In 2014 Time Out magazine asked leading sci-fi experts, filmmakers, science fiction writers, film critics and scientists to pick the best sci-fi movies ever made. Couldn’t agree more with the top 10 and am pleased to see Fritz Lang’s influential Metropolis in there and there’s two Tarkovsky films in the top 20.
- 100. Independence Day (1996)
- 99. Three Colours: Red (1994)
- 98. 2010 (1984)
- 97. Superman (1978)
- 96. Pitch Black (2000)
- 95. Serenity (2005)
- 94. Alphaville (1965)
- 93. THX 1138 (1971)
- 92. Solaris (2002)
- 91. Attack the Block (2011)
- 90. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
- 89. Fantastic Voyage (1966)
- 88. Minority Report (2002)
- 87. The Damned (1963)
- 86. Barbarella (1968)
- 85. The Andromeda Strain (1971)
- 84. Frankenstein (1931)
- 83. Things to Come (1936)
- 82. Pacific Rim (2013)
- 81. The Iron Giant (1999)
- 80. Star Trek (2009)
- 79. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
- 78. World on a Wire (1973)
- 77. Avatar (2009)
- 76. The Truman Show (1998)
- 75. Return of the Jedi (1983)
- 74. Flash Gordon (1980)
- 73. The American Astronaut (2001)
- 72. Seconds (1966)
- 71. The Prestige (2006)
- 70. Iron Man (2008)
- 69. Logan’s Run (1976)
- 68. Westworld (1973)
- 67. The Thing from Another World (1951)
- 66. The Abyss (1989)
- 65. The War of the Worlds (1953)
- 64. Sleeper (1973)
- 63. Je t’aime, je t’aime (1968)
- 62. Dark City (1998)
- 61. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
- 60. Quartermass and the Pit (1968)
- 59. Gravity (2013)
- 58. Donnie Darko (2001)
- 57. Dune (1984)
- 56. The Time Machine (1960)
- 55. Repo Man (1984)
- 54. Soylent Green (1973)
- 53. Akira (1988)
- 52. Predator (1987)
- 51. Fantastic Planet (1973)
- 50. Under the Skin (2013)
- 49. Starship Troopers (1997)
- 48. Ghostbusters (1984)
- 47. Contact (1997)
- 46. Her (2013)
- 45. District 9 (2009)
- 44. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
- 43. Total Recall (1990)
- 42. The Fifth Element (1997)
- 41. They Live (1988)
- 40. WALL-E (2008)
- 39. Dark Star (1974)
- 38. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
- 37. Primer (2004)
- 36. Inception (2010)
- 35. The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)
- 34. Galaxy Quest (1999)
- 33. Silent Running (1972)
- 32. Gattaca (1997)
- 31. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
- 30. Jurassic Park (1993)
- 29. Planet of the Apes (1968)
- 28. La Jetée (1962)
- 27. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- 26. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
- 25. Robocop (1987)
- 24. 12 Monkeys (1995)
- 23. AI Artificial Intelligence (2001)
- 22. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- 21. Back to the Future (1985)
- 20. Forbidden Planet (1956)
- 19. The Fly (1986)
- 18. Children of Men (2006)
- 17. Solaris (1972)
- 16. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
- 15. Stalker (1979)
- 14. Moon (2009)
- 13. The Matrix (1999)
- 12. The Thing (1982)
- 11. ET the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- 10. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- 9. The Terminator (1984)
- 8. Metropolis (1927)
- 7. Brazil (1985)
- 6. Star Wars (1977)
- 5. Aliens (1986)
- 4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
- 3. Alien (1979)
- 2. Blade Runner (1982)
- 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)