The Top 20 Sci-Fi Films of the 21st CenturyFrom space-invader thrillers to interstellar-overdrive headscratchers, we're counting down the best science fiction films since the turn of the century
20
'Sunshine' (2007)
Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection
Set the controls for the heart of the sun: Danny Boyle's sci-fi opus — about a motley crew aboard the spaceship Icarus II (symbolism alert!) jumpstarting our life-giving star — is a throwback to the genre's cerebral era, when interstellar journeys doubled as metaphysical head trips (see Solaris, 2001, etc.). If it works better as a chin-scratcher about our place in the universe than it does as a in-space-no-one-can-hear-you-scream thriller, Boyle's underrated film still provides a few genuinely chilling moments —and, of course, plenty of heat. DAVID FEAR
19
'Donnie Darko' (2001)
Newmarket Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection
Call it the In the Aeroplane Over the Sea of sci-fi flicks — a personal, dense, left-of-center work that time (and a fervent fan base) helped turn into a modern touchstone. Richard Kelly's gloriously odd cult film about time travel, toothy rabbit-costumed doomsayers, and a misfit named Donnie may not be the masterpiece that some claim. But its skewed look at suburban America and scarred psyches do make it an intriguing and eerily prescient work, one that had the misfortune of coming out right after 9/11 yet somehow anticipated the PTSD mindset of that moment's aftermath. DAVID FEAR
18
'Monsters' (2010)
Courtesy Vertigo Films
Before he'd take the reigns of this summer's Godzilla reboot, director Gareth Edwards made this ingeniously minimalist giant-monster movie, in which two travelers seek safe passage through a post-alien invasion, kaiju-dotted landscape. The idea of offering only glimpses of the creatures and focusing more on the aftermath may have been the result of budgetary concerns, but necessity is certainly the mother of invention here; it's a clever way of making a familiar sci-fi scenario seem fresh again. DAVID FEAR
17
'Reign of Fire' (2002)
Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
If this movie was made today, with exactly the same leading men and exactly the same premise, it would be a summer-season tent-pole. It might not be better though: Reign of Fire, released to little fanfare in 2002, is a thrillingly loopy, classic B movie — with dragons. Set in the not-so-distant future of a post-apocalyptic 2020 England terrorized by flying, fire-breathing beasts (who have awakened, ornery, from a eons-long hibernation), the film features an intense, shaven-headed Matthew McConaughey as an obsessive dragon hunter and Christian Bale as a meek farmer. Deliriously over-the-top and riotously fun, Reign is a reminder that in addition to parables about human progress, sci-fi is uniquely suited to ram cinematic wows down an audience's throat. DAVID MARCHESE
16
'Attack the Block' (2011)
Courtesy Screen Gems
Evil extraterrestrials versus British hood rats…guess who wins? This funny, fast-paced sci-fi comedy pits a bunch of neighborhood kids in a rough section of South London against an otherworldy invasion, and damned if their street smarts aren’t the only thing that stands between humanity and total annihilation. The fact that it flips the script and makes the so-called underclass the heroes was reason enough to embrace this scrappy take on Eighties blockbusters, but it also brings its action and alien-scares A-game (those glowing teeth!) as well. DAVID FEAR
15
'Cloverfield' (2008)
Sam Emerson
Even though Cloverfield plays out in the now-tired "found footage" format, its terrifying CGI destruction of New York City and its Godzilla-like monster is visceral enough to set it apart from the other style copycats. Plus, its cast (which includes Lizzy Caplan of Mean Girls and Masters of Sex fame as a party guest and Silicon Valley's brusque actor T.J. Miller as the documentarian) perfectly captures the terror of New Yorkers seeing landmarks — the Time Warner Center and the archways in Central Park collapsing, the Statue of Liberty being beheaded — a few years after 9/11. Most chilling is the film's final line, heard in a pre-destruction flashback: "I had a good day." KORY GROW
14
"Primer' (2004)
ThinkFilm/Courtesy Everett Collection
