Do you love science fiction? Are you thirsty for more since Interstellar? Well, here’s a few movies which you may not have seen, and would probably enjoy if you love Sci-Fi just as much as we do!
So here goes-
1. Donnie Darko (2001)
Time travel and teen troubles are usually not the kind of problems that go hand in hand, but that is just what high school teenager Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) comes up against. Add to that a sleep-walking condition and a doomsday-message bearing giant bunny rabbit, and young Donald is in for a tough time.
From the very opening, where a jet engine falls through the roof of the Darko house and smashes Donnie’s bedroom, the movie holds a riveting plot, and there’s always more than meets the eye. And as Donnie undergoes counselling, attends English classes, converses with the bunny rabbit, and even finds a love interest, you’re always wondering-‘what’s the solution?’
It’s not your usual teen-drama or the average save-the-world story. This is a really great movie, setting itself aside from the regular science fiction tropes.
2. Monsters (2010)
After discovering the possibility of alien life form on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, NASA sends a probe to investigate further. Upon re-entry the probe crashes over Mexico and soon new life forms begin to appear over the country and a quarantine zone is declared. While the military struggles to contain the creatures, a US journalist agrees to escort a shaken tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.
Now, as the story begins, we’re taken on an amazing journey through a beautiful landscape run wild, with unknown dangers abound. The special effects deliver a sense of epic scale and beauty, and the so-called ‘Monsters’ are one of the truly brilliant designs for an alien species. The two main characters are fully developed throughout the journey, and that’s one of the strong points of the movie, since it centers heavily around them. And, as they finally come across the alien ‘Monsters’, it’s evident how human fear of the unknown can destroy something beautiful and unique.
3. Cloverfield (2008)
During a usual going away party, an earthquake and several distant explosions lead the party goers on to the streets along with their video camera, which was initially being used to film the party. Cloverfield follows these events from the perspective of a hand-held video camera. The movie is exactly the length of a DV Tape and a sub-plot is established by showing bits and pieces of video previously recorded on the tape that is being recorded over.
The afore-mentioned distant explosions get close fast enough though, when the head of the Statue of Liberty rolls right past the ‘camera crew’. And this is where we get one of the first glimpses of the huge creature (origin unknown) who has set out on a rampage, Godzilla-style!! The movie is exciting, tense, and terrifying in equal measures, and it’s a ton of fun. Best watched with the lights out and the volume up, cuz you won’t want to miss that rumble!!
4. Serenity/Firefly (2005/2002)
Ok, so there’s Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, Star Wars and so on.. All good stuff, no doubt. However, there’s a lesser know gem, Firefly, an amazing science fiction show, which sadly and quite cruelly got cancelled mid-season. And, Serenity, is the movie finale to the series, and it is awesome. Great characters, excellent story and funny writing through and through.
Created by Joss Whedon (the director of Avengers), Firefly/Serenity is a western themed science fiction, revolving around the crew of the spaceship, Serenity, harboring a fugitive, Simon and his sister, River, who the government had been experimenting on. While, a darker and deeper story runs beneath, the humor and wit is as perfect as it gets. The action is top notch, and the world and the tech is always believable. This is a great series and movie, a definite must watch for anyone who enjoys good sci-fi.
5. The Man From Earth (2007)
‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’
There are not enough words to describe how amazing. brilliant, intelligent, engrossing, and satisfying this movie is. There is no action, not in the physical sense. A group of college professors and a student get together to bid farewell to a colleague, John Oldman, who, upon being questioned about his sudden departure reveals to them that he is in fact a 14000 year old caveman from the Paleolithic Age.
What ensues is an amazing tale in the form of a back and forth conversation, with the right background score, to set your mind off on a journey through the ages. While the entire movie takes places inside John’s cabin, your mind travels with their words, absorbing and trying to imagine the possibilities.
This is hard sci-fi at it’s best, written by Jerome Bixby, who was one of the writer for both Star Trek and Twilight Zone. It is by far the best movie I ever watched, and every time I watch it, I always wish it was longer.
So, what did you think of our list? Is there more that you would recommend? Let us know in the comments below!
