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Think of the science-fiction genre and what comes to mind. Many will undoubtedly have pictures of an X-Wing Starfighter flying through the Death Star in Star Wars or the astronauts of the Discovery One roaming around their ship in 2001: A Space Odyssey. These otherworldly settings are exciting to explore, but there are lots of sci-fi movies set right at home on planet Earth that are equally fascinating.
Whether it be the dystopian Detroit shown in Robocop or the “distant future of 2019” in Blade Runner, Redditors have discussed the best sci-fi movies not set in space. Much of science fiction involves elaborate, extraterrestrial affairs, yet it’s sometimes the more grounded approach to science and technology that can leave the largest impact.
‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
There may not be a more revered sci-fi movie than Blade Runner. Starring a detached Harrison Ford and known as one of Ridley Scott‘s best films, it’s set in Los Angeles in the “far future” of 2019 (it may not have perfectly predicted what was to come). Rick Deckard, played by Ford, is coerced into a job that involves hunting down bioengineered humanoids to terminally “retire” them.
With a lot of new love for the Denis Villeneuve sequel Blade Runner 2049, the original is still being admired, with Redditor Huevos___Rancheros writing: “It’s visually stunning, the music is hypnotizing and the story and themes are really powerful to say the very least. It manages to be both haunting and very beautiful at the same time”.
‘Ex Machina’ (2014)
With a fascination with Artificial Intelligence at an all-time high in cinema, Ex Machina is one of the most layered examinations on the topic. Following a young, aspirational programmer with a surprise opportunity to meet and analyze a humanoid robot, the film proceeds with poignant, yet dire consequences.
Ex Machina has been a fan favorite since 2014 when it was released, with Redditor PaperyWhistle commenting “what an outrageously well written and thought out film looking at creating life and seeing the consequences of your actions.”
‘District 9’ (2009)
District 9 is the reality of life in a world thirty years after an alien invasion on Earth to escape their dying planet, where humans are unconcerned with their welfare and only want to research their advanced technology. When a field agent contracts a detrimental virus that begins to alter his DNA, he must breach District 9 where the aliens are kept to get answers.
Much praise was given by Reddit to the realistic CGI, especially for 2009 against the CGI maven of that yearAvatar, and unique concept, with dingdongbannu88 writing: “I’m not sure if it’s the shooting style, the CGI that looks too good to be true, the new touch on a subject that hasn’t been explored before (illegal immigration of literal aliens), at least to me – but I absolutely love it.”
‘Coherence’ (2013)
In the trippy and often confusing Coherence, eight friends at a dinner party experience a troubling series of reality-warping events on the night of an astronomical anomaly. The complicated premise is handled with finesse and loads of intrigue.
Reddit has given this 2013 release much praise for tackling such a mind-bending idea well and for earnest performances, with nbenzi remarking that they “think it’s super impressive just by how creative it is and the really intricate process the director/writer went through to make it work. The entire movie is pseudo-improvised and each character only has a limited amount of information to act and improvise on in each scene… it’s quite a feat.”
‘Robocop’ (1987)
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A satirical take on 80s action and culture, Robocop is a scathing story set in a dystopian and crime-ridden Detroit, where a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg overtaken by traumatic memories. “The Future of Law Enforcement” tagline has never been so prevalent.
In our modern era, the biting self-awareness of Robocop is equally praised alongside its intense action sequences. A1steaksauceTrekdog7 posts on Reddit that “Robocop is a hilarious satire of 80s American action movies. Somehow it seems just a relevant as it was when it released. The special fx still look good and hold up decently.”
‘Terminator’ (1984)
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his most iconic roles, Terminator involves the post-apocalyptic future where an indestructible cyborg is sent back in time from 2029 to assassinate a Los Angeles waitress. Meanwhile, a human resistance fighter is also sent back to protect her.
This and its beloved sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which is debatably a sequel that’s more beloved than the original, has received much adoration from Reddit. RTepps writes that Terminator is “a bit overshadowed now by its sequel… But Terminator 1 is a fantastic sci-fi thriller in its own right” while u/NamestheGame recounts how “Terminator has Kyle driving Sarah through a parking lot, evading the Terminator blasting his shotgun between lines. That’s how you do exposition!”
‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014)
Tom Cruise stars in one of his less common sci-fi outings in Edge of Tomorrow. Here, an untrained officer is immediately killed within minutes of dropping on the battlefield of an alien-overtaken Earth. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again and again as physical contact with the alien has made him stuck in a time loop.
Often referred as “the Groundhog Day of science fiction”, Reddit user balrog_reborn has listed their favorite aspects of Edge of Tomorrow, including, dark humor, unpredictability, a huge character arc, great action scenes, fantastic alien design, great chemistry between the two lead characters and ending with “there isn’t a single dull scene.”
‘Her’ (2013)
Her is a touching and poignant film that isn’t science fiction in the traditional sense of conflict, but with the general depiction of “a very near future” only coming closer to fruition as time goes on, this story of a man falling in love with an operating system feels both foreign and extremely human ten years later.
Sker_33 expresses their immense love for this movie stating “there are many aspects to the film that I like: the great performances, the compelling plot, the realism. But what I really can’t help thinking about is the tone and the meaning of the movie. To me, it is a story about connection. About how it is becoming rarer in this digital world and how we all need it, even AI”.
‘Escape From New York’ (1981)
In a fun, unique take on dystopian New York, Escape From New York is set in 1997, where Manhattan Island has turned into a maximum security prison where the country’s worst criminals are left to form their own anarchic society. However, when the President crash lands on the island, authorities turn to a former soldier and current convict to rescue him.
Even with John Carpenter being known more for his horror classics, this action sci-fi movie resonated with Reddit user jaltsukoltsu, who thinks “the premise and the atmosphere are completely over the top, but what would you expect from early 80s John Carpenter. If you liked They Live, you’ll love this as well… The dialogue is hilariously packed with 80s tropes and Kurt Russell delivers his lines in a monotone rasp whilst wearing an eyepatch”.
‘The Matrix’ (1999)
The Matrix is an integral sci-fi movie that revolutionized the genre and how filmmakers approached action for decades. For those somehow uninitiated, the film follows a mild computer hacker as he delves deeper into the realization that all humans now live in “The Matrix,” a simulated reality to appease humans as machines steal their energy.
It’ll be difficult to go online and not see praise and analysis for this beloved movie, with Reddit being no exception. Kreblaaof_0896 posts: “For a 22-year-old film I cannot get over how much of a masterpiece it is; from the acting, the plot and storyline development, to the special effects and impeccable use of cinematography and cameras.”
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