- 21 hours ago
These sci-fi films may not be on your radar.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00When we think of great sci-fi, our minds are often cast back to the 1980s.
00:05With movies like The Thing, The Terminator and Aliens, it was clear that decade was a
00:09golden age for the genre.
00:11But there are lesser known sci-fi films that came out recently which deserved a lot more
00:15recognition.
00:16Considering so many of these movies are available on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon
00:21Prime, there's nothing stopping you checking them out right this second.
00:25So with that in mind then, I'm Ellie with WhatCulture and here are 10 recent sci-fi
00:30movies you probably haven't seen.
00:32Number 10.
00:33In the Shadow of the Moon
00:35In the Shadow of the Moon begins with a cop called Locke whose night patrol starts like
00:40any other night.
00:41But when three random people across the city suddenly die after their brains melt from the
00:45inside, Locke can't make heads or tails over what killed them.
00:49For the next 20 years, he obsesses over the case, unaware his actions will shape the world's
00:54future.
00:55If you went into this film cold, you wouldn't have the slightest clue you were watching sci-fi.
01:00Until the end, the story plays out like a detective thriller.
01:03But as the science fiction qualities slowly but surely seep into the plot, you realise
01:08what Locke is dealing with is far from ordinary police work.
01:11Like most great mysteries, In the Shadow of the Moon has a perfect balance of not revealing
01:15too much until the climax, while simultaneously maintaining intrigue from the opening scene.
01:21Even though the film deals with some complex scientific concepts and profound theories, it
01:25focuses on Locke's struggle above all else, giving the viewer a deeper connection to the
01:30story.
01:319.
01:32Code 8 Code 8 works like a more realistic version of X-Men.
01:36In this world, super-powered individuals, or powers, don't use their abilities to battle
01:40super-villains or aliens.
01:41Instead, they are assigned jobs which fit their skill set.
01:45Since super-humans took all the big jobs, countless non-powered people are made redundant,
01:49causing a lot of resentment in society.
01:52When powers are replaced themselves by robots called Guardians, which work like the X-Men's
01:57Sentinels, they are figuratively tossed onto the street, forcing many of them to turn to
02:01crime to survive.
02:03If you are bored of formulaic CGI-filled superhero flicks but still enjoy the core concept,
02:08Code 8 is the movie for you.
02:10It performs better world-building in the first five minutes than most blockbusters manage
02:14in their entirety.
02:15The special effects are used sparingly but always look slick and polished.
02:19Also, if you're a fan of CW's Arrowverse, Code 8 has siblings Steven and Robbie Amell as
02:24the two leads.
02:25The only real detriment is the film only clocks in at 98 minutes.
02:30Because the filmmakers created such a magnificent world, it's a shame the viewers didn't get
02:33a chance to see more of it.
02:35Number 8 Spectral Spectral centers on a supernatural black ops team who fight ghosts.
02:41Based on the premise alone, you'd think this is the sort of trashy B-movie churned out
02:45by Asylum Studios.
02:47But Spectral works because everything is played straight.
02:50When the military first detect the phantoms on a spectral camera, they assume they're
02:53just a glitch.
02:55When the apparitions begin attacking soldiers, the government officials assume they're dealing
02:58with a human enemy with cloaking technologies.
03:01When the officials realize the threat is supernatural, they refuse to tell their men, believing they
03:05won't take the mission seriously.
03:07Unsurprisingly, this lack of communication prevents the soldiers from being prepared for the metaphysical
03:12threat, causing many of them to die needlessly.
03:15Instead of filling the runtime with excessive backstories and forced banter, Spectral jumps
03:20into the action straight away and rarely lets up.
03:23Since the enemy is invisible and can kill anyone it touches, every scene is dripping with tension.
03:28Even though once-respected sci-fi franchises like The Terminator and The Matrix have been chucking
03:33out pointless and bloated sequels in recent years, creative films like Spectral prove the
03:38genre still has plenty to offer.
03:40Number 7.
