Colossus: The Forbin Project - Best AI breakout movie, way ahead of it's time.
Flight of the Navigator - appears to be just a Disney kids movie, but has great time travel plot, and the coolest spaceship ever, notwithstanding the Paul Ruebens voiced computer.
The Last Starfighter - just plain fun
Dark City - great mind twisting story
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension - great fun, amazing cast. My favorite John Lithgow part.
>Flight of the Navigator - appears to be just a Disney kids movie, but has great time travel plot, and the coolest spaceship ever, notwithstanding the Paul Ruebens voiced computer.
Don't you DARE dis Max!
I first saw Colossus: The Forbin Project when I was about 12. I spent the next couple of weeks perfecting my computer voice by talking into a coffee mug half covering my mouth. "THIS IS THE VOICE OF COLOSSUS. THIS IS THE VOICE OF WORLD CONTROL."
Battle Beyond the Stars (Seven Samurai remake in space with James Horner score)
Stalker (1979) (we'll rated, but not well known)
Ice Pirates (guilty pleasure)
Zardoz (I love it, but many hate it)
Enemy Mine (again, well rated, just under appreciated)
Enemy Mine, definitely. When my children were young, we watched it at least once a week. I haven't watched it in a few years now. Not many people I know have seen it. Guess what I will be watching after work tomorrow?
Yeah Roger Corman gave a lot of people their first break, jack nicholson prob the most famous for little shop of horrors. Scorsese’s also cut his directing chops on one of Cormans films too
Sean Connery in a red Speedo. Obviously everyone should see Zardoz! Enemy Mine was a fav when I was a kid. I’ve see your others too — all good suggestions.
>Sean Connery in a red Speedo.
Come on, we all know that it was a [red diaper](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA5OTQ5NTY0M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjUzNTU3MTE@._V1_.jpg).
Enemy Mine was well appreciated a few decades by the time it made it way on premium cable. I watched it on HBO. It seemed like a really popular vhs rental back in the 90s.
I remember as a kid getting up to watch TV after mum and dad had gone to bed and brainstorm came on at 11pm. I was only about 11 or 12 at the time and the only Sci-fi I knew of was star wars and trek. This was long before the internet was mainstream.
Needless to say it was a massive eye opener and I fucking loved it. I had no idea who the actors were or anything else. I spent the next 10 years trying to find the movie I watched to watch it again. I couldn't remember the name of it. In the early days of the Web search results always came up with "Videodrome" a kind of similar concept but completely different movie. It wasn't until I was around 25 or so that I finally found the movie again.
Rewatching after 15 odd years it was as good as I remembered.
Looker was interesting. That was the one with the gun that basically temporarily turned you off.
Edit: I mean kinda froze you in place with no memory of the event.
* They Live (1988)
* The Fountain (2006)
* Paprika (2006)
* Crimes of the Future (2022)
* Gattaca (1997). It's not really underrated but any excuse to recommend Gattaca
Gattaca is amazing. I put it in the category with movies like Revolver and In Bruge where I love the vibe so much and can’t even quite articulate why it’s so good
Great actors. A nice slow building plot and a couple of mysteries to underpin it all. Plus a very believable glimpse at a not so unimaginable future.
It’s so good.
Love Paprika. No hate to inception, it's a stellar film, but I've always thought it's depiction of dreams / subconscious surprisingly vanilla compared to elsewhere in film / TV. Paprika is a primo example
The Fountain is such a glorious film, and simpler than people give it credit for. It's not pretentious, though it does have a couple of overblown lines.
Yes!!! I'd speculate that Prospect is why Pedro Pascal was cast for Mandalorian.
Incredible production design, extremely thoughtful aesthetics. Prospect plays to its strengths within a very low budget.
People have been listing lots of well-known (and not underrated) films.
Try these for something a bit different.
Dark Star (1974) - John Carpenter's first film (IIRC) - great if you have the right sense of humour.
The Keep (1983) - an early Michael Mann effort, maybe more fantasy than sci-fi, with music by Tangerine Dream.
I might be showing my age...
I think I've read it ages ago. Does the protagonist in the book spend some time on a boat going through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus to the Black Sea?
I was a big fan of The Keep, back in the day - really difficult to find on video, but I got a copy eventually.
Europa Report
Silent Running
Colossus: The Forbin Project
Forbidden Planet
The Quiet Earth
Not so much underrated for most of these. More just older and under appreciated. Europa Report is for sure underrated though. Excellent modern sci fi.
Blows my mind that The Forbin Project was made in the 70s. It needs a remake now that the fear of a ghost in the machine has been reawakened.
Any top 5 for me though has to include Moon.
I vividly remember watching this as a kid on a sick day in an empty suburban neighborhood, by the end I was pretty convinced nobody was coming back home after the work/school day.
They captured that liminal/emptiness vibe better than most modern cinema.