Shane Carruth's 2004 mind-bender was made on the cheap – reportedly just $7,000 – though this little film doesn't shy away from asking big questions: the philosophical implications of tampering with time, the weighty responsibilities of playing God, and, if you'll indulge us for a second, what the heck is happening? From its tech-heavy dialogue to the loop-the-loop storyline (so complex it requires a chart to comprehend), Primer is the rare film that makes no attempt to pander to its audience. Sure, it's confusing, but that's partially the point. No one ever said Sci Fi should be easy. JAMES MONTGOMERY
13
'Minority Report' (2002)
Courtesy 20th Centrury Fox
In which Hollywood brings out the Howitzers — Spielberg! Cruise! A script based on a Philip K. Dick story! — and still manages to deliver a savvy, smart sci-fi blockbuster not aimed at the lowest common denominator. Never mind that it moves with the director's customary thrill-ride efficiency; the more times you watch this story of a future cop dedicated to stopping murders before they've occurred, the more you marvel at how it seems to anticipate the NSA/drone-strike zeitgeist of the here and now. There were precogs on the set, weren't there, Mr. Spielberg? DAVID FEAR
12
'Moon' (2009)
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Message to anyone considering a solo three-year assignment on that hunk of grey rock that orbits our planet: watch out for space madness, it's a doozy. Duncan Jones' debut feature keeps you wondering whether its hero —played by an on-point Sam Rockwell — is losing a battle with what appears to be his "double" or if he, is, in fact, losing his mind. We won't spoil the fun by spilling the beans on that question, but we will say that, even burdened with a few stock elements (unethical corporate interests? a less-than-trustworthy computer with a monotonous voice?), this sci-fi indie does a helluva lot with very, very little. DAVID FEAR
11
'The World's End' (2013)
Laurie Sparham
They say you can never go home again…especially if the town where you grew up has been colonized by some sort of sinister, not-of-this-Earth force. A genius riff on growing up, growing apart and Invasion of the Body Snatchers-type sci-fi/horror movies, writer-director Edgar Wright's juggles a host of genre elements with an impressive agility and somehow makes the most lad-cultural premise ever — dudes recreating a legendary pub crawl from their school days — into the least bro-tastic comedy ever. All that, plus a robot fight in a bathroom. What more do you need? DAVID FEAR
10
'The Host' (2006)
Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Giant-monster flicks have always been about ecological destruction, and this one is no different. Using a 2000 incident of formaldehyde dumping in Seoul as inspiration, this South Korean tale of a creature emerging from the Han River — who not only attacks people, but infects them with a virus — broke box office records in its native country and set a new standard for nature-run-amok parables. It's equal parts politically sharp, brutally hilarious, incredibly suspenseful — and totally icky. CHRISTOPHER G. WEINGARTEN
9
'Her' (2013)
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Who among us could not fall in love with Scarlett Johansson's sultry voice and breezy demeanor as portrayed in Her – even if she is just a computer operating system? Spike Jonze's post-postmodern love story reeks of all the hallmarks of every other sappy love story – infatuation, inadequacy, infidelity – and that's what makes it so engaging. Joaquin Phoenix's character falls in love with his PDA in such an endearing, all-too-human way that it feels real (and portentous), but it's the way he tries to overcome all the odds of his impossible love affair work that makes the film heartrending. Even she is just an operating system. KORY GROW
8
'Looper' (2012)
Alan Markfield
A person could tie their noggin in knots trying to follow the timeline of Rian Johnson's time-travelling nailbiter: So future assassin Joseph Gordon Levitt is really Bruce Willis and they're trying to kill each other? Plus the kid with psychic powers who lives near a corn field has something to do with this? And the hit man's weapon of choice circa 2042 is a blunderbuss?!? Johnson's Möbius Strip of a movie is endlessly fascinating — it doesn't simply reward repeat viewings so much as demand them — and proof that it's still possible to do intelligent science fiction within the sausage skin of a star vehicle. Kudos, sir. DAVID FEAR
7
'Serenity' (2005)
Courtesy Universal Pictures
Should you think this list is filled with nothing but philosophical chin-scratchers, here's a good old-fashioned romp brimming with spaceship chase scenes, laser gunfights and not one but several Han Solo-type ruffians. Joss Whedon's decision to bring back his gone-too-soon TV show Firefly as a bespoke blockbuster (in feel, if not actual box-office returns) was a bold gamble that pays off beautifully; you don't have to be fan of the series to dig the thrills, spills and chills here — though it doesn't hurt, of course. We're still holding out hopes for a sequel. DAVID FEAR
