Recommend me an epic sci-fi film?

I was going to go FFS two pages in and nobody’s mentioned Serenity yet. And then I noticed Northwind has… 😳

But, Serenity.

I also enjoyed the Abrams Star Trek movies…. no, really…

Silent Running
The Martian
Moon
And

Akira (but only with English subtitles, do not watch it dubbed).

I’d second the mention of the Expanse, Battlestar Galactica, Event Horizon.

It got bad reports but I quite enjoyed ARQ on netflix just for the concept.

Blackmirror is good too but more of 1 hour long mini films of random Sci Fi stories

The Fifth Element. – possibly one of the best films ever made!
Dune +1.
& Logan’s Run.

+1 for 12 Monkeys. One of my favourite films. Always felt it deserved a follow up film, and only just realised they’ve created a series from it.

The Expanse is so good putting off books for a while as I don’t want to spoil tv series.
Akira like Ming says with subtitles.
Ghost in the Shell watch it now before Hollywood waters it down.
Ghost in the Shell Innocence.

Complete film.

Time travel film and quite good. Give a chance, as its an Indie film as well.

Neon Genesis.

In terms of time travel ‘Primer’ is hard to beat

The Forgotten[/url]

Deja Vu[/url]

Not futuristic space alien sci-fi but still sci-fi, perhaps the former less so – still a good film.

But, Serenity.

Bah, watch Firefly first.

Don’t see the Men in Black movies mentioned, always enjoyed them, seem to remember finding the third surprisingly good, having expected it to have jumped the shark by that point!

Was going to mentioned Looper as well, see it’s on Netflix at the moment.

Moon was definitely worthwhile, seemed a bit slow but felt like a proper classic sci-fi book made into a movie, Philip K. Dick crossed with Aasimov or something.

When oh when will we see a Culture movie? So much potential in the right hands.

Another Earth with the excellent Brit Marling worth a look for something a bit different.

Melancholia by Lars Von Trier is in a similar vein

When oh when will we see a Culture movie? So much potential in the right hands.

I love the culture books, very much the definition of epic Sci-fi. I worry about how Hollywood might adapt Banks’ work now he’s gone, I’m not sure it would be easy to chop it all up into nice, profitable, 90 minute chunks. some of it might work as film, but I would rather Netflix or amazon took it on a book at a time to make as a series…

There’s a ton of stuff on Netflix and Amazon prime at present… Just have a dip and see what flicks your switch…

The Martian is pretty good, if a a bit ‘merkin at the end.

If you like your dystopian mixed with Terry Gilliam then watch Brazil.
Pacific Rim is the best antidote to any of the (sh!te) Transformers movies and indeed most dumb Hollywood blockbusters.
Monsters is very good ( may be a bit slow for some) , leads in nicely to Godzilla and then Rogue One by the same director.
Moon is just plain awesome 🙂
Another vote here for The Expanse, not quite up to Battelstar Galactica but very, very good nonetheless.

The day the earth stood still (the original. Don’t bother with the remake it is dire)

If you liked Interstellar, how about Inception?
Brazil – to complement Ton’s choice of 12 Monkeys
Another Earth
For silliness, Iron Sky

John Carpenters, The Thing (still have nightmares about the computer simulation of time from first infection to last human assimilated)

Another vote for Brazil
Close Encounters of the third kind.

john_drummer – Member
I’m currently enjoying The Expanse on Netflix. Outlander is a good film too – humanoid alien lands on Earth in the time of the Vikings, inadvertently bringing a “dragon” with him which duly proceeds to terrorise the neighbourhood

Thanks for pointing out The Expanse is on Netflix. I really like the books so glad I’m able to catch the series. Also reassuring to hear it’s pretty good!

Can’t believe those who’ve mentioned Netflix haven’t mentioned stranger things, also check out the new planet of the apes movie.
As a slightly left field choice try the cloud atlas. It’s a glorious mess of a film, those who’ve read the book say it’s not a patch on it, but I don’t want to ruin the bonkers film by reading the book.
Also man in the high castle on Amazon is supposed to be good.

Arrival.

Gob-smackingly open-mouthed astonishing and deep as a very deep thing from Mrs Deep’s shop of Deep.

Anyone remember a sci fi film from the 70’s where a group of scientists were on a space station for a prolonged time. I recall the ace buggy’s they used to zip around, and one went a bit mad but I can’t remember the name of the film?

As it hasn’t been mentioned, The last starfighter, although the cgi might not have aged well

+1 to the thing (original version)
Matrix trilogy
Event horizon

I’d second 2010 The Year We Make Contact, a more straightforward story than 2001, but still with a fairly epic scope.
And it’s got Roy Scheider, John Lithgow and Helen Mirren in it, as well.

Ghost in the Shell watch it now before Hollywood waters it down.

No evidence that I’ve seen so far that this is going to be the case, the Japanese creator is fully behind it, unless you’re one of the muppets bleating on about ‘Hollywood whitewashing’ of the characters…
Which ignores so many of the actual facts about the original character ethnicity, the locations, etc.
I prefer to wait until I’ve actually seen the film when I can give a proper, informed opinion.

Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow – a nice retro animated style

Galaxy Quest – not exactly epic, but funny anyway

Anyone remember a sci fi film from the 70’s where a group of scientists were on a space station for a prolonged time. I recall the ace buggy’s they used to zip around, and one went a bit mad but I can’t remember the name of the film?

Silent Running

Cheers Rorschach. 😀

Battlestar Galactica and then The Expanse, (ok not movies) – watch Galactica first as it has a better storyline and actors but dated visuals – whilst the Expanse has a pretty decent storyline, passable actors, great visuals and cool attention to detail in terms of life in space.

Gattaca. One of my favourites

Anyone remember a sci fi film from the 70’s where a group of scientists were on a space station for a prolonged time. I recall the ace buggy’s they used to zip around, and one went a bit mad but I can’t remember the name of the film?

Silent Running?

The Expanse is only one series in. I wouldn’t compare it to bsg until they’ve put out as many seasons. I think it may prove to be better in the long run.
I was going to suggest Moon but it’s already been mentioned and rightly so.

Anyone mention this? It’s called Midnight Special and I’ve just watched it, it’s rather good. It’s also got Kylo Ren from The Force Awakens in it, and he’s bloody good in this too.

^ A fine recommendation!

The thing from another world.
The day the earth stood still.
Forbidden Planet.
Arrival – I’m still running it through my mind. Genuinely moving.
Close Encounters – saw it as a very small boy in the pictures. Still a brilliant film.
ET.
Super 8.
Planet of the Apes – the original.
Serenity.
It came from outer space.
Contact.
Apollo 13 – science fact but worthy of inclusion.
The Right Stuff – again not fiction but compelling. 😀

Another few from me:

The Maze Runner – theres two in the series so far, the third is due out next year sometime..theyre a bit teenagery but fine..
Trancendance with Jonny Depp in, thats pretty good too if you don’t know the storyline.

Live, die, repeat
Ex machina
Martian
Divergent trilogy (bit teen, but enjoyed!)
Moon
oblivion

Kato – Member
Gattaca. One of my favourites

A very, very underrated film. Well worth going back to.

What about this? Its been spruced up to mark it’s 40th (yes, 40th) anniversary…

True story: That film is where Iron Maiden took their logo font from. They appear to have altered it a little there, though.

People have mentioned Silent Running: Personally, I thought it was poo.

I’d +1 Gattaca

One from lef-tfield: Pandorum. Yes, it’s highly derivative, but it’s an interesting yarn and is worth a watch IMO.