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The 101 Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies of All Time: 1. Interstellar (1 Viewer)

Scoresman

Scoresman

Footballguy
Started putting this list together after the horror countdown, as this is another favorite genre of mine. I have the list of 100 set, I just need to watch one more movie over the weekend and tweak the rankings. In terms of reactions, I think this countdown will have less "That's not Sci-fi!" and more "Why the hell did you rank that so high/low?" One thing I noticed when looking up other rankings, is that this genre seems to have the movies ranked all over the place from list to list, more so than any other genre I've seen. So this should be fun.

I should be ready to start the actual countdown around Monday.

Restrictions and Assumptions

1. I thought it would be easy setting a cutoff line for what movies belong in this genre and what movies do not. It's actually not easy. In fact, it's harder than the horror countdown was in this regard. Fantasy in particular. When looking at other countdown lists, it's amazing what people qualify as fantasy. I will do my best to be consistent, but a lot of times it will come down to whether the movie "feels" like fantasy to me. Movies that straddle more than one genre will most likely count, but I think I want to be more strict than the horror countdown. I did verify that every movie on my list is tagged on IMDB as either Sci-Fi or Fantasy or both.

2. I will NOT be including superhero/comic book movies, this includes the MCU, DC movies, early Marvel stuff. I love these movies and they definitely count as sci-fi, but there are enough of these films for its own countdown and they would push many other great films off the list.

3. I'm also not including Disney animated films for the same reason. There's a ton of great ones and they would monopolize the list. However there is one exception to this, kind of…

4. Certain other franchises or series will be condensed down to one entry. This depends on the series' themselves as some other series will be broken out by sequels. I will explain reasoning when posting each series.

THE LIST

101. Snowpiercer
100. Weird Science
99. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
98. The Beastmaster
97. Avatar
96. Labyrinth
95. Unbreakable
94. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
93. Conan the Barbarian
92. The Andromeda Strain
91. Brazil
90. Big
89. District 9
88. Dark City
87. Primer
86. Return to Oz
85. Gattaca
84. Soylent Green
83. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
82. Everything Everywhere All At Once
81. Timecrimes
80. Star Trek: First Contact
79. Excalibur
78. Ex Machina
77. La Jetee
76. The Matrix Revolutions
75. The Matrix Reloaded
74. They Live
73. Robocop
72. Willow
71. Mad Max: fury Road
70. The War of the Worlds
69. The Dark Crystal
68. Alien 3 - Assembly Cut
67. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
66. Armageddon
65. Looper
64. Signs
63. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
62. Moon
61. The Iron Giant
60. Starship Troopers
59. Rogue One
58. WALL-E
57. Fire in the Sky
56. War of the Worlds (2005)
55. Princess Mononoke
54. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
53. Dune: Part 1
52. The Fifth Element
51. Minority Report
50. Edge of Tomorrow
49. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
48. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
47. Stargate
46. Edward Scissorhands
45. What Dreams May Come
44. The Fly
43. Solaris
42. The Seventh Seal
41. Independence Day
40. Jurassic Park
39. Dune Part Two
38. Pan's Labyrinth
37. 12 Monkeys
36. The Princess Bride
35. Gravity
34. Total Recall
33. Predator
32. Spirited Away
31. The Thing
30. Planet of the Apes
29. Harry Potter Franchise
28. Blade Runner 2049
27. Inception
26. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
25. Back to the Future
24. The Terminator
23. Annihilation
22. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
21. T2: Judgement Day
20. The Wizard of Oz
19. Blade Runner
18. V for Vendetta
17. The Martian
16. Big Fish
15. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
14. The Neverending Story
13. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
12. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
11. Children of Men
10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
9. Arrival
8. The Abyss
7. Alien
6. The Matrix
5. Aliens
4. Contact
3. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
2. 2001 - A Space Odyssey
1. Interstellar
 
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Wow, what a huge endeavor! Such a large catalogue to choose from, I admire your attempt to whittle it to 100. Can't wait to read and participate with your list. Thanks for doing this Scoresman!

PS- Be interested to see where you rank Flubber on your countdown
 
A little about my ranking criteria.

I trend more towards modern sci-fi films over the classics from before the 1970s. While I do have a few of the timeless classics from the 50s/60s, I feel that a lot of them simply don't hold up as well. In this genre, there is a lot to be said about modern day special effects and what they allow movie makers to do and what stories they can tell. While there certainly are great sci-fi films without lavish effects, this genre in particular, really benefits from them.

Outside of the obvious acting, great script, etc. I look for rewatchability (is that a word?), and how much of a sense of awe, wonder, and inspiration I get from the movie. Sci-fi to me is all about that last part and there are many movies that do this really well. Also, as I age, I notice I'm trending more towards hard sci-fi over soft.

For fantasy, there's a whole lotta nostalgia in my rankings, but I still use things like rewatchability and how well a movie holds up over time when ranking.
 
thank you so much for doing this. Sci-fi fantasy is my favorite genre across all forms of media.