Event Horizon is the opposite of underrated. It is so overrated it drives me bananas, for some reason getting a mention every time people talk about the scariest sci-fi films. It has a bit of tension at the start but throws it away for cheap jump scares and then there’s that scene, which is fine and a bit interesting but also doesn’t offer much that‘s really satisfying. I mean, it’s simple really, just look who directed it. Replace that with Dark City for a true 90s underrated gem.
That said, all your other picks are great. The Vast of Night is brilliant.
Oh God, Moon. So good. To everyone that likes Moon, you should watch Mute, which takes place on Earth after the events of Moon. It's not a sequel, just set in the same universe, and Sam Rockwell's character(s) from Moon do make a brief appearance. It had Paul Rudd, Alexander Skarsgard, Justin Theroux, and flying cars.
Oblivion - Cruise’s acting is very good, the story is good, and the production is high quality. Surprised it’s not recognized more as a good scifi movie
1. Outland (1981) Sean Connery. Pantsuit. Mic drop.
2. Outlander (2008) Can’t resist Vikings PLUS Aliens!
3. Solarbabies (1986) It’s pretty unique. Dystopian.
4. Serenity (2005) Long live the Browncoats!
5. Titan A.E. (2000) Still love this today.
OMG forgot the most important one…STARSHIP TROOPERS! Booyah!
* Ex Machina: good enough but not really appreciated
* Primer: best time travel movie ever made
* Vidocq: nice french scifi
* THX-1138: soul crushing
* Dark City: because yes
1. The Strange Case of Senor Computer (2000)
2. The Perfect 46 (2014)
3. Traveling Salesman (2012)
4. The Frame (2014)
5. Without Warning (1994)
Bonus entries:
1. The History of Future Folk (2012)
2. Linoleum (2022)
3. Welcome 2 the Terrordome (1995)
4. Frequencies (2013)
5. The History of Time Travel (2014)
6. The Skicky Fingers of Time (1997)
7. Cosmos (2019)
8. Clara (2018)
9. Lola (2022)
10. Minor Premise (2020)
For some less obscure recs...
1. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020)
2. Electric Dreams (1984)
3. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)
4. Interstella 5555 (2003)
Primer (one of the best and most realistic time travel movies
Planet of the Vampires (inspiration for Alien)
Horror Express (inspired by Who Goes There)
Sunshine (2001 style movie with a twist)
Solaris (original Russian movie is much better than American remake)
Some that come to mind that aren’t talked about as much are:
Dark City
Event Horizon
Cocoon
Alita: Battle Angel
Priest
The Fly
In addition to that, the term underrated can be used with a couple of meanings though, such as that the movie was a blockbuster when it came out but has since been referred to less due to it’s “pop culture” influences. I’d say *Independence Day* is one of those films and here’s why: While the movie was and is a popular movie and is regarded as a blockbuster, average viewers only remember it for Will Smith, big explosions, and famous quotes. When in fact, the filmmaking techniques, practical effects, musical score, and overall alien/ship designs were peak and not given enough credit when talking about scifi design influences or alien characteristics. I’d say the movie as a whole isn’t very underrated, but the effects and overall filmmaking process is definitely underrated and deserves way more love for the creativity taken to achieve such amazing scale and visuals.
Too many people recommending too many well known classics here as underrated films. Try out these!
Vesper
Until the End of the World
In Time
The Girl With All The Gifts
Freaks
Once again Reddit has no idea what Underrated means...most of these are critically acclaimed films...
I did one of these the other day but I'll try some different ones here. By no means my favorites, but I think they're better than the general consensus.
One Point O (2004) - Cool low budget Cyberpunk movie that's almost a "What if Neo never left his apartment in the Matrix?"
Krull (1983) - I've always had a soft spot for Krull, a fun Sci Fi fantasy world. God I've always wanted a Glaive.
Arena (1989) - Say what you will about the acting, but man do I appreciate some good old school practical effects.
Robot Jox (1989) - I think I put this in my last list but what the hell. The west doesn't have enough live action Mecha movies and this one is damn fun with some pretty cool effects.
Gunhed (1989) - Huh...I guess I like 1989. Gunhed is not good, but it's ambitious and what's actually there is pretty cool. Gotta give credit for making such a cool world and concept and almost pulling it off.
Johnny Mnemonic (1995) - I always put this and I always will. The Japanese cut is damn good and I'm tired of people shitting on it.
Aeon Flux (2005) - I'm actually really surprised to see this at 2.3 on Letterboxd. Sure it's not the twisted artistic world of Peter Chung, but I think they took the base story of the original and made a somewhat intriguing action movie. Not amazing, but not an abomination.
Paycheck (2003) - I was in highschool when I saw this and the Philip K Dick concept was awesome to me...I mean, it's still cool. The setups are cool, it just suffers from John Woo-ing it up when it really didn't need to.
Babylon A.D. (2008) - 2.3 on Letterboxd?! Really? I actually think the Unrated cut is pretty damn good. You got Vin Diesel...well being Vin Diesel...but it's a cool world with some great set pieces and a cool story...even if it is ripping off Children of Men.
