A Glean movie guide
The Sci-Fi Canon
The ultimate science fiction watchlist.
From silent-era landmarks to modern mind-benders, these are the films that defined the genre.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
2001: A Space Odyssey
A visually stunning meditation on human evolution and the mysteries of deep space.
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 essence 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 Matrix
A high-concept action masterpiece that challenged a generation's 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.
- 04
Alien
A masterclass in atmospheric dread that seamlessly blends science fiction with visceral horror.
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
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
The definitive space opera that revolutionized cinematic world-building and special effects.
Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the loveable robot duo R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess and restore peace and justice in the Empire.
- 06
Inception
A complex, gravity-defying heist thriller set within the layers 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.
- 07
Arrival
A cerebral and moving exploration of language, time, and the nature of first contact.
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.
- 08
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
A relentless, groundbreaking sequel that set the gold standard for science fiction action.
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.
- 09
Metropolis
The visionary 1927 masterpiece that laid the architectural and thematic groundwork for the entire genre.
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.
- 10
Children of Men
A gritty, breathtakingly shot vision of a future on the brink of extinction.
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.