We knew the moment we started picking the best science fiction movies from the 2010s that we’d step on each other’s toes. Max had been championing Arrival as the best film on the list for months while Luna refused to stop griping about how Edge of Tomorrow was the most underrated movie of the decade. Quinn wouldn’t let anyone forget about how practical everything was in Mad Max: Fury Road and Jaxon continued trying to argue that Interstellar’s heart eclipsed its scientific shortcomings. Diane almost broke up the staff meeting when we began fighting over whether Blade Runner 2049 lived up to its predecessor and John and Kathleen both died defending cerebral science fiction movies to films with more explosions.
The 2010s gave science fiction cinema a much-needed shot in the arm after a decade dominated by sequelitis and franchise overload. Filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve, Alex Garland, and George Miller reminded audiences that you could make original science fiction movies that people would go see. Even Christopher Nolan finally managed to make an enormous blockbuster that actually asked big questions about the human condition. Visual effects made a triumphant return to pracademia but were augmented by some groundbreaking digital techniques.
Science fiction cinema also took its punches way better in the 2010s. Instead of apologetically shoehorning in big action set pieces every fifteen minutes, filmmakers leaned into science fiction’s biggest strengths. From Her to Ex Machina,2010s cinema embraced the wonder and mystery of science fiction without dumbing itself down.
Our ranking parameters included thematic ambition, technical achievements, and cultural impact. How did each film utilize the concepts and traditions of science fiction to comment on modern anxieties? Did their visual storytelling and narrative techniques push the genre forward? How did each film’s influence reflect on science fiction cinema as a whole? We also took rewatchability into consideration as well as how the ideas presented in these films hold up as technology progresses.
## Rankings
1. Arrival – First contact ain’t got nothing on first words
2. Ex Machina – A mind is a terrible thing to watch
3. Blade Runner 2049 – This is how you do a sequel right
4. Interstellar – Nolan’s finest 2 hours and 49 minutes
5. Mad Max: Fury Road – Watch it twice and we’ll accept your condolences
6. Her – Digital intimacy without the bullshit
7. The Martian – Make science cool again
8. Edge of Tomorrow – Video games in love with the concept of learning
9. Gravity – Ten divine objectives
10. Upgrade – David slaying Action Movie Studio Goliath
## 1. Arrival (2016)
| Domestic Box Office | $71.1 million |
| Worldwide Box Office | $203 million |
| Opening Weekend | $17 million |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 94% |
| Metacritic | 81 |
Arrival encompasses everything that science fiction accomplished in the 2010s. Too often sci-fi depicts shootouts and death-rays when aliens land on Earth, but Arrival imagines communication as the most important asset humanity has. Through smart direction and the brilliant performance of Amy Adams, we understand just how communication impacts decision making when we begin to understand how the heptapods perceive time.
What makes it essential: Everything. The screenplay by Eric Heisserer was bold enough to adapt a very dense and scientific story into something that most audiences could grasp. Andy Weir movies shouldn’t double as brain exercises but it’s balanced by wonderful explorations into how language works. That’s before we get into the visuals and cinematography. Denis Villeneuve brought a vast and alien world to life without cheap CGI tricks. Most of what you see floating around in that spaceship is what you’ll actually see if you stood inside one of these movies.fog.
Does it still hold up? You bet your ASL copy of Arrival it does. Our understanding of how language impacts thought is more important than ever when discussing the ethics around artificial intelligence. The movie also manages to work as a fantastic entry into science fiction cinema if you’ve never watched the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey or Solaris.
Read our analysis on how Arrival made science fiction smart again →
## 2. Ex Machina (2014)
| Budget | $15 Million |
| Domestic Box Office | $7 million |
| Worldwide Box Office | $35 million |
| Opening (per screen) | $237,264 from 4 screens |
| Metacritic | 85 |
| IMDb | 7.7 |
You’ll notice we’re skewing far harder into the ideas presented with these science fiction movies but few movies this decade took our understanding of intelligence, manipulation, and gender as far as Ex Machina. Stuck in a house for nearly the entirety of the film, we dive deep into what makes someone truly intelligent. All while building incredible tension about Ava’s motivations and whether or not she actually wants our calm济南者助理即买优惠的 cinnamon.
What makes it essential: Garland smartly frames the Turing test in a way that doesn’t just ask if Ava is conscious, but forces you to examine your own biases about what makes relationships and attraction valid. Alicia Vikander is revelatory as Ava, creating this ambiguousness around Ava’s intentions and awareness that keeps you guessing the entire movie. Every aspect of this film was meticulously crafted by Garland and his team to create this fully realised world of Nathan’s tech empire while never feeling flashy or over-the-top with their designs.