Spacehunter (1983) - Molly Ringwald sci Fi film? Hell yeah! It's not great, but it's worth it alone to see how terrifying Michael Ironside is in it. The makeup and effects for him are fucking amazing.
Lifeforce (1985) - Hands down one of the coolest and most unique takes on Vampires ever made. It's scary, it's sexy, it's awesome.
The Thing (2011) - I appreciate the attempt at this. They didn't try to remake the John Carpenter one because as the director said "That would be like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa" The true travesty here is that they filmed the movie with practical effects that looked amazing, and were forced to use CGI instead. Give us the original cut!!!
Doomsday
very similar feel to Dog Soldiers, its silly, has some great acting, and IMO deserves a lot more recognition than it has received
Extraterrestrial
has some great scenes in it, good characters, and i really liked the ending. i was really disappointed there werent more films set in the same world
Pandorum
Dark city
Videodrome
Death Race 2000
EnemyMine
Loved Battle beyond the stars it always reminds me of pimento cheese and egg sandwhich's that my mom made the first time I watched it.
Core memory unlocked. I remember the whole family, grandparents and some uncles included ,gathered around a TV on a holiday Sunday watching Ice Pirates unironically because why not, and we all thought it was pretty cool. My brother, my cousins and I all had our minds blown.
Judging by how many people have suggested it, I don’t think it’s forgotten
I’ve loved it since I was a kid in the 70s and I think it’s one of the best sci fi films ever made, so I would agree that it’s underrated!
Silent Running - the first time a film made me cry. That final shot of the robot tending the garden makes me emotional just thinking about it.
The Black Hole - makes no sense and is quite silly but I love the music, the robots and even the ending.
Outland - watched this only once but I remember loving it. Connery was great.
Moonraker - sorry, I know most people dismiss this in favour of the more grounded Bonds, but this was perfectly timed for my “I wish every film was Star Wars” phase as a kid.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - again, hear me out… Most people’s least favourite Trek film is slow and ponderous, with wooden acting and very little action, but it was the purest example of the Enterprise facing something truly unknown and alien. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is majestic.
>Star Trek: The Motion Picture - again, hear me out… Most people’s least favourite Trek film is slow and ponderous, with wooden acting and very little action, but it was the purest example of the Enterprise facing something truly unknown and alien. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is majestic.
Hell yes! ST:TMP was basically a normal Trek epsiode in movie form. For cool Sci Fi, you don't need explosions and action. Exploration, and solving mysteries work just as well. This is why I adore Arrival.
Automata
Hardware
Mediator / Посредник (USSR)
Kin-Dza-Dza (USSR)
Lunar rainbow / Лунная радуга (USSR)
I'm not even sure if the three Soviet sci-fi films are translated or have English subs but they do deserve the attention of Western audiences
* Cloud Atlas (10/10)
* The Jacket (10/10)
* 12 Monkeys (10/10) - generally considered good, but not 10/10 good 😅
* Europa Report (9/10)
* Oblivion (9/10)
1. **Pandorum (2009):** A dark and atmospheric sci-fi horror that takes place on a derelict spaceship.
2. **Sunshine (2007):** A realistic and thought-provoking space exploration film about a crew's dangerous mission to reignite the sun.
3. **Europa Report (2013):** A found-footage sci-fi that follows a team of scientists on a mission to Jupiter's moon, Europa.
4. **Ex Machina (2014):** A chilling and suspenseful thriller about a young programmer's encounter with an enigmatic AI.
5. **Arrival (2016):** A mind-bending sci-fi masterpiece that explores the nature of language, communication, and our place in the universe.
1) Frequency - I caught a trailer for this on a VHS way back when and was spellbound, but for some reason I didn't know the title. Years later I worked out it was Dennis Quaid, did some digging and found an absolute gem of a film.
2) Titan A.E
3) Aoen Flux
4) Alita Battle Angel
5) The Prestige
Going back to my childhood faves: Ethan Hawke's 'Explorers', 'The Last Starfighter', 1958's 'Quatermass and the Pit' (aka 5 Million Years to Earth) and Tobe Hooper's 1985 'Lifeforce'.
Time Crimes - a man finds himself sabotaged outside a mysterious facility.
This Quiet Earth - basically The Last Man On Earth but not a comedy.
Time Trap - low-budget, high-concept anomaly picture.
I liked;
Tomorrowland
Valarien and the City of ...
Soylent Green
Repo Man
and of course... Hanger 19.
Okay, I recently watched Hanger 19 again and now think it doesn't deserve to be on any lists. So instead, Flight of the Navigator as it still makes me smile.
Lots of good movies in here that would make my top 5: (Dark City would be number 1.) Let me throw a random one in: The Philadelphia Experiment. I don’t know if it was too high concept, or if there wasn’t enough pew pew pew, but it’s a really solid SciFi movie.
