(DML Top 20 Lists - Sci-fi Future Noir Films ranked)

Honorable Mention

They Live (1988), Director: John Carpenter, rated R for language, violence

Who are they? And what do they want?

Starring: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George Flower, Peter Jason, Raymond St. Jaques, Jason Robarbs III

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum." - Nada

Why watch this? Aliens secretly living among us is wonderfully explained in this Carpenter sci-fi classic.

Plot Summary: A drifter called Nada stumbles upon a pair of sunglasses that reveal a horrifying truth about the world around him. He discovers that sinister, skull-faced aliens have infiltrated Earth and are using subliminal messages embedded in media to control and manipulate humanity. Empowered by this shocking realization, Nada embarks on a desperate mission to expose the aliens and awaken the unsuspecting masses.

Dad's Preview: I feel this is the last great John Carpenter film. It's good sci-fi, but a bit odd, as was the choice to cast wrestler Roddy "Rod" Piper in the lead role. Upon release, it was a box office failure with critics. Today however, it's critical re-evaluation is more favorable. Its plot: Aliens are among us, slowly infiltrating society until they can take over. Humans are easily controlled. This amps up the action as they start the battle to expose the aliens and save the world!

Alive Films, Larry Franco Productions;
Universal Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #20 Top

The Island (2005), Director: Michael Bay, PG-13

Your time will come...

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Michael Clarke Duncan, Steve Buscemi, Ethan Phillips, Brian Stepanek, Noa Tishby, Shawnee Smith

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"The only thing you can count on is that people will do anything to survive. I just want to live. I don't care how." – Lindoln Six-Echo

Why watch this film? It's a good techno-thriller about a possible future.

Plot Summary: Lincoln Six Echo lives in a sealed utopian compound in the year 2019, but his entire existence is abruptly challenged when he discovers the community's true, horrifying purpose after a friend gives birth. He soon realizes that all inhabitants, including himself, are actually clones meant for organ harvesting, leading him to escape the facility with a female clone named Jordan Two Delta. The pair then embarks on a desperate journey into the outside world to expose the corporation responsible and fight for their right to live as real human beings.

Dad's Preview: This film has a wonderful sci-fi dystopian premise, superb stars, and a solid action director in Michael Bay (The Rock (1996), Armageddon (1998)). I particularly love the concept that squeaky-white utopia is a lie, concealing greedy corporate enrichment. However, the film shifts gears midway through. It devolves into (and I hate to use this word) a ridiculous action film. The protagonists become almost super-human, as they run from their pursuers and perform unnatural acrobatic feats. They somehow manage to escape injury amid flying car crashes and falling from a 40-story building. Bay missed a huge opportunity to make a memorable, even classic, sci-fi film. Instead we got a very watchable, if bombastic, mess that I'm sure made executives and brain-dead movie-goers happy. For me, I'm a little saddened by what could have been.

DreamWorks Pictures, Parkes/MacDonald
Prod.; Warner Bros.

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #19 Top

The Omega Man (1971), Director: Boris Sagal, rated PG

The last man alive... is not alone!

Starring: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo, Eric Laneuville, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Jill Giraldi, Anna Aries, Brian Tochi, DeVeren Bookwalter

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"We waited for you, Neville, so you could see this: The end. The end of all you done. You see, none of it was real. It was illusion. Your art, your science, it was all a nightmare. And now it's done. Finished." - Matthias

Why watch this? Chuck Heston excels in another post-apocalyptic romp.

Plot Summary: Two years after biological warfare decimates the global population, US Army scientist Robert Neville believes himself the last immune survivor in Los Angeles. He battles a cult of plague victims turned nocturnal albino mutants known as "The Family", who despise science and seek to destroy all technology and kill Neville. Neville eventually encounters other uninfected survivors, and realizes his unique immunity could be the key to their salvation.

