10 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Without Aliens, Ranked

The 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Without Aliens, Ranked

Marty and Doc test out the Doctor's remote-controlled time machine/car hybrid in Back to the Future. Image via Universal Pictures

By Diego Pineda Pacheco Published 10 minutes ago Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel. A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated. Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point. Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

When it comes to sci-fi, it's often all about grand space adventures and intergalactic exploration, all of which tends to imply the involvement of alien lifeforms. From Star Wars to Star Trek, and from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Alien, several of the greatest sci-fi films of all time have alien characters. Not all of them, though. A precious few sci-fi movies perfectly understand that the charm of the genre lies not necessarily in visiting other planets, but rather in the endless possibilities that it provides for imaginations to run wild.

Despite their lack of extraterrestrials, these films are still some of the most creative ever made. Perhaps it's a cult classic like Donnie Darko, or a genre landmark like Back to the Future, but no matter the case, there's one thing that all of these films have in common: They're proof that sci-fi has historically been home to some of the freshest and most original ideas that cinema has ever conceived.

10 'Donnie Darko' (2001)

Jake Gyllenhaal sitting in a movie cinema in 'Donnie Darko'Image via Pandora Cinema

By the time the 21st century rolled in, the midnight cult cinema circuit was more than just dormant: It was essentially dead. Of course, no single film can be credited with singlehandedly reviving such a big cultural phenomenon—but Donnie Darko kind of did. In the years since, this has remained one of the most beloved and theorized-about sci-fi films of the 2000s.

With a mind-bending narrative that lends itself to endless analysis and interpretations, some excellent direction on Richard Kelly's side, and one of the best movie soundtracks ever, this tale about love, sacrifice, and free-will is one of the most complex coming-of-age movies ever. And though it doesn't have any aliens, the six-foot-tall rabbit man Frank is the next best thing.

9 'Interstellar' (2014)

Anyone even slightly familiar with modern Hollywood cinema has at least heard Christopher Nolan's name, and very likely has watched at least one of his movies. If they have done the latter, there's a decent chance that it's Interstellar, which many might consider the director's greatest sci-fi film. Though it's all about intergalactic exploration, there isn't a single extraterrestrial lifeform in it.

The perfect film to change the mind of those who don't like sci-fi, Interstellar is a grand adventure film full of compelling characters, unforgettable moments, jaw-dropping visuals, and soul-stirring Hans Zimmer music. It's refreshing to see a space exploration sci-fi movie without any aliens, and it works particularly well considering how deeply human Nolan's film feels.

8 'WALL•E' (2008)

WALL-E and EVE, two robots, look at each other lovingly in the ending to WALL-E.Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

They may not be actual lifeforms, but androids and robots are just as common of a sci-fi trope as extraterrestrials; and, when done right, they can be just as fun. Case in point: Pixar's WALL•E, a film which proves that even a story about two robots can be deeply romantic. On top of that, director Andrew Stanton layers a cautionary tale warning about the dangers of relentless human consumerism.There's something in WALL•E for every sci-fi fan to enjoy. Whether it's the beautiful animation and endearing characters, the perfect way in which the virtually dialogue-less first half and the more sci-fi-heavy second half complement each other, or simply the fact that it's one of the most moving sci-fi films ever made, the magic of this beautiful (and also surprisingly human) story is irresistible.

7 'Blade Runner' (1982)

Harrison Ford sitting at a desk and looking ahead in Blade Runner, 1982.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Based on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, one of the most important dystopian sci-fi novels ever written, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is likewise one of the most groundbreaking and influential cyberpunk films of all time. It was nothing short of a failure when it first released, but with time, it started to become a quintessential cult classic. Today, it's such a mainstream and universally-acclaimed paragon of the sci-fi genre that calling it "cult" has become a bit of a stretch.

One of the best sci-fi noir movies ever, Blade Runner is as delightfully bleak and rainy as it is philosophically profound and infinitely analyzable. You don't need aliens to make entertaining science fiction, and Scott proved that there. Though the replicants aren't too far off, they're still closer to humans than they are to aliens—and that seems to be the whole conundrum that the narrative is dealing with.

6 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)

Jim Carrey as Joel on a beach in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'Image via Focus Features

Who says that sci-fi can't be both romantic and absolutely gut-wrenching at the same time? Probably no one does, but if they did, showing them Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind would be enough to prove them wrong. Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman, this deeply poignant story about the messiness of romance and the nature of memories is one of the most beautifully human sci-fi films ever made.

It's one of the best examples of soft sci-fi of the 21st century, a painfully realistic yet undeniably beautiful love story led by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet both at the very top of their games. It can be dramatic, it can be funny, and it can be as exquisitely weird as one might expect from pretty much any Charlie Kaufman film, and all without ever leaving the comfort of Earth.

5 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015)

Max, played by Tom Hardy, strapped to the front of a vehicle with mask on in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Back in 1979, George Miller revolutionized Australian cinema and low-budget science fiction filmmaking with Mad Max. The movie got two sequels, but it would take a whopping thirty years (and two Happy Feet movies) for Miller to finally return to everyone's favorite high-octane post-apocalyptic wasteland in Mad Max: Fury Road, one of the best sci-fi movies of the last 10 years.

Sometimes, humans are all you need to make an unforgettable sci-fi film.

Fury Road defies the rules of basic logic in all sorts of punk rock ways that are nearly impossible to resist. The world-building is wild, the character work is surprisingly profound for an action flick, and the story is a two-hour-long chase scene that somehow never loses steam or becomes any less engaging. Sometimes, humans are all you need to make an unforgettable sci-fi film.

4 'Children of Men' (2006)

Image via Universal Pictures

Alfonso Cuarón has dabbled in all sorts of genres over the course of his career, including the disaster genre. But Children of Men is unlike any other installment in the genre: In this, one of the best disaster movies of the last century, the disaster doesn't come from an earthquake or a tsunami, but rather from a sudden case of infertility that comes to affect nearly all of humanity.

Thematically profound, full of extraordinary performances, and with some of the best directing of any sci-fi movie of the 2000s, Children of Men may be unconventional in its approach to the genre, but it somehow works perfectly. A deeply powerful cautionary tale just as much as it is a hard-hitting character piece, it's undoubtedly low-key science fiction done right.

3 'Back to the Future' (1985)

Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) looks at a confused Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) in 'Back to the Future'.Image via Universal Pictures

Its two sequels are also great, but there's no beating Back to the Future—it's genuinely one of the best movies of all time. Robert Zemeckis' time travel classic is proof that you don't need a hyper-serious story or a very artsy tone in order to deliver a legendary sci-fi film. When done right, the genre can be funny, creative, fresh, and exciting, all in equal measure.

Whatever anyone might want in a time travel comedy, Back to the Future has. A fantastic script that's nearly devoid of the usual logical pitfalls of time travel stories? Check. An ensemble of fun characters played by some exceptional actors? Check. One of the best guitar solos in movie history? Somehow, also check. If "cool" were a sci-fi film, it would probably be Back to the Future.

2 'Metropolis' (1927)

Image via Parufamet

It's nearly a century old, but not only has Fritz Lang's Metropolis aged like fine wine: This German silent epic is, and forever will be, one of the most groundbreaking, important, and influential sci-fi movies ever made. All the way from its script to its visuals, nothing about it feels dated; you can certainly tell its age, but it's still just as narratively fascinating, visually striking, and impeccably made as it's always been.

Calling it one of the best silent movies of all time would be an understatement. This beautiful cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked greed has tremendous staying power, and in the future it envisions, there's only humans and their seemingly eternal inability to get along. Even still, its ending is undeniably hopeful, and that's what has allowed it to remain so timeless.

1 'Stalker' (1979)

Image via Mosfilm

The life of the Soviet auteur Andrei Tarkovsky was tragically cut short at just 54 years old, due to lung cancer. It's widely accepted that he very likely contracted the illness while shooting Stalker, which had to be shot near a toxic industrial wasteland. But although his filmography is only comprised of a handful of movies, they're all nevertheless among the greatest ever made. Stalker, to be more specific, was the second sci-fi film he made, and it's far and away one of the genre's best.

One of the best sci-fi movies of the last century, this gorgeous and artfully slow-burning tale about faith, desire, and belief is one of the most thematically fascinating films ever made, but that's not all it has going for it. It's also visually striking, perfectly written, full of fantastic performances, and beautifully directed. And even though it doesn't have any aliens, it still feels like its tremendous emotional power was sent from another planet.

Like Stalker Drama Sci-Fi Release Date May 25, 1979 Runtime 161 Minutes Director Andrei Tarkovsky Writers Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky

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Alexander Kaidanovsky
Anatoly Solonitsyn

Genres Drama, Sci-Fi Powered by

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Interstellar

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