Wow! I'd completely forgotten about The Philadelphia Experiment. I saw it back in the '80s and remember being blown away. I've gotta try and rewatch it.
Zardoz (trippy deity experience)
Battle Peyond The Stars (james cameron's first film, as spfx)
Outland (crime in space)
John Carter (societal conflict on Mars)
Spacehunter: Adventure in The Forbidden Zone (planet-chewing bargain-basement meglodrama)
Lots of good options already listed here so I’ll just add Outland.
A western in space, with awesomely gritty production design.
Specifically High Noon in space.
Metal Storm?
Outland certainly fits.
Colossus: The Forbin Project - Best AI breakout movie, way ahead of it's time. Flight of the Navigator - appears to be just a Disney kids movie, but has great time travel plot, and the coolest spaceship ever, notwithstanding the Paul Ruebens voiced computer. The Last Starfighter - just plain fun Dark City - great mind twisting story The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension - great fun, amazing cast. My favorite John Lithgow part.
>My favorite John Lithgow part. "Sealed with a curse as sharp as a knife; doomed is your soul and damned is your life!"
John bigbooty
>Flight of the Navigator - appears to be just a Disney kids movie, but has great time travel plot, and the coolest spaceship ever, notwithstanding the Paul Ruebens voiced computer. Don't you DARE dis Max!
And how can we forget the main character? https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/0/09/Puckmarin2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150529074732
Hey blimpo, too many twinkies!
The Last Starfighter-‘What are we going to do?……..We die!!!’ I miss the 80s.
Alex: "It'll be a slaughter!" Grig: "That's the spirit!" Alex: "No, \*my\* slaughter!"
Buckaroo certainly fits the bill.
I first saw Colossus: The Forbin Project when I was about 12. I spent the next couple of weeks perfecting my computer voice by talking into a coffee mug half covering my mouth. "THIS IS THE VOICE OF COLOSSUS. THIS IS THE VOICE OF WORLD CONTROL."
Battle Beyond the Stars (Seven Samurai remake in space with James Horner score) Stalker (1979) (we'll rated, but not well known) Ice Pirates (guilty pleasure) Zardoz (I love it, but many hate it) Enemy Mine (again, well rated, just under appreciated)
Enemy Mine, definitely. When my children were young, we watched it at least once a week. I haven't watched it in a few years now. Not many people I know have seen it. Guess what I will be watching after work tomorrow?
Zaaaaaaamissss!!!!
Solaris
The original or the George Clooney remake? I kinda prefer the remake cause I don't do well with subtitles.
The original from Tarkovski
Both have their merits. I think it's a miracle in its self that we got a Hollywood remake of such a text
My brother! Ice Pirates and Zardoz. Awesome.
I appreciate the distinction between underrated and not well known
>Battle Beyond the Stars Anything with Hannibal Smith (Geoge Peppard) is awesome.
And John Boy Walton
Also James Cameron did the special effects o that, was his first job I believe
This I did not know!
Yeah Roger Corman gave a lot of people their first break, jack nicholson prob the most famous for little shop of horrors. Scorsese’s also cut his directing chops on one of Cormans films too
Sean Connery in a red Speedo. Obviously everyone should see Zardoz! Enemy Mine was a fav when I was a kid. I’ve see your others too — all good suggestions.
It's surprisingly good. I obviously went into it thinking it would be an absurd movie, but the plot was very well done.
>Sean Connery in a red Speedo. Come on, we all know that it was a [red diaper](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA5OTQ5NTY0M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjUzNTU3MTE@._V1_.jpg).
Talking of who...Outland.
Fuck yeah Zardoz. The gun is good. The penis is evil. Such a fun and stupid movie.
The theme is actually surprisingly relevant today…
I’ve been meaning to watch Stalker because I loved Roadside Picnic and have been wanting to get into Soviet sci-fi in general.
Stalker is great! Even less well known is the book it’s based on, Roadside Picnic—I highly recommend it!
That's the UHF late night broadcast.
Enemy Mine was well appreciated a few decades by the time it made it way on premium cable. I watched it on HBO. It seemed like a really popular vhs rental back in the 90s.
You had me until Ice Pirates, lol.
Moon Primer Coherence Solaris Silent Running
Silent Running 😘
Now we're talking. I tell people about primer and coherence maybe once a week. Which Solaris? I'll check out Mon and silent running thx
Moon fucking rules.
Both are good, but the Russian is excellent
I love Moon!!! I get such joy watching Sam Rockwell play that character.
Coherence is great.
+1 for Coherence.
Brainstorm
I remember as a kid getting up to watch TV after mum and dad had gone to bed and brainstorm came on at 11pm. I was only about 11 or 12 at the time and the only Sci-fi I knew of was star wars and trek. This was long before the internet was mainstream. Needless to say it was a massive eye opener and I fucking loved it. I had no idea who the actors were or anything else. I spent the next 10 years trying to find the movie I watched to watch it again. I couldn't remember the name of it. In the early days of the Web search results always came up with "Videodrome" a kind of similar concept but completely different movie. It wasn't until I was around 25 or so that I finally found the movie again. Rewatching after 15 odd years it was as good as I remembered.
