10 Best Cult Classic Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

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Science fiction is one of the oldest genres in cinema, dating back to the early 20th century when filmmakers around the world experimented with the earliest uses of special effects and camera tricks. There are thousands of sci-fi movies, and something that often happens to films in the genre is that they become cult classics. It's sadly not that uncommon for a good science fiction movie to bomb at the box office only to be rediscovered years, where they become beloved, earning a cult following.

An unusual example of this is director Ed Wood's "Plan 9 From Outer Space," which has long been considered the worst movie ever made. Today, "Plan 9" is a cult classic for how campy and awful it is, falling into the 'so bad it's good' category. Other examples include films like "A Clockwork Orange" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which, to many, is the definitive cult classic sci-fi movie. Those examples are well known, but there are countless more that are overlooked by most viewers' attention.

In most cases, a cult classic fits the description because it has a small but dedicated cult-like following. That limits the audience size when compared to something like "Project Hail Mary," which appeals to a much larger audience. Each of these sci-fi films is a cult classic, and they all earned that distinction because they're excellent, whether or not they made money at the time. They're ranked based on an average of their aggregate scores from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic.

• Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Basset, Juliette Lewis

• Director: Kathryn Bigelow

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 145 minutes

• Where to watch: Amazon

"Strange Days" was released in 1995 and it imagines a dystopian future set in Los Angeles, California, in 1999. The film is centered around Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), who sells black market memories playable on some gear called a Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID). These are illegal devices that record and playback memories stored on a small optical disk, where playback makes it feel, physically and mentally, like a real memory.

Lenny, being a former police officer, gets wrapped up in a murder plot, where the killer uses a SQUID to record his murders in a truly grotesque manner. Through it all, there's plenty of action and intrigue to keep the audience guessing, and it ends with the passing of the new year as L.A. storms into the 21st century. "Strange Days" is a great sci-fi thriller that should have been released a decade earlier.

It fell too close to the millennium, which didn't help its box office appeal. The movie, which cost $42 million to produce, only made $7.9 million at the box office, making it a certified flop. Despite this, famed film critic Roger Ebert gave "Strange Days" four stars, writing, "It creates a convincing future landscape; it populates it with a hero who comes out of the noir tradition and is flawed and complex rather than simply heroic, and it provides a vocabulary." His fondness helped make it a cult film.

• Cast: Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan

• Director: Joe Dante

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 120 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, YouTube, Fandango

One of science fiction's greatest strengths is how well it meshes with other genres, and the 1987 sci-fi comedy film "Innerspace" is a perfect example. The movie shares some plot similarities with 1966's "Fantastic Voyage," but is otherwise original in its story. "Innerspace" is all about Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid), a pilot who's chosen to test the technology in a miniaturization experiment, where he's supposed to be injected into a rabbit.

Instead, he's shrunk down, a bunch of goons storm the lab, and Tuck is injected into one of the world's biggest hypochondriacs, Jack Putter (Martin Short). This sets a comedic tone as Tuck tries to sort out his situation. He quickly installs technology to communicate with Jack, putting them both on a path towards de-miniaturization and success.

There are plenty of pratfalls along the way, not to mention Tuck's girlfriend, Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan), whom Jack takes a fancy to while trying to avoid the bad guys and save the day. "Innerspace" is a weird movie, to be sure, but it's also great science fiction that understands human anatomy and the prospect of miniaturization. The film was a bomb, having made $25.9 million off a budget of $27 million. Still, it won an Academy Award, but isn't well known today outside of the folks who fell in love with it in the '80s and '90s.

• Cast: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster

• Director: John Carpenter

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 93 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV

The 1980s were an interesting time for movies, thanks to the plethora of action films loaded down with one-liners. There were tons of them, and one of the best sci-fi cult classics of the decade is 1988's "They Live" from director John Carpenter. The film stars Roddy Piper as a transient, listed in the credits as Nada (a no-one everyman), who is looking for work in Los Angeles. Instead, he stumbles into a resistance cell working to subvert the ruling class, which just so happens to be aliens.

Through special sunglasses, he witnesses the aliens and what they've done to the rest of the world. Carpenter contrasts these views in black and white, and wherever he looks, he sees an indication of the ongoing invasion. Money actually says, "THIS IS YOUR GOD," while advertisements subliminally force people to "OBEY." This gives way to the film's action sequences (including an amazingly prolonged fight), where he joins the resistance to save the world.