Dad's Preview: This is the second film to use Richard Matheson's novel, I Am Legend as inspiration. In 1975, a Soviet border conflict results in biological warfare which kills almost all humans. A scientist, Dr. Robert Neville, gives himself an experimental vaccine and he survives. The new world is also populated by mutated plague victims who call themselves "the Family". These intelligent beings can only attack Neville's stronghold at night, and so far, he's been able to thwart all attacks. There is a definite campiness to the film, but that's part of the fun. Heston, a fan of taking on sci-fi roles, is excellent as the last man on Earth.

Walter Seltzer Productions; Warner Bros.

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #18 Top

Alien 3 (1992), Director: David Fincher, rated R for sci-fi gore, violence, language

This time it's hiding in the most terrifying place of all.

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Brian Glover, Ralph Brown, Paul McGann, Danny Webb, Lance Henriksen, Pete Postlethwaite

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"What makes you think they're gonna care about a bunch of lifers who found God at the ass-end of space?" - Ripley

Why watch this? Ripley's ship lands on an all-male penal colony, and it brought along an unwanted guest.

Plot Summary: The lone survivor, Ellen Ripley, crash-lands on a desolate prison planet inhabited by male inmates. They soon discover that an unwelcome Alien creature arrived aboard Ripley's ship, and its hunting, and infecting, the prison's inhabitants. Without modern weapons, Ripley must find a way for herself and the prisoners to stop the terrifying threat.

Dad's Preview: The third Alien installment begins by wiping the slate clean. The only survivor from Aliens (1986) was Ellen Ripley. This hard stopped all story arcs containing Newt, Bishop or Hicks. This dark film is beyond gritty, and genuinely scary. I did like the "space-prison" setting, but did not favor the bleak, fatalistic tone. That said, it was an opportunity to do something new in the franchise, and newcomer director David Fincher accomplished that feat.

Brandywine Prod.; 20th Century Fox

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #17 Top

The Fifth Element (1997), Director: Luc Besson, rated PG-13

It Mu5t Be Found.

Starring: Bruce Willis, Milla Jocovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, Luke Perry, Brion James, Tom Lister Jr., Lee Evans, Charlie Creed-Miles, Tricky, John Neville, John Bluthal, Mathieu Kassovitz

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Whoa, lady, I only speak two languages, English and bad English... Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for conversation, but maybe you could just shut up for a moment?" - Korben Dallas

Why watch this? It's over-the-top, visually-stunning Sci-Fi creativity on full display.

Plot Summary: In the 23rd century, a washed-up cab driver finds himself plunged into a mission to save the world when a mysterious woman, who is the universe's ultimate weapon, crashes into his cab. The two must race against time to collect four elemental stones and assemble the ancient weapon to defeat a cosmic evil that appears every five thousand years. Their quest forces them to contend with mercenaries and a scheming industrialist who want the stones for their own nefarious purposes.

Dad's Preview: This futuristic action flick is loaded with talented actors, mechanical and creature effects, as well as digital effects. However, upon release, this film divided its audiences. Some folks loved its lavish visuals and the strong performances by its top stars. Others felt the film's plot was confusing and over-stuffed with too many flamboyant performances, singling out comedian Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod. As a Sci-fi lover, I have softened somewhat on this film. It is a spectacle to behold and there are some ground-breaking, really cool special effects. Today's critics agree and it's considered a cult classic. It soundly can be labeled "so bad, it's good."

Patrice Ledoux, Gaumont; Gaumont Buena Vista Int'l

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #16 Top

Total Recall (1990), Director: Paul Verhoeven, not R for language, sci-fi violence

They stole his mind, now he wants it back.

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox, Marshall Bell, Mel Johnson Jr.

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Who gives a shit what you believe? In thirty seconds you'll be dead, and I'll blow this place up and be home in time for cornflakes." - Cohaagen

Why watch this? Schwarzenegger and sci-fi - a very good combination on the red planet Mars.

