Let’s start with the giant of the group.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.(IMDB)
Star Wars was in a difficult position when Disney acquired them. They had one of the most catalyzing franchises in film history. The original trilogy is highly revered both critically and in general and has consistently generated money since the late 70’s. The second trilogy created huge controversy over the lack of quality. The studio had to find a way to recover the franchise with so many fans. They chose JJ Abrams (Super 8, Lost) to direct and it was a huge success earning five Oscar nominations. The film has earned almost a billion dollars in the US alone and has grossed over 2 billion worldwide.
The cast is great, and I am sure the career trajectory for the film’s previously undiscovered leads (Daisy Ridley and John Boyega) can only go up. They also used some actors that are quickly rising on their own rights like Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson (Who have another appearance on this list) while bringing in the classics Han, Luke, Leia, Chewy, and the droids to hook in the fans of the original. Not to mention an interesting and conflicted villain with Adam Driver.
Star Wars was a nonstop action packed adventure. The effects looked amazing from the ships to the droids and environment it just felt right. There was a sense of realness added to this film that I really appreciated. We find out that stormtroopers are actual people instead of just incompetent and bland clones and it really adds to the universe. I truly enjoyed watching this film, and we have a lot to look forward to.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe. (IMDB)
Guardians of the Galaxy was a welcome step out of the Avengers world. Not to say that it isn’t good, but rather Marvel went on a fun ride through the galaxy with a group of “antiheroes” in a separate but adjacent story that really worked out. To me it would be hard to find a more likeable group of criminals.
Chris Pratt brings his witty charisma as the captain in this tale with Vin Diesel as a giant tree humanoid, Zoe Saldana as a green master fighter, Dave Bautista as a completely literal strongman, Bradley Cooper as a genetically altered and intelligent raccoon, and Michael Rooker as an unstable blue pirate and it all just works. The general atmosphere and feel of this movie makes it enjoyable even on rewatches.
James Gunn directs and it all looks fantastic leading to two Oscar nominations, but I think the soundtrack really adds to the tone. It is a great mixture of adventure and science fiction elements with a great 80’s soundtrack. Guardians of the Galaxy has great humor and was completely entertaining. I was already looking forward to Vol. II of this series when I read about the additions of Kurt Russell, Sylvester Stallone, and Nathan Fillion I can safely say I am ecstatic. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II is set to release in 2017.
The Martian (2015)
An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assumed him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. (IMDB)
The Martian was directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien, Blade Runner) and it is a fantastic looking film. Scott in combination with his effects team really brings the Martian landscape to life and combined with extreme and dangerous scenes with fantastic actors they made a hit. They were nominated for 7 Academy Awards for this film.
They put together a great cast with: Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hennie, but the film is carried by Matt Damon. He gives a fantastic performance and was nominated for an Academy Award for it. The film is very intense and has a great pace to it.
It was very interesting reading the novel the Martian by Andy Weir before the film was released. The novel is in a mostly diary type format following the daily minutia of Mark Watney’s (Matt Damon) life trying to survive on Mars. The writers for the film very nicely distilled the story in the film, because some of the math and statistics used in the book would have just bogged down on screen. Instead of a slow burn the time constraints on the film actually added to the overall intensity. It looks amazing and was thoroughly enjoyable. Variety did another special on the effects in the Martian.
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk Leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. (IMDB)
Another hit with JJ Abrams at the helm. The Star Trek franchise has been very well received after its reboot, and I believe good casting is at least part of that success. Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin all returned for the sequel in the new Star Trek series and most of them perfectly suit their roles. Add in Benedict Cumberbatch as a villain with super human abilities and revenge on his mind and you have another blockbuster.
Abrams once again directs a fantastic looking film. There are several extremely intense scenes and great effects throughout. Great performances round out Star Trek to make it a great way to spend a couple hours.
The films have done well enough that the third installment of the series is coming to theaters this summer, and a TV series is in the works right now. Anyone who was looking for more Star Trek is going to get their wish.
Here is the trailer for Star Trek Beyond coming to theaters this summer.
Ex Machina (2015)
A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breath-taking A.I.
Ex Machina by writer/director Alex Garland (wrote Dredd, Sunshine, and 28 Days Later) is really a fantastic example of what can be done on a reasonable budget. Having an estimated budget of 15 million (Compared to the 200 million range for many of the films on this list) Ex Machina took science fiction back to its roots, conflict between humanity and ever improving technology. This film is not an action film, but more one of thought and atmosphere.
