1968 | 2 hours 29 minutes | Directed by Stanley Kubrick
 
Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
 
Now hailed as a landmark achievement in cinema history, 2001: A Space Odyssey follows a spacecraft's journey to Jupiter with the intelligent supercomputer HAL after discovering an alien monolith. Despite the compelling storyline, the film's purpose is rather technical: it tries to imagine the future of technology. Hence it's somewhat sluggish yet very detailed. However, the amount of detail is perhaps the movie's greatest asset. Remember that it was only in 1969, one year after the film was released, when Neil Armstrong, the first man, stepped onto the Moon. Therefore, depicting the future in so much detail is one of Kubrick's most significant accomplishments in film. Nobody had done anything similar in 1968, and nobody has since. It was a significant advance in special effects at the time, and given how well it still looks now, it makes sense why this film is considered one of the best, if not the best, in the sci-fi genre. Even after fifty years, it perfectly holds up to its title.

2008 | 1 hour 38 minutes | Directed by Andrew Stanton
 
Starring (voices) Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin
 
Robot WALL-E is abandoned and left alone on Earth, now entirely covered in garbage. The humans have boarded a corporate ship and left the Earth. WALL-E has been gathering bits and pieces of what the humans left behind, but a buddy is the one thing he truly desires. The movie is best characterized as a science-fiction comedy and love story. Given that he is just a trash compactor, it is really amazing that WALL-E has dimension, personality, and heart as a character. This movie is superbly animated to that magical Pixar level where even heaps of what should be repulsive trash look stunningly beautiful. Even somewhat realistic-looking bugs look cute. This should be great if you're just looking for something wholesome to watch to pass the time.

1997 | 2 hours 1 minute | Directed by George Lucas
 
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
 
1977 brought one of the greatest stories ever told and arguably the most remarkable cinematic epic of all time. In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) teams up with a brazen pilot (Harrison Ford), his sidekick Chewbacca, and the wise master Jedi Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) to both save the galaxy and rescue Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the enigmatic Darth Vader. Rarely does a film alter how movies are made or even the culture at large. This may be on the list of the most influential films in history. It transformed the tone of movies from the gritty, ethically ambiguous ‘70s to the oncoming popcorn-selling blockbusters. The fact that George Lucas could create one of the best movies out of what was once expected to be a flop speaks volumes about his genius.

2015 | 2 hours 24 minutes | Directed by Ridley Scott
 
Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig
 
The storyline is relatively straightforward. When an Earth team is conducting tests on the surface of Mars, the crew receives a warning from Earth of a massive and rapidly approaching storm. The team assembles fast and takes off, but Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is tragically caught in the storm, loses his communication device, and is thought to be dead after that. However, Watney has managed to stay alive. Yet, to survive, Watney must overcome the odds he's about to face. The Martian is reminiscent of the first Alien yet clearly demonstrates the director's overall greater maturity and experience. Strong, well-done, and dynamic. Thanks to the quick pace and never-ceasing emotional intensity of classic Scott-style direction, you will remain glued to the screen the entire time. You ought to watch The Martian if you haven't already. It's a fantastic movie with a top-notch cast, excellent directing, and powerful visual effects.

1902 | 13 minutes | Directed by Georges Méliès
 
Starring Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon
 
The film follows a group of astronomers who travel to the Moon in a cannon-propelled capsule. On the Moon, they explore its surface, flee from an underground group of Selenites (lunar inhabitants), and then return to Earth with a captured Selenite. The film was inspired by many sources, including Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon and its 1870 sequel, Around the Moon. The film, which was made in 1902 when cinematography was still in its infancy, demonstrates the theatrical roots of cinema. Le Voyage Dans la Lune, a fantastic visual fantasy written and directed by Méliès himself, displayed the creativity and imagination he possessed and how, despite having few resources, he could create a movie that no one had ever seen before. Besides being Méliès's most famous film, it's undoubtedly an immortal cinematic classic.