Plot Summary: Douglas Quaid is a construction worker tormented by dreams of Mars and a mysterious woman. He visits Rekall, a company specializing in virtual memory implants for exotic vacations, hoping to experience a simulated Mars adventure. However, the procedure goes awry, uncovering evidence that Quaid's entire life might be a false memory and that he's being hunted by a powerful organization with secrets about Mars.

Dad's Preview: In 1990, Arnold was box office gold. This is one of his best. In the distant future, Quaid, is a regular guy with a mundane job, friends, and a wife. However, something just feels off - and there's an odd connection to Mars. He visits Rekall, where clients can experience implanted memories for their pleasure. During the procedure, Quaid goes nuts, believing that he's a double-agent! This film is mind-bending, as the plot takes several unexpected turns. Arnold must find the truth! Kudos to nasty villains Ronny Cox and Michael Ironsides, who make it fun. This was one of Sharon Stone's first big roles.

Carolco Pictures; Tri-Star Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #15 Top

Ex Machina (2014, U.S. release in 2015), Director: Alex Garland, rated R for language, some violence

To erase the line between man and machine is to obscure the line between men and gods

Starring: Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Sonoya Mizuno, Corey Johnson, Claire Selby, Gana Bayarsaikhan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Isn't it strange, to create something that hates you?" – Ava

Why watch this? This is a superb story about artificial intelligence and the risk it may pose.

Plot Summary: Caleb Smith is a young programmer who wins a competition to spend a week at the remote estate of Nathan Bateman, the reclusive CEO of his company. Upon arrival, Caleb discovers he's been chosen to participate in a groundbreaking experiment: administering a Turing test to Ava, an advanced humanoid AI created by Nathan. Caleb's task is to evaluate Ava's consciousness and determine if her intelligence is indistinguishable from that of a human. This leads to unforeseen revelations and a complex examination of artificial intelligence and humanity.

Dad's Preview: Sci-fi often asks its audience about the meaning of being "human". Today, modern computing is asking a new question: What role do humans have if AI can run things better. Then it's about two clicks away from SkyNet and Terminators wiping out the human race. But I digress. This smart, tense, engrossing film is eye-candy for us nerds because it is futuristically beautiful. As expected, it certainly calls into question what it means to be human, and whether it's wise to create sentience within a machine.

Film4, DNA Films; A24

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #14 Top

Looper (2012), Director: Rian Johnson, rated R for language, strong violence, some sexuality/nudity

Hunted by Your Future. Haunted by Your Past.

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels, Pierce Gagnon, Qing Xu, Tracie Thomas, Frank Brennan, Garrett Dillahunt

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"So when these criminal organizations in the future need someone gone, they use specialized assassins in our present called "loopers." And so, my employers in the future nab the target, they zap him back to me - their looper. He appears, hands tied and head sacked, and I do the necessaries. Collect my silver. " - Joe

Why watch this? ... this is a time-traveling, mind-game thriller with lots of savvy and quality components.

Plot Summary: In 2074, time-travel works, but it's outlawed, and only used by the mob, as a method of body disposal. The "target" is bound and gagged, time-zapped to the past where they are immediately murdered and disposed of by a "looper" who is paid in silver bars. If a looper survives to 2074, they are captured and sent back to "close the loop" with payment in gold bars, thus ending the contract. Joe gets his final looper, but accidentally lets him(self) go. This creates big problems for the mob, not to mention time-travel issues.

Dad's Preview: These time jumping films are always interesting if you can keep things straight, and this film is complicated, for sure. However, Rian Johnson's keen direction keeps us on track. It's a nice twist to thrown in Emily Blunt as the mother of a child with special powers who somehow will play into the plot by the film's end.

FilmDistrict, Endgame Ent., DMG Ent., Ram
Bergman Prod.; TriStar Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #13 Top

Soylent Green (1973), Director: Richard Fleischer, rated PG

What is the secret of Soylent Green?