I am a little confused on how you are handling series of movies. I am not a big fan of condensing them down. A movie like Aliens or Terminator 2, or Return of the Jedi should not be lowered in quality just because they are associated with other movies in their series that are not at their level.

Looking forward to your list!!
 
Gr00vus said:
Did you consider doing just sci fi or just fantasy?
Click to expand...

I did. While Sci-fi can certainly support a 100 movie countdown, it's tough finding 100 good fantasy movies unless you really start to stretch the definition. There's also a lot of overlap in that a lot of movies actually qualify as both genres or blur the lines.
 
NewlyRetired said:
thank you so much for doing this. Sci-fi fantasy is my favorite genre across all forms of media.

I am a little confused on how you are handling series of movies. I am not a big fan of condensing them down. A movie like Aliens or Terminator 2, or Return of the Jedi should not be lowered in quality just because they are associated with other movies in their series that are not at their level.

Looking forward to your list!!
Click to expand...

It's only 2 movie series I'm doing this with. Both are them are situations where I kind of consider the entire series as one long movie because I rank all of them fairly equally and there's not much point in separating them out and bumping other movies off the list. Not to spoil, but all of the movies/franchises you mention are NOT grouped like this. For example, I dont know how you would group the Star Wars movies into one entry and rank it since some of them are legendary films, and others absolute drivel.
 
NewlyRetired said:
I am a little confused on how you are handling series of movies. I am not a big fan of condensing them down. A movie like Aliens or Terminator 2, or Return of the Jedi should not be lowered in quality just because they are associated with other movies in their series that are not at their level.
Click to expand...
I think there are differences with what was intended to be a series and those movies that are linked for commercial reasons (but are retconned into being a series). For the former, I'd count them as one entity. For the latter, I'd go movie-by-movie. But that's just me.

Also, thank you @Scoresman for not including the big superhero franchises.
 
A couple of decades ago, I bought a book that ranked the (I think) 100 greatest fantasy books of all time. Some of the titles included - many of them among the most famous stories ever written - blew my mind, as I never thought of them as "fantasy". But the author did a fantastic job of selling it.
 
First 5 out. Not listing any more than this in case someone wants to do a next 100 or whatever.

105. Krull
1983 - 2h 1 - PG
Director: Peter Yates
Metascore: 45

A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet, Krull.


104. Vanilla Sky
2001 - 2h 16 - R
Director: Cameron Crowe
Metascore: 45

A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover.


103. Clash of the Titans
1981 - 1h 58 - PG
Director: Desmond Davis
Metascore: 59

Perseus must battle Medusa and the Kraken to save the Princess Andromeda.


102. Oblivion
2013 - 2h 4 - PG-13
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Metascore: 54

Jack Harper, a drone repairman stationed on Earth that has been ravaged by war with extraterrestrials, questions his identity after rescuing the woman who keeps appearing in his dreams.


101. The X Files
1998 - 2h 1 - PG-13
Director: Rob Bowman
Metascore: 60

Mulder and Scully must fight the government in a conspiracy and find the truth about an alien colonization of Earth.


Krull nearly made the cut because I had a thing growing up for those early 80s fantasy hack and slash movies. But it's really cheesy and there are better ones.

I swear I dont have anything against Tom Cruise. These are both decent movies that just missed the cut.

Clash of the Titans is another nostalgia pick that I cant really justify adding. This was the go-to movie in school they would put on when it was raining at recess.

I was a pretty big X-Files fan and this is a decent continuation of the mytharc, but ultimately not worthy of a top 100.
 
I'm going to spotlight a movie not on my list because I want people's opinions. I've seen The Truman Show listed on more than one top Sci-Fi/Fantasy list. I dont really see it and it seems like a stretch of the genre.... IMDB does not list it as either.
 
Scoresman said:
105. Krull
1983 - 2h 1 - PG
Director: Peter Yates
Metascore: 45

A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet, Krull.

103. Clash of the Titans
1981 - 1h 58 - PG
Director: Desmond Davis
Metascore: 59

Perseus must battle Medusa and the Kraken to save the Princess Andromeda.
Click to expand...

I remember these as a kid so they do have some sentimental value. Krull has popped up on some "underrated" or cult classic must see lists lately.

The original Clash was so much better than the remake despite the stop motion and outdated special effects.

I remember the weapon in Krull and the fact that the Cyclops could had the power to see into the future, but all they could see was their death.
 
Don Quixote said:
Scoresman said:
I'm going to spotlight a movie not on my list because I want people's opinions. I've seen The Truman Show listed on more than one top Sci-Fi/Fantasy list. I dont really see it and it seems like a stretch of the genre.... IMDB does not list it as either.
Click to expand...
I would not include it in that either. I would consider it dystopian, but I don’t think all dystopian is sci-fi.
Click to expand...
That is where I would fall. Handmaid's Tale would be another example of dystopian that's not sci-fi.
 