03:41Prospect
03:42In Prospect, a teenage girl called C finds herself stuck on an alien planet.
03:47Out of desperation, she is forced to ally with Ezra, the man who's indirectly responsible
03:52for her father's death.
03:54From the very beginning, the sci-fi aspect is on full display, but as the plot unfolds,
03:58it focuses more on Ezra and C building a relationship despite their heated conflict.
04:03Even though Ezra could be depicted as irredeemable, Pedro Pascal has no difficulty finding the character's
04:10humanity, making you deeply care about him even though his duplicity makes it impossible
04:15to tell where his loyalty truly lies.
04:18Because of the shoestring budget, under $4 million, the special effects are minimal.
04:23However, fans of the genre won't feel cheated at all since the powerhouse performances of
04:27the leads are guaranteed to keep anyone enthralled.
04:31Since Prospect isn't well known, it's no surprise it failed to make a splash upon its
04:35release back in 2018.
04:37But due to its subtle world-building, sharp script, non-clichéd characters and nuanced
04:42performances, it's gradually earning a reputation as an underappreciated gem in the genre.
04:48Number 6.
04:49Oxygen Oxygen opens with a woman called Liz awakening in a sealed chamber.
04:55She is informed by an artificial intelligence unit that she will run out of air in under
04:58two hours.
04:59At first, the premise sounds identical to Ryan Reynolds buried, save for the futuristic
05:05setting.
05:06But Oxygen has one difference that stops it from feeling like a carbon copy.
05:09In this film, Liz doesn't know who she is, meaning she cannot begin to guess why she's
05:14been placed in such a container.
05:16She doesn't even know if her chamber is in a science lab, underground or outer space.
05:20Not only that, her AI is programmed to avoid answering key questions, forcing Liz to speak
05:26to the computer in a roundabout way to uncover the truth.
05:29When Liz starts to piece everything together, the viewer might feel like the story will lose
05:33its appeal, since the mystery is gone.
05:35But don't worry.
05:36Oxygen keeps throwing curveballs at you until the last few minutes, not giving the viewer
05:41a moment to relax.
05:43With an intricate script, a phenomenal performance from Melanie Laurent and creative direction,
05:48Oxygen is guaranteed to keep viewers engaged from start to finish.
05:52Number 5.
05:53Advantageous Advantageous is set in a future where most of humanity is suffering with poverty
05:59and infertility.
06:00When a mother called Gwen loses her job and is unable to secure an education for her daughter,
06:05she agrees to an experimental procedure which will transfer her mind into a better, younger
06:09body.
06:10When the transfer is successful, Gwen assumes her whole life will turn out for the better.
06:15Unfortunately, this is not the case.
06:17One problem which many futuristic films suffer is how they overstuff scenes with an ostentatious
06:22amount of special effects, which can be quite distracting.
06:25After all, it's hard to get invested in a character's story while they are flying cars
06:29zooming around in the background.
06:31Even though Advantageous is set in the dystopian future, the visuals and the post-apocalyptic
06:36angle are heavily downplayed, making the story more relatable.
06:40In fact, the movie focuses so much on the characters, it's easy to forget that the story takes place in the
06:45future.
06:46It effectively juggles themes about racism, ageism and class conflict while never taking away
06:51from the fundamental story.
06:53Number 4, Level 16.
06:56Level 16 revolves around an all-girls militaristic facility called the Vestalis Academy.
07:01All the students are trained by the facilitators to have feminine virtues to help them get adopted.
07:07Even though the overseers are abhorrently strict and cruel, the girls obey them without question,
07:12believing the academy is their only chance of having a real family.
07:15But when one teenager, Vivian, suspects her mentors are hiding something from her, she
07:20does all she can to expose their true intentions.
07:23Level 16 plays out like a much smarter version of Michael Bay's The Island.
07:27The premise may be similar, but Level 16 feels more like a psychological drama akin to Black
07:32Mirror rather than a sci-fi flick.
07:34Even though the horror factor could have been ramped up, it is rarely utilized, which makes
07:38the scary parts far more disturbing.
