Amy Adams as Louise Banks, wearing a hazmat suit and holding a whiteboard that says "Human" in ArrivalImage via Paramount Pictures
By
Diego Pineda Pacheco
Published 28 minutes ago
Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel.
A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated.
Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point.
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Many things can be reproached about modern cinema, but if there's anything that deserves to be celebrated, it's that science fiction has rarely been better. Over the last 10 years in particular, some of the greatest sci-fi movies of the 21st century have come out, proving the genre's unparalleled versatility and endless creativity, whether it's through a grand space adventure or a tale set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Though every year of the last decade has produced several great sci-fi gems, there's always one that can be picked as the best. From Oscar-winning masterpieces to criminally underrated indie productions, and from legendary Hollywood blockbusters to considerably smaller international productions, these films all prove that the movie theater is the place for sci-fi fans to be right now.
11 2015: 'Mad Max: Fury Road'
Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury RoadImage via Warner Bros. Pictures
In 1979, George Miller revolutionized both Australian cinema and shoestring-budget action cinema with Mad Max. In 1985, the third installment in the franchise, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, came out to a mixed reception. It would take a whopping three decades (and two Happy Feet movies) for Miller to finally revisit the myth of Max Rockatansky, this time played by a grumbling Tom Hardy.
Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the greatest sci-fi action movies of all time, and it's certainly the best sci-fi film of 2015. It's all one big and unrelenting non-stop chase sequence, full of breathtaking action and some of the wildest world-building of any sci-fi flick set on Earth. It's one of the most perfectly-directed movies of the 21st century, and its long-awaited sequel (The Wasteland) can't come soon enough.
10 2016: 'Arrival'
The alien vessel from Arrival hovering over a large body of waterImage via Paramount Pictures
Denis Villeneuve, one of the greatest Canadian filmmakers working today, is one of the modern masters of the sci-fi genre. For proof, one needn't look much further than Arrival, which is one of the most thought-provoking sci-fi movies of the last decade. Tremendously grand in scale yet beautifully intimate in its emotional scope, it finds the genre at its most character-driven.
Through some hauntingly gorgeous visuals and exceptional performances (Amy Adams' in particular being one of the biggest Oscar nomination snubs in modern history), Arrival tells a deeply human story about language, communication, and the power of memories. Its narrative can be a bit of a mind-bender, but it's worth every bit of effort that goes into figuring it all out.
9 2017: 'War for the Planet of the Apes'
Amiah Miller and Karin Konoval in War for the Planet of the ApesImage via 20th Century Studios
The team behind 1968's Planet of the Apes probably had no idea that they were originating one of the most prolific sci-fi movie franchises ever. Moving through several sequels and a failed revival by Tim Burton, the series eventually got to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a fantastic reboot and loose prequel directed by Rupert Wyatt. Matt Reeves took over the franchise with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but it was with War for the Planet of the Apes that the trilogy truly peaked.
One of Reeves' most rewatchable films, it might even be the best Planet of the Apes movie. Deeply poignant yet surprisingly quiet and understated in its power, it's the perfect way to bring Caesar's arc to a rousing climax and an utterly poetic close. It's a significantly less action-packed movie than its two predecessors, but it makes up for that with some of the best writing and motion-capture acting of any modern sci-fi film.
8 2018: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'
Ever since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse came out, animation hasn't been the same. Its hyper-complex and hyper-colorful visual style, as well as its endlessly energetic tone and pace, both resonated deeply with audiences worldwide, and it instantly garnered praise as one of the most entertaining animated films of all time. In an era of trite and repetitive superhero movies, this stands out as one of the freshest and most exciting.
The film is a love letter to Spider-Man and the character's long history, featuring some of the most compelling characters and memorable standout scenes of any of the Web-Slinger's films. It's one of the biggest sci-fi masterpieces of the last 10 years, benefiting from a high-quality script and some of the most admirably detailed direction of any animated movie ever made.
7 2019: 'The Vast of Night'
A scene from The Vast of Night.Image via Amazon Studios
2019 was one of the greatest years for cinema of the 21st century, but peculiarly enough, it wasn't the best year for science fiction. There were a few standouts, however, and among them, The Vast of Night shines as one of the most tragically underappreciated sci-fi movies of the 2010s. Loosely based on the Kecksburg UFO incident and Foss Lake disappearances, this engrossing lo-fi sci-fi gem proves that often, less is indeed more.
