The Greatest Classic Sci-Fi Movies

Ranker Film
Updated June 23, 2023 36.0K votes 2.3K voters 58.2K views
Over 2.3K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Greatest Classic Sci-Fi Movies
Voting Rules
Vote up the best science fiction movies that were released before 1960.

Terrifying monsters and unwelcome visitors from space frightened movie-goers in classic sci-fi movies. The best old sci fi movies are often based on famous novels, although some original stories dreamt up by modern masters thrilled on the big screen as well. This is a list of the top early sci fi movies including everything from King Kong to The Day the Earth Stood Still to Metropolis.

What films will you find on this list of the best classic science fiction films? In 1931, Boris Karloff took the title role in Frankenstein, a film based on Mary Shelley's novel of the same name. The movie went on to be included in the National Film Registry for its significance. Creature From the Black Lagoon is another scary sci fi film released before 1960. It's hard to discuss classic sci fi without mentioning Ed Wood's low-budget masterpiece, Plan 9 From Outer Space. Other top movies featured on this list include The Thing from Another World and The Blob.

It's up to you to decide with silver screen favorite deserves the top spot on the list. Give your picks a thumbs up to move them towards number one, and add any classics that are missing.

Most divisive: A Trip to the Moon
Ranked by
  • The Time Machine
    1

    The Time Machine

    Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux
    403 votes
    • Released: 1960
    • Directed by: George Pal
    Scientist H. George Wells (Rod Taylor) builds a time machine, and despite the warning from his friend David (Alan Young) against "tempting the laws of providence," decides to visit the future. Jumping ahead 14 years, he observes changes in women's fashion. Jumping ahead 40, he meets David's son (also Young) amid a terrible war. Finally, he travels thousands of years ahead to discover a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by humanoid Eloi and the monstrous Morlocks that feed on them.

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  • The Day the Earth Stood Still
    2

    The Day the Earth Stood Still

    Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe
    714 votes
    • Released: 1951
    • Directed by: Robert Wise
    In the cinematic spectacle The Day the Earth Stood Still, alien emissary Klaatu (Michael Rennie) arrives on Earth with a dire warning. Accompanied by his ominous, ironclad sentinel Gort (Lock Martin), they bring a message that could alter the world's fate forever. Patricia Neal plays Helen Benson, a humble human who finds herself at the epicenter of this interstellar incident. As military forces react with fear and hostility, it's a race against time to comprehend Klaatu's mission before calamity strikes. This 1951 film is a memorable blend of science fiction and political allegory that has left an indelible mark in cinema history.
  • Forbidden Planet
    3

    Forbidden Planet

    Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen
    566 votes
    • Released: 1956
    • Directed by: Fred M. Wilcox
    In this sci-fi classic, a spacecraft travels to the distant planet Altair IV to discover the fate of a group of scientists sent there decades earlier. When Commander John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew arrive, they discover only two people: Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter, Altaira (Anne Francis), who was born on the remote planet. Soon, Adams begins to uncover the mystery of what happened on Altair IV, and why Morbius and Altaira are the sole survivors.

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  • H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds
    4

    H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds

    Gene Barry, Ann Robinson
    623 votes
    • Released: 1953
    • Directed by: Byron Haskin
    This film is a 1953 American Technicolor science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced by George Pal, directed by Byron Haskin, and starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. The film is a loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel of the same name, and is the first of five feature film adaptations of his famous 1898 novel concerning an invasion of Earth from the planet Mars.
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth
    5

    Journey to the Center of the Earth

    Pat Boone, James Mason, Arlene Dahl
    298 votes
    • Released: 1959
    • Directed by: Henry Levin
    A geologist (James Mason) and his assistant (Pat Boone) set off on an expedition to the center of the earth. Following directions found in an inscription hidden in volcanic rock, the explorers travel to a volcano in Iceland to begin their journey. Along the way, a widow of a famous scientist (Arlene Dahl) and an Icelander (Peter Ronson) join their party. However, the treacherous terrain and prehistoric monsters are not their only concern when a rival scientist (Thayer David) is on their trail.

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  • King Kong
    6

    King Kong

    Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, Robert Armstrong
    505 votes
    • Released: 1933
    • Directed by: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
    King Kong presents a tale of wonder and terror. When filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) and his crew travel to the uncharted Skull Island, they encounter Kong, a gigantic and powerful ape. Captivated by the island's mysteries and the beautiful actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), Kong is captured and transported to New York City as a spectacle. But the concrete jungle is no match for the real one, and soon Kong breaks free, leading to a dramatic showdown amidst the city's iconic skyscrapers.