Starring: Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors, Joseph Cotten, Brock Peters, Paula Kelly, Edward G. Robinson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I was there, I can prove it! When I was a kid, you could buy meat anywhere! Eggs they had, real butter! Not this... crap!" - Sol

Why watch this? This is a thought-provoking film about a possible, horrible, dystopian future.

Plot Summary: In an overpopulated and resource-depleted 2022, Detective Thorn investigates the seemingly routine murder of a powerful executive at the Soylent Corporation, which provides the world's dwindling food supply. As Thorn delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers layers of powerful forces attempting to obstruct his efforts. Driven by a desire for truth in a world seemingly devoid of it, Thorn follows a trail that leads to a chilling and shocking secret.

Dad's Preview: Chuck Heston, later in his career, took on intellectual science fiction films, such as Planet of the Apes (1968) and The Omega Man (1971). This really boosted his career. This mind-bending dystopian flick, about a future world starving its people, is sci-fi, and Heston, at their best!

Walter Seltzer, Russell Thacher;
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #12 Top

Minority Report (2002), Director: Steven Spielberg, rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence/abduction

What would you do if you were accused of a murder, you had not committed... yet?

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow, Neal McDonough, Peter Stormare

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Don't trust anyone. Just find the Minority Report." – Dr. Iris Henimen

Why watch this? This futuristic thriller is one of Spielberg's many masterpieces.

Plot Summary: In a future where a specialized police unit called PreCrime stops murderers before they can act, Chief John Anderton believes the system is flawless. However, one day he receives a prediction that he himself will commit a murder, leading him to question the system's infallibility. Now a fugitive from the very unit he led, Anderton must try to prove his innocence and uncover a possible conspiracy that could be behind his predicted crime.

Dad's Preview: Early on, Tom Cruise was just too cocky for me. This film made me an true fan. Set in a future, utopian Earth, the plot centers on a crime agency that arrests people for future crimes. The dreams of three telepathic triplets (kept in medically-induced comas), called "Pre-Cogs", are recorded and analyzed to predict future murders. The plot is uber-creative and Spielberg makes is exciting. Cruise's character is flawed and complex. It's engaging, fast-paced and full of surprises.

DreamWorks Pics, Amblin Entertainment,
Blue Tulip Prod.; 20th Century Fox

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #11 Top

Escape From New York (1981), Director/Writer: John Carpenter, rated R for violence

1997. New York City is now a maximum security prison. Breaking out is impossible. Breaking in is insane.

Starring: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Are you crazy? Nobody gets to meet the Duke. You meet him once and then you're dead!" - Cabbie

Why watch this? Kurt Russell is so dope in that eye-patch!

Plot Summary: In a crime-ridden future of 1997, Manhattan Island is walled off and transformed into a maximum-security prison for the United States' worst criminals. When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes within the prison walls, the President of the United States becomes a hostage. Ex-soldier and criminal Snake Plissken is offered a pardon if he can retrieve the President from the dangerous environment within 24 hours.

Dad's Preview: Teen idol Kurt Russell successfully changed his "Disney nice guy" image in this gritty John Carpenter film. Russell portrayal as the anti-heroic, remorseless felon, Snake Plisken, is legendary. I love that this film essentially has a ticking clock for its entirely. Snake has 24 hours to save the President, who is lost in a smoldering, gang-infested hell-scape that used to be New York City. Tick. Tick. Tick. You're not going to want to miss this dystopian action thriller.

Int'l Film Investors, Goldcrest Films Int'l,
City Films; AVCO Embassy Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #10 Top

V for Vendetta (2006), Director: James McTeigue, rated R for violence, torture, language

I am an idea. And ideas are bulletproof

Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Roger Allam, Ben Miles

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world." - V

Why watch this? ... it's a futuristic tale of a crafty vigilante standing up against fascism.

Plot Summary: In a dystopian future, Britain is under the rule of a totalitarian government. A masked vigilante known as V embarks on a mission to ignite a revolution against the oppressive regime. A young woman named Evey Hammond, a television network employee, becomes unintentionally involved in V's audacious acts of defiance. As V's plans unfold, Inspector Finch races against time to apprehend him, all the while uncovering dark secrets and questioning the very foundations of his government.