07:41Because the girls are meant to be emotionless and laconic, it would be easy for the characters
07:45to come across as dull, but due to the film's talented ensemble, especially the lead Katie
07:50Douglas, the cast invoke a lot of emotion while saying very little.
07:55Number 3, Freaks.
07:57Freaks begins with a young girl called Chloe being forced by her father to memorise details
08:01about her fake mother.
08:03When she can't answer a basic question about sport, her dad tells Chloe her behaviour is going
08:07to get her killed.
08:09Although her father tells Chloe very little about the outside world, she believes he is
08:12just keeping her safe.
08:14But there's still many things she doesn't understand.
08:17What is so dangerous out there?
08:18Why does Chloe sometimes wake up in a different house?
08:21Why does a chained woman appear in her room sometimes?
08:24It's better to go into Freaks blind, since being aware of the premise will spoil the film's
08:28many surprises.
08:30Even though the viewer knows for a fact that not everything is as it seems, the plot goes in
08:34directions which the most attentive viewer won't expect.
08:36For the majority of the movie, it's impossible to tell if the characters around Chloe are
08:41evil or they are genuinely trying to protect her.
08:44The big reveal may not be particularly original, but it doesn't feel anticlimactic, since the
08:48film forces the viewer to be completely invested in Chloe's journey of self-discovery.
08:53Number 2, What Happened to Monday.
08:56What Happened to Monday takes place in a world where overpopulation has forced the world's
09:01governments to issue a law so families can only bear one child.
09:05After a woman dies giving birth to identical septuplets, their grandfather Terence takes
09:09them in and names them after the seven days of the week.
09:13To avoid the government learning of the children's existence, Terence orders each of them to
09:17venture out in public on the day they're named after.
09:20Monday goes out on Monday, Tuesday goes out on Tuesday, etc. etc.
09:23So they can pretend they're all the same person.
09:26After living in secret for 30 years, Monday disappears, jeopardising the family's life.
09:32Even though What Happened to Monday has fluid action and an inventive world, it's the performances
09:36that stand out.
09:38Although Willem Dafoe is known for playing larger-than-life characters, films like this
09:42prove he's equally as talented at portraying someone more down-to-earth.
09:45However, it's impossible for Noomi Rapace not to dominate the film since she plays the
09:50septuplets.
09:51Even though playing multiple parts can cause an actor to overact to define each of them,
09:55Rapace makes all seven characters feel like human beings rather than caricatures.
10:00Number 1.
10:01I Am Mother
10:02I Am Mother centres around an android called Mother who cares for a girl called Daughter
10:07in a secluded facility after human civilisation has been destroyed.
10:12Even though the robot seems devoted to Daughter, an encounter with a mysterious woman makes
10:16her realise Mother may not be as benevolent as she appears.
10:20As intriguing as the premise is, I Am Mother's could come across as boring due to its minimal
10:25sets and cast.
10:26Thankfully, the phenomenal performances of Hilary Swank and Clara Rougard will ensure viewers
10:31are absolutely captivated.
10:33However, Swank isn't the standout for once.
10:36Despite being a two-time Oscar-winning actress, it's Mother who dominates the film.
10:40With her unblinking eye and clanking movements, she's guaranteed to keep the viewer on edge.
10:46Her gentle voice makes her more unnerving, especially when she justifies actions that
10:50are suspicious or immoral.
10:52Even though Mother is just a guy in a suit, the practical effects are so good the average
10:57viewer would assume the robot is 100% CGI.
11:00When you realise this character was brought to life mostly through animatronics and practical
11:04effects, you appreciate the film even more.
11:07And that concludes our list.
11:09If you can think of any other examples, then do let us know in the comments below and while
11:12you're there, don't forget to like and subscribe and tap that notification bell.
11:16Also head over to Twitter and follow us there and I can be found across various social medias
11:20just by searching Ellie Littlechild.
11:22I've been Ellie with WhatCulture.
11:24I hope you have a magical day and I'll see you real soon.
Be the first to comment