1983 | 3 hours 13 minutes | Directed by Philip Kaufman
 
Starring Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris
 
A fascinating look into the history of the American space program, starting with the exploits of fighter pilot Chuck Yeager (Sam Shephard) and ending with the exciting first astronaut missions. One of the most magnificent adventure movies ever created, The Right Stuff tells the story of extraordinary heroism, heartfelt romance, suspenseful drama, and broad humor. Very well-made and entertaining, this movie not only succeeds in informing and amusing its audience but also portrays the individuals who initiated and oversaw the space program. It also showed the impact the risks had on them and their families. When the film ends, we feel unhappy because we want more. It's uncommon for a movie to establish a world so captivating and appealing that, even after three hours, we still do not want it to end. It's exciting and refreshingly bittersweet Hollywood cinema. Definitely one of the must-see films from the '80s.

1999 | 1 hour 42 minutes | Directed by Dean Parisot
 
Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman
 
The movie depicts the cast of Galaxy Quest, a fictional cult television series, who are drawn into an actual interstellar conflict by real aliens who believe the series was a real documentary. Galaxy Quest is a parody of, and homage to, sci-fi movies and television shows (especially Star Trek), so true fans of those will have no trouble spotting the moments culled from the latter. The entire film is jam-packed with hilarious silliness and enduring moments. This movie is worth seeing if you are a Trekker, Trekkie, heck, even if you are not one. It is well-written, hilarious, sweet, perceptive, and definitely worth your time.

1981 | 1 hour 49 minutes | Directed by Peter Hyams
 
Starring Sean Connery, Frances Sternhagen, Peter Boyle
 
With the release of Star Wars and Alien in the late 1970s, a flood of sci-fi movies began to take on a more grounded tone. Outland is no exception. The film follows Marshal O'Niel (Sean Connery), assigned to a mining colony on Io, one of Jupiter's moons. He quickly comes across miners who are dying due to using illegal amphetamines. Following the trail, O'Niel must now keep an eye on himself because he is now their primary target. Outland is a much underrated fantastic sci-fi thriller with noticeable influences from westerns and Ridley Scott's Alien. The movie has an excellent undercurrent on capitalism, corporate greed, and how these things influence the general public. Despite the futuristic sci-fi setting, the film's message is still very much applicable in the modern era. Ignore its minor flaw; it's an incredible sci-fi movie with plenty of surprises to keep you interested.

2009 | 1 hour 37 minutes | Directed by Duncan Jones
 
Starring Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey (voice), Dominique McElligott
 
Moon follows Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), whose three-year shift at a lunar mine is finally coming to an end. He's eager to return home and see his wife (Dominique McElligott) and daughter again. However, Sam's health suddenly deteriorates. He experiences excruciating migraines, delusions, and a near-fatal accident. He stumbles upon someone who seems to be a younger version of him, possibly a clone. Before the company team shows up, Sam has limited time to unravel the riddle. The classic science fiction movie Moon has a puzzling mystery and asks the audience to put themselves in the protagonist's shoes. No aliens, wormholes, warp engines, jump drives, lasers, or phasers are in sight; only a lonely man, a clone-like creature, and a ton of food for thought. It's challenging to think of a better actor than Sam Rockwell for this role or a more enjoyable and satisfying filmgoing experience.

1997 | 1 hour 36 minutes | Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
 
Starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan
 
According to the plot, the ship named Event Horizon vanished and reappeared seven years later. A crew is sent to observe it, see whether anyone is still alive, and, if it's possible, salvage the ship. Dr. Weir (Sam Neill), the creator of the unique engine that powers the ship forward, is one of the members of this rescue crew. Soon, crazy and strange things start happening as they investigate the ship, making it less likely that the rescue team will make it out alive. At first impression, Event Horizon appears to be a science fiction movie from beginning to end. It takes place in the future, featuring astronauts and spacecraft, and centers on a rescue mission of another spacecraft. But before long, it becomes clear that Event Horizon is, in reality, a space-set horror movie - and a very good one. Although it could hardly be called a classic, it is a profoundly unsettling film, especially for the '90s. Despite not benefiting the film industry greatly, it surely impacted the sci-fi genre.