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

10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind​

1977 - 2h 18 - PG
Director: Steven Spielberg
Metascore: 90


Roy Neary, an Indiana electric lineman, finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for answers as a momentous event approaches.

This is the movie that really triggered my love for scifi outside of Star Wars and The Terminator movies. I think this is one of the films from the 70s that holds up the most, not only in special effects, but in things like the portrayal of the coverup, news reporting, etc.

Trivia: The John Williams score was created before the film was edited. Steven Spielberg edited the film to match the music, a reverse of what is usually done in the film scoring process. Both Spielberg and Williams felt that it ultimately gave the film a lyrical feel.
Gahhh, too low. This is #1 for me. So ahead of its time.
 

9. Arrival​

2016 - 1h
2016 - 1h 56 - PG-13
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Metascore: 81


Linguist Louise Banks leads a team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.

No doubt ranked higher here than most of you would rank this. A couple of things help rank this movie higher on my list than others. 1) The aliens aren't bipedal humanoids! There's no reason why aliens should look like us at all, yet we mostly see this in film and TV. I like the bold move here and the aliens are awesome. 2) The last 10 minutes will just rip your heart out. Another way time is used as a plot device without time travel and it ends up being an extremely effective take on the human condition. This movie will give you that sense of awe like all other great "first contact" movies, but will also leave you heartbroken.

Trivia: Ted Chiang, who wrote the story the film is based upon, approved the film, saying, "I think it's that rarest of the rare in that it's both a good movie and a good adaptation... And when you consider the track record of adaptations of written science fiction, that's almost literally a miracle."
Probably the one scifi film that affected me the most on an emotional level since Close Encounters or E.T. Just an astonishingly well-done film.
 
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7. Alien​

1979 - 1h 57 - R
Director: Ridley Scott
Metascore: 89


After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.

The first real "chalk" of my top 10. I don’t need to write a paragraph justifying this ranking. I do think this works slightly better as a horror movie than a scifi, but it's still mazing in both genres.

Trivia: Sir Ridley Scott stated that in casting the role of Ripley, it ultimately came down to Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Streep. The two actresses had been college mates at Yale. Ultimately, Weaver was offered the job because Streep was mourning the death of her partner John Cazale at the time of casting.
My wife and I were watching The Deer Hunter last night, and she commented that John Cazale's character looked terrible. I had to tell her, "Well, he was dying of cancer when they filmed this. " She felt bad.
 

6. The Matrix​

1999 - - 2h 16 - R
Director: Lana WachowskiLilly Wachowski
Metascore: 73


When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.


Maybe the best concept in sci fi history, and executed perfectly. I like the sequels enough to rank them, but this movie also stands on its own perfectly fine. Seeing this for the first time in theaters is one of the more memorable movie experiences for me.

Trivia: Prior to pre-production, Keanu Reeves suffered a two-level fusion of his cervical spine, which had begun to cause paralysis in his legs, requiring him to undergo neck surgery. He was still recovering during pre-production, but insisted on training. Stunt coordinator Woo-Ping Yuen let him practice only punches and lighter moves. Reeves trained hard, and even requested training on days off, however, the surgery left him unable to kick for two out of the four months of training. As a result, Reeves did not kick much in the film.
 

7. Alien​

1979 - 1h 57 - R
Director: Ridley Scott
Metascore: 89


After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.

The first real "chalk" of my top 10. I don’t need to write a paragraph justifying this ranking. I do think this works slightly better as a horror movie than a scifi, but it's still mazing in both genres.

Trivia: Sir Ridley Scott stated that in casting the role of Ripley, it ultimately came down to Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Streep. The two actresses had been college mates at Yale. Ultimately, Weaver was offered the job because Streep was mourning the death of her partner John Cazale at the time of casting.
My wife and I were watching The Deer Hunter last night, and she commented that John Cazale's character looked terrible. I had to tell her, "Well, he was dying of cancer when they filmed this. " She felt bad.
Make her feel better and tell her he was just method acting.
 
Seeing The Matrix the first time was an incredible movie-going experience. Probably not to be replicated. It just...appeared and wasn't Internet analyzed to death upon arrival.

I will always wish, however, they'd have stuck with the "humans as computing power" concept.
 

7. Alien​

1979 - 1h 57 - R
Director: Ridley Scott
Metascore: 89


After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.

The first real "chalk" of my top 10. I don’t need to write a paragraph justifying this ranking. I do think this works slightly better as a horror movie than a scifi, but it's still mazing in both genres.

Trivia: Sir Ridley Scott stated that in casting the role of Ripley, it ultimately came down to Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Streep. The two actresses had been college mates at Yale. Ultimately, Weaver was offered the job because Streep was mourning the death of her partner John Cazale at the time of casting.