The principle players are all rapidly ascending to stardom. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Star Wars, Drive), Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Dredd) and Alicia Vikander (Royal Affair, Man from U.N.C.L.E, and her Academy Award winning performance in The Danish Girl) all are incredible in this film and will probably be getting plenty of work from now on.
You start this moving thinking it’s something, but by the end you are on the edge of your seat not knowing where you will end up. Ex Machina really brought a lot of atmospheric tension, and combine that with the beautiful aesthetics of the house you get a unsettling but great ambiance. Visually this film was fantastic. It had a very artistic feel with beautiful scenery and lighting in the house, and the effects used to create Ava are top notch. This film was great, showing that budget doesn’t always dictate quality , and proving it as they won an Academy Award for visual design.
CG Meetup did an interesting quick look at the effect layering to create Ava.
Her (2015)
A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that’s designed to meet his every need. (IMDB)
Her is a different kind a science fiction. It is almost better described as a Drama/Romance in a not so distant and not so different future. Technology has improved, but not by leaps that lead to faster than light travel or alien encounters. Instead we find a man at the crossroads of humanity and technology.
Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are) really created a unique and interesting film with Her. First of all it’s wonderfully shot with a beautiful color pallet, and future landscapes dropping this drama into science fiction.
The cast is great with Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Pratt. They bring to the film joy, pain, sorrow, and the search for companionship in a world increasingly reliant on technology to connect. The screenplay is fantastic with little details that make the world seem complete as you watch and Spike Jonze won the Oscar for Original Screenplay this year.
I feel like most people I talk to were turned off by the film’s premise without giving it a chance. In the end the film is about people trying to connect on a meaningful level and by the end of the film you see how much heart is really in this story. Definitely check it out. It’s funny, sad, beautiful, warm, and interesting with a fantastic almost minimalistic soundtrack by Arcade Fire.
Gravity (2013)
A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.
Alfonso Caurón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) wrote and directed Gravity which won seven Academy Awards (Including Directing and Cinematography). The cinematography is by Emmanuel Lubezki who has now won the Oscar for Best Cinematography three years in a row.
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney really give strong performances especially considering most of this film would have to be shot on sound stages.
This film is a visual spectacle if I have ever seen one. You watch the sun rise over the horizon of the earth, people drift through space, and all of it seems incredible that it looks so good. There is no way I could personally know, but after seeing some footage shot by the ISS in orbit, I don’t see how they could have done a better job capturing what it would be like.
The film is a non-stop intense thriller from the first 10 minutes of the movie. If you haven’t seen it yet find the largest screen you can, turn off the lights, turn up the volume and buckle up.
Interstellar (2014)
A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in space in an attempt to ensure humanity’s survival.(IMDB)
Christopher Nolan directed and co-wrote with his brother Jonathan Nolan (Person of Interest, Batman trilogy, Memento) one of the more ambitious science fictions in recent history. At almost three hours long you would think the film would drag, but that was not the case.
The cast is fantastic with Matthew McConaughey continuing his meteoric rise as a serious and terrific actor (True Detective, Dallas Buyers Club, Wolf of Wall Street) with Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn, and another star who makes a surprising cameo I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen it.
Overall this film was intense as the problems were not those of a far off future, but those of a disastrous near future our descendants could be facing. Nolan uses this interesting idea and expands on it to the point of bursting. The sets look fantastic, and the effects are a mixture of physical and digital that makes everything look real and keeps the fourth wall from being broken. It is intense and exciting, but McConaughey really brings home several of the emotional moments of the film and rounds it out.
This is one of my favorite films of the past couple years, but I think Christopher Nolan is one of the better directors working today. I have heard some dissent among film fans talking about plot holes and things they disagreed with, but it feels almost like contrarianism. The supposed issues with the script did not in any way affect my enjoyment of this film. Interstellar combines great acting, action, visuals, score, and story to create a truly memorable and fantastic film. It received five Academy Award nominations.
Hans Zimmer produced one of the greatest soundtracks in recent memory (Oscar nominated), using techniques only someone as gifted as him would even attempt. He recorded in a large old church using instruments where he could have easily used digital tools to complete it much easier. They put together a featurette about the creating of the soundtrack that just shows how dedicated both Nolan and Zimmer are to their crafts that I thought was truly interesting.
Every film on this list received Academy Award nominations and each of them made money in the box office (some set records). Science fiction has moved from niche genre films to widespread acceptance and critical acclaim. With more Sci-fi films being announced seemingly all the time by fantastic directors, it is a great time to be a science fiction fan.
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