It feels like the 90s were only yesterday, but with the year 2020 now upon us, even films that came out at the end of that decade have turned 20 years old. It was an exciting era in cinema with giant leaps in the size of productions and what was now capable thanks to advanced special effects.
These leaps forward were especially impactful for the science fiction genre. Stories that could once never have been told on the big screen were brought to life. Sure, there were more than a few duds from the decade, but there were also plenty of films that have stood the test of time. Here are some 90s sci-fi movies that are still mind-blowing today.
Updated August 22, 2020 by Zach Gass: CGI and other related effects might have still been in their infancies, but the ’90s had some absolute gems when it came to the world of sci-fi films. The genre saw a number of marvelous entries, both in terms of original concepts, characters, and even a sequel or two. The movies of the ’90s range from the serious to the silly and from the imaginative to the intimidating. Whether they are concerned with the human race’s ever-growing dependency and development on technology or other worlds inhabited by fantastical beings, the genre has had no shortage of mind-blowing creations.
The Rocketeer
If one were to fuse the adventures of Indiana Jones with the comic-book-inspired visuals and gadgets of Iron Man, the result would be Disney’s The Rocketeer. In this steampunk-esque adventure, a pilot discovers a stolen jetpack and uses it to become a high-flying superhero and defeat a Nazi spy. Though it might not have had a proper fan following when it first premiered, it’s recently achieved its cult-film status and a supposed sequel in the works.
The Phantom Menace
Although the prequel series definitely has a certain stigma about it, at the time, The Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars film to be released since 1983. The idea of a prequel to perhaps the greatest story ever told in the sci-fi genre was a colossal concept.
Although the plot itself is a bit mixed, the introduction of various other planets, creatures, and cultures only further expanded the galaxy far, far, away. As strange as it sounds, it is a guilty pleasure for many Jedi out there.
Mimic
With such entries under his belt like Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and The Shape of Water, it can be easy to forget that the Guillermo del Toro gained his footing in American cinema with this sci-fi/horror feature. Cockroaches aren’t many people’s favorite animals at the best of times but imagine one the size of a human being. Del Toro’s tale of a mutant, human-mimicking insect still undoubtedly makes many viewers’ skins crawl.
Bicentennial Man
This film inspired by Issac Asimov’s story of the same name might not be the best film in Robin William’s decorated career, but its effects, story, and performance by its leading robot are certainly something to behold.
If Pinocchio were a machine instead of a marionette, he’d be Andrew the Android in this strange yet heartwarming film. Though it was destroyed by critics, it deserves more than a second chance.
Ghost in the Shell
Not only was Ghost in the Shell one of the most revolutionary and beloved anime films of all time, but also one of the most gritty and imaginative cyberpunk features in the genre. When cyborg officer Mokoto Kusanagi goes toe-to-toe with an insidious hacker known as “the Puppet Master,” a sci-fi thriller opens up on the streets of a futuristic Japan. This film has been praised and lauded for its visuals and philosophical themes.
Starship Troopers
Paul Verhoeven is known as much for his intense provocative thrillers as he is for his big, violent action films. Though on the surface, his more mainstream film might seem like pure popcorn entertainment, they are often filled with satire of modern society.
Starship Troopers is an admittedly silly film set in the future in which humans are at war with an alien bug species. The movie is an action-packed, cheesy, and hilarious critique of military-focused society while also delivering some really fun genre thrills.
The Iron Giant
In terms of animated films, the 90s are mostly known for the so-called Disney Renaissance and the rise of Pixar. However, Warner Bros. managed to deliver one of the most memorable animated films of the decade.
The Iron Giant was the feature film debut of Brad Bird and told the story of a young boy who finds a giant robot in his hometown and forms a friendship with the mysterious being. Filled with the kind of heart and thrills of early Steven Spielberg movies, The Iron Giant is a moving family adventure that is still grossly underrated.
Gattaca
Great science fiction has always managed to show us a brand new world where impossible things are made possible while also commenting on the world we live in today. As science fiction movies got grander in scale, Gattaca stuck to a smaller yet powerful story.
Ethan Hawke stars as a second-class citizen living in a society in which people considered genetically superior people are given more privilege. He switches places with a first-class citizen in order to fulfill his dream of space travel. It is a thoughtful and compelling look at inequality within a seemingly perfect utopia.
Dark City
Dark City is another smaller film compared to some of the other projects on this list, yet it is one that stays with you all the same. This genre mash-up movie combined noir mystery with surreal sci-fi with fascinating and thrilling results.
The story follows a man who wakes up in a strange city with no memory of who he is. As he tries to evade the authorities, he uncovers a society of beings controlling the people of the city. The movie is a nightmarish and compelling story with plenty of twists and turns that will leave you guessing.
Total Recall
Paul Verhoeven makes a second appearance on this list, this time for his team-up with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall. Schwarzenegger plays a blue-collar man who signs up for a virtual vacation. He soon finds himself in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy where he questions his own reality.
Schwarzenegger’s films are often seen as mindless entertainment, and this film can sometimes get mashed in with those kinds of movies. However, the more you watch it, the more Verhoeven’s vision comes through, and it becomes so much more than a simple fun action-adventure.
The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element is a film that might be a bit too much for viewers to take in the first time around, but it becomes a more engrossing and interesting journey each time you revisit it. Bruce Willis stars as a cab driver in futuristic New York City who becomes the unwitting protector of a secret weapon.
The colorful look of the film and the unique sense of humor sets it apart in the genre as a wildly fun and bizarre ride.
Twelve Monkeys
Bruce Willis makes another appearance on the list in another departure from his usual tough-guy roles. Twelve Monkeys is set in a future in which most of the human race has been wiped out. Willis plays a convict who is sent back in time to find out what caused the downfall of mankind.
The movie plays around with time and memory in a brilliant way while unfolding this strange mystery. Willis is a more vulnerable hero than we usually see him as and Brad Pitt gives one of his best performances as an unhinged man he meets in his journey.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
The Terminator franchise kicked off with the dark and scary first entry. Instead of repeating what worked the first time around, the sequel took the series in a much different direction. Schwarzenegger returned as the killer cyborg, who has now been reprogrammed to protect young John Connor from a more advanced Terminator.
James Cameron took everything to the next level in terms of scale, action, and mythology. The movie had breathtaking and innovative special effects to go along with its amazing action sequences, great humor, and surprising heart.
Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg had previously proven he was one of the great science fiction filmmakers with films like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. With Jurassic Park, Spielberg continued to cement himself as one of the most entertaining storytellers of our time.
The film imagined a world in which dinosaurs could be brought back to life, and the film did an amazing job making us believe these ancient creatures were once again walking the earth. It says something that the dinosaurs in 1993’s Jurassic Park are still more convincing than the more recent sequels.
The Matrix
The Matrix introduced one of the most inventive and mind-blowing cinematic worlds that had ever been seen before or since. From the minds of the Wachowskis, this was a science fiction action epic that explored a world in which the reality we know is only a simulation.
The effects were ground-breaking, the fight scenes with amazing, the action sequences were unforgettable. It was one of the most exciting films to come along in the decade and influenced so many films that followed. We’re all eagerly waiting to see what a return to this world will look like.
