This movie genre is one that is characterized by plotlines that involve a conflict with technology and science, human nature and society.
They are often based in worlds that are futuristic in style and often use special effects to create the on-screen look.
The first Sci-Fi film was in 1902 in a film called Trip to the Moon that used stop-frame animation showed the first imagined flight off the planet earth.
Many of the worlds created and portrayed are dystopic and put forward apocalyptic content.
The Sci-Fi genre is inventive and similar to the fantasy movie genre but uses a focus on science and types of technology rather than a focus created by mystics.
Sci-Fi Movies
The genre of Sci-Fi is one that has been around since the inception of film.
Humankind has always been fascinated with the potential of science and technology in our own world, worlds that have not been discovered and those that are live in our imaginations as well.
Sci-Fi movies offer themes of hope, warning and a possible glimpse into the future as seen by the screenwriter.
This sci-fi genre comes with many subgenres that highlight its theme.
- Hard Sci-Fi – While “hard” sounds like an odd thing to call this subgenre, it refers to the content and means of a movie that the plot could actually be believable and realistic in the actual world when it comes to the laws of physics.The people that write hard Sci-Fi make a significant attempt to make sure their screenplays are scientifically accurate.Films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) or Jurassic Park (1993) are both examples of this subgenre.They show worlds that could potentially exist and try to put plausible science in the film as well.
- Apocalyptic Sci-Fi – This subgenre of Sci-Fi focuses on either during or post-apocalyptic society.There focus is either a lone hero or group of survivors that are trying to survive the prelude to the end of the world or the end of the world as they know it has occurred.This world-ending catastrophe can be man-made or natural and will happen early in the movie or has already happened before it started.Movies such as Mad Max (1979), I am Legend (2007) or the Hunger Games (2012) are all examples of movies in this category.
- Future Noir Sci-Fi (Tech Noir) – Most people don’t have a grasp of what this subgenre is.It is a hybrid that combines both science fiction with film noir.It focuses on technology as a force that is destructive and is a dystopian force that can negatively affect almost all aspects of society’s real world.This subgenre crosses over with apocalyptic movies as well as it looks at societies in the future.They often are looked at as a warning about the creation and misuse of technology.Two films that are good representations of Future Noir are The Terminator (1984) and Blade Runner (1982).
- Space Opera Sci-Fi – This does not mean you are watching a science fiction movie with a lot of singing.It means that the movie takes place out in space with planetary systems and throughout the galaxy(s) with the great advances in the technology of space travel.This includes film series such as Star Trek (1979).
- Military Sci-Fi – These movies are based on the travels of a soldier or group of soldiers who are part of the military of the future.It focuses on their battles and usually their fight against a technologically advanced race.Starship Troopers (1997) and Enders Game (2013) are both good examples of this genre.
- Punk Sci-Fi – this genre applies to movies that are set in a dystopian future and focuses on technology advances.It has even more subgenres that are covered as well such as steampunk, nanopunk and cyberpunk.These will include movies where characters wear cybernetic technology to make them better such as in the movie Total Recall (1990).
- Speculative Sci-Fi: This subgenre looks at the big “what if?”.It speculates on things that could happen or might have happened if things had been done differently or experiences took a different turn.It looks at time travel, other universes that exist parallel to the earth and allows the breaking of physics laws.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a good example of this subgenre.
Science Fiction movies are not just films that are about science and the future.
They are stories of human downfall and human potential.
The many subgenres that exist have plots that look to the future but also the potential we have to put too much faith in technology.
It is an interesting genre as it allows the viewer to either just enjoy some basic science fiction or to have them dive deeper into the story to assess both theirs and society’s mortality.
This is a great film genre that gives both hope and warning about the future of the world and humankind.