Hot Take

A little overrated. (but would still make my top 30 SciFi alltime)

Arrival by comparison is a superior film on several levels for me.
 

6. The Matrix​

1999 - - 2h 16 - R
Director: Lana WachowskiLilly Wachowski
Metascore: 73


When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.


Maybe the best concept in sci fi history, and executed perfectly. I like the sequels enough to rank them, but this movie also stands on its own perfectly fine. Seeing this for the first time in theaters is one of the more memorable movie experiences for me.

Trivia: Prior to pre-production, Keanu Reeves suffered a two-level fusion of his cervical spine, which had begun to cause paralysis in his legs, requiring him to undergo neck surgery. He was still recovering during pre-production, but insisted on training. Stunt coordinator Woo-Ping Yuen let him practice only punches and lighter moves. Reeves trained hard, and even requested training on days off, however, the surgery left him unable to kick for two out of the four months of training. As a result, Reeves did not kick much in the film.

Would be closer to 20 for me but great movie obvi.
 
The Matrix is probably my favorite movie of all time and I think it is woefully underrated. It will never enter the pantheon of the Godfather or Citizen Kane, nor even 2001: A Space Odyssey within its own genre. But to see it in real time in 1999 when it came out, and to explore over time the rich philosophical questions that the film poses, makes it among the best all-time films in my mind. Or at least, what I perceive to be my mind...
 

5. Aliens​

1986 - - 2h 17 - R
Director: James Cameron
Metascore: 84


Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.

While in the horror countdown, I put Alien ahead, for Scifi it's all about Aliens. This movie takes Alien and expands all of the good scifi concepts, like expanded Weyland Yutani lore and space marines! I think this is the best action movie of all time. Definitely the most quotable scifi movie of all time.

Trivia: When filming the scene with Newt in the duct, Carrie Henn kept deliberately blowing her scene so she could slide down the vent, which she later called a slide three stories tall. James Cameron finally dissuaded her by saying that if she completed the shot, she could play on it as much as she wanted. She did, and he kept his promise.
 
Man I feel so much better after my gaffe earlier. You mentioned the Alien franchise and my mind always goes to this one. By far my favorite of the franchise. Oorah.
 

4. Contact​

1997 -. 2h 30 - PG
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Metascore: 62


Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, sending plans for a mysterious machine.

Another that I rank higher than most. This movie hits on so many things for me. I said earlier, I lost my dad at a young age so there's that emotional connection. It's an alien first contact movie which I absolutely love so there's that. The intertwining of religion and science is done extremely well as is the depiction of the societal impact of contact with extraterrestrials. I loved the book, and love the film even more. The first hour or so when she first hears the signal is the definition of gripping. That whole sequence still gives me chills. Bottom line, this is the most realistic take on first contact ever filmed, as you would expect it to be when written by Carl Sagan.

Trivia: Carl Sagan was to cameo as a member of the committee selecting an occupant for the machine, but died before the scene was filmed.
 

8. The Abyss​

1989 - 2h 20 - PG-13
Director: James Cameron
Metascore: 62


A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
One of my favorite Cameron films. I feel this movie is extremely underrated in general and it was also one of the hardest films to make of all time. My disappointment with Avatar 20 years later was because I had hopes it would have the same sense of awe and amazement this movie invoked upon first viewing. So many memorable scenes. The water tentacle mimicing the main character's face, Michael Biehn's portrayal of a Navy Seal going psycho from the pressure underwater, and maybe the best CPR/resuscitation scene of all time. All with a very satisfying ending, particularly if you watch the extended version. The acting is also superb. There was a lot of drama and difficulties during filming, and I feel it helped in this regard since there is a lot of raw emotion in the movie. The chemistry between Harris and Mastrantonio was great.

Trivia: During the rigorous and problematic shoot, the cast and crew began calling the film by various derogatory names such as "Son Of Abyss", "The Abuse" and "Life's Abyss And Then You Dive". Director James Cameron said that he got so tired from working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day (sometimes more) that he would sometimes fall asleep during dinner in bed, waking up in the morning with a half-eaten plate on his chest and clenching a fork in his hand. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio reportedly suffered a physical and emotional breakdown because she was pushed so hard on the set, and Ed Harris had to pull over his car at one time while driving home, because he burst into spontaneous crying.
That ring in the bulkhead was great. I rewatched this last year and it's better than I remembered. One of the things it's hard to recapture is not knowing where a movie is going... and this looked like a horror movie for a good chunk.
 

9. Arrival​

2016 - 1h 56 - PG-13
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Metascore: 81


Linguist Louise Banks leads a team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.