6
'District 9' (2009)
Courtesy Sony Pictures
As a metaphor for apartheid, Neill Blomkamp's faux-documentary about aliens ghettoized in South African shantytowns is nothing if not blatant. As a genre-based action movie, however, the movie works its gritty, you-are-there feel to great effect, especially once Sharlto Copley's bureaucratic lackey starts to experience a few, shall we say, physical changes of his own. It's also doubles nicely as the announcement of a major talent who could very well influence the shape of science fiction to come. DAVID FEAR
5
'Gravity' (2013)
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
The idea of being lost in space has never been portrayed in such a realistic and frightening way as director Alfonso Cuarón's agoraphobic nightmare. Sandra Bullock may get top billing as an astronaut struggling to survive a deadly meteor shower while coming to terms with her own all-to-human inadequacies, but the movie's real star is its villain: the absolute, all-encompassing nothingness of space. Thanks to dizzying CGI and Bullock's 90-minute panic attack, Gravity is horror as much as sci-fi, because sometimes there is nothing scarier than being alone with your thoughts — and a finite amount of oxygen. KORY GROW
4
'Wall-E' (2008)
Courtesy Pixar Animation Studios
Thought it's set in space circa 2805, the real world of Wall-E is 20th century American film. Our bumbling hero putters around a scorched Earth silently but expressively as Charlie Chaplin's little tramp; his attempts to romance an iPod-like female counterpart resembles a romance like a robot version of Woody Allen's Alvy Singer; vistas recall Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and the cynical political humor recalls his Dr. Strangelove. There's no musical numbers, but an actual clip of Hello Dolly plays. Plus, the Pixar team has probably seen a few Disney movies in their day. CHRISTOPHER G. WEINGARTEN
3
'Under the Skin' (2013)
Courtesy A24 Films
A Man Who Fell to Earth for millennials, Jonathan Glazer's cryptic tale of an extraterrestrial femme fatale who discovers her inner human being is, in the truest sense of the word, awesome. Lots of movies have tried to channel that old Seventies sci-fi feeling, but Glazer's visually sumptuous, genuinely unnerving movie is one of the few that feels as if it actually came from that fertile era of space oddities; there's a sense of exploration in its elliptical storytelling that feels light years ahead of most modern aliens-among-us tales. And who knew that it would take playing a predatory, largely nonverbal creature to convince us that Scarlett Johansson was capable of such nuanced work? DAVID FEAR
2
'Inception' (2010)
Courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment
Christopher Nolan's big-budget, big-concept, big-everything (filming took place on four continents) 2010 blockbuster works on so many levels – subconscious, visceral, temporal – that there are endless ways to appreciate it, though as we follow a team of dream "extractors" deeper and deeper down the spiral, one can't help but marvel at the film's structure most of all. Nolan's script is a multi-layered latticework of timelines and realities, dead-ends and false ledges, one that ultimately provides few answers, but asks plenty of questions. Is Leo's top is still spinning? When does a shared dream become reality? Are we awake right now?!? Heavy stuff, man. JAMES MONTGOMERY
1
'Children of Men' (2006)
Jaap Buitendijk
Director Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of PD James' novel is a chilling nightmare, set in a future where human infertility has rendered society increasingly unstable (morality matters less when extinction is in the offing). The film's rumpled, weary atmosphere, as embodied by conflicted hero Clive Owen — playing a cynical bureaucrat drafted into a potentially species-saving plot — and stubborn optimism (personified by Michael Caine's aging hippie weed-dealer) combine to create a movingly tangible sci-fi tale that suggests that the end of the world, and its salvation, might not come with a bang, but a whimper. Emotionally resonant, daringly prophetic and disturbingly plausible, Children of Men is modern sci-fi storytelling at its apex. DAVID MARCHESE
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/lists/the-top-20-sci-fi-films-of-the-21st-century-20140515/sunshine-2007-19691231#ixzz3xDxd0uSY
