10 Great Sci-Fi Movies With Low Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Just as it’s important never to judge a book by its cover, one shouldn’t base a movie’s quality entirely on its Rotten Tomatoes score. There are plenty of good movies that received low aggregate critics’ scores on the website, earning a much more positive reaction from general audiences. This is certainly true of the science fiction genre, which has many gems that aren’t reflected by their respective critics’ scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Many movies that didn’t click with critics upon their initial theatrical release have found their audiences over time and deserve a reappraisal.

We’re gathering sci-fi movies that haven’t earned that prestigious fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes but still provide viewers with a good time. Whether it’s unabashed enjoyment favoring entertainment over conventional or movies that brought interesting concepts and stories to the table, these movies are up for a second opinion. For this particular list, we’re spotlighting movies in the genre that received a critics’ score of 50% or considerably less.

These are 10 great sci-fi movies with low Rotten Tomatoes scores that are worth checking out, regardless of their critical reception.

Read more: 19 Critically-Panned Sci-Fi Movies That Are Actually Worth Your Time

Beneath the Planet of the Apes – 37%

The seminal 1968 movie “The Planet of the Apes” introduced movie audiences to Earth in a distant future where humanity has been subjugated by intelligent apes. Spawning an entire line of “Planet of the Apes” movies, the first sequel is 1970’s “Beneath the Planet of the Apes,” continuing the adventures of time-displaced astronaut Taylor (Charlton Heston). After Taylor is captured by a subterranean cult of human mutants worshipping an active nuclear warhead under the ruins of New York City, his mate Nova (Linda Harrison) searches for help. Finding another astronaut from the 21st century, Brent (James Franciscus), Nova takes him back to rescue Taylor, with the duo pursued by an army of apes.

The most nihilistic installment in the franchise, “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” starts with a light retread of the original movie’s story through new protagonist Brent. This gives way to a story involving another hostile society, one that more cogently embodies the anxieties of the Atomic Age and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Charlton Heston suggested a “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” ending that would’ve ended the franchise for good with its sophomore effort. But the series lived on, and the 1970 sequel remains a darkly cynical installment in the series worth a look.

The Black Hole (1979) – 44%

After the success of “Star Wars,” Disney produced a space opera of its own with 1979’s “The Black Hole.” The movie follows the USS Palomino, which discovers the long-lost space cruiser, the USS Cygnus, observing a nearby black hole. Damaged by the intense gravitational pull of the singularity, the Palomino is forced to dock with the Cygnus and explore the large spacefaring vessel. Inside, they find the brilliant scientist Hans Reinhardt (Maximilian Schell) driven mad and turning the crew into cybernetic drones, which he turns on the Palomino when they try to escape.

“The Black Hole” is one of the most underrated movies streaming on Disney+, offering a very unique twist on the space opera genre. The movie still has the big blaster gunfights in spurts and while the film moves at a funereal pace, it does bring interesting concepts to the table. This culminates in the movie’s bizarre ending, which features silent depictions of what appears to be a cosmic hell and heaven. An unusually heady and moody approach to the genre, “The Black Hole” is one of the bolder live-action Disney movies of the ’70s.

Battle Beyond the Stars – 50%

Roger Corman, the filmmaking master of B-movies,  pivoted to space opera with the 1980 flick “Battle Beyond the Stars.” A pastiche of “Seven Samurai” and its Western remake “The Magnificent Seven,” the movie has a farming planet threatened by an interplanetary tyrant. Unable to defend themselves, the planet modestly hires a small group of mercenaries to take on the numerically superior enemy. The group bands together to fight against overwhelming odds, facing not only a vast army but various sci-fi perils.

“Battle Beyond the Stars” stands a cut above most of Corman’s ’80s output and the countless “Star Wars” ripoffs. The movie assembles a solid cast led by George Peppard and Robert Vaughn, with a young James Cameron taking point on production design and art direction. “Battle Beyond the Stars” keeps things relatively light and fun, bringing a freewheeling energy to the proceedings. A sci-fi remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” needs to be seen to be believed, “Battle Beyond the Stars” just delivers a good time with a familiar premise.

Event Horizon – 36%

Far and away the best movie from filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson to date is his 1997 cosmic horror movie “Event Horizon.” The movie has a rescue ship sent to investigate a distress signal from a spaceship, which was driven by a gravity drive folding space-time and went missing seven years prior . Boarding the ship, the rescue team finds evidence that the crew massacred themselves after its experimental drive accidentally opened a portal to hell. Shortly after this discovery, the rescue team begins to experience hallucinations that make them increasingly unhinged and prone to brutal violence.

Though its Rotten Tomatoes score doesn’t reflect this, “Event Horizon” is one of the best and scariest sci-fi horror movies ever made. The movie proceeds at a steady pace in dialing up the dread until it’s reached outright terror as the characters are exposed to the horror driving them violently insane. This is a film that leans unabashedly into its gruesome premise, with plenty of graphic gore and an unsettling depiction of a collective deterioration of sanity. One of the best ’90s horror movies, “Event Horizon” feels like a haunted house story in space while bringing decade-appropriate levels of sanguine stakes.

Armageddon (1998) – 43%

The ’90s saw a resurgence in disaster movies, led by films like “Twister” and “Volcano,” in addition to the incoming asteroid flick “Armageddon.” The movie has NASA detect an asteroid whose collision with Earth could trigger an extinction-level event for humanity. In response, a team of expert oil drillers are trained to undergo a risky intercept mission to land on the asteroid and destroy it (a silly plot that Ben Affleck joked about on the “Armageddon” DVD commentary). The team is led by veteran driller Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), with the ensemble including A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck), who is dating Harry’s daughter.

