Home

Modern Sci-Fi Masterpieces... Mostly

image by Veronica V. Jones

Post-Blade Runner Science Fiction Standouts

Angry Kaneda from Akira.
Akira
An alien? from District 9.
District 9
Carl Urban as Judge Dredd from Dredd.
Dredd
Rufus Sewell as John Murdoch in Dark City.
Dark City

A short while ago, The AV Club celebrated the release of Blade Runner 2049 with a list of The 35 best science-fiction movies since Blade Runner. I’ve added The Host to my must-see list, and will try yet again to stay awake for all of Brazil, but I’ve seen the other 33. With that knowledge, I humbly offer a few replacements.

I know I deeply hated A.I. Artificial Intelligence, but all I can remember is the horrible, pointless ending. Let’s replace this film with Akira. Those kids have it pretty rough too, but at least there’s a little light at the end of the Neo Tokyo tunnel. OK, a lot of light.

Of course Jurassic Park was groundbreaking, but I can’t really consider a little genetic hand waving real science fiction. Karl Urban as the judge named Dredd was a much more satisfying resurrected dinosaur.

I know I’ve watched Upstream Color, and I’m sure I could watch it a few more times without understanding anything at all about it. It might’ve touched on themes of transformation, so I’d recommend District 9 instead.

Finally, I have to ask again… haven’t you guys ever seen Dark City?

Written by in March of 2019. Last edited March 2019.

Related Features

Universal Delays Our Serenity

The Serenity above a cloudy planet, The Serenity logo.

Terror and Triumph Beget Children of Men

Clive Owen as Theo and Claire-Hope Ashitey as Kee. Clive Owen as Theo. Julianne Moore as Julian. Claire-Hope Ashitey as Kee. Michael Caine as Jasper.

The Next Doctor’s Steampunk Christmas

David Morrissey as the titular next Doctor in the Doctor Who Christmas episode David Tennant as the Doctor, and Velile Tshabalala as Rosita in the Doctor Who Christmas episode Dervla Kirwan as Miss Hartigan in the Doctor Who Christmas episode

Daisy, Daisy, Give Me Your Answer Do

HAL 9000 The alien ship arrives in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The chestburster impending arrival in Alien.

A Scanner Darkly’s Timeless Dystopia

Keanu Reeves as Bob Arctor discovers a field of blue flowers. Rory Cochrane as Charles Freck looking particularly disturbed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *