Science fiction is the genre of wonder, technology, and terrifying ideas.
It is also home to the most amount of existential crises ever found in media.
That is the beauty of sci-fi though: it makes viewers question their place in the world.
Sci-fi films make tangible configs and stories out of the wildest things an imagination can dream up.
‘Ad Astra’ (2019)
Ad Astrais a desolate and masterful voyage through isolation.
The tale of Roy McBride trying to find his lost father isn’t really about the outcome.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Succumbing to the lyrical loneliness of space, Roy finds that there is no one else out there.
Space is the ultimate form of isolation.
Man’s oldest question is, Where did we come from?
andInterstellarplays with this in a fascinating way.
Sunshineis a misunderstood triumph in the genre.
But whatSunshinedoes best is make viewers feel all alone.
WhenCillian Murphy’sCapa is the only one left on the ship, he is humanity’s last hope.
Like many other sci-fi movies,Arrivalportrays the theory of time in a non-linear fashion.
The aliens are managed by a corporation and are deeply uncared for while having their technology stolen by humans.
Image via Paramount Pictures
This is seen perfectly in the transformation of Wikus' character when he changes from human to alien.
The moral challenge he must face after becoming the monster he hates most is stunning.
Moonwrestles with the existence of clones and the mortality of life.
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Each of Sam’s clones thinks it is an original being with its own memories.
It is a horrifying realization for Sam to comprehend that he’s not.
The film portrays a fresh take on mind-control, consciousness, and bodily autonomy.
The film deals with the ghosts of loved ones and the loss of memories in a hauntingly beautiful way.
It also ponders the cyclical nature of trauma and the nonlinear ways in which humans deal with grief.
From stunningly desolate cinematography to the almost wordless script, every single part ofBlade Runner’ssequel oozes with existential questions.
Image via Elevation Pictures
This is why his films resonate so deeply.
The eeriest scene in this movie is when Lena faces her humanoid mirrored self at the end.
Image via Mosfilm
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Image via Paramount Pictures
