Michael Block is a writer at Collider with a focus on reality television, ranging from Drag Race to Survivor! He is the host of the podcast Block Talk
The world of science fiction film has grown so vast that there are galaxies upon galaxies worth of content to choose from. There are the classics that defined the genre, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars; there are modern classics like Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Martian; and, of course, you have those films that are so bad, we can never forget.
But amongst those shining stars, there is a category of films that are praiseworthy for their merit, but have been lost to time. These forgotten films don't receive the same adoration as the brilliant masterpieces alongside them, perhaps due to timing relative to bigger classics or budget constraints that didn't give them blockbuster appeal.
The films on this list are brilliant in their own right and deserve a little extra praise so they can shine bright once more. 1 'Dark City' There's nothing more terrifying than going on the run after being suspected of murder, especially when it's by a mysteriously menacing group of individuals. That's the premise of Alex Proyas' neo-noir science fiction horror thriller Dark City, which follows John Murdoch , an amnesiac man in a city of perpetual night who is suspected of ritual murder.
Fleeing from the police, led by Inspector Bumstead and a mysterious, telekinetic group called"The Strangers," he makes shocking discoveries. A haunting tale that explores the nature of identity and memory, and whether a person is defined by their memories of their soul, Dark City toes the line between horror and sci-fi, setting the tone for future cyberpunk films. Dark City's breathtaking tech-noir style helped establish the shifting city that manufactured reality.
Being a box office bomb is one thing, but living in the shadow of a masterpiece is another, and The Matrix redefined cinema just a year later. Indeed, had it not been for the Wachowskis' masterpiece, Dark City might be the premier philosophical science fiction thriller. 2 'Cube' Directed and co-written by Vincenzo Natali, the sci-fi horror thriller Cube follows seven strangers trapped in a shifting, booby-trapped, cubic maze with no memory of how they arrived.
There's one-time cop Quentin , scientist Holloway , young math genius Leaven , master of escapes Rennes , autistic savant Kazan , and architect Worth , who might have more information on the maze than he lets on. Through its high-concept, high-tension mystery, Cube maximized suspense, leading to an endless adrenaline rush, thriving on its ability to maintain a sense of the unknown for both the character and the audience.
Cube is an absolutely twisted morality game in which it's the survival of the fittest. Long before Saw, it was Cube dominating the excessive gore department. A claustrophobic film that predated escape rooms, Cube was simply overshadowed by more popular death-game films that followed. 3 'eXistenZ' David Cronenberg has a vast resume of thrilling sci-fi horror films, but one film that tends to be left out of the conversation is the 1999 masterclass in body horror, eXistenZ.
The film follows Allegra Geller , who has created a virtual reality game called"eXistenZ," in which gaming consoles known as pods are inserted into individuals' spines. After a crazed"Realist" fan attempts to kill her, Allega goes on the run with young businessman Ted Pikul , who falls into the role of bodyguard. eXistenZ engages in a series of experiences that blur the lines of fantasy and reality through themes of reality, consumerism, and obsession with virtual worlds.
Though it's most certainly a product of its time, eXistenZ pushes body horror to the extreme. From the physical implant and its mutated amphibians to the flesh gun made of literal bone and teeth, this cyber world is unlike anything seen in the decade. Though cerebral, eXistenZ didn't push the boundaries as much as its contemporaries.
Yet, on its own, without living in a shadow, eXistenZ is a solid sci-fi thriller that could have had more time to ruminate. 4 'Gattaca' One of the most underrated dystopian science fiction thrillers, sadly forgotten, is none other than Gattaca. In Andrew Niccol's directorial debut, we find a future society obsessed with genetic perfection, where natural-born"in-valids" are discriminated against.
Working at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, Vincent Freeman , an in-valid with a weak heart, illegally assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow , a paralyzed valid with superior DNA, to fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut. Through the themes of genetic discrimination, the battle between human spirit and technology, and the ethical implications of eugenics, Gattaca is speculative fiction at its finest.
It's a highly intellectual and hauntingly realistic film that refuses to be flashy and over the top, opting for a minimalist approach to tackle ethics, ambition, and identity. Combining mid-century modern architecture with retro-futuristic styles, the sterile, cold imagery becomes a metaphor for rigid societal beliefs that still resonate to this day. 5 'Moon' Written by Nathan Parker, based on a story by director Duncan Jones, Moon tells the story of Sam Bell , an astronaut who is finally nearing the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon.
Though he's looking forward to reuniting with his wife and young daughter , Sam's health takes a drastic turn for the worse, leading to hallucinations and an almost fatal accident. Through themes of corporate exploitation, the ethics of cloning, human consciousness, and identity, Moon was a modern film with a classic sci-fi sensibility. Jones' film is a slow-burning, thought-provoking character study of isolation through the lens of identity.
Through a sensational performance by Rockwell, Moon marries the allure of space with a classic, minimalist approach. Perhaps had the major mainstream hits of the 2010s not followed, Moon would be discussed as a top-tier sci-fi film of the 21st century. 6 'Pandorum' Directed by Christian Alvart, Pandorum tells the story of two crew members, Corporal Bower and Lieutenant Payton , who wake from hypersleep on a massive, seemingly abandoned interstellar ark with no memory of their mission.
