New generations of people are always looking for the newest and greatest, but many movies from the past are truly great too. Although it’s awesome to have the coolest and best special effects and CGI, effects and graphics alone are not what makes a movie truly great.
Although the special effects and CGI capabilities of the 1990s and 1980s were inferior, some of the movies back then were superior in story, plot, writing, and acting than some of the movies today that have even the most stunning special effects imaginable.
Here is a list of 10 of the greatest scifi movies since 1980 that seem to have been forgotten by newer generations of people. Everyone who is a scifi fan should definitely watch these movies!
10 Johnny Mnemomic (1995)
Why it made the list Before Keanu Reeves made his fame in The Matrix, he starred in Johnny Mnemonic, a futuristic triller about a courier who transperts information downloaded into his brain. This is a must-see for technology lovers, even if only for the great laugh about the total brain storage of just 80GB and the "upgrade" to 160GB.
9 The Astronaut's Wife (1999)
Why it made the list I have to warn you, if you don't like to be terrified you might want to skip this one. Although this is a truly great movie with some of the best acting, and I love Charlize Theron and Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors, chances are if you watch this you might end up sleeping with the lights on for the next week. Don't watch this alone!
8 Primer (2004)
Why it made the list Primer was a low-budget film, but no special effects were needed for this movie. The story gives us all the science fiction suspense we need when we follow a couple college dropouts discovering time travel.
7 The Abyss (1989)
Why it made the list The Abyss is an awesome deep-sea adventure and discovery movie. It is also steeped in mystery and suspense. Are we really alone? This movie takes a new twist on a classic question in this wrenching and mysterious movie The Abyss.
6 Lawnmower Man (1992)
Why it made the list The Lawnmower Man is based off a Stephen King book. Its protagonist is a mentally retarded man who gains amazing powers when a scientist played by 007's Pierce Brosnan decides to do some experiments on him. But then, to the dismay of the scientist, everything goes wrong. Lawnmower man may have terrible CGI (but decent special effects), but if you can get past that it is truly a great movie.
5 The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
Why it made the list The thirteenth floor is an awesome futuristic thriller which also seems to take you back in time. The premise is great, the plot is great, the story is great, and the acting is great. Everyone who is a scifi fan needs to watch The 13th Floor, a mysterious and suspenseful movie with a mind-bending twist at the end.
4 The Langoliers (1995)
Why it made the list One of my favorite Stephen King movies of all time, The Langoliers is a very original movie about something you just can't describe. Without giving away the plot, this mysterious thriller movie is very long but very worth it. Steeped in mystery and suspense, The Langoliers is a must-watch for any scifi fan!
3 Blade Runner (1982)
Why it made the list Undeniably one of my favorite retro-futuristic movies of all time, Blade Runner is one of those 80s epics that newer generations of people may have forgotten all about. This is an absolute must-see for scifi fans everywhere.
2 Dark City (1998)
Why it made the list Dark City is one of my favorite movies of all time. It was sadly eclipsed by The Matrix (which I also loved but which hasn't been "forgotten" by any means) which was released soon after. So whereas most people have heard of The Matrix, many scifi lovers may not have heard about Dark City. Just tell me one thing: have you ever really been to Shell Beach?
1 Dune (1984)
Why it made the list Dune is one of my favorite movies of all time. There is a newer sequel series, Children of Dune in 2000, which is equally great; but the 1984 movie was the true original. If you haven't seen the original Dune, you have to if you love science fiction. It is up there with Star Wars as one of the greatest sagas of all time. It's nothing like Star Wars though! Dune has its own fantastic intergalactic world and intergalactic conflicts.
This certainly isn’t a comprehensive list, but there is my list of 10 of the top forgotten scifi movies. What do you think? Do you agree? Wish there were some added to the list? Tell us your favorite forgotten scifi movies!
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Just saw blade runner, really good ,I have to watch Dark city and Thirteenth floor sounds good .
I think some of these were forgotten for a reason. Whenever I rewatch a movie I recommended or thought was great it turns out to be a cringefest.
Dune is great <3
Dune is great
I also love dune, it’s one of my favorites. Also the matrix was great
although, technically dune is more of a fantasy movie.