There are few genres that embrace the extensive visual possibilities of cinema quite like science-fiction. This trend dates as far back as the silent era, with such icons asA Trip to the MoonandMetropolischanging what was deemed to be possible through the presentation of their sci-fi stories. Delightfully,the genre has maintained its flair for visual grandeur and divinity over the decades.
As such, the 10 most beautiful and best-looking sci-fi movies ever made consist of everything from otherworldly action epics to atmospheric and thought-provoking cosmic adventures, and even to neon-infused, near future dystopian dramas. While many of these films are renowned for the scope and vibrancy of their presentation, they also provide a treat for the eyes through their meticulous shot composition, visual storytelling, and their ingenious creativity.
10’Arrival' (2016)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
While he was no stranger to impressive visual feats in his earlier films,Denis Villeneuveintroduced the world to just how spectacular a display he could achieve with 2016’s Oscar-winning sci-fi drama,Arrival. It has won plenty of admirers for its thematically rich and thought-provoking narrative, but it also boastsa visual splendor that has helped it remain relevant in the eyes of movie buffs over the past eight years.
This obviously extends to the alien vessels, both their internal and external design, which maintain a certain intrigue courtesy of their striking and unconventional design. However, the beauty inArrivalalso notably includes the vibrant natural backdrop that serves as the setting wherethe alien ship landed in North America. The film’s aesthetic quality is sometimes lost amid ponderings on its non-linear narrative and weighty themes, but it is an integral reason for its critical success and was a significant sign of things to come from the visionary director.
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9’Tron: Legacy' (2010)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Tron: Legacyis something of a rare breed in that it isa remake/legacy sequelthat has come to be defined by its calamitous flaws, and yet there are very few people who would say it was not a worthwhile endeavor. The reason for this is its absolutely incredible visual display, one that proves a sci-fi film doesn’t need to be an outstanding picture to be a visually beautiful one.
An enchanting medley of dark tones imbued with flashing streaks of pale blue and volcanic orange,Tron: Legacyproves to bea richly rewarding viewing experience for its engrossing aesthetic and its techno allure, even if its characters and narrative leave plenty to be desired. The light cycle contest remains one of the most visually engaging and incredible action sequences the genre has ever seen, and its agelessness is impressive considering the advancements made in the past 14 years of cinematic technology.
TRON: Legacy
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8’Solaris' (1972)
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
Like so many ofAndrei Tarkovsky’s pictures,Solarisexcels as a cerebral and enigmatic journey of philosophy and humanity that soaks its richly textured progression in a mesmerizing array of images that are both beautiful and arresting. It focuses on a psychologist sent to a space station orbiting the oceanic planet Solaris to conduct tests on the crew who have started going insane.
A visual poet, the Soviet director blends perplexing character-driven sequences with hovering meditations on nature and the mechanical coarseness of human industry to create an atmospheric aura that isequal parts mystifying, harrowing, intoxicating, and beautiful. Its opening alone, with lush weeds swaying almost hypnotically beneath the tide of a stream by a farmhouse enshrined in nature, is a testament toSolaris’s thought-provoking visual allure. It brilliantlyuses such imagery to extrapolate on themes of isolation, identity, and memory and lossin a manner that encourages meditation in a manner that very few films are able to mimic.
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Directed by James Gray
Anchored byBrad Pitt, who gives one of his most underrated and best performances,Ad Astrathrives as a heady sci-fi stunner imbued with a gorgeous array of visuals. It follows an astronaut in the near future as he travels to a moon base and on to Mars en route to Neptune, where his long assumed-dead astronaut father is believed to be responsible for a series of destabilizing power surges that are impacting life on Earth.
Ad Astraultimately thrives with its visual presentation. Be it the conflict with the scavengers on the moon, the entire sequence on Mars, or the deep, cold, and isolating blue that engulfs the screen when the story reaches Neptune, the entire film isa breathtakingly beautiful masterpiece of tone and sci-fi adventure. All of its grandiose visual effects sequences excel as well, catching the eye not only with their vibrant beauty, but with their impressive crispness. It all conspires to makeAd Astraone of the most underappreciated viewing experiencesin recent years, as well as an overlooked cerebral sci-fi drama more people should seek out.
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6’Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi' (2017)
Directed by Rian Johnson
TheStar Warsfranchise at large has typically excelled at meshing its enormous sense of adventure with an arresting visual divinity. This was apparent in the original trilogy, andRogue One: A Star Wars Storyflourished in this regard as well, but the franchise has never had a more visually breathtaking entry thanStar Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. In addition to depicting a bolder narrative,Rian Johnsonalso imbues the film with a striking beauty that everyone should be able to appreciate.