Dad's Preview: The world is ruled by a fascist government that rounds up undesirables and rebels, then execute them. The only one with any success against the system is the mysterious "V", a masked figure. This film is brutal and unforgiving, as a small group must gain enough momentum to affect revolutionary change. Once again, Natalie Portman is pure cinematic gold.

Silver Pics, Virtual Studios, Studio Babelsberg,
Vertigo DC Comics, Anarchos Prod. Inc.;
Warner Bros. Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #9 Top

Children of Men (2006), Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Rated R for violence, language, some nudity

No children. No future. No hope.

Starring: Clive Owen, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Pam Ferris, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, Peter Mullan, Danny Huston

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices." - Miriam

Why watch this? This film shows us a future you might not want to see, but rather need to see.

Plot Summary: The story is set in dystopian 2027, twenty years since the last baby was born due to a mysterious infertility in women. This has led to war, global chaos, and a general sense of dread. England remains an isolated country still holding onto some form of government. It is now a police state, rounding up refugees, deporting them, or worse. Theo Faron, a former activist, is forcibly taken by a group of militants, called the Fishes, led by his ex-wife Julian. They want him to use his connections to acquire transit papers for a young girl named Kee. Theo quickly becomes the only chance Kee has to get her out of a crumbling country.

Dad's Preview: This incredible film may be the most realistic depiction of humanity's possible future. It is presented in several genres: apocalyptic war zone, nail-biting thriller, and cautionary tale - all in a world without hope. There is incredible talent possessed by director Alfonso Cuarón - I didn't just watch from afar; I was a part of each scene, experiencing it on the ground. This is an intense experience.

Strike Ent., Hit and Run Productions,
Toho-Towa; Universal Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #8 Top

The Running Man (1987), Director: Paul Michael Glaser, rated R strong language, language

A game nobody survives. But Schwarzenegger has yet to play.

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, María Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, Richard Dawson, Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Americans love television... They love game shows, they love wrestling, they love sports and violence. So what do we do? We give 'em what they want! We're number one, Ben, that's all that counts, believe me." - Killian

Why watch this? This is a thrilling, dystopian film you will not forget.

Plot Summary: In a dystopian future, a wrongfully accused police officer named Ben Richards is forced to participate in a deadly reality television game show called The Running Man. On the show, convicts, known as Runners, must evade professional killers called Stalkers in a battle for their freedom and survival.

Dad's Preview: Arnold was quite the box-office terminator in the 90's. This futuristic film, adapted from the Stephen King novel, is one of his best. The titular game show pits political captives against brutal gladiators. As each captive dies, the bets, and ratings, get higher. This is the textbook definition of a futuristic thriller. Arnold is great, and I was really impressed with Richard Dawson's performance as the corrupt game show host.

Braveworld Productions, Taft Ent. Pics;
TriStar Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #7 Top

Inception (2010), Director: Christopher Nolan, rated PG-13 for language

Your mind is the scene of the crime.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Building a dream from your memory is the easiest way of losing your grasp on what's real and what is a dream." - Cobb

Why watch this? It's plot is mind-bending. The cityscapes twisting within themselves is visually cool.

Plot Summary: Skilled thief, Dom Cobb, specializes in stealing information by entering people's dreams using a shared dream technology. He is tasked with the seemingly impossible job of planting an idea into a target's subconscious, rather than extracting one, a process called "inception". If he succeeds, his criminal history will be erased, allowing him to return home to his children, but a dangerous enemy from his past threatens to derail the mission.

Dad's Preview: Director Nolan is the mage of "smart action thrillers". He twisted our perception in Memento (2000) and reinvented the Batman. Here we follow a group of uber-thieves who can enter people's dreams. The value of this skill is immeasurable. Most of the film takes place in the labyrinth of a client's subconscious, and then dreams within dreams. It can be a little hard to follow the first time through, but the visuals are mind-bending.

