Sci-fi movies will always be popular because they give audiences the chance to experience the world from an entirely different perspective. Whether it’s the presence of aliens or the concept of time travel, these themes work to give the audience a unique sense of hope that there is a new life beyond the ordinary. In this sense, it’s easy to see why some of the best sci-fi movies are a bit complex.
However, many filmmakers take this process to the next level, offering movies that give the audience a lot of content to chew on. While some fans find these films quite frustrating, others see them as a testament to the genre’s versatility. Thus, even the most avid sci-fi fans sometimes have to watch a film a few times in order to get the full picture.
A Breed of Aliens Is Subject to Abuse
District 9
Set in 1982, the people of Johannesburg prepare to meet their new neighbors, a breed of infamous aliens called Prawns. As the citizens continue to disrespect these creatures, they are forced to seek refuge in a camp known as District 9. Presented as a found-footage documentary, District 9 does a fantastic job of reimagining apartheid with a thought-provoking sci-fi twist.
If audiences take this film at face value, it’s easy to see it as just a retelling of South Africa’s past. However, upon examination, District 9 is also a pastiche of numerous cult ’80s sci-fi movies, including Terminator and Alien. Thus, this film is so much more than just political commentary; it also comments on the nuances of the sci-fi genre as a whole.
Two Engineers Uncover a Life-Changing Discovery
Primer
During their usual bout of tinkering, Aaron and Abe create a small machine that makes time travel possible. However, this discovery leads to a collection of immense ethical issues, but the benefits are too lucrative for the men to avoid. By the end of the film, Aaron and Abe are leading very different lives, suggesting that the constant interweaving of timelines has driven them apart.
Unlike other time travel movies, Primer really focuses on the physics of this process. So, audiences are forced to hang on to every word so that they can gain a better idea of the plot without getting distracted by the jargon. It’s clear that the filmmakers have a great understanding of science, which only makes this haunting sci-fi indie film even more plausible.
A Prisoner Is Given a Deal He Cannot Refuse
12 Monkeys
12 Monkeys follows James Cole (Bruce Willis), an inmate who is granted freedom for going back in time and stopping a virus that wiped out the majority of the human race back in 1996. However, this process is far from easy, and Cole manages to spread himself across time and space in order to save humanity. Although this film sounds quite simple on the surface, its frequent time jumps are quite hard to keep track of.
More than anything, 12 Monkeys only really makes sense if audiences understand the other films it makes reference to. Avid movie buffs will know that this film pays tribute to Vertigo and The Singing Detective, both of which focus on heavy surrealism. Thus, without this knowledge, 12 Monkeys can sometimes feel like a sci-fi flick that has just gone off the rails.
A Math Genius Tries to Find a Pattern in Everything
Pi
Max Cohen is a keen number theorist who is adamant that everything in the universe can be explained through numerical patterns. Over time, Cohen becomes obsessed with this principle and believes that his cluster headaches and paranoid thoughts can all be cured through the right number. As expected, fans need to have some understanding of number theory in order to understand the protagonist’s frustrations with the world.
Plus, Pi explores a lot of different religions and philosophies, such as Kabbalah and other aspects of Islam. Thus, while it’s very easy for audiences to get caught up in the numbers, Pi also forces viewers to confront their own interpretations of a Higher Power. The best thing about this film is that, after a while, audiences can’t help but think that Cohen is onto something really special, making this odd protagonist really relatable.
A Lonely Alien Seeks Human Comfort
Under the Skin
An unnamed female alien arrives on Earth with a taste for human men. Over the course of a few days, she lures countless vulnerable men and sends them into an elusive abyss. However, as the alien satisfies her cravings, she becomes more and more in tune with her human counterparts.
Under the Skin offers audiences an equal blend of sci-fi and horror, which makes it one of the most nail-biting films ever made. The low-budget camera techniques and amateur acting may seem like a cheap trick, but these unusual assets help to make this film more endearing. On the first watch, Under the Skin seems like an unfinished sci-fi film, but when fans really examine the protagonist, it’s easy to see that her journey is a lot more comprehensive.
An Astronaut Experiences the Distant Future
Planet of the Apes
After his ship crash-lands, George Taylor wakes up 300 light-years away from home on a desolate planet. He later learns that this world is controlled by a group of superior apes who view humans as a very primitive species. Although the man tries to escape capture, it’s too late, and Taylor learns that these apes had been taking over Earth all along.
A lot of audiences tend to overlook Planet of the Apes because the modern variants work to make the story a more linear narrative. However, the original film offers the audience a huge dose of existentialism, forcing them to recognize that this is not just another sci-fi flick. The twist at the end still stands out because even though it was staring the audience in the face the whole time, it was still so unexpected.
A Time-Traveling Agent Cannot Save Humanity
Predestination
An agent is asked to go back in time to dismantle a bomb before it detonates in an attempt to save the world. Admittedly, this mission seems easy enough, but the agent falls at the last hurdle when he discovers that the bomber is actually his future self. Predestination is a mind-boggling sci-fi flick that manages to stay with audiences long after the credits roll.
Due to the high-impact action scenes and gripping character dynamics, audiences never expect the paradoxical twist. Not to mention, this film offers an interesting take on gender expression, which only makes the nuances of Predestination more noticeable. Although the plot is a tad weak in some places, the movie’s interesting narrative gives audiences a different point of view with every watch.
A Man Is Prompted to Prepare for the Apocalypse
Take Shelter
Curtis LaForche is plagued by prophetic visions of heavy rainstorms and swarms of birds. The man is keen to take his family far away in order to save them from these dangers, but his loved ones assume that he is experiencing a bout of paranoid schizophrenia. These anxieties continue for weeks until LaForche is proved correct when a tsunami approaches Myrtle Beach.
Take Shelter appears to be another tale about a crazed man who turns out to be right, but it’s actually a fantastic Biblical metaphor. LaForche is essentially a modern incarnation of Noah, which makes his visions and instincts even more powerful. As such, fans will have to watch this epic a few times in order to see all of the theological elements come into play.
A University Professor Makes a Bold Claim
The Man From Earth
During his leaving party, John Oldman tells his friends and colleagues that he is actually 14,000 years old. He goes on to discuss the early days of civilization and how he has seen the world change drastically over the decades. While he later admits that it was all a joke, his peers can’t help but think that there is some truth to his outlandish claim.
The Man From Earth is a deceptively simple film. With a small cast and limited action, this film explores most of its plot through dialogue, which other filmmakers would frown upon. Yet, this intriguing story only makes the film more endearing, encouraging audiences to really focus on the protagonist’s claim, rather than just zoning out.
A Microbiologist Finds the Key to Life in the Human Eye
I Origins
A Ph.D. student named Ian Gray is keen to examine the intricacies of the human eye, and when he meets a beautiful assistant named Karen, he is sure that he has found the answer to his questions. Seven years later, the pair are married but soon learn that their baby’s iris is connected to another person’s. Thus, Gray is forced to accept that reincarnation may be a possibility.
I Origins is a fantastic film because it presents an unusual three-way romance alongside a beautiful depiction of reincarnation. The ambiguous ending is intentional as it allows audiences to really understand the potential of life without having all the answers handed to them on a plate. Thus, this film begins as a soppy romance and quickly transforms into something much more impactful.
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