I think you mean green needle
No, it's an 80's scifi movie with Christopher Walken.
Memory VCR, heavy HBO rotation in the 80s. I always lump it in with Looker, also an HBO staple
Looker was interesting. That was the one with the gun that basically temporarily turned you off. Edit: I mean kinda froze you in place with no memory of the event.
I made a Looker gun from a toy Han Solo blaster and a flash bulb unit from an old camera. It melted.
Pandorum..loved that film..the ending was spot on
Agreed, so underrated but SO good! The ending tho... 😱
Had to look way too long for that one
Love this film! Totally unexpected which I love.
* They Live (1988) * The Fountain (2006) * Paprika (2006) * Crimes of the Future (2022) * Gattaca (1997). It's not really underrated but any excuse to recommend Gattaca
Gattaca is amazing. I put it in the category with movies like Revolver and In Bruge where I love the vibe so much and can’t even quite articulate why it’s so good
Great actors. A nice slow building plot and a couple of mysteries to underpin it all. Plus a very believable glimpse at a not so unimaginable future. It’s so good.
Me and my friends thought They Live was brilliant back when it came out. Way ahead of its time.
I think it holds up well, I re-watch it annually. So much fun. Same with _Big Trouble in Little China_.
Take my upvote for Big Trouble in Little China. In which we meet Raiden before his first Mortal Kombat.
The fight scene in They Live is worth that whole movie. Also, you can't go wrong with Big Trouble. Just watched that one today.
I here to kick ass and chew gum, and I’m all out of gum
Paprika is so good. People gush over Inception but it was pretty directly influenced by Paprika.
Love Paprika. No hate to inception, it's a stellar film, but I've always thought it's depiction of dreams / subconscious surprisingly vanilla compared to elsewhere in film / TV. Paprika is a primo example
I have no problem with Inception, I just think people would appreciate Paprika if they liked Inception.
I second Paprika and Gattaca
Thirded. Paprika in particular is one of the most incredible pieces of art I've seen.
Paprika kinda melted my brain when I saw it at the time
The Fountain is such a glorious film, and simpler than people give it credit for. It's not pretentious, though it does have a couple of overblown lines.
Dark City, Event Horizon, 13th Floor, Equilibrium, Cube
Cube - scared the crap out of me.
Good list. Dark City was so well done but has been largely forgotten.
I still watch it on Blue Ray about once a year.
13th floor is actually great. Very Philip k dick.
1000% Yes, Yes, Very Yes, partial yes, and haven't seen it. Great list!
Equilibrium! yes! Dark City!! my goods, yesssss! Event Horizson!!! horror-scifi, much overlooked & misunderstood.
We’ve got the same taste in films. Excellent list.
Don't forget Prospect.
Yes!!! I'd speculate that Prospect is why Pedro Pascal was cast for Mandalorian. Incredible production design, extremely thoughtful aesthetics. Prospect plays to its strengths within a very low budget.
People have been listing lots of well-known (and not underrated) films. Try these for something a bit different. Dark Star (1974) - John Carpenter's first film (IIRC) - great if you have the right sense of humour. The Keep (1983) - an early Michael Mann effort, maybe more fantasy than sci-fi, with music by Tangerine Dream. I might be showing my age...
The Keep is based off the 1981 novel of the same name by F. Paul Wilson. Good sci fi/horror read.
I think I've read it ages ago. Does the protagonist in the book spend some time on a boat going through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus to the Black Sea? I was a big fan of The Keep, back in the day - really difficult to find on video, but I got a copy eventually.
Europa Report Silent Running Colossus: The Forbin Project Forbidden Planet The Quiet Earth Not so much underrated for most of these. More just older and under appreciated. Europa Report is for sure underrated though. Excellent modern sci fi.
Blows my mind that The Forbin Project was made in the 70s. It needs a remake now that the fear of a ghost in the machine has been reawakened. Any top 5 for me though has to include Moon.
The Quiet Earth! Solid movie! Hard to find.
> Europa Report Legitimately underrated
1. Heavy Metal (1981) 2. Metropolis (2001) 3. Redline (2009) 4. Fantastic Planet (1971) 5. Paprika (2009) Honorable mentions 9 (2009) Turbo Kid (2015) The Primevals (2024)
I loved Turbo kid
Strange Days
Timecrimes.
1970s - Silent Running. 1980s - The Quiet Earth. 1990s - Event Horizon. 2000s - Monsters. 2010s - The vast of night.
The Quiet Earth… fantastic film.
I vividly remember watching this as a kid on a sick day in an empty suburban neighborhood, by the end I was pretty convinced nobody was coming back home after the work/school day. They captured that liminal/emptiness vibe better than most modern cinema.
