The sci-fi genre is one of the most consistently popular in modern cinema, and its evolution over the years has seen it retain its all-important cultural relevance. Over the years, many of the best sci-fi movies have achieved iconic status, with a handful of titles being able to claim their place as some of the most influential entries into the genre. The continued popularity of sci-fi has seen it consistently move with the times, but each era in the genre’s history has movies worth celebrating. When it comes to pivotal decades in the development of science fiction on the big screen, the 1970s stand out for a few key reasons.
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The advancement of visual effects technology made filmmakers even bolder in bringing their sci-fi visions to life on the big screen. Many of the best sci-fi movies of the 1970s remain hugely popular with audiences today, having clearly stood the test of time by maintaining their popularity over so many years. However, the decade only has a handful of science fiction movies that deserve to be considered truly perfect, with some of the very best being among the genre’s greatest ever releases.
5) A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of A Clockwork Orange is considered a true masterpiece, and though its sci-fi elements are relatively minimal, it’s an exceptional entry into the genre. The story of radical treatments being administered to a dangerous young man in a dystopian future is one that has gripped audiences for decades, written, shot, and acted with such quality that any suggestions of a remake have been routinely dismissed as a particularly pointless exercise. Though the sci-fi movie was banned for some time, A Clockwork Orange still stands as a testament to how good the genre was even in the earliest part of the 1970s.
4) Silent Running (1972)
Silent Running is one of the most underrated ’70s sci-fi movies that simply doesn’t get enough attention. Its place in the history of the genre is what classifies it as a perfect sci-fi movie, with its story of an environmentally-conscious botanist who opts to protect his plants over his fellow human crewmembers serving as an inspiration to many subsequent sci-fi stories. There are many aspects of Silent Running that helped cement the general appeal and the narrative potential of sci-fi blockbusters, and though it isn’t as widely remembered as it deserves, it remains one of the best sci-fi efforts of the 1970s.
3) Solaris (1972)
There aren’t too many sci-fi masterpieces where the science actually works, but 1972’s Solaris is one of them. A deeply psychological piece of arthouse sci-fi, Andrei Tarkovsky’s adaptation of Stanislaw Lem’s novel of the same name is one of the most exceptional and overlooked movies in the genre’s history. Solaris feels like a more introspective take on 2001: A Space Odyssey, trading the technological focus for a more human story that feels at once incredibly complex and emotional. It’s a truly exceptional piece of cinema that has stood the test of time, making Solaris one of the best sci-fi movies of the 1970s.
2) Star Wars (1977)
When adjusting for inflation, the original Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing sci-fi movies of all time, and it’s not surprising, considering its lasting popularity. As well as remaining as popular as ever, the franchise that George Lucas’ 1977 movie has since spawned is one of the biggest in the history of the genre. The original movie might have a few minor flaws, but in terms of its cultural importance and cinematic legacy, it’s an absolutely perfect sci-fi film that has since come to define an entire era for the genre.
1) Alien (1979)
Although Ridley Scott has made several sci-fi movies, 1979’s Alien remains by far his best contribution to the genre. The claustrophobic sci-fi horror introduced many great sci-fi movie tropes, but perhaps its most important addition to the genre is the Xenomorph, the titular alien menace that has been consistently horrifying audiences ever since. There’s practically nothing about Alien that isn’t wholly exceptional, and even after almost five decades, it remains one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.
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