When we hear the duet «science fiction» and that's talking about cinema, then our minds automatically go to certain images, with space, with a machine rebellion, coming first and foremost and dominating.
But this is a film that in the year it was released, few gave it the credit it deserved and although it doesn't deal with anything space or robotic, it deals with the biggest sci-fi for humanity which is the abolition of time rules.
Before the countdown starts, I should also explain that Marvel or Star Wars films are also included in the sci-fi category, but they are a category in themselves, plus we had to put them somewhere else so that this list wouldn't be so long.
ex machina
In a sense, the core of the film is the dramatic element rather than the sci-fi. But it is done in a way that touches on science fiction, as we have a man interacting with a robot that has a very humanoid appearance. With Ex Machina we got to know Alicia Vikander and appreciate director Alex Garland, and it rightfully makes the list, even if it is in last place.
Predestination
It's one of the underrated ones we were talking about. Ethan Hawke plays an agent who travels back to 1975 to prevent a bomb from going off, but ultimately fails and in the process realizes something that we wouldn't be unreasonable to think was an influence on Nolan making Tenet. Because if we write above about this film, spoilers cannot be avoided and it's a shame, see it and lose your minds with the time encirclement.
Edge of Tomorrow
2013's Edge of Tomorrow both surprised and confirmed that Tom Cruise is one of the top filmmakers in sci-fi, presenting us here with the same-day experience of a military man trying to go one step further on the track every time.
Snowpiercer
With this film Bong Joon-ho was widely introduced to western audiences and gave Chris Evans the opportunity to show that he is an actor worthy of being in such important films and not only featured in Captain America. He even did so at a time when Evans had tentatively begun to develop as an actor through the role of Captain America.
Snowpiercer has a brilliant script, with escalation where it counts, with a twist and a lot of symbolism. That's why they didn't resist making it into a series, which may have received negative reviews, but it's good enough.
Ad Astra
Brad Pitt was overshadowed the year before last by his role in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and his corresponding performance in Ad Astra was somewhat covered up. But he's solid as well and James Gray's film has some scenes that leave you in awe similar to what Gravity does. Especially the scene where he hovers over the surface of Neptune is impressive and as accurate as possible to the laws of astrophysics.
Martian
It's the film that everyone at the Golden Globes wonders why it was put in the comedy category. Although it has several light-hearted moments, Martian is not comedic sci-fi. It's a very intense story that unfolds with all the technical weapons it can muster, namely an excellent editing, a harmonious score by Harry Gregson-Williams and of course cinematography by Ridley Scott that highlights everything.
Gravity
Is there anything that hasn't been written and said about Cuaron's great sci-fi? Probably not. So we'll settle for its presence high on the list and not throw another pebble in the pond.
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve is one of the great masters of science fiction to such an extent that Arrival is not his top film in this genre and in a few months, thanks to Dune, we may say that it is the third in the ranking. It is, however, the only one that places humans on Earth and brings aliens to them rather than the other way around.
Mad Max Fury Road
It was written in the prologue that there would be no sequel films on the list, but in the case of Mad Max and Blade Runner 2049 being at the top, an exception had to be made. Other than that, they are movies that were chronologically made almost 30 years after their «predecessors», so they escape the sequel concept.
Mad Max was the most nominated film at the Oscars (10) in 2016, winning 6 of them, also winning 9 Critic's Choice awards, scandalously a Golden Globe and many more.
Interstellar
7 years after the release of Interstellar, I fail to understand both the only 5 Oscar nominations with 1 win, and in general the several criticisms of the film's scientific accuracy.
Interstellar was as scientifically valid as it could be until cinema won in this conflict, after all Nolan had astrophysicists on his team, but it also had a very strong message to deliver. Musically it wasn't up to Nolan's usual high standards. It's just that here the combination of music and imagery heightened the convulsion of the soul.
Blade Runner 2049
One can't help but admit that visually Blade Runner is the highest example of cinema, and the narrative, the core of the story had a...grandeur. Again, Mr. Villeneuve will have to say that for two decades he produced works that deeply marked sci-fi, and we're clearly talking about the one coming up, Dune.