In terms of one-liners, "They Live" boasts one of the best: "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick a**. And I'm all out of bubblegum." It's one of the most straightforward and least complex sci-fi movies of the decade, but "They Live" is packed with plenty of great scenes. While it wasn't a bomb, earning $13.5 million on a budget of $4 million, "They Live" remains an '80s cult classic that isn't on many modern viewers' radar.

• Cast: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly

• Director: Alex Proyas

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, YouTube, Tubi

One of the best sci-fi neo-noir movies ever made came out in 1998, but was largely overlooked at the time. "Dark City" is deeply rooted in the noir genre, beginning with a man waking up without any memories in a hotel bathtub. A dead woman is in the next room, and all he has to go on is a driver's license with the name "John Murdoch." He quickly runs afoul of a group of men known as the "Strangers," who attempt to capture John.

They have an ability that allows them to manipulate and create matter with their minds. Soon, John also gains this ability, setting him on a path of discovery across the city, where he confronts the Strangers on their own turf, upending their plans. The plot of "Dark City" is nuanced but filled with action, and the set design is remarkably well done, honoring sci-fi classics like director Fritz Lang's "Metropolis."

Several people who worked on "Dark City" also did "The Matrix," and it has a similar color palette and visual style. "Dark City" received critical acclaim, but not even Roger Ebert's four-star review helped generate ticket sales. The film cost $27 million to produce, and it made the same amount. Fortunately, "Dark City" was discovered in the video rental market, earning a cult following. It remains a classic to this day.

• Cast: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law

• Director: Andrew Niccol

• Rating: PG-13

• Runtime: 106 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, YouTube, Fandango

Some of the best science fiction films avoid digging too deeply into technology, making them appear as if their events could take place in the near future. "Gattaca" manages this by creating a world that's not dissimilar to our own, but because of genetic engineering, the social class struggle revolves around genetic discrimination. Naturally born people are called "in-valids," and they're denied jobs outside of custodial or other blue-collar work.

The narrative focuses on Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), an in-valid who teams up with Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), who was paralyzed after an accident. Vincent uses what is called a "borrowed ladder," using Jerome's blood, urine, and hair to pose as him so he can work as a navigator on a forthcoming mission to Titan. The themes of "Gattaca" explore class disparity, prejudice, destiny, and how a person's sheer determination can overcome their perceived biological inferiority.

While the film has a somewhat slow pace, it builds to an interesting conclusion that seems impossible from the start. "Gattaca" is one of many sci-fi films that bombed at the box office before becoming a cult classic. It only made $12.6 million on a production budget of $36 million, and like so many great science fiction cult classics, it received critical acclaim. The film may have bombed, but today, "Gattaca" has a rating of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.

• Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David

• Director: John Carpenter

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 109 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango

Director John Carpenter's penchant for directing action B-movies reached new heights in 1982 when he reimagined John W. Campbell Jr.'s 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" "The Thing" is the second adaptation of the story, and it's better known than its 1951 counterpart, "The Thing from Another World." In another excellent blending of genres, "The Thing" is a sci-fi horror set in Antarctica. After welcoming a dog following a strange incident with Norwegian scientists, the canine proves to be more than it appears.

"The Thing" is a masterclass in horror, suspense, and paranoia because the so-called "dog" is actually a shapeshifting alien organism that assimilates and then imitates other forms of life. This creates relentless paranoia, as the researchers find that they cannot trust one another, not knowing who might be real and who might be the ... thing. The creature is brought to life through the brilliant artistry of Rob Bottin, who used entirely practical effects.

Today, "The Thing" is known for being a classic sci-fi horror film, but when it was released, it bombed, thanks to several factors. For one, it went up against "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial." It earned a little more than $20.8 million off a budget of $15 million. That still made "The Thing" a box office bomb, thanks to promotion and distribution costs, but it would earn its cult classic status in subsequent years.

• Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott

• Director: Duncan Jones

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 97 minutes

• Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Tubi

In 2009, Duncan Jones directed his first film, "Moon," a thought-provoking movie about mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon. That's the overall premise, but at its center is one man: Samuel Bell (Sam Rockwell). Automation makes it possible for only one person to remain on the Moon for the mining operation, and Sam is only two weeks away from completing his three-year contract when he has an accident away from base.

