Many recent science-fiction movies have already been all but forgotten by audiences, and some went completely underrated, but they deserve much more recognition. Some of the best movies ever produced have explored sci-fi themes and storylines, with the limitless potential of the genre providing the kind of creative freedom and artistic licence that other genres struggle to deliver. Unfortunately, the fact there are so many sci-fi movies hitting theaters means that some of them fall under the radar, even though they might deserve more.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Sci-fi has seen a massive resurgence in cinema in recent years, and the likes of Dune, A Quiet Place, Avatar, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tenet, and many more have all received huge praise. Dune: Part Two, Alien: Romulus, The Creator, Avatar: The Way of Water, and more have all also received Academy Award nominations in recent years, but there are many sci-fi movies that haven’t seen this kind of recognition. These five sci-fi flicks from recent years deserve to be spoken about much more, as they really capture the spirit of the genre and include some remarkable performances.
5) Vesper (2022)
Written and directed by Kristina Buoลพytฤ and Bruno Samper in their second collaboration, Vesper debuted at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July 2022. The movie follows Raffiella Chapman’s Vesper, a 14-year-old girl living with her paralyzed father in a post-apocalyptic world who must use her wits and biohacking skills to fight for the future. As well as including a fantastic performance by Chapman in her first leading role, Vesper is also visually striking and packed with intelligent themes and thought-provoking ideas. Vesper has an impressive 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the movie is still little-known.
4) Ad Astra (2019)
Perhaps the most well-known movie on this list has still flown under the radar for many viewers. James Gray’s Ad Astra stars Brad Pitt as Roy Richard McBride, an astronaut who embarks on a mission into deep space in search of his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones). After debuting at the Venice Film Festival in August 2019, Ad Astra received hugely positive reviews and even an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Mixing. Nevertheless, Ad Astra didn’t get its place in the spotlight, even though it’s one of the most striking, complex, and interesting sci-fi movies of our generation.
3) Sputnik (2020)
Space horror has been done to death, but Sputnik from 2020 takes the genre into a new and interesting place by giving it a Soviet-era twist that few sci-fi movies have explored. Egor Abramenko’s Sputnik stars Oksana Akinshina as a doctor recruited to run an assessment on a cosmonaut (Pyotr Fyodorov) who returns to Earth with a mysterious and dangerous organism inside him. The movie is simple, and somewhat predictable, but there are real frights in this sci-fi thriller, and Akinshina and Fyodorov deliver incredible performances that help make Sputnik one of the best sci-fi movies of recent years.
2) High Life (2018)
Directed by Claire Denis and co-written by Denis and her long-time collaborator Jean-Pol Fargeau, High Life is a challenging and complex watch, but one that has an incredibly satisfying pay-off and some remarkable visual effects. Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche lead the cast as Monte and Dibs, respectively, the former a member of a group of criminals being sent on a mission toward a black hole, and the latter a scientist tasked with running experiments on them. High Life’s nonlinear narrative, arresting visuals, dark themes and concepts, and unashamed storytelling make it a profound addition to the sci-fi genre.
1) Spaceman (2024)
In a fantastic shift for comedy actor Adam Sandler, Spaceman saw him deliver one of his most grounded, introspective, and poignant performances as Czech cosmonaut Jakub Prochรกzka. On a mission to the edge of the Solar System, Jakub encounters an alien creature who helps him unpack his very human problems from Earth, even in the far reaches of space. Johan Renck’s Spaceman, adapted by Colby Day from Jaroslav Kalfaล’s 2017 novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, debuted in February 2024 to positive reviews, but only achieved a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It deserves a whole lot more, as Spaceman is one of Sandler’s most impressive projects.
What do you think? Leave a comment below andย join the conversation now in theย ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image via THQ Nordic -
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