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20
'Sunshine' (2007)
Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection
Set the controls for the heart of the sun: Danny Boyle's sci-fi opus — about a motley crew aboard the spaceship Icarus II (symbolism alert!) jumpstarting our life-giving star — is a throwback to the genre's cerebral era, when interstellar journeys doubled as metaphysical head trips (see Solaris, 2001, etc.). If it works better as a chin-scratcher about our place in the universe than it does as a in-space-no-one-can-hear-you-scream thriller, Boyle's underrated film still provides a few genuinely chilling moments —and, of course, plenty of heat. DAVID FEAR
19
'Donnie Darko' (2001)
Newmarket Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection
Call it the In the Aeroplane Over the Sea of sci-fi flicks — a personal, dense, left-of-center work that time (and a fervent fan base) helped turn into a modern touchstone. Richard Kelly's gloriously odd cult film about time travel, toothy rabbit-costumed doomsayers, and a misfit named Donnie may not be the masterpiece that some claim. But its skewed look at suburban America and scarred psyches do make it an intriguing and eerily prescient work, one that had the misfortune of coming out right after 9/11 yet somehow anticipated the PTSD mindset of that moment's aftermath. DAVID FEAR
18
'Monsters' (2010)
Courtesy Vertigo Films
Before he'd take the reigns of this summer's Godzilla reboot, director Gareth Edwards made this ingeniously minimalist giant-monster movie, in which two travelers seek safe passage through a post-alien invasion, kaiju-dotted landscape. The idea of offering only glimpses of the creatures and focusing more on the aftermath may have been the result of budgetary concerns, but necessity is certainly the mother of invention here; it's a clever way of making a familiar sci-fi scenario seem fresh again. DAVID FEAR
17
'Reign of Fire' (2002)
Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
If this movie was made today, with exactly the same leading men and exactly the same premise, it would be a summer-season tent-pole. It might not be better though: Reign of Fire, released to little fanfare in 2002, is a thrillingly loopy, classic B movie — with dragons. Set in the not-so-distant future of a post-apocalyptic 2020 England terrorized by flying, fire-breathing beasts (who have awakened, ornery, from a eons-long hibernation), the film features an intense, shaven-headed Matthew McConaughey as an obsessive dragon hunter and Christian Bale as a meek farmer. Deliriously over-the-top and riotously fun, Reign is a reminder that in addition to parables about human progress, sci-fi is uniquely suited to ram cinematic wows down an audience's throat. DAVID MARCHESE
16
'Attack the Block' (2011)
Courtesy Screen Gems
Evil extraterrestrials versus British hood rats…guess who wins? This funny, fast-paced sci-fi comedy pits a bunch of neighborhood kids in a rough section of South London against an otherworldy invasion, and damned if their street smarts aren’t the only thing that stands between humanity and total annihilation. The fact that it flips the script and makes the so-called underclass the heroes was reason enough to embrace this scrappy take on Eighties blockbusters, but it also brings its action and alien-scares A-game (those glowing teeth!) as well. DAVID FEAR
15
'Cloverfield' (2008)
Sam Emerson
Even though Cloverfield plays out in the now-tired "found footage" format, its terrifying CGI destruction of New York City and its Godzilla-like monster is visceral enough to set it apart from the other style copycats. Plus, its cast (which includes Lizzy Caplan of Mean Girls and Masters of Sex fame as a party guest and Silicon Valley's brusque actor T.J. Miller as the documentarian) perfectly captures the terror of New Yorkers seeing landmarks — the Time Warner Center and the archways in Central Park collapsing, the Statue of Liberty being beheaded — a few years after 9/11. Most chilling is the film's final line, heard in a pre-destruction flashback: "I had a good day." KORY GROW
14
"Primer' (2004)
ThinkFilm/Courtesy Everett Collection
Shane Carruth's 2004 mind-bender was made on the cheap – reportedly just $7,000 – though this little film doesn't shy away from asking big questions: the philosophical implications of tampering with time, the weighty responsibilities of playing God, and, if you'll indulge us for a second, what the heck is happening? From its tech-heavy dialogue to the loop-the-loop storyline (so complex it requires a chart to comprehend), Primer is the rare film that makes no attempt to pander to its audience. Sure, it's confusing, but that's partially the point. No one ever said Sci Fi should be easy. JAMES MONTGOMERY
