GUEST POST: Top 5 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies You Need to See Now

I love a good Sci-Fi film, If you're stuck as to which one to watch next then have no fear as guest blogger, Cassie, is here to help with her list of the top 5 underrated Sci-Fi ready to stream now. I hope you enjoy this great post.

Cassie is a blogger and writer who focuses mainly on technology and entertainment. She is a huge Sci-Fi and film fan and hopes that these recommendations will bring some deeper thought and excitement into your life. You can find more of her writing on Secure Thoughts or Culture Coverage. She's also on Twitter: @Cassie_Culture.

Whether we know it or not, science fiction has been the primary influence of most genre films and modern filmmaking. They make up most of our blockbusters, and we are now more than ever able to make our grand dreams reality through the use of computer effects and expert filmmaking.

Some sci-fi films slip through the cracks or are poorly marketed. This does not diminish their quality. Fortunately, however, you can now easily access most movies through streaming websites of one sort or another. There are so many films to get lost in that it’s nearly impossible to know what to watch from a glance.

Here are some movies that you'll want to check out on a rainy day when you want to see some unfamiliar worlds and ideas:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

If you haven’t heard of this movie, then your expectations of Jim Carrey will not be met. In probably his best role, he plays a man who had his mind erased after a relationship turned out poorly and discovers that the woman had the relationship erased from her mind first. The script is from Charlie Kaufman, whose work is some of the best in the film industry in general and who won an Academy Award for this film. This movie simply doesn't get the attention it deserves.

This is a profoundly intellectual movie, and as a film about the corners of the mind, it is about the standard science fiction fare you would expect. Expect to spend some time thinking about the movie long after you've finished watching it. You probably won't look at relationships and memories the same.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

This is not a new film (the one I'm talking about came out in 1951), but it's readily available on streaming websites, still relevant today and yet still contains the charms of a film that came out over 60 years ago. It is likely you’ve heard the plot (or some variation of it) before, in which an alien lands and tells humanity they must be peaceful or be destroyed by other alien races. It speaks to humanity on a grand scale and takes a high-minded approach to the world’s problems.

While the effects and visuals might be hard to bear for some (the movie shows its age at points), one of the main draws of science fiction are the ideas contained within the work. The ideas are the reason this movie has stood the test of time.

Ex Machina

Ex Machina is one of my favorite films of last year, and it just simply gets the release and hype it deserved. It follows a programmer who wins a contest to spend a weekend at the private estate of his company's brilliant CEO. It turns out the true purpose of the weekend is to test the consciousness of a robot the CEO has been working on. A movie small in scope and large in concept, it tackles the divide between machine and man as well as some of the current debates regarding artificial intelligence today.

An extremely philosophical film, people will either love or hate the third act of the movie based on their expectations. That doesn't stop Oscar Isaac from standing out as tech CEO and genius Nathan Bateman. Alicia Vikander also is amazing as Ava, bringing an almost otherworldly presence to the character. Watching it now will be the best part of your day.

Under the Skin

Under the Skin is a film that will mess with your head and a movie some people won't like. You need to see it for yourself, as you simply can’t call it a standard science fiction film. Scarlett Johansson plays an extraterrestrial “woman” who lures men into fatal situations, and it's hard to decide whether the movie feels real or not.

Johansson is amazing in this role, and you can't help but feel intentionally uncomfortable with her character. You aren't certain of her intentions. You don't know what she wants. There are dozens of theories as to how her character and the film, in general, represent women in our culture (I'll leave it to you to create your own theory). The film tries to trick you. It tries to horrify you and then dares you to understand it. You absolutely need to watch this film.

Serenity

If you've intended to watch Joss Whedon’s masterpiece Firefly, you should probably skip this one for now and go watch the series. If you've already seen it, then you absolutely need to find this movie on your favorite streaming service and watch it. 

In many ways, it picks up right after the series left off, but it still manages to contain a story for people who are watching with you who might not be too interested in the series. The fact that Whedon gets a feature film budget to work with means we get some stunning action sequences within this already excellent universe.

There we have it, enough films for a great day’s worth of streaming. While you might prioritize some over others, know that you’ll most likely appreciate these films more than the numbers give them credit for.

Are there any other science fiction films that you think deserve a watch or are underrated? Have there been any films you watched recently that you think are awesome and want to share with your fellow readers? If so, please leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading!

Ex Machina

It's been a while since I've been to the cinema, hence why it's been a while since I've posted here! Happy new year! Worry no more, I have a review for the new British sci-fi film Ex Machina. This is the first film from 2015 I have seen and it was a pretty decent way to kick off a new year of cinema.

Ex Machina is the directorial debut of Alex Garland, a man whose written great sci-fi films such as Sunshine, 28 Days Later and Dredd. The film follows a young programmer named Caleb who is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence, by billionaire genius, Nathan, to evaluate the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I. named Ava.

First things first, the acting in this film is superb. I am a big fan of both Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Issac who are brilliant as Caleb and Nathan. They are great actors who are deservedly going up in the world and will next be seen together in the new Star Wars film. Ava is played by Alicia Vikander who is new to me but I expect big things for her career after her stunning performance as the A.I persona. The film is held up by these three and they really make the film something special with their performances. All three had great chemistry together, truly becoming their intersting characters.

The film also looks great, the cinematography is bright and crisp and full of colour. The aesthetic of Nathan's house/research facility is really well captured as well as bringing a grounded futuristic feel to the film.

The writing is good and the film is very philosophical with its themes and ideas, asking what it means to be a human and play god and the sacrifice that makes on your own humanity, there are some interesting themes at play here. These themes however are ones we have seen before in most films about A.I; this is my biggest problem with the film. I cannot remember the last A.I film I watched that felt like a different story was being played out then ones before it. This film is lucky that it pulls the genre off well enough to make us forget that other A.I films have pretty much  tread the same ground over and over again.

It would be great to see a new and original take on Artificial Intelligence and unfortunately this film doesn't provide that. Fortunately it does provide great performances and stunning visuals, and a intriguing enough plot, elevating it to one of the better A.I films around. I am rating Ex Machina a 4/5.

What did you think of the film? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!