The New York Timescreated a list of the top100 movies of the 21st Century,and some great sci-fi films made the cut. The newspaper contacted over 500 directors, actors, writers, and other professionals, and their votes contributed to this list. This means Hollywood professionals chose the movies on this list.
The New York Timeslist featured numerous critically acclaimed masterpieces,withParasitetopping the list.However,it also included some fan favorites,such as the comedySuperbad. In between,12 sci-fi movies made the list,ranging from action thrillers to superhero epics to complex dramas, all of which are worth the acclaim.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón,Gravitytells the story of an astronaut(played by Sandra Bullock) who is stranded in space alone. She has to figure out how she can get back to Earth, and she is slowly losing her grip on reality as she begins to see her dead partner (George Clooney) as she fights for her survival.
The movie was an Oscar favorite upon its release, garnering 10 nominations, including Best Picture. Cuarón won for Best Director, while Bullock won Best Actress. Now, industry professionals are recognizingGravityagain for its quality and design,with no less than Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) adding it to his ballot.
Two superhero movies made the top 100.WhileThe Dark Knightwas an action-thriller,Black Pantherhad as many sci-fi elements as it did action movie tropes. The entire concept of Wakanda is to create a scientifically advanced nation, one that stands tall above most of the world in terms of technological advancements.
King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the Black Panther, utilizes scientific devices he has created and others developed by his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), which is what makes their home country so crucial in the Marvel Universe. That is what makes it sci-fi.
Director Ryan Coogler employed a Black cast and crew to tell his story, andBlack Pantherremains the MCU’s most important film to date.
However, what makes it such a great movie, and why it landed on this list, was the inclusion of the Wakandan people and the importance of this small African nation standing up to the world. Director Ryan Coogler employed a Black cast and crew to tell his story, andBlack Pantherremains the MCU’s most important filmto date.
Steven Spielberg shockingly only had one movie show up in the top 100 movies of the 21st Century, a surprise considering Hollywood professionals voted for it. That said,Minority Report’sinclusion is surprising,given the absence of films likeLincoln,but as a sci-fi filmbased on a Philip K. Dick story,it is an excellent addition to any list.
Tom Cruise stars as a police officer in a futuristic society where they arrest people before they commit crimes based on precogs' visions. However, when the precogs see Cruise’s cop committing a murder, he goes on the run to figure out where this vision came from and clear his name.
The film won an Oscar for sound editing, and it was a success at the box office, although it seems slightly out of place considering the other films on the list. However, thanks to its reputation, with an 89% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 80% audience score, it deserves its spot.
Christopher Nolan has made a name for himselfby creating mind-bending movies, which make the sci-fi genre a perfect fit for him. He has a legitimate science historical biopic on the list withOppenheimer,but he also has two science fiction films on the list, andThe Prestigeis a third that could have made it, but fell short.
The lowest-ranking of Nolan’s sci-fi films is the 2014 release,Interstellar.This movie stars Matthew McConaughey as a man sent into space to find a new home for humanity as the Earth lies dying. He knows he will likely never return, but his experiences with black holes and wormholes deliver everything a sci-fi fan could want.
The high concepts makeInterstellara mind-bending experience, but the idea of returning home and the sense of family make it a lot more personal than many of Nolan’s films in his career.Interstellarreceived five Oscar nominations and remains a respected sci-fi modern-day classic.
Melancholiais a strange yetcaptivating sci-fi film by Lars von Trier.The story revolves around the impending end of the world, as a rogue planet is headed toward Earth. When it collides with the planet, it will destroy all life. However, the story is smaller, as it follows a woman who is having her wedding right before this world-ending moment.
Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes, and the Hollywood elite have named it one of the best movies of the century.
Kirsten Dunst received great praise for her performance as the bride-to-be. Von Trier labeled the film as part of hisDepression Trilogy,alongside the horror movieAntichristand the erotic art filmNymphomaniac.Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes, and the Hollywood elite have named it one of the best movies of the century.
It is not easy to categorizeEverything Everywhere Allat Onceas a science fiction movie.It fits more in the style of an absurdist fantasy kung-fu hybrid. However, with the film exploring the concepts of themultiverse, time travel, and parallel versions of characters, it exhibits sci-fi leanings and ranks at No. 77 on the list.
Michelle Yeoh stars as a Chinese-American immigrant who discovers parallel universes and versions of herself who lived life in vastly different ways. She then learns that a being is trying to destroy everything, and she must find a way to fight for her life, her family, and her freedom to choose who she wants to be.
The film was a monster success for A24, earning 11 Oscar nominations and winning seven of them, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Yeoh), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan).
Under the Skinis a British sci-fi horror film aboutan alien who has come to Earth and taken the form of a human woman.She then seeks men as prey, where she captures them and devours them before moving on. The film offered a cerebral perspective on the world from the alien’s point of view as she seeks to comprehend the human condition.
The movie was as much an arthouse film as anything. Glazer shot the project with Scarlett Johansson as the alien, but almost all the rest of the cast were amateurs. He also shot much of it with hidden cameras, so no one knew from which angle the filming was coming. This created a disorienting and raw experience, and it failed to find an audience.
However, as its addition to this list proves,Under the Skinis a sci-fi moviethat deserves a second look from film fans. Director Ari Aster described the film in his vote as “a genuine vision. It’s a vivid, strange, dislocating film that feels genuinely alien.”
Christopher Nolan’s second sci-fi film on the countdown of the best movies of the 21st Century isInception,which sits at the 55th spot. This is a heist movie, but one where the criminals are hired to break into someone’s mind and extract information from their memories, all while their target has mental defenses set up.
It was a surprising success, considering the complex plot, and ultimately won four Oscars (all for technical achievements).
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the leaderof a team of thieves, and the entire film is a mind-bending experience that sees them pull off incredible stunts in a world where anything is possible. It was a surprising success, considering the complex plot, and ultimately won four Oscars (all for technical achievements).
While it didn’t win Best Picture that year, the movie that beat it (The King’s Speech) didn’t even make the top 100 list, showing which of the films that year had the more lasting effect.
There are several Pixar movies on the top 100 countdown, andWALL-Eis one of the best, ranking at 34th place.This film takes place after a global catastrophe that makes the Earth uninhabitable. Most of the film features no dialogue, with WALL-E serving as a lone robot on Earth, cleaning up the planet whiledeveloping a love for old Hollywood musicals.
However, it is not just a movie about environmental issues, but it is also a sweet romantic movie about WALL-E finding another robot sent to see if Earth is ready for humans to return and finding love thanks to its knowledge of romantic musicals. It is a sweet and endearing film, and deserves its spot on this list.
Arrival isDenis Villeneuve’s sci-fi additionto the list of the best movies of the 21st Century. His film is a close companion to movies likeClose Encounters of the Third Kind,as it focuses on first contact with aliens,but without the battles and fear, instead seeking to build bridges and foster knowledge.
Amy Adams is a linguist called in to help decipher the alien messages and figure out a way to speak to them. However, the movie is also a look at grief and a person making hard choices, even if it means losing everything.Arrivalearned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and remains one of the top movies of the century so far.