13
'Minority Report' (2002)
Courtesy 20th Centrury Fox
In which Hollywood brings out the Howitzers — Spielberg! Cruise! A script based on a Philip K. Dick story! — and still manages to deliver a savvy, smart sci-fi blockbuster not aimed at the lowest common denominator. Never mind that it moves with the director's customary thrill-ride efficiency; the more times you watch this story of a future cop dedicated to stopping murders before they've occurred, the more you marvel at how it seems to anticipate the NSA/drone-strike zeitgeist of the here and now. There were precogs on the set, weren't there, Mr. Spielberg? DAVID FEAR
12
'Moon' (2009)
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Message to anyone considering a solo three-year assignment on that hunk of grey rock that orbits our planet: watch out for space madness, it's a doozy. Duncan Jones' debut feature keeps you wondering whether its hero —played by an on-point Sam Rockwell — is losing a battle with what appears to be his "double" or if he, is, in fact, losing his mind. We won't spoil the fun by spilling the beans on that question, but we will say that, even burdened with a few stock elements (unethical corporate interests? a less-than-trustworthy computer with a monotonous voice?), this sci-fi indie does a helluva lot with very, very little. DAVID FEAR
11
'The World's End' (2013)
Laurie Sparham
They say you can never go home again…especially if the town where you grew up has been colonized by some sort of sinister, not-of-this-Earth force. A genius riff on growing up, growing apart and Invasion of the Body Snatchers-type sci-fi/horror movies, writer-director Edgar Wright's juggles a host of genre elements with an impressive agility and somehow makes the most lad-cultural premise ever — dudes recreating a legendary pub crawl from their school days — into the least bro-tastic comedy ever. All that, plus a robot fight in a bathroom. What more do you need? DAVID FEAR
10
'The Host' (2006)
Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Giant-monster flicks have always been about ecological destruction, and this one is no different. Using a 2000 incident of formaldehyde dumping in Seoul as inspiration, this South Korean tale of a creature emerging from the Han River — who not only attacks people, but infects them with a virus — broke box office records in its native country and set a new standard for nature-run-amok parables. It's equal parts politically sharp, brutally hilarious, incredibly suspenseful — and totally icky. CHRISTOPHER G. WEINGARTEN
9
'Her' (2013)
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Who among us could not fall in love with Scarlett Johansson's sultry voice and breezy demeanor as portrayed in Her – even if she is just a computer operating system? Spike Jonze's post-postmodern love story reeks of all the hallmarks of every other sappy love story – infatuation, inadequacy, infidelity – and that's what makes it so engaging. Joaquin Phoenix's character falls in love with his PDA in such an endearing, all-too-human way that it feels real (and portentous), but it's the way he tries to overcome all the odds of his impossible love affair work that makes the film heartrending. Even she is just an operating system. KORY GROW
8
'Looper' (2012)
Alan Markfield
A person could tie their noggin in knots trying to follow the timeline of Rian Johnson's time-travelling nailbiter: So future assassin Joseph Gordon Levitt is really Bruce Willis and they're trying to kill each other? Plus the kid with psychic powers who lives near a corn field has something to do with this? And the hit man's weapon of choice circa 2042 is a blunderbuss?!? Johnson's Möbius Strip of a movie is endlessly fascinating — it doesn't simply reward repeat viewings so much as demand them — and proof that it's still possible to do intelligent science fiction within the sausage skin of a star vehicle. Kudos, sir. DAVID FEAR
7
'Serenity' (2005)
Courtesy Universal Pictures
Should you think this list is filled with nothing but philosophical chin-scratchers, here's a good old-fashioned romp brimming with spaceship chase scenes, laser gunfights and not one but several Han Solo-type ruffians. Joss Whedon's decision to bring back his gone-too-soon TV show Firefly as a bespoke blockbuster (in feel, if not actual box-office returns) was a bold gamble that pays off beautifully; you don't have to be fan of the series to dig the thrills, spills and chills here — though it doesn't hurt, of course. We're still holding out hopes for a sequel. DAVID FEAR
