British filmmakers and production studios have developed some of the most notable, beloved, and successful science-fiction movies of all time over the years. British cinema has always been at the forefront of the sci-fi genre, with some of the wildest space-faring, zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic, artificially-intelligent, and extraterrestrial stories having come from the United Kingdom. Along with iconic British sci-fi TV shows, including Doctor Who, Years and Years, Utopia, Misfits, 3 Body Problem, Supacell, and many more, British sci-fi has routinely stunned audiences on the big-screen, too.
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There are countless incredible British-made sci-fi movies, but we’ve selected seven that stand out because of their delivery, poignancy, sci-fi elements, influence, and legacy. These remarkable moves come from some acclaimed filmmakers including Terry Gilliam, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, Alfonso Cuarón, and Stanley Kubrick, among others, all of whom received recognition for their work in the sci-fi genre. British sci-fi will continue to amaze with the likes of Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, Jonny Campbell’s Cold Storage, and more, but these seven movies have already set a high standard.
7) Attack the Block (2011)
Written and directed by Joe Cornish (Ant-Man, Lockwood & Co.) in his directorial debut, Attack the Block marked John Boyega’s on-screen debut, too. Boyega has gone on to star in Star Wars, They Cloned Tyrone, The Woman King, and more, but Attack the Block is still lauded as one of his best movies. Despite a poor box office return, this 2011 sci-fi comedy horror, following a teenage street gang taking on an alien invasion in their South London council estate, received huge praise and has been celebrated as a British cult classic. Attack the Block is thrilling, unexpected, unique, and stylistic.
6) Brazil (1985)
Developed by American-British Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, Brazil failed to perform well in the United States, but took the UK by storm in 1985. Gilliam examines a dystopian society in which there is an over-reliance on ineffectual and poorly-maintained machines, which offers up some fantastic moments of black comedy and social commentary. Boasting a cast including the likes of Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, and more, Brazil is a twisted yet potent political satire and Orwellian fantasy that has been celebrated as one of the best British movies of all time.
5) 28 Days Later (2002)
Some prefer to separate sci-fi and zombie horror movies, but 28 Days Later’s opening that reveals the Rage Virus was manmade makes it fit into the former. Written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle in their first joint venture, 28 Days Later marked a cultural revolution in the genre and skyrocketed Cillian Murphy to stardom. The stripped-back story is widely regarded as one of the best movies ever, let alone one of the best British movies. It’s quiet suspense, intense action sequences, innovative cinematography, and economic use of location makes 28 Days Later incredibly memorable and notable.
4) Children of Men (2006)
Adapted by Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Roma) from P. D. James’ 1992 novel, The Children of Men, 2006’s Children of Men received critical acclaim and is considered to be among the best movies in history. In a world where two decades of human infertility has pushed civilization to the brink, Theo Faron (Clive Owens) is tasked with getting refugee Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to safety after learning she has fallen pregnant. Cuarón employs long-shot takes to fully immerse the audience in his chaotic world, which makes Children of Men harrowingly real. Production value, strong performances, expert writing, and clever cinematography make Children of Men hard to forget.
3) Moon (2009)
After premiering at 2009’s Sundance Film Festival, British filmmaker Duncan Jones’ Moon amazed audiences with a grounded and existential story set on the Moon. Sam Rockwell delivers one of the best performances of his career as Sam Bell, a man on a lone mission on the Moon mining helium-3 who experiences a personal crisis when he learns wild revelations about the company he works for. As Jones’ directorial debut, Moon is seriously impressive, hard sci-fi that examines the human condition intimately with a small cast, insular narrative, and touching performance from Rockwell. Moon is an exemplary example of British sci-fi.
2) Ex Machina (2014)
Alex Garland might have written 28 Days Later for Danny Boyle, but his own career as a visionary director has seen him develop some of the greatest sci-fi projects of our generation. Annihilation, Men, Devs, and more have been incredible, but Garland’s directorial debut, Ex Machina, is still the strongest example of his work. Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is brought to tech CEO Nathan Bateman’s (Oscar Isaac) remote home to carry out the Turing test to a female-presenting artificially-intelligent robot, Ava (Alicia Vikander). Touching and subdued, but packed full of suspense, unexpected twists, and a thrilling examination of humanity’s relationship to technology and AI, Ex Machina has been cited among the best sci-fi movies of all time.
1) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Few sci-fi movies have been as influential and notable as 2001: A Space Odyssey. Of course, Stanley Kubrick was American, but 2001 was a joint venture between the UK and US and was filmed and edited almost entirely in the UK, so it stands as perhaps the best British sci-fi movie ever. 2001 followed a voyage of astronauts and scientists heading to Jupiter to investigate a mysterious alien monolith, co-written by legendary English sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke, and inspired by several of Clarke’s short stories.
Stunning visual effects, minimal dialogue, and the exploration of before-its-time themes such as technology, artificial intelligence, and the possibility of alien life, make 2001: A Space Odyssey the standard for many subsequent sci-fi movies. As one of the most influential and important movies ever made, 2001: A Space Odyssey deserves the top spot on this list.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
