The 101 Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies of All Time: 1. Interstellar (3 Viewers)

[Dr. Octopus]

No love for TENET?

The one that I was hinting at that opened too much B.S. for me to do a list like this was The Prestige. That has grown into my favorite Nolan movie and one of my favorites in general.

How is the Prestige Sci-Fi or Fantasy - maybe I'm remembering incorrectly (its been a while) but wasn't his big trick a scam?

Then you do not remember a main plot point.

which was?

 

[Scoresman]

I need to rewatch The Prestige. I remember thinking it was alright but don't remember much of it at all.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

It's more a comedy/drama than fantasy (although it has the element for sure) but The Fisher King is one of my favorite movies.

 

[KarmaPolice]

No love for TENET?

The one that I was hinting at that opened too much B.S. for me to do a list like this was The Prestige. That has grown into my favorite Nolan movie and one of my favorites in general.

How is the Prestige Sci-Fi or Fantasy - maybe I'm remembering incorrectly (its been a while) but wasn't his big trick a scam?

Then you do not remember a main plot point.

which was?

PM sent.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Others that may have made my list
Super 8
The Last Starfighter
Run Lola Run
The new Planet of the Apes movies
Pacific Rim

 

[KarmaPolice]

Others that may have made my list
Super 8
The Last Starfighter
Run Lola Run
The new Planet of the Apes movies
Pacific Rim

I like just about everything in this series. It's not one I think about quick enough, but IMO should be in any talk of best movie franchises. I even really like Dawn of... which people don't seem to as much.

Good catch on Run Lola Run too.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Big Trouble in Little China - would that be "fantasy"?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Escape from New York?

 

[BrutalPenguin]

I would have liked to see Serenity and Donnie Darko

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Great list with a lot of my favorites and a few I need to check out. Of those I know these are my favorites:

The Day The Earth Stood Still
Soylent Green
They Live
Robocop
Return of the Jedi
WALL-E
Minority Report
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Jurassic Park
Total Recall
Predator
Planet of the Apes
The Terminator
Blade Runner
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back

 

[KarmaPolice]

Big Trouble in Little China - would that be "fantasy"?

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Before everyone posts about it, I did mention one movie in the beginning that is classic that I would not be including, and before everyone posts about it here it is.

Clockwork Orange. Sorry, this one is the cinematic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard for me. The setting, stupid lingo no one can understand, it just hits the wrong nerve for me. I know I'm in the monority here, and it's fine.

That's not a great movie either.

You omitted Metropolis.

yes but this was known early on when he posted the movies by decade list on page 1:

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

I was watching for the second 1960's movie after La Jetee (which I've never seen) but must have missed it. I was expecting the original Time Machine to make the list. That movie had a huge effect on me when I first saw it decades ago but I guess its not really all that great of a movie.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I think this is the best action movie of all time

Die Hard would like a word with you.

Probably number 3 for me after Aliens, and T2

and where is Raiders?

What’s that?

you may not be on this list but you are #1 in my heart

 

[Willie Neslon]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Before everyone posts about it, I did mention one movie in the beginning that is classic that I would not be including, and before everyone posts about it here it is.

Clockwork Orange. Sorry, this one is the cinematic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard for me. The setting, stupid lingo no one can understand, it just hits the wrong nerve for me. I know I'm in the monority here, and it's fine.

That's not a great movie either.

You omitted Metropolis.

yes but this was known early on when he posted the movies by decade list on page 1:

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

I was watching for the second 1960's movie after La Jetee (which I've never seen) but must have missed it. I was expecting the original Time Machine to make the list. That movie had a huge effect on me when I first saw it decades ago but I guess its not really all that great of a movie.

If you want trippy 60s sci-fi, check out John Frankenheimer's Seconds starting Rock Hudson.

 

[foxco]

Great list and thread. Bold call for #1 but love the movie.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

dude has Contact at 4 and Interstellar @ 1. Such a McConaughey fan boy.

 

[foxco]

dude has Contact at 4 and Interstellar @ 1. Such a McConaughey fan boy.

Very similar types of movies IMO, whish there were more of these.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

eXistenZ should have been on here somewhere

 

[Scoresman]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time, travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

 

[dickey moe]

Okay, not the one I thought. I could have sworn it was already on the list.

My criticism is the same - Interstellar is great to look at and experience. But it's a so so story.

The world is ending and we're all going to starve...but at least we can still go to a ballgame. WTH?

Which film did you think it was going to be?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Okay, not the one I thought. I could have sworn it was already on the list.

My criticism is the same - Interstellar is great to look at and experience. But it's a so so story.

The world is ending and we're all going to starve...but at least we can still go to a ballgame. WTH?

