Watch with us he loves a good sci-fi movie. Outer space, killer robots, resurrected dinosaurs and bleak future dystopias – it doesn’t get any better than this.
We also love the ’90s. What’s better than combining two of our favorite things into one defining list?
The Watch With Us team brainstormed and came up with a list of the best sci-fi movies of all time from the 90s. It was tough, as it was a decade of many classics like full recovery, jurassic park i Mars Attacks!
Read on to see our list and if you agree with our picks.
1990: “Total Recall”
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars Douglas Quaid, a construction worker in the year 2084. He visits a company that implants false memories to pretend he’s visited Mars, but when the procedure goes wrong, Quaid discovers that his entire life could be a false memory.
director Paul VerhoevenThe ambitious sci-fi action thriller received mixed reviews upon release, but has since come to be seen as a bona fide classic, often ranked among the best sci-fi films ever made. The gripping plot, stunning practical effects, complex themes of identity and freedom, and Schwarzenegger’s standout performance have enabled Full recovery to endure
1991: “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”
This sequel of The Terminator is set eleven years after the events of the first film and sees young John Connor (Edward Furlong) led by a shape-shifting robot named T-1000 (Robert Patrick). Meanwhile, a revamped T-800 robot (Schwarzenegger) is sent to protect Connor, and they make off with Connor’s mother, Sarah (Linda Hamilton).
While some people believe the second terminator The film surpasses the first, it is indisputable Judgment Day set a benchmark for the high standards to which sequels should aspire. With impressive action sets, visual effects and iconic performances, Judgment Day has influenced science fiction films for decades to come.
1992: “Alien 3”
As a result of the events of aliens, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) crash lands on a maximum-security prison planet called Fiorina 31, the sole survivor of his spaceship to escape the clutches of a carabador on board. With an adult Xenomorph now killing prisoners and guards, it’s up to Ripley to destroy it again, this time without weapons.
David FincherThe directorial debut was initially considered very minor alien installment of the franchise. But retrospective reviews and a revised version of the film “Assembly Cut” have given it a second life and the proper respect it deserves. Alien 3 is deeply underrated, unique for its bleak tone and stunning visuals. It is a unique view of the alien franchise that is somehow satisfying in its nihilism.
1993: “Jurassic Park”
Paleontologists Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) are taken by billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) to tour their state-of-the-art amusement park with resurrected dinosaurs. But hey, life finds a way, and Sattler and Grant, along with Hammond, find themselves struggling to escape Hammond’s own creations.
jurassic park set a new standard for blockbuster cinema, and not just because of its record-breaking box office success. The film features painstaking craftsmanship, memorable and lovable characters, an infectious score by John Williams, and special effects that have managed to hold up for over thirty years.
1994: ‘Stargate’
Professor Daniel Jackson (James Spader) and retired Army Colonel Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell) team up to unlock a wormhole that transports them both to a planet that resembles ancient Egypt. However, the planet is ruled by the dictatorial Ra (jay davidson), who opposes Jackson and O’Neil’s return to Earth.
Critics praised Stargate like a camp classic, with an entertaining narrative, great special effects and absorbing world-building. In short, Stargate’s The warm box office reception spawned an entire franchise, including many popular and long-running television series, that cultivated a passionate fan base.
1995: ’12 Monkeys’
In a post-apocalyptic Philadelphia, prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to the 1990s in exchange for a reduced sentence to gather information about an impending plague that will kill humanity. There he meets the manic mental patient Jeffrey (brad pitt), which has a connection with the beginning of the epidemic.
The cold and bleak world of Terry Gilliam’s The chaotic dystopian thriller is tough, rigorous and unsettling, but immensely rewarding. With fantastic art direction, sound design and exhilarating drive, this sci-fi blockbuster inspired a TV series of the same era.
1996: ‘Mars Attacks!’
A fleet of Martian ships surrounds Earth’s major cities and the planet’s citizens gather to find out if the creatures really do come in peace. However, when the US military encounters their leader in the desert, they are massacred, starting a war of the worlds that puts humanity at a major disadvantage. It’s a race against the clock to prevent Mars from attacking.
This sci-fi madness Tim Burton has a fantastic cast that includes Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jack Black, Sarah Jessica Parker i Pierce Brosnan. while Marks Attacks! failed at the box office, it has since achieved cult classic status as a sharp, surreal sci-fi comedy.
1997: “Event Horizon”
The missing spaceship Event horizon mysteriously reappears orbiting Neptune, and a rescue team is sent to investigate. On board the ship, they discover that the entire crew is dead, but they have yet to discover the dark and supernatural force that has made its home in the Event Horizon.
Although unfortunately we will never see a director Paul WS Anderson original, cut of 130 minutes of event horizon – the deleted images have since been lost or destroyed; the troubled film has enjoyed a well-deserved cult following. It’s a unique and chilling outer space nightmare filled with disturbing visuals and an unforgettably chilling performance by jurassic park actor Sam Neill.
1998: “Dark City”
Alone in an unknown hotel, John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up and discovers that he was wanted for murder; the problem is that he doesn’t remember committing the crimes. Murdoch travels to discover the truth of his identity and in doing so discovers a sinister underworld inhabited by beings called Strangers.
dark city masterfully combines sci-fi with neo-noir to create an incredibly rich and original work of stylish and visionary ambition. It’s an aesthetically brilliant, exciting and imaginative film that many have noted as having an apparent stylistic influence. The Matrix.
1999: The Matrix
Computer programmer Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) moonlights as the hacker “Neo”, who soon caught the attention of Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss). When Neo learns that his whole life is a simulation, he also discovers that a mysterious figure named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) believes that Neo is the savior of mankind.
The Matrix it’s not just one of the best sci-fi movies ever made; it’s one of the best movies ever made, period. The sci-fi epic features unforgettable action set pieces, fight choreography, gorgeous visuals and a crisp script, plus one of the all-time great movie romances.