He then wakes up in the base infirmary with no memory of the accident. Sam isn't entirely alone, as GERTY (Kevin Spacey), an artificial intelligence, is there to help. This gives the audience the impression that GERTY somehow saved Sam, but that would be incorrect. In truth, Sam isn't who he thinks he is because he's not the only Sam on the Moon.

After the accident, GERTY initiates a new clone to take Sam's place, revealing that Sam was one in a long line of clones used in the operation. "Moon" isn't a huge spectacle sci-fi film, and is instead a deeply thoughtful analysis of several themes, including isolation, personal identity, corporate exploitation of workers, and the ethics of cloning. "Moon" made $9.7 million at the box office off a budget of $5 million, so it largely went unnoticed outside of the small community who love its quiet, contemplative plot.

• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell

• Director: Richard Kelly

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 113 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+

Often, if a sci-fi film features a complex plot, it can be confusing to general audiences. That can work against it when it comes time to count up the box office receipts. That's what happened with 2001's "Donnie Darko," a psychological thriller with unusual science fiction elements about its eponymous lead, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Indeed, "Donnie Darko" has some very confusing moments, but it's so well-written and brilliantly acted that you'll want a second viewing just to take it all in.

Donnie is a troubled teen who's absolutely loaded down with angst, and he also has something of a sleepwalking problem. This inadvertently saves his life when a statistically improbable accident would have otherwise killed him. Instead, he begins to hallucinate Frank (James Duval), a man in a creepy rabbit costume who tells him the world will end in 28 days. This leads to a thickly layered narrative involving time travel, fate, and free will.

"Donnie Darko" is one of those movies that takes itself seriously because it must. Gyllenhaal's performance is outstanding, setting the young actor on an incredible career trajectory. The film wasn't expensive, costing $6 million to produce, but it only made $7.5 million at the box office. "Donnie Darko" found a new home in the rental market, and the cult classic is now beloved for its inscrutably brilliant plot.

• Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro

• Director: Terry Gilliam

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 142 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango

Director and former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam's style is inimitable, and it's on full display in his 1985 dystopian science fiction black comedy, "Brazil." The film is a criticism of bureaucracy, technological over-reliance, hyper-surveillance, and the ever-growing rights of corporations over the people. It centers on Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), a low-level bureaucrat who discovers a literal bug in the machine that resulted in the improper arrest, torture, and execution of the wrong man.

This sets Sam on a path that puts him up against the government he serves, while trying to get with his dream woman. "Brazil" is entirely satirical and is much like George Orwell's 1948 novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four," especially where surveillance is concerned. Each scene builds upon the last, depicting a massive class disparity, terrorist bombings, and the utter indifference the rich have regarding the poor. "Brazil" is a blend of the worst Kafkaesque nightmare and Pythonesque comedy.

The ending of "Brazil" is absolutely bizarre, but also perfect in its execution, making it one of the best dystopian dark comedies ever filmed. The movie was a huge bust at the box office, earning only $9.9 million off a budget of $15 million. Thankfully, like Gilliam's other movies, including "Time Bandits," "Brazil" became a cult classic that's now admired for its unique plot, strange environs, and satirical takedown of too-familiar bureaucracies.

• Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson

• Director: Michel Gondry

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 108 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV. Fandango

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is one of the most grounded science fiction films in that it's more psychological and a romantic drama than it is sci-fi. Still, its core is firmly rooted in the genre, as it involves a technology that erases select memories while the subject sleeps. It's essentially a therapy to remove bad memories, which is what happens between Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet). After their breakup, she has all memories of Joel removed, leaving him despondent.

Much of the film revolves around Joel receiving the same treatment, but while he's asleep, he fights against the procedure. What follows are surreal vignettes of Joel and Clementine's time together, often blending from one memory to the next. This reveals that their relationship was one like most, filled with ups and downs, fights, and making up, making the movie's structure somewhat similar to "Annie Hall."

As the vignettes play out, the audience becomes invested in the couple's relationship, leading to the impressive ending of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Unlike many cult classics, it wasn't a box office bomb. It earned $73.2 million off a budget of $20 million. Unfortunately, it's largely faded into the background, and after 20+ years, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is more of a cult classic than a well-known film.