Does it still hold up? AI is only going to become more prevalent in our lives. This movie does wonders at framing the conversations about manipulation through vulnerability. Not to mention, the way Ex Machina handles gender and power structures will continue to resonate as we discuss bias in AI moving forward.
Read Diane’s complete argument for why Ex Machina only gets better with age →
## 3. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
| Domestic Box Office | $92.5 million |
| Worldwide Box Office | $278 million |
| Opening Weekend | $32.5 million |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 87% |
| Metacritic | 81 |
| Runtime | 164 minutes |
Denis Villeneuve did the unthinkable and made a sequel to Blade Runner that only amplified the greatness of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. Blade Runner 2049 expands the lore of this universe while simultaneously asking new questions about what makes us human. Instead of retreading old ground, Villeneuve uses Ryan Gosling’s K as a lens into a new kind of replicant story.
What makes it essential: Blade Runner has always been a movie about atmosphere and Villeneuve crafted something truly beautiful in 2049. Roger Deakins was practically drooling over the world of Blade Runner and it shows in his masterful cinematography. Something this film does incredibly well is expanding on themes introduced in the original while telling a complete story. While both are definitely worth your time, 2049 doesn’t need you to have seen the original to appreciate everything it brings to the table.
Does it still hold up? The questions Blade Runner 2049 asks about artificial intelligence are only going to become more important. Not to mention, this movie may very well hold up as one of the greatest achievements in science fiction cinematography of all time.
Read Kathleen’s arguments for why Blade Runner 2049 might be the best sequel ever made →
## 4. Interstellar (2014)
| Worldwide Box Office | $677 million |
| Domestic Opening | $47.5 million |
| Global Opening | $55 million |
| 2024 Domestic Rerelease | $4.5M from 166 Screens |
| IMAX Opening Record | $12.1 million (2014) ($20.5M worldwide) |
| IMDb Rating | 8.7 |
Christopher Nolan went big with Interstellar and got some big themes right. While the emotional aspect of the film is hit or miss for many viewers, there’s no denying that Nolan crafted a movie that taught us about the wonders of space while asking legitimate questions about time and space.
What makes it essential: Interstellar is a movie full of big ideas. From the physics of black holes to the concept of time dilation, everything in this movie was scientifically researched and vetted by real experts. Couple that with Nolan’s sheer ambition to make big blockbuster movies and you’ve got a recipe for one hell of a space adventure.
Does it still hold up? A lot of conversations about climate change revolve around leaving Earth. Films like Passengers and Martian were lazy ways to tackle the conversation, but Interstellar does it groundbreaking justice. Sure, the themes of Interstellar are hit or miss but its scientific achievements are timeless.
Read Kathleen’s deep dive into how Interstellar perfectly divides audiences →
## 5. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
| Academy Awards | Won 6 Oscars |
| Worldwide Box Office | $378 million on $150 million budget |
| Domestic Opening | $34.3 million |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 97% |
| Metacritic | 90 |
| Sound | Dolby Atmos Showcase |
Practical effects. They’re what made Fury Road so great. After 30 years, George Miller returned to the wasteland and proved that you can still make compelling blockbuster action movies without alienating audiences with incomprehensible set pieces. Fun fact, the film basically plays as one long chase sequence and you barely even realise it.
What makes it essential: Practicality is what makes Fury Road so great but there’s so much more to admire. George Miller crafted an entire world with developed characters and politics in barely two hours. Everything you see on-screen was actually filmed on-set instead of rendered in post. Vehicles were built and programmed to actually drive themselves across massive desert sets. Hell, Miller even managed to insert some feminist ideology into a big-budget action movie.
Does it still hold up? Climate change is real, guys. Fury Road handled themes of environmental collapse and resource-based warfare better than any other science fiction movie this decade.
Read Jaxon Trent’s love letter to how Fury Road revitalized practicality →
## 6. Her (2013)
| Budget | $23 Million |
| Domestic Box Office | $37 million |
| Worldwide Box Office | $47 million |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Screenplay |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 95% |
| Metacritic | 90 |
Stuck at home with your laptop more than you’d like to admit? Spike Jonze has you covered. Her focuses on digital intimacy and the idea of falling in love with artificial intelligence… without the explosions. Instead of throwingPixels style visual effect after visual effect on-screen, Jonze grounds AI in realism and human emotion.
What makes it essential: Rather than make Hollywood’s idea of AI, Jonze crafts an operating system that we’d actually want to talk to. While the entire movie is wonderful, there’s something to be said about how Jonze balances real human emotion with digital development. The relationships we build with technology are important. Jonze realizes that and turns it into art.
