List Rules Vote up the best guilty pleasure sci-fi films.
If you're on the hunt for the best guilty pleasure sci-fi movies, you best prepare for some overdone neon lighting, corny costumes, and premises riddled with plot holes. Science fiction is a genre that hinges on world building, so a decent premise, excellent special effects, and believable prosthetics are key to pulling it off. When things go south, you get some seriously cheesy films that are great for a good laugh.
Dumb sci-fi films are the result of multiple factors. An excellent script can be executed poorly without a big enough budget. On the other hand, some films are so bogged down in special effects, producers forget to craft a decent story. This does not infringe on viewer enjoyment, however. Quality science fiction is often an allegorical reflection on modern times that requires analysis and thought. However, sometimes you'd rather opt for something fun and easy. If you're on the hunt for some of the cheesiest sci-fi films viewers love to hate, browse this list. And feel free to add anything you think is missing!
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The Fifth ElementMilla Jovovich, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman The Fifth Element is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film directed and co-written by Luc Besson. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich. Mostly set in the ...more
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Starship TroopersNeil Patrick Harris, Denise Richards, Amy Smart Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier, originally from an unrelated script called Bug Hunt at ...more
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Bill & Ted's Excellent AdventureKeanu Reeves, George Carlin, Jane Wiedlin Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a 1989 American science fiction comedy buddy film and the first film in the Bill & Ted franchise in which two slackers travel through time to assemble ...more
4
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Demolition ManSandra Bullock, Sylvester Stallone, Jack Black Demolition Man is a 1993 American science fiction action film directed by Marco Brambilla in his directorial debut. The film stars Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. The film was released in ...more
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87 40
BladeKris Kristofferson, Wesley Snipes, Traci Lords Blade is a 1998 American vampire superhero action film starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Blade. Snipes plays Blade, a human-vampire hybrid ...more
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Short CircuitSteve Guttenberg, Ally Sheedy, Austin Pendleton Short Circuit is a 1986 American comic science fiction film directed by John Badham, and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock. The film's plot centers upon an experimental military robot ...more
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ArmageddonBen Affleck, Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler Armageddon is a 1998 American science fiction disaster thriller film, directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film follows a group of ...more
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TronJeff Bridges, David Warner, Michael Dudikoff Tron is a 1982 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Lisberger, based on a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird, and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film stars ...more
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Carly Kiel added Mars Attacks!Natalie Portman, Jack Nicholson, Sarah Jessica Parker Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American comic science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and written by Jonathan Gems. Based on the cult trading card series of the same name, the film features an ...more
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Flash GordonTimothy Dalton, Max von Sydow, Ornella Muti Flash Gordon is a 1980 British science fiction action film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and produced by Dino De ...more
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Minority ReportCameron Diaz, Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell Minority Report is a 2002 American neo-noir science fiction mystery-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and loosely based on the short story of the same name by Philip K. Dick. It is set ...more
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DuneSting, Patrick Stewart, Alicia Witt Dune is a 1984 American science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides and ...more
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceNatalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Ewan McGregor (32 Years Before Episode IV) Stranded on the desert planet Tatooine after rescuing young Queen Amidala from the impending invasion of Naboo, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi Master ...more
14
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Tron: LegacyOlivia Wilde, Jeff Bridges, Cillian Murphy Tron: Legacy is a 2010 American science fiction film produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures. A sequel to the 1982 film Tron, it is directed by Joseph Kosinski, produced by Tron director ...more
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RiddickVin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karl Urban Riddick is a 2013 British-American science fiction thriller film, the third installment in the The Chronicles of Riddick film series. Produced by and starring Vin Diesel as the title character, ...more
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Carly Kiel added Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesNatalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson (22 Years Before Episode IV) Ten years after the events of the Battle of Naboo, not only has the galaxy undergone significant change, but so have Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala, and Anakin ...more
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Event HorizonLaurence Fishburne, Jason Isaacs, Sam Neill Event Horizon is a 1997 British-American science fiction horror film. The screenplay was written by Philip Eisner and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. The film stars Laurence Fishburne and Sam ...more
Judge DreddSylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, James Earl Jones Judge Dredd is a 1995 American science fiction action film directed by Danny Cannon, and starring Sylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Armand Assante, and Max von Sydow. The film is ...more
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SignsMel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Abigail Breslin Signs is a 2002 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Executive producers for the film comprised Shyamalan, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and Sam ...more
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WaterworldKevin Costner, Jack Black, Dennis Hopper Waterworld is a 1995 American post-apocalyptic science fiction action film directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It was based on Rader's original 1986 ...more
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Alien: ResurrectionWinona Ryder, Sigourney Weaver, Ron Perlman Alien: Resurrection is a 1997 American science fiction action horror film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and written by Joss Whedon. It is the fourth installment in the Alien film series, and ...more
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War of the WorldsTom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Channing Tatum War of the Worlds is a 2005 American epic science fiction disaster film and a loose adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh ...more
23
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A.I. Artificial IntelligenceMeryl Streep, Robin Williams, Jude Law A.I. Artificial Intelligence, also known as A.I., is a 2001 American science fiction film written, directed, and produced by Steven Spielberg, and based on Brian Aldiss's short story Super-Toys ...more
24
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Maximum OverdriveCarrie Fisher, Stephen King, Emilio Estevez Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American science fiction action horror film written and directed by Stephen King. The film stars Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington. The screenplay was ...more
25
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The CoreHilary Swank, Stanley Tucci, Aaron Eckhart The Core is a 2003 American science fiction disaster film. It concerns a team that has to drill to the center of the Earth and set off a series of nuclear explosions in order to restart the ...more
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Plan 9 from Outer SpaceTor Johnson, Bunny Breckinridge, Joanna Lee Plan 9 from Outer Space is a 1959 American black-and-white science fiction thriller film released by Distributors Corporation of America. The film was written, produced, directed, and edited by ...more
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The Incredible Melting ManMyron Healey, Michael Alldredge, Burr DeBenning The Incredible Melting Man is a 1977 American science fiction horror film about an astronaut whose body begins to melt after he is exposed to radiation during a space flight to Saturn, driving ...more