The duo discovers the ship is dysfunctional and infested with savage, cannibalistic humanoids as they suffer from Pandorum, a slang term for a deep-space-caused psychosis triggered by emotional stress. A sci-fi film that's not for the faint of heart, Pandorum is a claustrophobic menace that taps deeply into the root of fear. The gritty aesthetic resonated with sci-fi fans who preferred darkness to pristine space thrillers.
While Alien made us fear extraterrestrials, Pandorum made us fear humanity by making the monsters a mutated human race. Foster is extraordinary in leading the film, and it's a shame that it became somewhat lost, perhaps due to timing or its sheer, brutal terror. 7 'Strange Days' Set in Los Angeles in 1999 during the last two days of the year, Strange Days follows Lenny Nero , an ex-cop turned dealer of Superconducting Quantum Interference Device, or SQUID recordings, which were black-market virtual reality clips of real-life memories and sensations.
Together with Lornette"Mace" Mason , a bodyguard and limousine driver, he is drawn into a criminal conspiracy involving Nero's ex-girlfriend Faith Justin and friend Iris . Tackling dark themes of voyeurism, addiction to technology, racial tension, and police brutality, Strange Days took the woes of the '90s and used an allegory to hold a mirror up to society.
It merged noir conventions with strong social commentary in a fast-paced, well-acted film that captured the profound cultural relevance of the '90s. It also looked like it was a product of the decade, which may be why it's fallen off today.
Through immersive world-building and a visceral vision of a then-future Los Angeles, Strange Days conveyed an inherent sense of the terror that a societal collapse could take. 8 'Sunshine' Director Danny Boyle cemented himself as a genre master with his forgotten sci-fi thriller, Sunshine. In the 2007 film, a crew of eight astronauts travels on the ship Icarus II in 2057 to reignite the dying sun with a massive nuclear bomb, aiming to save Earth from a solar winter.
After diverting to aid a previously lost mission, Icarus I faces fatal mistakes, psychological breakdown, and extreme hazards, turning their mission into a fight for survival. Subscribe to the newsletter for forgotten sci-fi gems Unlock curated deep dives by subscribing to the newsletter: contextual essays, guided watchlists, and thoughtful takes that help you uncover and appreciate overlooked sci-fi gems and hidden genre classics.
Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Featuring an ensemble cast led by Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, Benedict Wong, and Michelle Yeoh, Sunshine blends a tense mix of science fiction and horror that explores human survival, the weight of a mission, and the psychological impact of being at the edge of the solar system.
Boyle creates an awe-inspiring spectacle that also presents a palpable sense of danger, as the sun becomes a character in and of itself. Perhaps a reason why the film received some pushback was the tonal shift before the third act. 9 'The Faculty' There will certainly be a faction of sci-fi and horror fans who will admonish any praise for The Faculty, but the truth is, had it not been up against some major entries in both genres upon release, we might have shown it more reverence.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez from a script by Kevin Williamson, The Faculty follows a mismatched mix of teens at Harrison High as they discover that parasitic aliens are controlling their teachers. The story may veer into the ridiculous, but it’s extremely enjoyable entertainment, masterfully mixing the angst of ‘90s teen dramas with fear and paranoia. The Faculty smartly subverts teen tropes by giving the outsiders the heroic treatment.
Even with an excellent blend of science fiction and horror, the film was overshadowed by stronger genre offerings from the latter half of the decade. Yet, like a fine wine, The Faculty is getting better with age as new eyes discover the film and appreciate it for what it is. 10 'The Vast of Night' We’ve seen countless versions of the alien invasion, so standing out as something newly profound can be hard.
Then, The Vast of Night arrived, reshaping the genre with something refreshing. Paranoia is in full bloom in the 1950s New Mexico, where a young switchboard operator, Fay Crocker , and a radio DJ, Everett Sloan , uncover a strange audio frequency. Over a single night, they investigate the signal, suspecting an alien presence, while the town is distracted by a basketball game.
The Vast of Night revitalized a classic UFO story through smart, dialogue-heavy long takes and an audio-focused narrative that emphasizes atmosphere and paranoia over big-budget spectacles. With a retro atmosphere, The Vast of Night tackled classic themes while reminding genre fans why they fell in love with alien stories in the first place. Indie in nature, the film gets forgotten because of the heavy batch of alien and space films that arrived during the decade.
Alas, if you accept it as a stand-alone project, it's an impressively ambitious project. The Vast of Night PG-13 Drama Mystery Science Fiction Thriller Release Date May 29, 2020 Cast Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Bruce Davis, Gail Cronauer, Cheyenne Barton, Mark Banik, Gregory Peyton, Adam Dietrich, Mallorie Rodak, Mollie Milligan, Ingrid Fease, Brandon Stewart, Kirk Griffith, Nika Sage McKenna, Brett Brock, Pam Dougherty, Lynn Blackburn, Richard Jackson, James Mayberry, Nicolette Doke, Grant James, Libby Villari, Gordon Fox, John Gindling, Brianna Beasley Runtime 91 minutes Director Andrew Patterson Writers Andrew Patterson, Craig W. Sanger Powered by Expand Collapse
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