Which film did you think it was going to be?

Metropolis - but I missed that there wasn't going to be a movie that old on the list.

 

[Scoresman]

dude has Contact at 4 and Interstellar @ 1. Such a McConaughey fan boy.

I was never a fan of his until Interstellar. Even in Contact he was just meh. But his performance in Interstellar was... well stellar.

 

[Willie Neslon]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

 

[Scoresman]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

The way I understand it (and maybe I need to watch for the umpteenth time if I'm wrong) is that he was rescued, and as soon as news of this reached Earth, Murphy decided to go and see him. It takes a lot of time to travel from earth to that station at the other end of the solar system so he would have had a lot of time after being rescued to meet his family before Murphy arrived.

 

[Tick]

I liked the book and expected to like this more than I did. I'm not sure it would make a list if I made one.

It wouldn't make the top 101?

No, I didn’t like it that much and never plan to rewatch it.

 

[Brunell4MVP]

Scoresman hits us with another troll at #1. I assume the #1 pick will be posted tomorrow.

 

[Willie Neslon]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

The way I understand it (and maybe I need to watch for the umpteenth time if I'm wrong) is that he was rescued, and as soon as news of this reached Earth, Murphy decided to go and see him. It takes a lot of time to travel from earth to that station at the other end of the solar system so he would have had a lot of time after being rescued to meet his family before Murphy arrived.

To me, it's clear from what the guy from the space program is saying to him as they're walking to her room and from the way he interacts with Murphy when he sees her in that room, that this is his first time seeing her since she was a kid.

 

[Scoresman]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

OK I just looked up the script.


"DOCTOR: She’ll be here in a couple weeks. She’s really far too old for a transfer from another station, but when she heard you’d been found ...well, this is Murphy Cooper we’re talking about."

So he had two weeks after being rescued from when Murphy arrived. I assume he would've met them then.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

Thought for sure it was going to be Equilibrium.

that was a great movie. not #1 though. I was racking my brain for what would be 1, 2, and 3 and I knew Empire and 2001 would be there but Intersteller seems like a curve ball.

 

[Scoresman]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

The way I understand it (and maybe I need to watch for the umpteenth time if I'm wrong) is that he was rescued, and as soon as news of this reached Earth, Murphy decided to go and see him. It takes a lot of time to travel from earth to that station at the other end of the solar system so he would have had a lot of time after being rescued to meet his family before Murphy arrived.

To me, it's clear from what the guy from the space program is saying to him as they're walking to her room and from the way he interacts with Murphy when he sees her in that room, that this is his first time seeing her since she was a kid.

Yes, I agree. Not sure why it matters? It's the first time he's seeing her, but he had two weeks on the station to meet his family before this scene. That's why he doesnt spend time greeting them in that scene.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Movies have a rhythm and emotional payoff that need adherence to and is more important than crossing every t and dotting every i.

While it appears strange that there's not more interaction between Cooper and his descendents, it's irrelevant compared to what's more important - his reunion with his daughter. Spending time with his grandchildren just isn't important to the story we've just been shown and are necessarily explained away.

 

[Tick]

I liked Interstellar, I don’t remember loving it, but there were definitely a few things that stuck with me

One was the robot, just completely changed my perception of what a functional future robot could look like

I need to queue this one up for a rewatch. Does not look like the 70mm IMAX cut is playing near me so probably just watch at home

Yeah, Minecraft Robot was rad.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

and Christmas Carol is enough of a Fantasy movie for me. Not fantasy but a good movie.

 

[Willie Neslon]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

OK I just looked up the script.


"DOCTOR: She’ll be here in a couple weeks. She’s really far too old for a transfer from another station, but when she heard you’d been found ...well, this is Murphy Cooper we’re talking about."

So he had two weeks after being rescued from when Murphy arrived. I assume he would've met them then.

Agree to disagree.

 

[Scoresman]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

OK I just looked up the script.


"DOCTOR: She’ll be here in a couple weeks. She’s really far too old for a transfer from another station, but when she heard you’d been found ...well, this is Murphy Cooper we’re talking about."

So he had two weeks after being rescued from when Murphy arrived. I assume he would've met them then.

Agree to disagree.

Except it's in the actual script? Either way it doesn't matter as Andy Dufresne pointed out.

 

[Willie Neslon]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

OK I just looked up the script.


"DOCTOR: She’ll be here in a couple weeks. She’s really far too old for a transfer from another station, but when she heard you’d been found ...well, this is Murphy Cooper we’re talking about."

So he had two weeks after being rescued from when Murphy arrived. I assume he would've met them then.

Agree to disagree.

