To become a connoisseur of movies, one must know what he or she is talking about. That means watching loads of movies, analyzing them, and thinking about them. A connoisseur does not simply watch a movie and spout a few opinions: the connoisseur is much more refined, elegant and dignified than that, and knows how to use “whom” in a sentence.

The connoisseur:

A connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.

source: The Oatmeal

Today, however, we’re talking about the fine art that is science fiction film. I consider myself quite a science fiction connoisseur – to be even more specific: a connoissuer of dystopian science fiction. After all, I wrote my MA thesis on the topic, for which I watched over 50 dystopian sci-fi’s in 3 weeks. Do the math. That’s dedication.

My advice is to not overdo it like I did, though. You get stir crazy. And you may start seeing hints of evil Orwellian government plots in the news all the time.

… Wait.

Brazil – source: Universal Studios

Anyway, to become a true science fiction connoisseur, I recommend you at least watch the following movies. I would say that if you’ve seen about 50 of these, you could consider yourself a connoisseur. But more is … more!

Note: this list is by no means a ranking. Just watch all of them. While some of these movies are better than others, they all added to the sci-fi genre in their own, significant ways. They are ordered by year of release.

I’ve chopped this list in two, otherwise it’s just so damn long! At the end of the list, on page 2, you’ll find a quiz with which you can test what kind of science fiction connoisseur you are!

The Ultimate List of Sci-Fi Movies

70. Metropolis

Metropolis (1927)
	Rating: 8.4/10 (80,932 votes) Director: Fritz Lang Writer: Thea von Harbou (screenplay), Thea von Harbou (novel) Stars: Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp Runtime: 153 min Rated: Not Rated Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi Released: 13 Mar 1927
Plot: In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.

69. Woman in the Moon

Woman in the Moon (1929)
	Rating: 7.4/10 (1,430 votes) Director: Fritz Lang Writer: Thea von Harbou (novel), Fritz Lang (screenplay), Hermann Oberth (scientific material), Thea von Harbou (manuscript) Stars: Klaus Pohl, Willy Fritsch, Gustav von Wangenheim, Gerda Maurus Runtime: 95 min Rated: N/A Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Released: 06 Feb 1931
Plot: A tenacious scientist blasts off for the moon in hopes of riches that may be found there.

 68. Frankenstein

Frankenstein (1931)
	Rating: 8.0/10 (38,443 votes) Director: James Whale Writer: John L. Balderston (based upon the composition by), Mary Shelley (from the novel by), Peggy Webling (adapted from the play by), Garrett Fort (screen play), Francis Edward Faragoh (screen play), Richard Schayer (scenario editor) Stars: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff Runtime: 70 min Rated: Unrated Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi Released: 21 Nov 1931
Plot: Horror classic in which an obsessed scientist assembles a living being from parts of exhumed corpses.

67. The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man (1933)
	Rating: 7.7/10 (15,792 votes) Director: James Whale Writer: H.G. Wells, R.C. Sherriff (screenplay) Stars: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers Runtime: 71 min Rated: Unrated Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi Released: 13 Nov 1933
Plot: A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.

66. The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
	Rating: 7.9/10 (55,768 votes) Director: Robert Wise Writer: Edmund H. North (screen play), Harry Bates (based on a story by) Stars: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe Runtime: 92 min Rated: Approved Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller Released: 28 Sep 1951
Plot: An alien lands and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.

65. The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds (1953)
	Rating: 7.1/10 (20,478 votes) Director: Byron Haskin Writer: H.G. Wells (novel), Barré Lyndon (screenplay) Stars: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite Runtime: 85 min Rated: Approved Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi Released: 26 Aug 1953
Plot: The film adaptation of the H.G.Wells story told on radio of the invasion of Earth by Martians.

64. Forbidden Planet

Forbidden Planet (1956)
	Rating: 7.7/10 (27,176 votes) Director: Fred M. Wilcox Writer: Cyril Hume (screen play), Irving Block (based on a story by), Allen Adler (based on a story by) Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens Runtime: 98 min Rated: TV-PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Released: 15 Mar 1956
Plot: A starship crew goes to investigate the silence of a planet's colony only to find two survivors and a deadly secret that one of them has.

63. Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
	Rating: 7.8/10 (26,817 votes) Director: Don Siegel Writer: Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay), Jack Finney (Collier's magazine serial) Stars: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan Runtime: 80 min Rated: Approved Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi Released: 05 Feb 1956
Plot: A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.

62. Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
	Rating: 7.2/10 (26,578 votes) Director: François Truffaut Writer: François Truffaut (screenplay), Jean-Louis Richard (screenplay), Ray Bradbury (novel) Stars: Julie Christie, Oskar Werner, Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring Runtime: 112 min Rated: Unrated Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller Released: 14 Nov 1966
Plot: In an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task.

61. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
	Rating: 8.3/10 (294,983 votes) Director: Stanley Kubrick Writer: Stanley Kubrick (screenplay), Arthur C. Clarke (screenplay) Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter Runtime: 160 min Rated: G Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi Released: 11 Apr 1968
Plot: Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest.

60. Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes (1968)
	Rating: 8.0/10 (109,646 votes) Director: Franklin J. Schaffner Writer: Michael Wilson (screenplay), Rod Serling (screenplay), Pierre Boulle (novel) Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans Runtime: 112 min Rated: G Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi Released: 03 Apr 1968
Plot: An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

59. A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange (1971)
	Rating: 8.4/10 (386,509 votes) Director: Stanley Kubrick Writer: Stanley Kubrick (screenplay), Anthony Burgess (novel) Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke Runtime: 136 min Rated: X Genre: Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi Released: 02 Feb 1972
Plot: In future Britain, charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge is jailed and volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem - but not all goes according to plan.

58. THX 1138

THX 1138 (1971)
	Rating: 6.8/10 (32,191 votes) Director: George Lucas Writer: George Lucas (story), George Lucas (earlier screenplay), George Lucas (screenplay), Walter Murch (screenplay) Stars: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley, Maggie McOmie Runtime: 86 min Rated: R Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller Released: 11 Mar 1971
Plot: Set in the 25th century, the story centers around a man and a woman who rebel against their rigidly controlled society.

57. Solaris

Solaris (1972)
	Rating: 8.1/10 (38,322 votes) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky Writer: Stanislaw Lem (novel), Fridrikh Gorenshteyn (screenplay), Andrei Tarkovsky (screenplay) Stars: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy Runtime: 167 min Rated: PG Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi Released: 20 Mar 1972
Plot: A psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.

56. Soylent Green

Soylent Green (1973)
	Rating: 7.1/10 (35,524 votes) Director: Richard Fleischer Writer: Stanley R. Greenberg (screenplay), Harry Harrison (novel) Stars: Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors, Joseph Cotten Runtime: 97 min Rated: PG Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller Released: 09 May 1973
Plot: In an overpopulated futuristic Earth, a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff.

55. Logan’s Run

Logan's Run (1976)
	Rating: 6.8/10 (31,848 votes) Director: Michael Anderson Writer: David Zelag Goodman (screenplay), William F. Nolan (novel), George Clayton Johnson (novel) Stars: Michael York, Richard Jordan, Jenny Agutter, Roscoe Lee Browne Runtime: 119 min Rated: PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Released: 23 Jun 1976
Plot: An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback: life must end at 30.

54. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
	Rating: 8.8/10 (625,633 votes) Director: George Lucas Writer: George Lucas Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing Runtime: 121 min Rated: PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Released: 25 May 1977
Plot: Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a wookiee and two droids to save the universe from the Empire's world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader.

53. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
	Rating: 7.7/10 (108,749 votes) Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Steven Spielberg Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon Runtime: 137 min Rated: PG Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi Released: 16 Nov 1977
Plot: After an encounter with UFOs, a line worker feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.

52. Alien

Alien (1979)
	Rating: 8.5/10 (391,087 votes) Director: Ridley Scott Writer: Dan O'Bannon (story), Ronald Shusett (story), Dan O'Bannon (screenplay) Stars: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton Runtime: 117 min Rated: R Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi Released: 22 Jun 1979
Plot: The commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew heads home only to realize that a deadly bioform has joined them.

51. Mad Max

Mad Max (1979)
	Rating: 7.0/10 (94,647 votes) Director: George Miller Writer: James McCausland (screenplay), George Miller (screenplay) Stars: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley Runtime: 88 min Rated: R Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller Released: 12 Apr 1979
Plot: A vengeful Australian policeman sets out to avenge his partner, his wife and his son whom were murdered by a motorcycle gang in retaliation for the death of their leader.

50. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
	Rating: 8.8/10 (557,731 votes) Director: Irvin Kershner Writer: Leigh Brackett (screenplay), Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas (story) Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams Runtime: 124 min Rated: PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Released: 21 May 1980
Plot: After the rebels have been brutally overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker takes advanced Jedi training with Master Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke.

49. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
	Rating: 7.6/10 (86,004 votes) Director: George Miller Writer: Terry Hayes (screenplay), George Miller (screenplay), Brian Hannant Stars: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps Runtime: 94 min Rated: R Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller Released: 21 May 1982
Plot: In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits.