Legendary Pictures, Syncopy;
Warner Bros. Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #6 Top

Alien (1979), Director: Ridley Scott, rated R for sci-fi gore, violence, language

In space no one can hear you scream.

Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #24a - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Alien

"Wait a minute. If we let it in, the ship could be infected." - WO Ellen Ripley

Why watch this? It introduced cinema sci-fi to a xenomorph and Sigourney Weaver.

Plot Summary: The crew of a commercial space tug, Nostromo, is awakened from cryosleep to investigate a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. They discover a derelict spaceship and a lower chamber filled with strange eggs. When one of the eggs is disturbed, a deadly extraterrestrial creature comes aboard the ship and proves to be quite lethal.

Dad's Preview: In the wake of Star Wars (1977), this film gave audiences a very different sort of alien encounter. Director Ridley Scott went to great lengths to create a futuristic space setting anchored in realism. The creature they encounter is what you might call a "worse case scenario" - deadly, unmerciful and all but indestructible. Sigourney Weaver, in her first starring role, steals every scene as a strong, confident, capable leader in a crisis. There are lots of scary moments as the crew tries to find the alien, only to realize that it is hunting them.

Brandywine Productions; 20th Century Fox

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #5 Top

The Terminator (1984), Director: James Cameron, rated R for language, brief nudity, violence

The thing that won't die, in the nightmare that won't end.

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Earl Boen

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Listen, and understand! That terminator is out there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear! And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!" – Kyle Reese

Why watch this? ... it's a sci-fi action flick that features Mr. Universe as a relentless cyborg.

Plot Summary: In a future ravaged by a war between humans and intelligent machines, a cyborg assassin is sent back in time to 1984 Los Angeles to kill a woman named Sarah Connor. A soldier, Reece, from the future is also sent back to protect Sarah, as she is destined to give birth to the leader of the human resistance.

Dad's Preview: This is the futuristic juggernaut that started the Terminator franchise. It is ground-breaking and intense, a staple of Cameron's direction. In the future machines become sentient. In the battle to wipe out humans, the machines calculate they cannot win. Their solution is to send a robot, called a Terminator, back in time to exterminate Sarah Connor, the mother of the man who will lead humanity to victory. The human resistance learns of the plot and also sends a time traveler - a man, Reese, charged with keeping Sarah safe by stopping the Terminator at all costs. Is your mind blown yet?

Hemdale, Pacific Western Prod., Euro Film
Funding, Cinema '84; Orion Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #4 Top

The Matrix (1999), Director: The Wachowskis, rated R for language, sci-fi violence

Free your mind

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Marcus Chong, Juian Arahanga

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #19 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Matrix

"Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure." - Agent Smith to Morpheus, as he interrogates him

Why watch this? Conceptually, visually, creatively - this film set a new action sci-fi standard.

Plot Summary: A computer programmer named Thomas Anderson, known in the hacking underworld as Neo, feels that something is fundamentally wrong with his reality. He is contacted by the enigmatic Morpheus and Trinity, who offer him the chance to discover a shocking truth: that his world is actually a computer-generated simulation. Upon swallowing a red pill, Neo awakens in the desolate real world and begins a journey to free humanity from the machines that have enslaved them.

Dad's Preview: A few short minutes into The Matrix, I realized I was seeing the future - it was like nothing I'd experienced before. By the end, I was completely inside my own head. What just happened?! I had to see it again. And again. It was revolutionary cinema that warped all senses of reality. What a mind trip! And the soundtrack is edgy, ass-kicking alternative music. This was a wise career move for Reeves, but the best performances were by newcomers Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity and Hugo Weaving as the digital assassin, Agent Smith.

Village Roadshow Pictures, Grouch II Film
Partnership, Silver Pictures; Warner Bros.