No doubt ranked higher here than most of you would rank this. A couple of things help rank this movie higher on my list than others. 1) The aliens aren't bipedal humanoids! There's no reason why aliens should look like us at all, yet we mostly see this in film and TV. I like the bold move here and the aliens are awesome. 2) The last 10 minutes will just rip your heart out. Another way time is used as a plot device without time travel and it ends up being an extremely effective take on the human condition. This movie will give you that sense of awe like all other great "first contact" movies, but will also leave you heartbroken.

Trivia: Ted Chiang, who wrote the story the film is based upon, approved the film, saying, "I think it's that rarest of the rare in that it's both a good movie and a good adaptation... And when you consider the track record of adaptations of written science fiction, that's almost literally a miracle."
Yeah, this is great. I've only watched it once and need to again knowing the ending... but it was such a different take and looked awesome - Villeneuve is great.
 

4. Contact​

1997 -. 2h 30 - PG
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Metascore: 62


Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, sending plans for a mysterious machine.

Another that I rank higher than most. This movie hits on so many things for me. I said earlier, I lost my dad at a young age so there's that emotional connection. It's an alien first contact movie which I absolutely love so there's that. The intertwining of religion and science is done extremely well as is the depiction of the societal impact of contact with extraterrestrials. I loved the book, and love the film even more. The first hour or so when she first hears the signal is the definition of gripping. That whole sequence still gives me chills. Bottom line, this is the most realistic take on first contact ever filmed, as you would expect it to be when written by Carl Sagan.

Trivia: Carl Sagan was to cameo as a member of the committee selecting an occupant for the machine, but died before the scene was filmed.
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.
 

8. The Abyss​

1989 - 2h 20 - PG-13
Director: James Cameron
Metascore: 62


A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
One of my favorite Cameron films. I feel this movie is extremely underrated in general and it was also one of the hardest films to make of all time. My disappointment with Avatar 20 years later was because I had hopes it would have the same sense of awe and amazement this movie invoked upon first viewing. So many memorable scenes. The water tentacle mimicing the main character's face, Michael Biehn's portrayal of a Navy Seal going psycho from the pressure underwater, and maybe the best CPR/resuscitation scene of all time. All with a very satisfying ending, particularly if you watch the extended version. The acting is also superb. There was a lot of drama and difficulties during filming, and I feel it helped in this regard since there is a lot of raw emotion in the movie. The chemistry between Harris and Mastrantonio was great.

Trivia: During the rigorous and problematic shoot, the cast and crew began calling the film by various derogatory names such as "Son Of Abyss", "The Abuse" and "Life's Abyss And Then You Dive". Director James Cameron said that he got so tired from working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day (sometimes more) that he would sometimes fall asleep during dinner in bed, waking up in the morning with a half-eaten plate on his chest and clenching a fork in his hand. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio reportedly suffered a physical and emotional breakdown because she was pushed so hard on the set, and Ed Harris had to pull over his car at one time while driving home, because he burst into spontaneous crying.
That ring in the bulkhead was great. I rewatched this last year and it's better than I remembered. One of the things it's hard to recapture is not knowing where a movie is going... and this looked like a horror movie for a good chunk.

What I think was also great about the ring is that earlier in the movie he throws his ring in the toilet, then quickly changes his mind and fishes it out. There rest of the movie, his had is stained blue from the chemical toilet water.
 

8. The Abyss​

1989 - 2h 20 - PG-13
Director: James Cameron
Metascore: 62


A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
One of my favorite Cameron films. I feel this movie is extremely underrated in general and it was also one of the hardest films to make of all time. My disappointment with Avatar 20 years later was because I had hopes it would have the same sense of awe and amazement this movie invoked upon first viewing. So many memorable scenes. The water tentacle mimicing the main character's face, Michael Biehn's portrayal of a Navy Seal going psycho from the pressure underwater, and maybe the best CPR/resuscitation scene of all time. All with a very satisfying ending, particularly if you watch the extended version. The acting is also superb. There was a lot of drama and difficulties during filming, and I feel it helped in this regard since there is a lot of raw emotion in the movie. The chemistry between Harris and Mastrantonio was great.

Trivia: During the rigorous and problematic shoot, the cast and crew began calling the film by various derogatory names such as "Son Of Abyss", "The Abuse" and "Life's Abyss And Then You Dive". Director James Cameron said that he got so tired from working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day (sometimes more) that he would sometimes fall asleep during dinner in bed, waking up in the morning with a half-eaten plate on his chest and clenching a fork in his hand. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio reportedly suffered a physical and emotional breakdown because she was pushed so hard on the set, and Ed Harris had to pull over his car at one time while driving home, because he burst into spontaneous crying.
That ring in the bulkhead was great. I rewatched this last year and it's better than I remembered. One of the things it's hard to recapture is not knowing where a movie is going... and this looked like a horror movie for a good chunk.