48. Blade Runner

Blade Runner (1982)
	Rating: 8.3/10 (349,913 votes) Director: Ridley Scott Writer: Hampton Fancher (screenplay), David Webb Peoples (screenplay), Philip K. Dick (novel) Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos Runtime: 117 min Rated: R Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller Released: 25 Jun 1982
Plot: A blade runner must pursue and try to terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.

47. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
	Rating: 7.9/10 (216,788 votes) Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Melissa Mathison Stars: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton Runtime: 115 min Rated: PG Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy Released: 11 Jun 1982
Plot: A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home-world.

46. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
	Rating: 8.4/10 (441,741 votes) Director: Richard Marquand Writer: Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas (screenplay), George Lucas (story) Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams Runtime: 134 min Rated: PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Released: 25 May 1983
Plot: After rescuing Han Solo from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels attempt to destroy the Second Death Star, while Luke Skywalker tries to bring his father back to the Light Side of the Force.

45. Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters (1984)
	Rating: 7.8/10 (194,518 votes) Director: Ivan Reitman Writer: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis Runtime: 105 min Rated: PG Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Released: 08 Jun 1984
Plot: Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.

44. Nineteen Eighty-Four

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
	Rating: 7.2/10 (38,058 votes) Director: Michael Radford Writer: George Orwell (novel), Michael Radford Stars: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack Runtime: 113 min Rated: R Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Released: 14 Dec 1984
Plot: George Orwell's novel of a totalitarian future society in which a man whose daily work is rewriting history tries to rebel by falling in love.

43. The Terminator

The Terminator (1984)
	Rating: 8.1/10 (413,023 votes) Director: James Cameron Writer: James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher Jr. (additional dialogue) Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield Runtime: 107 min Rated: R Genre: Action, Sci-Fi Released: 26 Oct 1984
Plot: A human-looking indestructible cyborg is sent from 2029 to 1984 to assassinate a waitress, whose unborn son will lead humanity in a war against the machines, while a soldier from that war is sent to protect her at all costs.

42. Back to the Future

Back to the Future (1985)
	Rating: 8.5/10 (472,720 votes) Director: Robert Zemeckis Writer: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover Runtime: 116 min Rated: PG Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Released: 03 Jul 1985
Plot: A teenager is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

41. Brazil

Brazil (1985)
	Rating: 8.0/10 (125,144 votes) Director: Terry Gilliam Writer: Terry Gilliam (screenplay), Tom Stoppard (screenplay), Charles McKeown (screenplay) Stars: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm Runtime: 132 min Rated: R Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Released: 18 Dec 1985
Plot: A bureaucrat in a retro-future world tries to correct an administrative error and himself becomes an enemy of the state.

40. Robocop

RoboCop (1987)
	Rating: 7.5/10 (132,804 votes) Director: Paul Verhoeven Writer: Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner Stars: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox Runtime: 102 min Rated: R Genre: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi Released: 17 Jul 1987
Plot: In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.

39. Akira

Akira (1988)
	Rating: 8.1/10 (73,676 votes) Director: Katsuhiro Ohtomo Writer: Katsuhiro Ohtomo (screenplay), Izô Hashimoto (screenplay), Katsuhiro Ohtomo (graphic novel) Stars: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshô Genda Runtime: 124 min Rated: R Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure Released: 24 Jul 2001
Plot: A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.

38. Total Recall

Total Recall (1990)
	Rating: 7.5/10 (184,189 votes) Director: Paul Verhoeven Writer: Philip K. Dick (short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"), Ronald Shusett (screen story), Dan O'Bannon (screen story), Jon Povill (screen story), Ronald Shusett (screenplay), Dan O'Bannon (screenplay), Gary Goldman (screenplay) Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox Runtime: 113 min Rated: R Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Released: 01 Jun 1990
Plot: When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real, or does he?

37. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
	Rating: 8.5/10 (523,190 votes) Director: James Cameron Writer: James Cameron, William Wisher Jr. Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick Runtime: 137 min Rated: R Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller Released: 03 Jul 1991
Plot: A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her teenage son, John, from a more advanced cyborg, made out of liquid metal.

36. Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park (1993)
	Rating: 8.0/10 (373,499 votes) Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Michael Crichton (novel), Michael Crichton (screenplay), David Koepp (screenplay) Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough Runtime: 127 min Rated: PG-13 Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi Released: 11 Jun 1993
Plot: During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.

Find the rest of the list and the quiz on page 2…