A Glean movie guide
Sci-Fi’s Greatest Visions
The definitive science fiction canon.
From silent masterpieces to modern epics, these are the essential pillars of the genre.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
2001: A Space Odyssey
A visual masterpiece exploring human evolution and the mystery of the cosmos.
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
- 02
Blade Runner
A neon-soaked noir that questions the very nature of what it means to be human.
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
- 03
The Empire Strikes Back
The gold standard of space opera, blending high-stakes adventure with iconic character drama.
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
- 04
Alien
A masterclass in atmospheric dread that pits a blue-collar crew against a perfect killing machine.
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
- 05
The Matrix
A high-octane thriller that redefined action cinema and challenged our perception of reality.
Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
- 06
Interstellar
An emotionally resonant epic that uses theoretical physics to tell a story of love across time.
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
- 07
Metropolis
The foundational vision of the futuristic city that still influences the genre a century later.
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the rich and the poor, the son of the city's mastermind meets a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
- 08
Children of Men
A visceral, single-take journey through a gritty and disturbingly plausible near-future.
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.
- 09
Arrival
A grounded and deeply moving take on first contact that focuses on the power of language.
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
- 10
The Thing
A tense, paranoid survival horror renowned for its groundbreaking practical creature effects.
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
- 11
Inception
A complex and stylish heist movie set within the architecture of the human subconscious.
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
- 12
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
A rare sequel that surpasses the original with its revolutionary effects and relentless pacing.
Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.