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These sci-fi gems deserve a much bigger audience! Join us as we count down our picks for the most underrated and overlooked sci-fi films that need to be on your watchlist! From time-travel thrillers to alien encounters, these hidden gems will leave you wondering why you hadn't discovered them sooner. So dim the lights, grab your popcorn and prepare to explore the unknown!
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00:00Hey, Mike, I need to show you something.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the sci-fi flicks that need a bigger audience.
00:07Maybe I have lost my mind, but whoever I am, I'm still me, and I'm not a killer.
00:12Number 10, The Vast of Night.
00:14This underrated sci-fi flick took audiences by surprise when it premiered at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival.
00:20There's something in the sky, ma'am.
00:21I know. That's what I want to talk to you about.
00:26I can tell you a lot more than you know right now if you come here.
00:29Taking place in 1950s New Mexico, The Vast of Night is inspired by real-life alleged UFO sightings in the
00:35United States.
00:35Hey, where'd you go?
00:37Winnie, we got a call coming through, and the same sound came from her line, but I couldn't get her
00:42name or anything.
00:44She didn't sound heard. What should I do?
00:48Winnie?
00:49Andrew Patterson's impressive debut follows radio DJ Everett and switchboard operator Faye as they investigate a concerning audio signal.
00:56Ah, Liam Moses.
01:01That's it.
01:02Upon its release at drive-in theaters and Amazon Prime, the film received an abundance of critical acclaim,
01:07even drawing comparisons to Steven Spielberg.
01:09In other words, if you love Close Encounters of the Third Kind, you owe it to yourself to check this
01:13one out.
01:13Everett.
01:15Please.
01:16Go with it.
01:17Number 9, Safety Not Guaranteed.
01:19This film doesn't guarantee your safety, but it does guarantee to warm your heart.
01:23Do you sell guns here?
01:26What kind of guns?
01:28I don't know.
01:30Something sexy and affordable with killing power.
01:34Aubrey Plaza plays Darius, a magazine intern assigned to write a profile in a grocery store employee,
01:38who took out an ad seeking a time-traveling companion.
01:41So, what's the year?
01:43Where are we going?
01:442001. Is that going to work for you?
01:46It's perfect.
01:48The man in question, Kenneth, played by Mark Duplass, bonds with Darius as the two both carry an excessive amount
01:53of emotional baggage.
01:53People tell you that there are other girls out there, you know, and it's not just about a girl, it's
02:01about, it's about a time and a place.
02:05Far from your typical sci-fi fare, Safety Not Guaranteed focuses on the feelings over action, creating a bittersweet narrative
02:12that sticks with you.
02:12Whether you love sci-fi, rom-coms, or both, you're bound to adore this one, too.
02:17I really like your intensity. You're like no-nonsense.
02:20Well, there's no sense in nonsense, especially when the heat's hot.
02:23Number 8. Colossal
02:24No stranger to sci-fi, director Nacho Vigalondo's 2016 dark comedy, Colossal, is a tribute to the beloved giant movie
02:31monster genre known as kaiju.
02:33This is the creature's third appearance. Surprisingly, no report of casualties or property damage, as the monster hasn't moved from
02:40the spot of its initial appearance.
02:42The story centers around Gloria, a woman coping with an alcohol use disorder who moves back home following a breakup.
02:47Shortly after her return, she discovers she can remotely control a massive reptilian creature that is terrorizing the city of
02:52Seoul.
02:53Is it there?
02:53The giant monster? Yeah.
03:02Starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis in some of their best work, Colossal excels through taking chances in ways few
03:07modern movies do.
03:08Hi. I'm the robot. She's the monster.
03:11Please.
03:14I'm leaving. I'm leaving.
03:16And the affection for the classic monster movies that came before it is clear.
03:20Yeah.
03:21Yeah, yeah. Catch your breath.
03:22Number 7. Upstream Color
03:23If you like your sci-fi with a side of abstract, then look no further than Upstream Color.
03:28How about that guy?
03:29Tell me about him.
03:31He's divorced.
03:34Yeah.
03:35Yeah.
03:36Because she cheated?
03:40No?
03:42No.
03:43This 2013 film centers on Jeff and Chris, two strangers who find themselves affected by a parasitic larva.
03:48Who said that?
03:50Who said that?
03:51Who said they were crackles?
03:52Crackles.
03:53They could be starlings.
03:54They could be starlings.
03:55Shane Carruth's long-awaited follow-up to his micro-budget sensation Primer is a thought-provoking tale that draws you
04:01in deeper moment by moment,
04:03particularly with its captivating score, which the writer-director also composed.
04:12Made on a shoestring budget, the movie's truly a masterclass in indie filmmaking.
04:16It may not all make sense on your first or even fifth viewing, but the emotional potency is heightened by
04:21the beautiful abstractness of it all.
04:26Number 6. Summertime Machine Blues
04:28There's no shortage of great movies involving time travel.
04:31However, one of the best of the subgenre hasn't received as much attention as it deserves.
04:35Do you want me to bring it back to you?
04:38No, I'm not.
04:39What are you doing?
04:40What are you doing?
