A List of Sci-Fi Films You can Watch this Weekend | Movie Time
- Andi Dela Torre Griffiths | Memento Vivere Blog
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Hola! Hope you had a productive week. Today, I'll share some Science Fiction/Cyberpunk show recommendations you can add to your watch list. I really enjoy watching sci-fi (aside from rom-coms and chick flicks) because I like the whole futuristic vibe. I also like how such movies explore human psychology, technology, and societal issues in a different timeline. I've added stars to the ones I enjoyed the most.
A List of Sci-Fi Films You can Watch this Weekend
Mute | 2018 Sci-Fi/Thriller
Based on online reviews, not many viewers liked this film, but I'm adding it to the list anyway, because I think it still deserves a spot. If you love Cyberpunk visuals, you might enjoy this. It's got a lot of neon lights, futuristic vehicles, buildings, and all that stuff.
The story for this one takes place in Berlin (in the year 2052), and it revolves around a mute bartender in search of his missing girlfriend.
Downsizing ⭐
Among the movies on this list, this is probably the most unrealistic, but it was entertaining because the story was unique. It's about a couple who learned of a new experiment that offered financial incentives- a scientific procedure that can shrink humans known as Downsizing. So basically, anyone who participates in this experiment gets rich quickly because their money increases in value when they move to the mini community for small people.
Kimi
The beautiful Zoë Kravitz stars in this sci-fi tech thriller. The film shows the life of a work-from-home professional who monitors conversations recorded by a smart device called Kimi (like an Amazon Echo or Alexa), and the tough challenges that come with the job.
It discusses various issues, like isolation and the complexity of building a relationship when you're struggling mentally (the main character has agoraphobia). But I think it centered more on showing that moral decisions can have serious consequences, especially if you're up against a big corporation.
Surrogates ⭐
In the movie's futuristic world, people no longer need to go out because everyone's already got robotic surrogates- these can be controlled from home, and can be customized to look however one wants them to look. So if you want buff, sexy, tall, cute, or whatever, you can do so. It's a really nice sci-fi film. It's one of those that make you see the great importance of personal interaction. I highly recommend this.
Restore Point
Set in the year 2041, this cyberpunkish film is about a dystopian world in which those who die an unnatural death are allowed to be resuscitated. So, let’s say you die in this world… if you have a backup of your memories, they can use it to regenerate you using the Restore Point technology (government-owned). In the story, a detective investigates the murder of a tech couple, whom she later realizes might be connected to a terrorist organization.
If you enjoyed Blade Runner, you might like this film because they have the same vibe.
The Minority Report ⭐
Based on a 1950s novel, The Minority Report is what most would consider a classic. A very interesting show that would surely appeal to those who also like action and investigations. Set in the year 2054 in the Washington metropolitan area, the movie follows the story of clairvoyant detectives who see crimes before they happen (through visions). They are called precogs (as in precognitives) and belong to a program called Precrime.
It's (kind of) hard to explain the rest without spoiling the narrative, so please, go ahead and watch it.
Westworld ⭐
This 1970s movie set in the year 1983 is about a technology company called Delos that offers immersive vacations in three themed "worlds" — the Western World, Medieval World, and Roman World. For $1,000/day, vacationers can be whoever they want to be and do whatever they want to do without the usual consequences we would get in real life. It’s like an amusement park for adults.
The three "worlds" are controlled by computer scientists who make sure the guests are satisfied by creating the scenarios they desire and fulfilling their fantasies- no matter how weird or twisted they may be. It shows just how crazy humans can get when order or punishment is out of the picture- like how a simple desire can grow into dangerous lust, or how violent things can get when there is literal total liberty.I feel like this film would have been a great subject for a paper in Film Appreciation or Human Psychology in college.
Uglies
Uglies is about an era where beauty standards have become so high that it has become mandatory to get surgery if you want to belong and function normally in society. It's not the most entertaining film, and I have also read some negative reviews (most of which say it was so different from the book), but I don't think it's that bad.
Archive
Set in the year 2038, this British sci-fi is about a scientist named George who tries to push the limits of artificial intelligence to bring his beloved wife back (she died in a car accident). Using his knowledge and the resources available at his workplace, he secretly tries to create a robot version of his wife.
The title Archive comes from the name of the company in the movie that developed the devices that stored human consciousness. Interesting.
The Kitchen
Another British sci-fi on our list is The Kitchen, which focuses more on housing/societal issues in dystopian London. In the film, the elimination of social housing has left many people struggling. Those who couldn’t afford to keep up with this change refused to leave their homes and formed a community at a building they called The Kitchen (their version of the slums). The story is about them, and Izi, a salesman who’s saving up for a spot in a nice apartment called Buena Vida.
There’s more to the story, but I’ll leave the rest to the show. Personally, I think this is more of a drama that can also be used in film analysis classes, where you explore the themes of the show and its relevance to what’s happening today.
So I think that is all for today's list of sci-fi films. I still have more shows in mind, but I’ll stop here for now. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a great day.