6
'District 9' (2009)
Courtesy Sony Pictures
As a metaphor for apartheid, Neill Blomkamp's faux-documentary about aliens ghettoized in South African shantytowns is nothing if not blatant. As a genre-based action movie, however, the movie works its gritty, you-are-there feel to great effect, especially once Sharlto Copley's bureaucratic lackey starts to experience a few, shall we say, physical changes of his own. It's also doubles nicely as the announcement of a major talent who could very well influence the shape of science fiction to come. DAVID FEAR
5
'Gravity' (2013)
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
The idea of being lost in space has never been portrayed in such a realistic and frightening way as director Alfonso Cuarón's agoraphobic nightmare. Sandra Bullock may get top billing as an astronaut struggling to survive a deadly meteor shower while coming to terms with her own all-to-human inadequacies, but the movie's real star is its villain: the absolute, all-encompassing nothingness of space. Thanks to dizzying CGI and Bullock's 90-minute panic attack, Gravity is horror as much as sci-fi, because sometimes there is nothing scarier than being alone with your thoughts — and a finite amount of oxygen. KORY GROW
4
'Wall-E' (2008)
Courtesy Pixar Animation Studios
Thought it's set in space circa 2805, the real world of Wall-E is 20th century American film. Our bumbling hero putters around a scorched Earth silently but expressively as Charlie Chaplin's little tramp; his attempts to romance an iPod-like female counterpart resembles a romance like a robot version of Woody Allen's Alvy Singer; vistas recall Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and the cynical political humor recalls his Dr. Strangelove. There's no musical numbers, but an actual clip of Hello Dolly plays. Plus, the Pixar team has probably seen a few Disney movies in their day. CHRISTOPHER G. WEINGARTEN
3
'Under the Skin' (2013)
Courtesy A24 Films
A Man Who Fell to Earth for millennials, Jonathan Glazer's cryptic tale of an extraterrestrial femme fatale who discovers her inner human being is, in the truest sense of the word, awesome. Lots of movies have tried to channel that old Seventies sci-fi feeling, but Glazer's visually sumptuous, genuinely unnerving movie is one of the few that feels as if it actually came from that fertile era of space oddities; there's a sense of exploration in its elliptical storytelling that feels light years ahead of most modern aliens-among-us tales. And who knew that it would take playing a predatory, largely nonverbal creature to convince us that Scarlett Johansson was capable of such nuanced work? DAVID FEAR
2
'Inception' (2010)
Courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment
Christopher Nolan's big-budget, big-concept, big-everything (filming took place on four continents) 2010 blockbuster works on so many levels – subconscious, visceral, temporal – that there are endless ways to appreciate it, though as we follow a team of dream "extractors" deeper and deeper down the spiral, one can't help but marvel at the film's structure most of all. Nolan's script is a multi-layered latticework of timelines and realities, dead-ends and false ledges, one that ultimately provides few answers, but asks plenty of questions. Is Leo's top is still spinning? When does a shared dream become reality? Are we awake right now?!? Heavy stuff, man. JAMES MONTGOMERY
1
'Children of Men' (2006)
Jaap Buitendijk
Director Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of PD James' novel is a chilling nightmare, set in a future where human infertility has rendered society increasingly unstable (morality matters less when extinction is in the offing). The film's rumpled, weary atmosphere, as embodied by conflicted hero Clive Owen — playing a cynical bureaucrat drafted into a potentially species-saving plot — and stubborn optimism (personified by Michael Caine's aging hippie weed-dealer) combine to create a movingly tangible sci-fi tale that suggests that the end of the world, and its salvation, might not come with a bang, but a whimper. Emotionally resonant, daringly prophetic and disturbingly plausible, Children of Men is modern sci-fi storytelling at its apex. DAVID MARCHESE
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/lists/the-top-20-sci-fi-films-of-the-21st-century-20140515/sunshine-2007-19691231#ixzz3xDxd0uSY
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