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #3 Top

The Thing (1982), Director: John Carpenter, rated R for language, gory, gooey violence

The Ultimate in alien terror.

Starring: Kurt Russell, Keith David, Richard Masur, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, Richard Dysart, David Clennon, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Donald Moffat

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #44 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Thing

"You see, what we're talkin' about here is an organism that imitates other life-forms, and it imitates 'em perfectly." - Doc Blair

Why watch this? ... the blood test scene is worth the prices of admission alone.

Plot Summary: A team of American researchers stationed in isolated Antarctica encounter a hostile alien life form that can perfectly imitate other organisms. The creature's ability to seamlessly impersonate their victims creates an environment of intense paranoia and distrust among the nervous crew. As the researchers struggle to identify and destroy the shape-shifting alien, they face a harrowing battle for survival.

Dad's Preview: Unlike film critics in 1982, I instantly was gaga over John Carpenter's updated version of The Thing from Another World (1951). Seriously, what's not to like? The story is science fiction gold. Kurt Russell shines when he's mean and in command. This film is intensely scary. It's gory, bloody and slimy. Hell, even the ending is wonderfully nebulous. It was certainly ahead of its time, and has since received the recognition (and imitators) it so richly deserves.

The Turman-Foster Co.; Universal Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #2 Top

RoboCop (1987), Director: Paul Verhoeven, rated R for language, gory violence

Part man. Part machine. All cop.

Starring: Peter Weller, Karen Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Ray Wise, Paul McCrane, Lee de Broux

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Let me make something clear to you. He doesn't have a name. He has a program. He's product." - Bob Morton

Why watch this? It's an excellent sci-fi film about a possible future of law enforcement.

Plot Summary: In a crime-ridden future Detroit, the Omni Consumer Products (OCP) corporation privatizes the police force, seeking to implement their advanced robotic officers to control the city's rampant criminal activity. When police officer Alex Murphy is brutally murdered by a gang, OCP uses his body to create RoboCop, a cyborg law enforcer programmed to serve the public trust. As RoboCop patrols the city and fights crime, memory fragments of his past life as Alex Murphy begin to resurface, leading him on a path to investigate his own death and the corruption within OCP.

Dad's Preview: In this shockingly violent film there are two competing companies striving to secure financial backing to create a "robotic policeman". One company creates a full robot. The other creates a cyborg - part machine, part man. When the Robocop experiences lingering memories, it causes a conflict between his company's implanted directives and a desire to protect humanity. Peter Weller is compelling as the RoboCop. Another strength of the film is its villains, played delightfully by Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer.

Arne Schmidt; Orion Pictures

Top 20 Sci-fi Future Noir Films #1 Top

Blade Runner (1982), Director: Ridley Scott, rated R for violence, language

A chilling, bold, mesmerizing, futuristic detective thriller.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmett Walsh, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson, Brion James

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I need ya, Deck. This is a bad one, the worst yet. I need the old blade runner, I need your magic." - Bryant

Why watch this? It's haunting, brooding and dark... and a mesmerizing sci-fi classic.

Plot Summary: In a dystopian future Los Angeles, a burnt-out detective (aka: a "blade runner"), Rick Deckard, is tasked with hunting down and "retiring" a group of advanced androids called replicants, who have escaped from off-world colonies. These replicants seek to find their creator and extend their limited life-spans, while the blade runner wrestles with the complex morality of his job and his growing connection to a beautiful replicant who believes she is human.

Dad's Preview: This great sci-fi noir crime film features Ford and a fine supporting cast. It's a visual feast showing Earth's future as an over-crowded, technologically-advanced dystopia darkened by the constant drizzle of acid rain. Advanced robots, called replicants, are so lifelike, they are indistinguishable from humans. Some in fact, are so sentient that they don't even know they are robots. This certainly blurs the line between A.I. and humanity. Steely-eyed Rutger Hauer steals every scene as the psychotic replicant, Roy.

The Ladd Co., Shaw Brothers; Warner Bros.