“Armageddon” stands as director Michael Bay at his best, delivering big and glossy action that stands as pure popcorn entertainment. The movie brings together what is arguably Bay’s best ensemble cast, with Willis and Affleck joined by Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Steve Buscemi. The movie also offers plenty of viscerally devastating spectacle, with smaller asteroids smashing into iconic cities to fiery effect. As a testament to the movie’s underrated quality, “Armageddon” received a Criterion Collection home video release, a distinction well-deserved in its achievement for pure, unbridled enjoyment.

Equilibrium – 40%

Initially dismissed as a “Matrix” knock-off, the 2002 sci-fi movie “Equilibrium” offered its own spin on stylish cyberpunk. Set after a third world war, a totalitarian regime now tightly controls society, strictly banning activities that encourage emotions. John Preston (Christian Bale) is a top enforcer, executing violators on the spot when they’re found with incriminating evidence. After Preston stops taking his government-mandated medications, his repressed emotions emerge, spurring him to rebel against the dictatorship.

An overlooked dystopian sci-fi movie, “Equilibrium” is more than just a “Matrix” pastiche but its own rousing thriller. The movie incorporates classic themes from stories like “Brave New World” and “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the film blends tried-and-true narrative elements into its own vision of the future. And of course, the action set pieces are unlike any other, bringing a martial arts sensibility to the gunfights, both in the choreography and cinematography. Darkly staged and intensely delivered, with standout performances from Bale, Taye Diggs, and Sean Bean, “Equilibrium” is an exciting tale of revolution and self-realization.

Jason X – 20%

Of all the places that iconic slasher Jason Voorhees could’ve gone next, futuristic outer space probably wasn’t the first choice on most people’s bingo cards. But the 2001 slasher movie “Jason X” does just that, opening with Jason (Kane Hodder) cryogenically frozen, along with scientist Rowan LaFontaine (Lexa Doig). Revived in 2455 by a group of students on an archaeological assignment on Earth, Jason resumes his killing spree after being taken back to their spaceship. After being cybernetically enhanced, Jason becomes deadlier than ever, using the advanced technology around him to dispatch his latest victims in gruesomely inventive ways.

Look, the “Friday the 13th” movies were never high cinema, but nor did they ever try to present themselves to be. “Jason X” is very much in its own joke, reveling in the wackiness of its sci-fi premise, including a memorably self-aware moment of Jason being lured into a holographic simulation. The movie also takes full advantage of its futuristic setting, providing the “Friday the 13th” franchise with some of its best gory kills. While people who don’t like slasher movies will find little to enjoy here, fans of the horror sub-genre can find a lot of trashy fun with “Jason X.”

Pandorum – 26%

The 2009 sci-fi horror movie “Pandorum” follows a spacefaring group of colonists after Earth becomes uninhabitable due to overpopulation, with the thousands of passengers entering cryogenic hibernation. While seemingly en route, crew members Payton (Dennis Quaid) and Bower (Ben Foster) are revived, suffering from temporary amnesia as a side effect to their lengthy slumber. With the ship’s reactor having grown unstable, much of the ship is shrouded in darkness and cannibalistic mutants prowling in the shadows. The handful of revived crew members struggle to discover what happened to their ship and find a wave to survive the ravenous hordes.

While panned by critics upon its initial release, there are a lot of underrated qualities to “Pandorum” that make it an enjoyable sci-fi horror flick. The set design, especially as the story delves into the mutants’ lair, is appropriately claustrophobic and moody, while the cinematography elevates the scares. Foster and co-star Antje Traue provide compelling characters, joined by a Quaid for the movie’s memorable twist. A surprisingly strong blend of elements from “Event Horizon” and “The Descent,” “Pandorum” stands proudly separate and memorable on its own.

Underwater – 48%

Rather than exploring claustrophobic horror in outer space like “Alien,” the 2020 movie “Underwater” took those terrifying sensibilities, well, underwater. Set in the near future, the story focuses on a research team in a deep-sea station at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. After the research station is wrecked by a large earthquake, forcing the group to use pressurized suits to cross the ocean floor to a neighboring station. Along the way, the ensemble discovers that a predatory unknown species has emerged to prey on them as they try to survive.

Director Willam Eubank makes good use of the movie’s deep-sea setting, providing plenty of memorably horrifying underwater scenes, as the story’s characters are steadily dispatched. The claustrophobia is a constant source of terror too, with the movie’s first major death a result of crushing underwater pressure, setting the tone for the movie. Helping sell those watery frights is Kristen Stewart, delivering a career standout performance, with a strong ensemble cast including Jessica Henwick and John Gallagher, Jr. A movie that progressively tightens the tension like an unrelenting vice, “Underwater” is a vicious thrill with Lovecraftian undertones.

65 – 35%

“A Quiet Place” co-writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods wrote and directed the 2023 survivalist sci-fi thriller “65.” Set 65 million years in the past when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a spacefaring pilot named Mills (Adam Driver) takes a two-year assignment to provide for his family. Crashing on a prehistoric Earth, Mills protects the expedition’s only other survivor, a young girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt). The duo journey together towards an escape shuttle, trying to survive the voracious dinosaurs standing between them and their way off the planet.

“65” understands its own assignment, even if contemporary movie critics may not have appreciated it at the time. The movie ultimately just finds an excuse to pit Adam Driver in a grueling fight against dinosaurs while giving him an escort mission to raise the stakes. Though there are emotional beats peppered in throughout, the movie works best as a no-frills action story, without paying mind to its attempts at character development and sci-fi elements. A straightforward humans-versus-dinosaurs setup, “65” provides plenty of mindless popcorn fun and channels the inherent appeal of rampaging dinos.

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Read the original article on SlashFilm.