04:41Japan's Summertime Machine Blues is a sci-fi comedy that achieved recognition in its home country, but has flown under
04:46the radar internationally.
04:48Centered on a group of university students who happen upon a time machine, it's full of chaotic and hilarious situations.
04:53What are you doing?
04:55What are you doing?
04:57It's totally fun and at times wild.
05:00Summertime Machine Blues is a sci-fi comedy at its best.
05:02Who?
05:03Who?
05:03What?
05:04Sakura Sasuke's son is my brother.
05:10And the most uproarious moments are still side-splitting on subsequent viewing.
05:14That's right!
05:15What are you doing?
05:18What are you doing?
05:20I'm a man!
05:23I'm a man!
05:36Even with his seal of approval, Alex Proyas' Dark City has largely gone unnoticed upon its release.
05:42The movie follows an amnesic man and murder suspect on the run from a group known as The Strangers.
05:46They think they can find the human soul if they understand how our memories work.
05:51A masterful blending of sci-fi and noir genres, the film is a visual feast for the eyes.
05:56Hello?
05:57Starring Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly, Kiefer Sutherland, and William Hurt, Dark City didn't hit it off with audiences but amassed
06:03a cult following thanks to Ebert's praise and its unique visual style.
06:06No one ever listens to me.
06:084. Europa Report
06:10An amalgamation of sci-fi and found footage, Europa Report is a truly chilling and grounded look at a space
06:15mission gone wrong.
06:16I saw something outside the ship from up there through the portal.
06:20Following a crew traveling to visit one of Jupiter's moons, the film takes a turn when they lose contact with
06:25Earth and the tragic results that follow, all while attempting to find signs of life.
06:31Intimate and personal, there are moments throughout the film where you could easily think you're watching actual recovered footage.
06:36The ice is cracking under the ship.
06:38It's a nerve-wracking depiction of the dangers of space travel that rewards patience and its viewers. Best watched alone
06:44with the lights out.
06:45Our universe is far stranger, far more alive than we had ever imagined.
06:503. Time Crimes
06:52Hailing from Spain, Time Crimes is about time travel gone wrong. Very, very wrong.
06:56Hello?
06:58Yes.
06:58Have you heard something?
07:01One question.
07:03Is this man who has a caravan?
07:05It follows a man, Hector, who after grossly spying on a woman who becomes unconscious, flees the situation.
07:11Then a scientist via a walkie-talkie encourages him to hide inside what happens to be a time machine.
07:16Hey!
07:19No!
07:20This results in Hector becoming trapped in a loop where he'll encounter his past self.
07:24Oh yeah, and he's also being followed by a man dressed in bandages.
07:27It's a little confusing, but the story unfolds in unexpected and exciting ways, making time crimes a crime to skip
07:32out on.
07:33You're mad.
07:36Number two, Primer.
07:37Made for just $7,000, the sci-fi indie hit Primer was low on budget but big on impressions.
07:42If we're still playing by the rules, then this is what I want to try.
07:45In his feature film debut, Shane Carruth tells the story of two engineers, Aaron and Abe, who by accident figure
07:51out time travel.
07:52We start the machine with the wee boy at the A in. It travels forward and you gotta write this
07:56down.
07:57Aaron, there's nothing to write down.
07:58Well then I'm writing it.
07:59Okay.
07:59The dialogue is full of technical terminology and the themes delve into philosophical ideas, making it a cerebral viewing experience.
08:06How would you do it?
08:08I wouldn't.
08:09Just for fun.
08:11Still wouldn't.
08:11The picture went on to win the grand jury prize for a dramatic film at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
08:16Never holding the viewer's hand, Primer is proof that filmmakers can still astound you, even without millions of dollars at
08:22their disposal.
08:23From this they deduced that the problem was recursive, but beyond that found themselves admitting against their own nature.
08:29And once again, that the answer was unknowable.
08:32What do you think he changed?
08:33It couldn't have been much.
08:42Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album, Balance.
08:46Classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
08:50Check out the full track and album below.
08:52Fortune calls, rise and ruin, night and noon, all are prisoners of the moon.
09:06Number one, Coherence.
09:082013's Coherence makes the most of its compact 89 minutes of screen time, with much of the dialogue being improvised.
09:14When was the last time we were all together like this?
09:16I was thinking right before Thanksgiving, most of us were there.
09:20Directed and written by James Ward Burkett, the film follows a dinner party attended by eight friends on the night
09:25that a comet passes Earth.
09:26And soon, strange occurrences begin to take place.
09:29Well, we can't just sit here.
09:30What else?
09:31Do you guys have any...
09:32Do you have books?
09:34Books on what? Books on comets?
09:36As the film unfolds, reality and the truth become unclear.
09:39Thrilling and unpredictable, it's a passion project that became critically praised and an audience favorite.
09:44Everything okay with the numbers?
09:46Yeah.
09:46A must watch for sci-fi fans and or anyone else who appreciates the art of indie filmmaking.
09:51Coherence is a modern work that would make Rod Serling proud.
09:55I can't f***ing staff line!
09:56It'll be alright.
09:57Just calm down.
09:58Which one of these sci-fi gems are you adding to your watchlist?
10:01Let us know in the comments.
10:08Next!
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