The film is rife with beautiful scenes defined by theirvibrant colors, their artful use of CGI, and their impressive scope. Everything fromthe gorgeous red throne room battleto the stunning red and white contrast in the action sequence on Crait, and even to the light-speed attack on Snoke’s (Andy Serkis) flagship radiates a stunning sense of technical ingenuity and visionary excellence. For the many faults people have vehemently leveled at the film, the astounding cinematography simply must be praised universally.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
5’Interstellar' (2014)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
UndeniablyChristopher Nolan’s biggest filmin terms of its narrative scope,Interstellarmay also be the director’s most beautiful. It owes much of its visual prestige to the exceptional realization of the black hole, a feat of CGI so intricate and complex that it reportedly took 100 hours for the physics and VFX engine to render just one frame. This staggering achievement is only bolstered by the involvement ofKip Thorne, a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist who helped the production realize the most accurate simulation of a black hole ever conceived up to that point in time.
Interstellar’s beauty expands far beyond its visual effects prowess, however, withNolan’s trademark commitment to practical film-making and shooting on location also bolstering the picture’s grandiose display. The rugged rural setting of Cooper’s (Matthew McConaughey) farmland home is realized with a certain fervor, while Dr. Mann’s (Matt Damon) icy planet is as beautiful as it is hostile. It all culminates in makingInterstellara truly exceptional viewing experience.
Interstellar
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4’Avatar: The Way of Water' (2022)
Directed by James Cameron
In 2009,James Cameronunveiled what is still one of the most sublime feats in computer generated imagery that cinema has ever seen. In fact, it was so captivating a viewing experience that there were widespread reports of people suffering a form of depression linked to the fact that they couldn’t live in the world of Pandora. While it took 13 years to come to fruition,Avatar: The Way of Waterwas finally released in 2022, and it was an even more astonishing visual treat than its predecessor.
The production famously invested a huge amount of money into inventing amotion capture technology that could work in water. This unbelievable innovative drive paid dividends, withthe film’s underwater sequences some of the most spectacular and mesmerizing sequences cinema has ever seen. Couple that with the return to the beautiful world of Pandora and even the mechanical might of the human forces, andAvatar: The Way of Waterthrives as a spellbinding visual feat of both impeccable craft and graceful enormity.
Avatar: The Way of Water
3'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
One of the most important pictures in the history of cinema,2001: A Space Odysseyis widely viewed to beStanley Kubrick’s magnum opus. Its long-standing status as a quintessential viewing experience for all movie buffs comes courtesy of its heady and enigmatic thematic heft,its contemplative meditations on evolution and A.I., and, most notably, its pioneering and pristine visual presentation.
It is a uniquely visual picture, with its 139-minute runtime featuring less than 40 minutes of dialogue. In order to make this work,Kubrick used a vast range of visual devices to push the boundaries of cinematic expression beyond its contemporary limits. The use of striking color palettes and slow tracking shots contribute to the film’s grandiosity, but so too doesDouglas Trumbell’s groundbreaking visual effects and the work of production designersHarry Lange,Tony Masters, andErnest Archer. The end result is a picture of spellbinding beauty that has stood the test of time thanks to its captivating allure and its sheer magnitude.
2001: A Space Odyssey
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2’Dune: Part Two' (2024)
With their action-packed and thought-provoking narrative and their awe-inspiring visual presentation, theDunemovies have already been established as one of the blockbuster icons of the decade. While the 2021 picture was magnificent as a visual treat,Dune: Part Twomanages to surpass it by ramping up the enormity to deliver a sensory overload of visual and aural splendor that thrusts audiences on a frenetically paced story of political ambition and revenge.
Much like its predecessor,Dune: Part Two’s imagery of the desert is nothing short of sublime, but it takes great delight in pouring detail and meaningful visual panache into every element of its story. This is perhaps most evident in the presentation of theHarkonnen’s home world, Giedi Prime, which is realized with a coarse yet hypnotizing black and white intensity. Of course,Dune: Part Two’s beauty is matched only by its amazing use of visual and practical effects, which envision a breathtaking futuristic fantasy of immense technological might with artful elegance. It is one of the most visually spectacular epic movies of all time from any genre.
Dune: Part Two
1’Blade Runner' (1982)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Just three years after makingAlien—which was perhaps criminally not included on this list—Ridley ScottreleasedBlade Runner, a breathtaking neo-noir stunner that re-defined sci-fi aesthetic for decades to come. In this regard, the film’s influence over the genre across all forms of storytelling and engagement is too great to be quantified, with the cyberpunk style thriving at being atmospherically seedy and yet breathtakingly captivating.
Complemented by its stunning production design and innovative special effects,Blade Runnerexcels with its visual world building. The rain-soaked, oily landscape isa meticulous marriage of classic noir aestheticand dystopian sci-fi futurismto be a richly atmospheric realization of the story world. It’s industrial and mechanical, but undeniably alluring. Further enhanced by its arresting use of shadows, the film is quite understandably heralded by many as the best and most beautiful sci-fi film ever made. An honorable mention has to go to its 2017 sequel as well, withBlade Runner 2049one of the most astonishing visual films of the 21st century thus far.
