The science fiction genre has become one of the most consistently beloved and dependable in modern cinema. The broad scope of science fiction holds massive appeal for audiences of all ages around the world, and many of the best sci-fi movies reflect that in their popularity and success. The genre is built on ideas that explore scientific principles and fantastical imaginings of humanity’s future, with a foundation of tropes developed over several decades of innovation. The result is that sci-fi movies are often incredibly intelligent, leaning on complex scientific ideas around which their stories are built. While this has regularly led to great movies, it also has its drawbacks.
Even great sci-fi movies sometimes become difficult for their audience to follow. Using complex ideas as plot points might lend a movie an air of intelligence, but it also makes its narrative hard to comprehend for general audiences. This leads to fans watching movies again and again, taking in as much as possible in hopes of fully deciphering the meaning behind some of the more complex ideas implemented by the filmmakers. Though complexity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the following movies are so complicated that you just have to watch them over and over.
5) Donnie Darko (2001)
Proof that even sci-fi masterpieces don’t need to make much sense, Donnie Darko is one of the most mind-bending and subtly bleak films in the history of the genre. It doesn’t wear its sci-fi roots on its sleeve, instead revealing in the final act that it’s really a rumination on divergent timelines with a few minor elements of quantum physics. The abrupt nature of its ending leaves many things ambiguous, and only really vaguely implies the motivations of its title character. Donnie Darko is a brilliant movie, but it’s one that many feel they need to watch repeatedly just to fully understand its message.
4) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
As well as boasting one of the most famous nonsensical sci-fi movie endings of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey is hailed as one of the genre’s greatest ever movies. Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 classic was created in collaboration with legendary sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke, and the result is a film that is as visually striking as it is confusing. The film’s final act, in particular, is incredibly difficult to decipher, as it relies heavily on the use of imagery that speaks more to the movie’s themes than its actual plot. As one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, rewatching 2001: A Space Odyssey repeatedly is hardly a chore, but it’s still necessary for those who want to truly understand the film.
3) Solaris (1972)
There are several great sci-fi movies with no villain, and Solaris is one of the best examples of how this can be achieved. A deeply psychological movie, Solaris concerns a space station orbiting the titular planet, where a scientific mission has run into difficulties because its small crew has begun experiencing emotional crises, only for the man sent to investigate to fall victim to the same phenomenon. It’s a film that expresses a great deal through minor moments and details, and deeper meaning and themes are packed into every scene. It’s a beautifully complex movie that is a pleasure to watch multiple times, which is completely necessary for those hoping to fully grasp its deeper meaning.
2) The Fountain (2006)
There are sci-fi movies so smart you have to watch them twice, and then there’s The Fountain. Darren Aronofsky’s 2006 movie blends elements of fantasy, spirituality, and history with broader sci-fi tropes, making it a film of dizzying scope. It consists of three storylines featuring two characters connected by love across time and space, with stories set in the past, present, and future. The complicated nature of its storytelling makes The Fountain difficult to follow, though the movie’s cult following claims that the need to watch it over and over is all part of the film’s charm.
1) Predestination (2014)
Predestination is a movie that hasn’t been as widely remembered as it perhaps deserves to be, particularly as it adapts an incredible short story penned by sci-fi legend Robert A. Heinlein. It stars Ethan Hawke and follows a man who meets a time-traveling agent tasked with tracking an elusive terrorist across history, only to become entangled in a mind-bending web of events. Boasting one of the best sci-fi movie twists of all time, Predestination‘s final reveal is one of the most complex in sci-fi history, and it practically begs the audience to watch the movie again and again until they can fully grasp the cyclical nature of its story.
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