by Cate Storm
Most Underrated Sci-Fi Movies to Watch Right Now
We’ve all seen the sci-fi movies that the critics and the fans love, and we understand why they are loved so much. But today, we want to mention some underrated sci-fi movies that are great in their own right but just don’t get as much attention as some of their bigger brothers and sisters in the sci-fi movie genre.
Here are the most underrated sci-fi movies to watch right now! From new films like Little Fish to classics like The Quiet Earth, there’s something on this list for sci-fi fans of all ages!
- Arrival
In Arrival, Amy Adams plays Louise Banks, a linguist tasked with making contact with alien species who have mysteriously set up a base outside of Earth. Arrival is beautifully filmed and was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. If you haven’t seen it yet, go and watch it! You’ll be left thinking about its themes for days afterwards.
- RoboCop
RoboCop is one of those movies you can watch time and time again and still enjoy as much as the first time. Set in a futuristic version of Detroit, it tells a story about how the police department has been taken over by an external corporation. In fact, things have gotten so bad that they’ve even created robotic peacekeepers to keep people safe in large urban areas.
Peter Weller does a fantastic job portraying what is essentially a cyborg – his character, Alex Murphy, gets shot in an incident that leaves him clinging to life, and he is reanimated as RoboCop. However, things could take a turn for the worse when someone from his previous life suspects that RoboCop is Murphy.
- Strange Days
A sci-fi cult classic released in 1995, Strange Days is an action thriller set in Los Angeles in 1999. The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, contains performances from a range of well-known actors, including Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett.
Strange Days tells the story of Lenny Nero, a former cop in recorded clips taken from individuals experiencing real-life events. These clips aren’t videos, however – they are memories and sensations. So, when a clip emerges showing traumatic events, Nero attempts to find out the truth behind the clip.
- The Quiet Earth
Directed by Geoff Murphy, The Quiet Earth is a low-budget thriller that stars Bruno Lawrence as Zac Hobson, an ordinary man who wakes up one morning to discover that almost everyone on Earth has disappeared.
Since there aren’t any other people around to witness his bizarre experience (except for two others he encounters later), he’s left to question what really happened. What follows is not just Zac’s struggle with isolation but also an examination of humanity and civilisation itself.
- Xtro
Xtro is a British science-fiction film from 1982. The unusual film tells the story of a man who is abducted by aliens, only later to return to earth by being birthed from his wife! The couple’s son discovers he has strange powers, such as bringing toys to life to perform creepy acts – this is a great movie for those who love horror as well as sci-fi!
- Chronicle
When three people in Seattle gain superpowers after a party, their lives start to spin out of control. The trio develop telekinetic abilities and use their newfound skills to have some fun before later deciding to use their abilities for nastier purposes, like causing cars to veer off the road.
- Time Lapse
If you’re interested in time travel, you’ll love director Bradley King’s unique take on one of sci-fi’s favourite topics. Time Lapse doesn’t involve jumping decades into the future, however. Instead, the characters find a camera that takes photos 24 hours into the future every day.
However, the photos get darker and darker as the days go on…
- Robot & Frank
This sweet film tells a human story with three main characters; a cantankerous older man, his son, and his robot caregiver. It’s one of those stories that you’ll laugh at and end up thinking about for days after.
Frank Langella does an outstanding job portraying an irritable elderly chap who doesn’t always appreciate his caretaker but ultimately comes to realise how lucky he is to have such an attentive helper. The robot isn’t just programmed to do helpful tasks and eventually ends up helping Frank pick a lock to steal a valuable book!
- Little Fish
Little Fish is an independent film directed by Chad Hartigan and released in 2021, depicting a young couple who are subject to a virus that wipes their memories, including that of each other. Will they fight the virus and remember their love story? You’ll have to watch it to find out!