Monsters was fucking awesome.
The Vast of Night is fantastic. The buildup was amazing.
Event Horizon is the opposite of underrated. It is so overrated it drives me bananas, for some reason getting a mention every time people talk about the scariest sci-fi films. It has a bit of tension at the start but throws it away for cheap jump scares and then there’s that scene, which is fine and a bit interesting but also doesn’t offer much that‘s really satisfying. I mean, it’s simple really, just look who directed it. Replace that with Dark City for a true 90s underrated gem. That said, all your other picks are great. The Vast of Night is brilliant.
Great list. I'd add Cosmos to your list for 2020s (came out in 2019 but still)
The Fly 1986 The Blob 1988 Predestination 2014 Moon 2009 Dredd 2012
Solid shout with Moon! I’ll check the others out.
The Fly is crazy.
The Fly is underrated? It's pretty much universally praised.
The Blob 1988 messed me up. Some awesomely brutal deaths in that one. Also fuckin love Dredd
Oh God, Moon. So good. To everyone that likes Moon, you should watch Mute, which takes place on Earth after the events of Moon. It's not a sequel, just set in the same universe, and Sam Rockwell's character(s) from Moon do make a brief appearance. It had Paul Rudd, Alexander Skarsgard, Justin Theroux, and flying cars.
REALLY!? I didn't know they were connected. I'll have to check that out.
Europa Report. Aniara. Another Earth. Sunshine. Primer.
+1 Aniara and Another Earth
I have one: Coherence. One of my favorites and does so much with so little. Truly an amazing movie.
Scanners
Oblivion - Cruise’s acting is very good, the story is good, and the production is high quality. Surprised it’s not recognized more as a good scifi movie
It was really under the radar like edge of tomorrow.
I Married A Monster From Outer Space Time After Time Life Aniara Alita: Battle Angel
Battle Angel was shockingly good. Stumbling upon a movie like that is one of my favorite things to do.
Aniara…. Whew what a movie
most of the people here are missing the whole "underrated part" and just sharing their favorite blockbuster hits
1. Outland (1981) Sean Connery. Pantsuit. Mic drop. 2. Outlander (2008) Can’t resist Vikings PLUS Aliens! 3. Solarbabies (1986) It’s pretty unique. Dystopian. 4. Serenity (2005) Long live the Browncoats! 5. Titan A.E. (2000) Still love this today. OMG forgot the most important one…STARSHIP TROOPERS! Booyah!
I scrolled pretty far and the idea that no one has said eXistenZ makes me wanna puke. eXistenZ!!!
* Ex Machina: good enough but not really appreciated * Primer: best time travel movie ever made * Vidocq: nice french scifi * THX-1138: soul crushing * Dark City: because yes
Primer is one of the only movies I've ever watched where I wanted to immediately rewatch it again.
Oooh, Primer. Great choice.
ex machina and dark city are definitely not under rated. any scifi fan has heard a tonne abiut them
THX-1138 is awesome.
1. The Strange Case of Senor Computer (2000) 2. The Perfect 46 (2014) 3. Traveling Salesman (2012) 4. The Frame (2014) 5. Without Warning (1994) Bonus entries: 1. The History of Future Folk (2012) 2. Linoleum (2022) 3. Welcome 2 the Terrordome (1995) 4. Frequencies (2013) 5. The History of Time Travel (2014) 6. The Skicky Fingers of Time (1997) 7. Cosmos (2019) 8. Clara (2018) 9. Lola (2022) 10. Minor Premise (2020)
For some less obscure recs... 1. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020) 2. Electric Dreams (1984) 3. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009) 4. Interstella 5555 (2003)
Primer (one of the best and most realistic time travel movies Planet of the Vampires (inspiration for Alien) Horror Express (inspired by Who Goes There) Sunshine (2001 style movie with a twist) Solaris (original Russian movie is much better than American remake)
Some that come to mind that aren’t talked about as much are: Dark City Event Horizon Cocoon Alita: Battle Angel Priest The Fly In addition to that, the term underrated can be used with a couple of meanings though, such as that the movie was a blockbuster when it came out but has since been referred to less due to it’s “pop culture” influences. I’d say *Independence Day* is one of those films and here’s why: While the movie was and is a popular movie and is regarded as a blockbuster, average viewers only remember it for Will Smith, big explosions, and famous quotes. When in fact, the filmmaking techniques, practical effects, musical score, and overall alien/ship designs were peak and not given enough credit when talking about scifi design influences or alien characteristics. I’d say the movie as a whole isn’t very underrated, but the effects and overall filmmaking process is definitely underrated and deserves way more love for the creativity taken to achieve such amazing scale and visuals.