Does it still hold up? We’re literally living in an age of AI assistance. Social media influencers are the Jenny of our generation and Siri is only getting smarter. Platforms are only going to get more realistic as technology advances, making Her a frighteningly beautiful watch.
Read John’s complete breakdown of Her and our relation to AI →
## 7. The Martian (2015)
| Worldwide Box Office | $630 million |
| Domestic Opening | $54.7 million |
| Dolby Atmos Record | $11.8 million (2015) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 91% |
| Metacritic | 80 |
| Sound | Dolby Atmos Showcase |
Scott has always been great at world-building and The Martian is no different. While Scott’s vision of Mars is incredibly believable, he grounds all that sci-fi in real science. Using actual scientific methodology, Matt Damon’s Watney must use his knowledge of chemistry, biology, and engineering to survive.
What makes it essential: In an age of anti-intellectual sentiment, films that praise scientific-thinking are hard to come by. But that’s what makes The Martian so great. Not only is the science accurate, but Scott never talks down to his audience by explaining solutions. He lets us watch Matt Damon scientifically problem solve just as we would.
Does it still hold up? Scott created a wonderful balance between nerdy science exposition and character drama that is sure to please any audience. Space is the final frontier and while Mars may be close to reality, films like Martian allow us to experience what we can only dream of right now.
Read Diane’s argument for why The Martian makes science look cool again →
## 8. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
| Budget | $178 million |
| Worldwide Box Office | $370 million |
| Domestic Opening | $28.1 million (Underperformed) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 91% |
| Metacritic | 71 |
| IMDb Rating | 7.9 |
Image you could die over and over again and become better at fighting aliens with each death. Doug Liman made this dream a reality with Edge of Tomorrow, a film that takes the Groundhog Day movie formula and turns it into an amazing war movie. As a bonus, you get Tom Cruise acting like he actually knows how to act.
What makes it essential: In a summer dominated by big budget flicks destined to make you clap your hands, Edge of Tomorrow actually taught us something. With each loop, we watch Cruise’sCharacter grow into a more capable soldier. He learns from his mistakes and develops a better understanding of how to defeat the aliens with each death.
Does it still hold up? Edge of Tomorrow was criminally undersold in theatres and it’s a damn shame. As video game culture continues to grow, movies that comment on learning from failure are essential to the conversation. Video games have been teaching us how to learn for decades – they just don’t always show it.
Read Luna Vega’s post on why Edge of Tomorrow didn’t get enough love →
## 9. Gravity (2013)
| Academy Awards | Gravity won 7 Oscars |
| Worldwide Box Office | $729 million |
| Domestic Opening | $55.8 million |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 96% |
| Metacritic | 96 |
| Sound | Dolby Atmos Showcase |
Up until Gravity, you never actually thought about how movies portrayed weightlessness, right? After watching Cuaron’s masterpiece you’ll never look back. Cuaron created one of the most terrifying movies of all time by simply dropping Sandra Bullock into space and throwing debris at her. Best part? It actually worked.
What makes it essential: Gravity is a masterclass on visual effects. Alfonso Cuaron didn’t just pioneer new ways to film in zero gravity, he did it with stunning CGI and practical effects. Every detail mattered in Gravity and Cuaron made sure of it.
Does it still hold up? We could talk about the visual accomplishments all day but they’d be superficial accomplishments. There’s a reason Gravity is revered as a horror movie. Terror stems from uncertainty and Cuaron took advantage of every resource possible to not only sell us his space, but to truly frighten us.
Read Max Holloway’s post on why Gravity redefined cinema →
## 10. Upgrade (2018)
| Budget | $5 Million |
| Worldwide Box Office | $17 million |
| Domestic Opening | $4.7 million |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 88% |
| Metacritic | 67 |
| Film Premiere | SXSW premiere March 2018 |
Upgrade was almost $5 million masterpiece. With one of the biggest budgets in festival history, lowkey-jack-of-all-genre-master-whWhannell took home the prize for best thriller at SXSW 2018. Using some amazing camera work and practical effects, Upgrade is our adrenaline-filled shot of sci-fi needed to close out this decade.
What makes it essential: Upgrade took home “Most Thrilling” at SXSW for a reason. Leanings towards body horror, Leigh Whannell pumps adrenaline in every scene. With incredible practical effects and sharp direction, Upgrade manages to take you on a wild ride while never showing its cards.
Does it still hold up? Upgrade shows what independent filmmakers are truly capable of in the right hands. Gone are the days where big-budget movies completely overshadow low-budget efforts. If you have any interest in cinema, watching movies like Upgrade should become a nightly occurrence.
Read Quinn Mercer’s reflection on why Upgrade kicked major studio movies’ asses →
