Science fiction is the genre of wonder, technology, and terrifying ideas. It is the longing of the universe, and it's the chips inside our brains, the neon cyberpunk landscapes of a crumbling society, and the extraterrestrial monsters at the bottom of the ocean.

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It is also home to the most amount of existential crises ever found in media. That is the beauty of sci-fi though: it makes viewers question their place in the world. Sci-fi films make tangible settings and stories out of the wildest things an imagination can dream up. Some sci-fi movies go one step further, leaving their audience with the hollow feeling of never being able to recover fully again.

Updated on November 2nd, 2022, by Hannah Saab:

Sci-fi movies continue to push the boundaries of what's possible to depict on the big screen, with the highly-anticipated release of Avatar: The Way of Water underscoring how much the genre has improved. Existential sci-fi movies are particularly fascinating right now thanks to innovative and philosophical international hits like Everything Everywhere All at Once. Audiences looking for sci-fi films that will make them question their lives, place in the universe, and entire existence have a lot of excellent movies to choose from.

'Ad Astra' (2019)

Roy McBride looking through his spacesuit in Ad Astra.

Ad Astra is a desolate and masterful voyage through isolation. The tale of Roy McBride trying to find his lost father isn't really about the outcome. It is about how he becomes whole again through the complete chaos of circumstance in a universe that doesn't care about what he desires.

Dubbed “Dad Astra” for a reason, Ad Astra portrays the solemn, wounded relationship between father and son, light years away, and still connected through the loneliness of the cosmos. It's difficult not to leave this movie feeling empty, as Roy never truly finds what he's looking for in his missing dad. Succumbing to the lyrical loneliness of space, Roy finds that there is no one else out there. He finds a renewed sense of connection to his fellow humans, but at the cost of losing his creator – his father.

'Interstellar' (2014)

Cooper on  the ice planet in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.

Interstellar is a masterpiece in modern sci-fi, both in the story and in visuals. Christopher Nolan made a home for the sorrow of a lost family, the regrets of a life unlived, and very real environmental struggles. The film is also home to one of Hans Zimmer's best scores, with each piece of music adding emotion to shots of barren space.

Space is the ultimate form of isolation. Man's oldest question is, “Where did we come from?” and Interstellar plays with this in a fascinating way. It hints at a “them,” some sort of otherworldly anomaly that controls space and time, but never solidifies what “they” are. It also plays with the innate fear that humans have of losing time and becoming a ghost to those they love.

'Sunshine' (2007)

Searle standing in front of the sun in Sunshine.

In Sunshine, Earth is on the path to destruction while the sun dies out. After previous failed missions, a crew of men and women are tasked with delivering a giant atomic bomb through space to revive it. Danny Boyle creates the captivating spaceship, Icarus, with a visceral presentation loaded with sterile shuttle backgrounds, and lush landscapes of greens and blues in the ship's flora.

Sunshine is a misunderstood triumph in the genre. Many who watch the film check out during the final act due to the movie taking a turn for horror. But what Sunshine does best is make viewers feel all alone. When Cillian Murphy's Capa is the only one left on the ship, he is humanity's last hope. To find solace in dying in space, all alone, for a greater cause, is an incredibly chilling choice to think about.

'Arrival' (2016)

Dr. Louise Banks communicates with the aliens in Arrival.

Denis Villeneuve brings some of the most heart-wrenching stories to life in his sci-fi films, giving them vivid and unforgettable visuals. Arrival is based on Ted Chiang's story, "Story of Your Life," and tells the tale of a linguist tasked with learning how to communicate with the extraterrestrial creatures that touch down on Earth.

Like many other sci-fi movies, Arrival portrays the theory of time in a non-linear fashion. Instead of it going from a beginning to an end, it is a giant circle – a never-ending, cyclical power of the universe. Once Louise Banks learns that the aliens' language alters humans' perception of time, she discovers just how cruel the miracle of life really is.

'District 9' (2009)

The alien spaceship above the city in District 9.

Aliens finally arrive on Earth in District 9, in the way of a gargantuan flying saucer that refuses to go back to their dying home planet. The aliens are managed by a corporation and are deeply uncared for while having their technology stolen by humans.

District 9 puts forth many humanistic questions about immigration, the “other,” and the collapse of a society's morals. Humans are known to crave the comfort of routine and this film portrays the overnight change of not only having to accommodate a new species, but the absolute fear of something other than you. This is seen perfectly in the transformation of Wikus' character when he changes from human to alien. The moral challenge he must face after becoming the monster he hates most is stunning.

'Moon' (2009)

Sam Bell on the moon in Moon.

In Moon, Sam Bell must go through his three-year shift at a lunar mine alone. During the film, he is finally nearing the end of his job when he falls very ill and begins to meet younger versions of himself on his space station.

Moon wrestles with the existence of clones and the mortality of life. Each of Sam's clones thinks it is an original being with its own memories. It is a horrifying realization for Sam to comprehend that he's not. It's even worse to think about how someone designed him, made him, and that he actually never had any free will at all.

'Possessor' (2020)

A woman trying to rip a mask off in the movie Possessor.
Image via Elevation Pictures

Possessor tells the story of Tasya, an assassin who can take control of other people's bodies to perform her high-profile executions. The film portrays a fresh take on mind-control, consciousness, and bodily autonomy.