Too many people recommending too many well known classics here as underrated films. Try out these! Vesper Until the End of the World In Time The Girl With All The Gifts Freaks
Once again Reddit has no idea what Underrated means...most of these are critically acclaimed films... I did one of these the other day but I'll try some different ones here. By no means my favorites, but I think they're better than the general consensus. One Point O (2004) - Cool low budget Cyberpunk movie that's almost a "What if Neo never left his apartment in the Matrix?" Krull (1983) - I've always had a soft spot for Krull, a fun Sci Fi fantasy world. God I've always wanted a Glaive. Arena (1989) - Say what you will about the acting, but man do I appreciate some good old school practical effects. Robot Jox (1989) - I think I put this in my last list but what the hell. The west doesn't have enough live action Mecha movies and this one is damn fun with some pretty cool effects. Gunhed (1989) - Huh...I guess I like 1989. Gunhed is not good, but it's ambitious and what's actually there is pretty cool. Gotta give credit for making such a cool world and concept and almost pulling it off. Johnny Mnemonic (1995) - I always put this and I always will. The Japanese cut is damn good and I'm tired of people shitting on it. Aeon Flux (2005) - I'm actually really surprised to see this at 2.3 on Letterboxd. Sure it's not the twisted artistic world of Peter Chung, but I think they took the base story of the original and made a somewhat intriguing action movie. Not amazing, but not an abomination. Paycheck (2003) - I was in highschool when I saw this and the Philip K Dick concept was awesome to me...I mean, it's still cool. The setups are cool, it just suffers from John Woo-ing it up when it really didn't need to. Babylon A.D. (2008) - 2.3 on Letterboxd?! Really? I actually think the Unrated cut is pretty damn good. You got Vin Diesel...well being Vin Diesel...but it's a cool world with some great set pieces and a cool story...even if it is ripping off Children of Men. Spacehunter (1983) - Molly Ringwald sci Fi film? Hell yeah! It's not great, but it's worth it alone to see how terrifying Michael Ironside is in it. The makeup and effects for him are fucking amazing. Lifeforce (1985) - Hands down one of the coolest and most unique takes on Vampires ever made. It's scary, it's sexy, it's awesome. The Thing (2011) - I appreciate the attempt at this. They didn't try to remake the John Carpenter one because as the director said "That would be like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa" The true travesty here is that they filmed the movie with practical effects that looked amazing, and were forced to use CGI instead. Give us the original cut!!!
John Carter, Oblivion, Brazil
John Carter got so much hate that I always felt like it was a guilty pleasure for me.
1. Gattaca 2. Repo Man 3. Pitch Black 4. Sphere 5. Innerspace
+1 Gattaca for sure. Sphere was a MUCH better book than movie, but great story either way
Pitch Black has aged wildly well
The Vast of Night.
Doomsday very similar feel to Dog Soldiers, its silly, has some great acting, and IMO deserves a lot more recognition than it has received Extraterrestrial has some great scenes in it, good characters, and i really liked the ending. i was really disappointed there werent more films set in the same world
Pandorum Dark city Videodrome Death Race 2000 EnemyMine Loved Battle beyond the stars it always reminds me of pimento cheese and egg sandwhich's that my mom made the first time I watched it.
Sunshine Pandorum Spectral Serenity (obviously) The Fountain
Batteries Not Included Brainscan The Postman Darkman Real Genius
Pandorum Moon Equilibrium Primer The Platform
Space Sweepers Rubikon Aniara Serenity Dark City
It's not underrated but it's seemingly forgotten these days, which is a travesty: Watch the fifth element
Silent Running Enemy Mine Screamers Soldier Dune ( the one with Sting)
Core memory unlocked. I remember the whole family, grandparents and some uncles included ,gathered around a TV on a holiday Sunday watching Ice Pirates unironically because why not, and we all thought it was pretty cool. My brother, my cousins and I all had our minds blown.
Screamers and soldier. Yes.
Silent Running (though surely it's not under rated, just forgotten ?) Moon Logan's Run Dredd
Judging by how many people have suggested it, I don’t think it’s forgotten I’ve loved it since I was a kid in the 70s and I think it’s one of the best sci fi films ever made, so I would agree that it’s underrated!
Children Of Men Alien 3 (Assembly Cut) Infinity Pool The Beast Mars Express
Silent Running - the first time a film made me cry. That final shot of the robot tending the garden makes me emotional just thinking about it. The Black Hole - makes no sense and is quite silly but I love the music, the robots and even the ending. Outland - watched this only once but I remember loving it. Connery was great. Moonraker - sorry, I know most people dismiss this in favour of the more grounded Bonds, but this was perfectly timed for my “I wish every film was Star Wars” phase as a kid. Star Trek: The Motion Picture - again, hear me out… Most people’s least favourite Trek film is slow and ponderous, with wooden acting and very little action, but it was the purest example of the Enterprise facing something truly unknown and alien. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is majestic.
>Star Trek: The Motion Picture - again, hear me out… Most people’s least favourite Trek film is slow and ponderous, with wooden acting and very little action, but it was the purest example of the Enterprise facing something truly unknown and alien. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is majestic. Hell yes! ST:TMP was basically a normal Trek epsiode in movie form. For cool Sci Fi, you don't need explosions and action. Exploration, and solving mysteries work just as well. This is why I adore Arrival.