Nostalgia-packed and full of small-budget charm, the film makes the best possible use of its smaller scale. Though forgotten, it deserves to be essential. It's a fascinating deep-dive into why humans are so obsessed with mysteries and the unknown, and with some exceptional technical aspects and an intelligent script, it's old-school sci-fi at its contemporary best.
6 2020: 'Last and First Men'
A black and white photo of a round structure in Last and First menImage via Shudder
The COVID-19 pandemic and consequential lockdown hit every industry hard, and the film industry was no exception. There weren't very many sci-fi films released during 2020, but from the ones that did release came more than a few underappreciated hits. This includes Last and First Men, an Icelandic film composed purely of black-and-white images of monuments and Tilda Swinton's English narration.
Its exploration of the history of humanity and what it shows about the human condition is shockingly sprawling for a film that's just 70 minutes long.
The only film that Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson ever directed before his untimely passing in 2018 is one of the best, with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Its exploration of the history of humanity and what it shows about the human condition is shockingly sprawling for a film that's just 70 minutes long, but Jóhannsson's direction and gorgeous score keep the feel of the story profoundly intimate at all times.
5 2021: 'Neptune Frost'
Image via Kino Lorber
Very often, the best sci-fi films come from the most unexpected of places. Case in point: the American-Rwandan techno-musical Neptune Frost, which was produced by Ezra Miller and executive-produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It may not be widely known, but this is one of the best African movies of all time, an Afrofuturist masterpiece bursting with wild creativity and neon colors.
Whether it's the gorgeous cinematography and distinct use of color, the unforgettable and highly unique musical numbers, or the themes of liberation, class struggle, and gender politics, there's something in Neptune Frost for every sci-fi fan to enjoy. It deserves to be watched by far more mainstream viewers, who are bound to be enchanted by its cyberpunk aesthetics and playful rhythm.
4 2022: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'
Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan stand together looking scared in Everything Everywhere All at Once.Image via A24
Sometimes, the Academy gets it right. It just so happens that the best sci-fi movie of 2022 won not just Best Picture, but a whopping six other Oscars. Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of the most bombastically creative films of the 2020s, a highly existentialist family drama borrowing elements from sci-fi, fantasy, and martial arts flicks to deliver one of the most thematically sprawling films in recent memory.
What's not to love about Everything Everywhere? The characters are complex and fascinating to follow, the performances — including a powerhouse pair of Oscar-winning turns from Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan — are some of the best of the decade, the writing is as funny as it is emotional, and the visuals are some of the most stunning of any film of the last 5 years.
3 2023: 'Godzilla Minus One'
Image via Toho
In 1954, the world was introduced to cinema's first kaiju in Ishirō Honda's Godzilla, a film about the dangers of nuclear testing released just nine years after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From there came one of the most prolific and entertaining sci-fi and horror franchises of all time, which has produced as many exceptional gems as it has disappointing flops. Godzilla Minus One definitely falls into the former group. It might even be the best Godzilla film since the original.
The film expands on the themes of the Godzilla mythos in all sorts of interesting ways, knowing precisely how to use the monster and when to focus on its deeply compelling human characters. It's one of the best creature features of the 21st century, a visually stunning and absolutely enthralling kaiju flick that understands that mass destruction isn't fun if it's not anchored in an emotionally engaging plot.
2 2024: 'Dune: Part Two'
Paul Atreides (Thomthée Chalemet) and Chani (Zendaya) share a kiss as they sit atop a sand dune overlooking the vast desert landscape of Arrakis in 'Dune Part Two' (2024).Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
For a long time, it was a widely held belief that it was impossible to turn the world of Frank Herbert's Dune, one of the most influential sci-fi novels in history, into a movie that lived up to its name. Leave it to Denis Villeneuve to prove the naysayers wrong. His adaptation of Dune was great, but it was Dune: Part Two that really took everyone by storm. It might be this generation's The Empire Strikes Back.
Epic in scope yet powerfully personal, it understands everything that makes a space opera work, which makes it one of the best epic movies of the last 30 years. Everything, from the exceptional writing to Greig Fraser's unforgettable cinematography to Hans Zimmer's timeless score, works in perfect concert with every other element to deliver a true sci-fi masterpiece — the likes of which Hollywood isn't likely to produce again in a long time.
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