Don Quixote said:
Scoresman said:
Counts by decade

1930s 1
1950s 3
1960s 2
1970s 9
1980s 27
1990s 19
2000s 22
2010s 13
2020s 4

I would just start this but there's one more movie I need to watch that I'm pretty sure will make this list somewhere.
Click to expand...
None from the 1920s? :sadbanana:🤖
Click to expand...
I know what you're talking about here. I'm not ranking these based solely on how influential, or groundbreaking a movie may have been, otherwise this would be a top 10 movie. I'm ranking more on how enjoyable is it to watch nowadays or how much lasting appeal it has. It's honestly hard for me to sit through this film or any silent film for that matter.
 
I remember being in love with the girl from Krull when I was a wee young lad. Don't remember much else except I'm pretty sure someone was turned into a duck and there's a pretty cool spider at some point.
 
Scoresman said:
Don Quixote said:
Scoresman said:
Counts by decade

1930s 1
1950s 3
1960s 2
1970s 9
1980s 27
1990s 19
2000s 22
2010s 13
2020s 4

I would just start this but there's one more movie I need to watch that I'm pretty sure will make this list somewhere.
Click to expand...
None from the 1920s? :sadbanana:🤖
Click to expand...
I know what you're talking about here. I'm not ranking these based solely on how influential, or groundbreaking a movie may have been, otherwise this would be a top 10 movie. I'm ranking more on how enjoyable is it to watch nowadays or how much lasting appeal it has. It's honestly hard for me to sit through this film or any silent film for that matter.
Click to expand...
Fair enough. I still love putting on that one or some other of the great silents, but to each their own.
 
Scoresman said:
First 5 out. Not listing any more than this in case someone wants to do a next 100 or whatever.

105. Krull
1983 - 2h 1 - PG
Director: Peter Yates
Metascore: 45

A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet

103. Clash of the Titans
1981 - 1h 58 - PG
Director: Desmond Davis
Metascore: 59

Perseus must battle Medusa and the Kraken to save the Princess Andromeda.
Click to expand...
Great way to start, as others have said Krull and especially Clash of the Titans were staples when I was a kid. I mean who didn't pretend to be Perseus catching the sword to kill the giant scorpion??
 
Don Quixote said:
Scoresman said:
Don Quixote said:
Scoresman said:
Counts by decade

1930s 1
1950s 3
1960s 2
1970s 9
1980s 27
1990s 19
2000s 22
2010s 13
2020s 4

I would just start this but there's one more movie I need to watch that I'm pretty sure will make this list somewhere.
Click to expand...
None from the 1920s? :sadbanana:🤖
Click to expand...
I know what you're talking about here. I'm not ranking these based solely on how influential, or groundbreaking a movie may have been, otherwise this would be a top 10 movie. I'm ranking more on how enjoyable is it to watch nowadays or how much lasting appeal it has. It's honestly hard for me to sit through this film or any silent film for that matter.
Click to expand...
Fair enough. I still love putting on that one or some other of the great silents, but to each their own.
Click to expand...
Thats why i asked about foreign made or non english language.
Paying homage to the early silent ones (from Europe) would have been nice considering how impactful they are.
The main one had an 80s soundtrack added to make it “palatable” for a modern audience, which is how i got introduced.

But looking forward to the list anyway.
Pretty sure we may have a nice list of leftovers.
 
John Maddens Lunchbox said:
Don Quixote said:
Scoresman said:
Don Quixote said:
Scoresman said:
Counts by decade

1930s 1
1950s 3
1960s 2
1970s 9
1980s 27
1990s 19
2000s 22
2010s 13
2020s 4

I would just start this but there's one more movie I need to watch that I'm pretty sure will make this list somewhere.
Click to expand...
None from the 1920s? :sadbanana:🤖
Click to expand...
I know what you're talking about here. I'm not ranking these based solely on how influential, or groundbreaking a movie may have been, otherwise this would be a top 10 movie. I'm ranking more on how enjoyable is it to watch nowadays or how much lasting appeal it has. It's honestly hard for me to sit through this film or any silent film for that matter.
Click to expand...
Fair enough. I still love putting on that one or some other of the great silents, but to each their own.
Click to expand...
Thats why i asked about foreign made or non english language.
Paying homage to the early silent ones (from Europe) would have been nice considering how impactful they are.
The main one had an 80s soundtrack added to make it “palatable” for a modern audience, which is how i got introduced.

But looking forward to the list anyway.
Pretty sure we may have a nice list of leftovers.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's tough for me to rank movies like this. On the one hand, I look at a movie like this and rank Krull over it :lmao:, which seems so wrong. But on the other hand, as influential and groundbreaking as this stuff was, there were so many advancements made after these to pacing, acting, character writing, etc. I cant justify adding a movie I can barely sit through.

If we're ranking the most important sci-fi movies of all time, then movies like this are a must add.

I will have to check out the 80s soundtrack version though.
 
Aren’t they remaking Krull?

Also not sure I’ve ever seen it all the way through but I have turned it on at the halfway point quite often
 
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