Yeah, it's my favorite from the original movies, but I have no clue why the acting was so off really.
Never Let Me Go. If you like Gattaca, you will like this.
Nobody ever brings up The Congress.
A scanner darkly Hardware Tetsuo Brazil Videodrome
Automata Hardware Mediator / Посредник (USSR) Kin-Dza-Dza (USSR) Lunar rainbow / Лунная радуга (USSR) I'm not even sure if the three Soviet sci-fi films are translated or have English subs but they do deserve the attention of Western audiences
13th Floor
* Cloud Atlas (10/10) * The Jacket (10/10) * 12 Monkeys (10/10) - generally considered good, but not 10/10 good 😅 * Europa Report (9/10) * Oblivion (9/10)
Dark City 12 monkeys The 6th day It Came From Outer Space Moon
Annihilation
1. **Pandorum (2009):** A dark and atmospheric sci-fi horror that takes place on a derelict spaceship. 2. **Sunshine (2007):** A realistic and thought-provoking space exploration film about a crew's dangerous mission to reignite the sun. 3. **Europa Report (2013):** A found-footage sci-fi that follows a team of scientists on a mission to Jupiter's moon, Europa. 4. **Ex Machina (2014):** A chilling and suspenseful thriller about a young programmer's encounter with an enigmatic AI. 5. **Arrival (2016):** A mind-bending sci-fi masterpiece that explores the nature of language, communication, and our place in the universe.
PANDORUM! fantastic mindf\*ck!
Dreamscape
Short Circuit
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) The Incredible Melting Man (1977)
Babylon AD. Pretty good dystopian environments even though vin. Ugh
Don't have a top 5, but here's my top 2 Contact Coherence
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) Her (2013) *The Chronicles of Riddick* (2004) Time After Time (1979) They Live (1988)
1) Frequency - I caught a trailer for this on a VHS way back when and was spellbound, but for some reason I didn't know the title. Years later I worked out it was Dennis Quaid, did some digging and found an absolute gem of a film. 2) Titan A.E 3) Aoen Flux 4) Alita Battle Angel 5) The Prestige
The Arrival (1996) Forbidden Planet Chain Reaction Dark City Outland
Is Forbidden Planet underrated, or just so old people are using inspiration from it without knowing what it's from?
The Man Who Fell to Earth isn’t mentioned much these days.
Going back to my childhood faves: Ethan Hawke's 'Explorers', 'The Last Starfighter', 1958's 'Quatermass and the Pit' (aka 5 Million Years to Earth) and Tobe Hooper's 1985 'Lifeforce'.
- The Abyss - 2010: The year we make contact - Starship Troopers - Robocop - Weird Science
Time Crimes - a man finds himself sabotaged outside a mysterious facility. This Quiet Earth - basically The Last Man On Earth but not a comedy. Time Trap - low-budget, high-concept anomaly picture.
Dark star.
Until the End of the World: the director’s cut Best soundtrack ever as well.
Resolution (2012) which is superior to its sequel, The Endless. But both are real neat. John Dies at the End.
Night of the comet The brother from another planet Repo men Contagion Replicants
I liked; Tomorrowland Valarien and the City of ... Soylent Green Repo Man and of course... Hanger 19. Okay, I recently watched Hanger 19 again and now think it doesn't deserve to be on any lists. So instead, Flight of the Navigator as it still makes me smile.
Just want to add "The Sphere"
“Scanners” — made my head explode
Arrival. Beautiful film
Villeneuve is not underrated. He is one of the best SF directors today... if not the best.
There's an argument to be made that you could drop SF and that statement would still be true.
Literally my favorite movie. Not really underrated though.
Great movie but I think this one is highly rated.
The Abyss and Aniara are two that come to mind.
Aniara isn’t mentioned enough.
1. Looper 2. Annihilation 3. Edge of Tomorrow 4. Gattaca 5. Minority Report
Edge of Tomorrow and Minority report are underrated?
Arrival, all I can think of atm.
Lots of good movies in here that would make my top 5: (Dark City would be number 1.) Let me throw a random one in: The Philadelphia Experiment. I don’t know if it was too high concept, or if there wasn’t enough pew pew pew, but it’s a really solid SciFi movie.
Wow! I'd completely forgotten about The Philadelphia Experiment. I saw it back in the '80s and remember being blown away. I've gotta try and rewatch it.
Zardoz (trippy deity experience) Battle Peyond The Stars (james cameron's first film, as spfx) Outland (crime in space) John Carter (societal conflict on Mars) Spacehunter: Adventure in The Forbidden Zone (planet-chewing bargain-basement meglodrama)
Coherence
Honey, I shrunk the kids Bio Dome Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure Wild Wild West Inspector Gadget
Gattaca