The juxtaposition between Tasya being a mother and wife and also a sadistic murderer is uncomfortable and harrowing to watch. When things take a turn for the worst, it is difficult to remember who is controlling Tasya and making her kill her own family. The mind is the last part of yourself that can not be infiltrated as a human, and not being able to tell whether you are in control of your consciousness or not is terrifying.

'Solaris' (1972)

Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris 1972.

Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris was filmed in 1972 and still holds up as an unmatched legacy to this day. When a psychologist is sent to a space station to monitor the mental problems of its inhabitants, he discovers that the water of the planet is a type of brain, home to all sorts of repressed memories.

The film deals with the ghosts of loved ones and the loss of memories in a hauntingly beautiful way. It also ponders the cyclical nature of trauma and the nonlinear ways in which humans deal with grief. Kelvin appears to be back on Earth with his family at the ending, but he is nowhere near it, and that is a dreadful thing to behold.

'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)

Officer K in Blade Runner 2049.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

In one of the best sequels to a legacy that has ever been filmed, Blade Runner 2049 has it all. From stunningly desolate cinematography to the almost wordless script, every single part of Blade Runner's sequel oozes with existential questions.

Villeneuve is notorious for making his sci-fi films rooted in reality, which is why almost everything onscreen looks like it could be invented in the very near future, and not in some other dimension that doesn't exist. This is why his films resonate so deeply. They feel tangible and deal with very human emotions like loneliness, AI, and a future in which humans continue to lose connection with one another.

'Annihilation' (2018)

Natalie Portman with her mimic in Annihilation Lena
Image via Paramount Pictures

Annihilation is unique in that is as much a psychological horror film as it is a sci-fi film. The movie follows a group of people who enter the extraterrestrial zone called “The Shimmer,” a mysteriously populated place that is home to mutated plants and animals.

The eeriest scene in this movie is when Lena faces her humanoid mirrored “self” at the end. There is nothing quite as unnerving as seeing a doppelgänger version of yourself that you cannot hurt or leave. The film leaves audiences with the question of whether or not Lena is still herself, or if her consciousness is now something more sinister.

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

Trinity and Neo walking down an empty room in The Matrix.

The Wachowskis' first entry into the incredibly popular franchise needs no introduction, as The Matrix is a classic that set a new standard in the genre. It follows Thomas Anderson, an unassuming computer programmer with the hacker alias, Neo. A series of bizarre encounters leads to the realization that things are not what they seem.

While the award-winning movie is known for its cool action sequences and badass characters, it also introduced several viewers to the disturbing concept that they could be living in a simulated reality. It's unsettling to think about aliens keeping humanity imprisoned, and it's not the only scenario that can leave people vulnerable yet blissfully unaware of their captivity.

‘Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind’ (2004)

Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey lying in bed together in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Image via Focus Features

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a romantic science fiction movie with a cult following. Michel Gondry's masterpiece portrays the frantic, heartbreaking, and profound events that follow when Joel Barish decides to have his memories of his girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski erased. He's hurt that she has done the same thing, but doesn't realize until it's too late that he doesn't want her to disappear from his mine.

The technology in the film by the New York City firm Lacuna presents a horrifying possibility, especially considering scientists are working on a similar tool in the real world. Like Joel or Clem, people may soon not even know that they're missing a huge chunk of a once-essential part of their lives – throw consumerism into the mix, and it's a nightmare scenario.

‘Inception’ (2010)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb sitting down and looking at his totem while holding a gun in Inception
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Dom Cobb is a professional "extractor" in Nolan's mind-bending blockbuster, Inception. His job entails infiltrating his victims' subconscious to steal information. When he gets an irresistible offer, he organizes a team to attempt the unprecedented action of implanting an idea instead of taking one. However, no one expects what they find deep within the target's mind.

With its dizzying layers and novel concepts, the film induces existential dread through a singular question – is reality all a dream? The iconic ending with the spinning top leaves viewers wondering if Cobb is ever truly able to differentiate between the subconscious and the real world, which is a mistake that's way too easy to make.

‘High Life’ (2018)

high-life-robert-pattinson-baby

Claire DenisHigh Life is set in a bleak future where criminals are recycled through space travel. It follows a group of convicts who are sent to space and experimented on along the way. What's worse, they're headed right for a black hole. The film focuses on Monte, who brings his young daughter along for the doomed ride.

The movie is raw, disturbing, and artful. Thanks to its exploration of hard-hitting themes like identity, humanity, and faith, viewers can expect to be awed and not even know the right questions to ask after it's over.

'Everything Everywhere All at Once' (2022)

Evelyn split across dimensions in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once rightly became an international hit when it premiered earlier this year. In an oversaturated genre full of multiverses, the A24 film stands out through its wild visuals, wacky humor, and tear-jerking story. It's centered on an overworked and aging Evelyn Wang, who soon learns that she's the only one who can save everything that exists.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the film takes viewers on a long journey through existential dread before introducing optimistic nihilism. Most will be able to relate to Evelyn's conundrum – there are so many possibilities of what could have been, and she's clearly living the worst version of her life. Stick with it until the profound ending and fans know that the movie leaves them with an important reminder to embrace life anyway, no matter how chaotic, difficult, and downright weird it can be.

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