Except it's in the actual script? Either way it doesn't matter as Andy Dufresne pointed out.

I disagree with your interpretation of the line.

 

[BlackCrowes]

Sunshine is another decent one that didn’t make the cut

I remembered this one as being 2/3 awesome, 1/3 stupid, but I've only seen it the once.

yep. the last 1/3 is really bad. ruined a great start.

 

[BlackCrowes]

Loved Interstellar, some interesting moral dilemma's posed in that movie. And they really tried to get the science accurate.

great list.

 

[Sand]

As a movie and story, it's just so so.

Could you please step over here into the airlock Dr. Chandra Dufresne?

 

[Sand]

Just curious why LOTR gets one spot for three movies while the original Star Wars trilogy films each get individual spots.

2 reasons.

1. According to the rules I set, I either rank entire franchises or as individual movies, not picking and choosing what movies within a franchise I lump together. So if I were to lump all of Star Wars together, it would have to include everything.

2. Because of the rankings for all three. I previously said for LOTR I would have ranked them all pretty much together, so it made sense to just group them. Same with HP. With Star Wars, the movies range from all time classics to hot garbage, so I wouldn't even know how to average all that out and have it make sense.

Were The Hobbit movies included in the LOTR ranking?

No. And you bring up a decent point here, but I'm quietly ignoring the Hobbit movies. I think a lot of people do.

so it will be in your RomCom rankings then...

Leaving that one for someone else to do.

Someone should do comedy. I'm not qualified as there are an embarrassing amount of movies I need to watch, but that would be fun.

I'd like to see one on war movies. That's a fertile pool.

 

[Sand]

As a big idea Interstellar was a great film. However, in almost all respects, Inception was a much better movie.

Blade Runner would be my 1 pick with Fellowship of the Ring right behind. But this was a good list with a lot of meat to chew on. With the obvious huge miss of not having Time Bandits in there...

 

[urbanhack]

Movies have a rhythm and emotional payoff that need adherence to and is more important than crossing every t and dotting every i.

While it appears strange that there's not more interaction between Cooper and his descendents, it's irrelevant compared to what's more important - his reunion with his daughter. Spending time with his grandchildren just isn't important to the story we've just been shown and are necessarily explained away.

I really need to watch this again as well as a few others. I tend to get a little stoney during these and they aren't locked in my memory. haha

 

[Chaz McNulty]

My main issue with Interstellar is the hospital scene when McConaughey's character, who has just returned to Earth after being gone for 80 years and hasn't aged at all, sees his now-elderly daughter for the first time since she was 10. Her children (who are older than him, despite him being their grandfather), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren all just walk out of the room when he shows up. No "Holy ****! You're our Grandpa??" Not even a glance. They just shuffle past him like he’s invisible. He gets so little attention from anyone anywhere that he’s able to casually steal a spaceship to go back to his lady crush.

He had probably already met them off camera, which is fine because the central point of the plot is between him and Murphy and she had just arrived after some time travelling from Earth. It's neat that they show all of the people that are in his now extended family and it shows that Murphy was able to move on, but they aren't the point of the relationship.

He meets her for the first time in the hospital. He met the family before seeing her? There's another scene where he goes by himself to his old house which is now a museum. Just shows up alone. Even the one guy in the space program who takes a second to talk to him gushes about his kid and says nothing about him or his incredible journey.

OK I just looked up the script.


"DOCTOR: She’ll be here in a couple weeks. She’s really far too old for a transfer from another station, but when she heard you’d been found ...well, this is Murphy Cooper we’re talking about."

So he had two weeks after being rescued from when Murphy arrived. I assume he would've met them then.

Agree to disagree.

Except it's in the actual script? Either way it doesn't matter as Andy Dufresne pointed out.

I disagree with your interpretation of the line.

Is there anything we can do or say to make you agree?

 

[Chaz McNulty]

I think The Chronicles of Riddick must be a guilty pleasure of mine. It's very rewatchable.

 

[Gr00vus]

Not saying it's top 50 or anything like that, and it's very dated now, but Silent Running was a pretty good, and very depressing, 70's sci-fi film.

 

[need2know]

Loved intetstellar

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I think The Chronicles of Riddick must be a guilty pleasure of mine. It's very rewatchable.

I'll give you Pitch Black. Radha Mitchell had a nice little run for a bit.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Not saying it's top 50 or anything like that, and it's very dated now, but Silent Running was a pretty good, and very depressing, 70's sci-fi film.

I always remember the little robots that watered the space station plants. Maybe a prototype for the later R2D2.

 

[Atomic Punk]

Fantastic stuff @Scoresman. Thanks so much for taking the time. I have added a few to my personal queue.