What I think was also great about the ring is that earlier in the movie he throws his ring in the toilet, then quickly changes his mind and fishes it out. There rest of the movie, his had is stained blue from the chemical toilet water.
Bud. Did you know your hand is blue?
 
I enjoyed perusing the list and solid choices overall. I am surprised City of Lost Childrendidn't make it however. I remember being amazed by the film when it came out and can't say I've seen another movie like it. Probably Top 25-50 for me.
 
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Top 3 tomorrow! I'm a little nervous.
I have 8 still on my list that I'd guess would land in my top 30-40 or so that I don't see skimming your list (a few top 10). 1 artsy and boring ( ;) ), 2 from the same director, one from a huge franchise, and 5 random ones that I thought of while staring at my shelf. I am guessing it's 2 of the first 4 I described, but who knows. Great movies taken today - all I would have had high on the list as well.
 
I enjoyed perusing the list and solid choices overall. I am surprised City of Lost Childrendidn't make it however. I remember being amazed by the film when it came out and can't say I've seen another movie like it. Probably Top 25-50 for me.

I remember scouring video stores for years looking for this and never found it. I guess I can see if it's streaming now.
 
I enjoyed perusing the list and solid choices overall. I am surprised City of Lost Childrendidn't make it however. I remember being amazed by the film when it came out and can't say I've seen another movie like it. Probably Top 25-50 for me.

I remember scouring video stores for years looking for this and never found it. I guess I can see if it's streaming now.

It's a shame more folks haven't seen it. I'm not sure how the FX hold up but in 1995 it was incredible. First time I ever saw Ron Perlman in a film and became an instant fan.
 
So we're down to the top three and I don't see Time Bandits yet. Eagerly awaiting this John Cleese masterpiece to make its mark at the top!
My first ever slumber party with friends we watched this. Wow. Blast from the past. That was also the night my dad let us rent some car wash movie with girls in bikinis. My school street cred doubled that night. Ha ha
 
I enjoyed perusing the list and solid choices overall. I am surprised City of Lost Childrendidn't make it however. I remember being amazed by the film when it came out and can't say I've seen another movie like it. Probably Top 25-50 for me.

I remember scouring video stores for years looking for this and never found it. I guess I can see if it's streaming now.

It's a shame more folks haven't seen it. I'm not sure how the FX hold up but in 1995 it was incredible. First time I ever saw Ron Perlman in a film and became an instant fan.
Same guy who did Delicatessen... Also fantastic, especially the visuals and use of sound.

Lemme find that one scene....
 
I enjoyed perusing the list and solid choices overall. I am surprised City of Lost Childrendidn't make it however. I remember being amazed by the film when it came out and can't say I've seen another movie like it. Probably Top 25-50 for me.

I remember scouring video stores for years looking for this and never found it. I guess I can see if it's streaming now.

It's a shame more folks haven't seen it. I'm not sure how the FX hold up but in 1995 it was incredible. First time I ever saw Ron Perlman in a film and became an instant fan.
Same guy who did Delicatessen... Also fantastic, especially the visuals and use of sound.

Lemme find that one scene....
 

3. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back​

1980 - 2h 4 - PG
Director: Irvin Kershner
Metascore: 82


After the Empire overpowers the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda. At the same time, Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett pursue his friends across the galaxy.

No brainer here. No other film in the franchise comes close. Sometimes I wish I was a little older when first watching so I could appreciate the twist fully.

Trivia: Mark Hamill had to bang his head sixteen times on the ceiling of Yoda's hut before director Irvin Kershner was satisfied with the scene.
 
hat was also the night my dad let us rent some car wash movie with girls in bikinis. My school street cred doubled that night. Ha ha
Which was somehow excluded from the "fantasy" side of this count down.
This is a very different countdown that we probably would not be allowed to have unfortunately.
Those ladies are somebody's grandmother now.
As long as they can still wash cars I'd watch. Ha ha
 

3. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back​

1980 - 2h 4 - PG
Director: Irvin Kershner
Metascore: 82


After the Empire overpowers the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda. At the same time, Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett pursue his friends across the galaxy.

No brainer here. No other film in the franchise comes close. Sometimes I wish I was a little older when first watching so I could appreciate the twist fully.

Trivia: Mark Hamill had to bang his head sixteen times on the ceiling of Yoda's hut before director Irvin Kershner was satisfied with the scene.
Well that explains Hamill - he has CTE.
 

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