to everyday people. There aren’t any scientists in white lab coats with a multi-million dollar government budget in this film, just a couple of bros with a very specific hobby.
Interstellar (2014)
Speaking of time, there is not another filmmaker in the history of cinema that has had a greater fascination with the concept of time than Christopher Nolan. His 2014 space travel film had no time for caution as it melted the minds of audiences by toying with the ideas of interstellar travel and the manipulation of time. But Nolan wasn’t alone in creating his vision, he was aided by American theoretical physicist, Kip Thorne, who helped legitimize the science behind Interstellar.
Moon (2009)
Who needs flashy interstellar travel when you have the convenience of a sci-fi setting right in your own backyard? This 2009 film starring Sam Rockwell weighed the morality of cloning and the pressure of isolation as Earth branches out to lunar mining for precious resources.
The best science fiction movies are usually grounded with at least some plausibility, and the concept behind Moon feels like a distinct possibility in the near future, especially as NASA contemplates building lunar bases.
The Martian (2014)
This 2014 Ridley Scott film is by far the most fun movie in this list, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take it seriously. This sci-fi crowd pleaser might play for laughs throughout most of its runtime, but the idea of an astronaut using their training to survive is a real plausibility. The film also depicts an accurate portrayal of a future Martian base, using the martian soil that could potentially cultivate crops./
Ex Machina (2014)
For most science fiction movies, the use of AI and synthetic humans feels more like a pipe dream than a window into the near future. In a breath of fresh air, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina gave us what could very well be a look into our not-too-distant future as engineers utilize user data and apply that information into AI. With everything from our browsing history to our preference in hair color possibly shaping the future of robotics, humans just might be designing our very own Ava as we speak.
