From a bike ride with an alien to a father-son lightsaber battle,
these sci-fi scenes are fantastical, unforgettable, and infinitely rewatchable.
The Death Star attack and trench run in "Star Wars: A New Hope" is one of the most iconic
sequences in the history of film. It's arguably the most famous sequence in the entire "Star
Wars" saga, and it set the tone at the very beginning for how a "Star Wars" space battle
should look and feel. George Lucas and his team famously drew inspiration from dog fights in World
War II dramas, and that influence is palpable. The whole battle takes place in the open vacuum
of space, yet every shot-down fighter and close engagement is packed with tight, frenetic energy.
Narratively, this scene is just as iconic. From Luke turning off his targeting computer
for the impossible shot to Han flying in at the last second to save his friend's skin,
it's full of tropes in the best way. John Williams' triumphant
score booms in the background, and the Death Star does the same.
"I knew you'd come back, I just knew it!"
"Well, I wasn't going to let you get all the credit, take all the reward!"
If you're a fan of sci-fi movies,
Roy Batty's words in the rain are probably very familiar to you.
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe."
Spoken by Rutger Hauer's character at the end of Ridley Scott's magnum opus "Blade Runner,"
this brief speech might be the most quoted and lauded monologue in the history of the genre.
In just 42 words, Batty sums up so much of the film's complexity. Rick Deckard has spent the
entire film hunting Batty and his fellow rogue "replicant" androids. As a blade runner, that's
his job. But as he and the viewer become more confused as to the nature of his own humanity,
and as the clear injustice of replicant life becomes clearer, the story blurs. In the end,
Batty saves Rick's life, and he chooses to spend his final moments sharing some of his
unique experiences. There's an intangible blend of joy, sorrow, and wistfulness that
Hauer delivers, poetically conveying what philosophical exposition couldn't possibly
manage to do. Any life is a beautiful thing, and any death is a tragic one.
"Like tears in rain."
The ending of Alex Garland's critically acclaimed 2018 film "Annihilation" is one of the most
beautiful, baffling, unnerving, and memorable moments in recent sci-fi history. Biologist
Lena spends the film journeying through a patch of wilderness surrounded by a strange energy
field known as the Shimmer, which has been slowly emanating outward from a crashed meteor. Within,
the genes of all life have been scrambled in gorgeous and hideous ways — but that's nothing
compared to what Lena finds in the lighthouse at the center of the Shimmer. Lena discovers her lost
squad leader, Dr. Ventress, in the tower, who gives her a dark and cryptic warning.
"Our bodies and our minds will be fragmented into their smallest parts, until not one part remains."
Ventress evaporates and becomes light. The light becomes a body, and the body becomes Lena. Under
the haunting strangeness of Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow's musical score, Lena and her alien
double engage in a dancelike duel with violent ends. It's cosmic horror at its truest and most
powerful — a vision of alien life so different from ours that it defies explanation. Many have
tried to explain the ending of "Annihilation," but the mystery is why it's so flawless.
"Interstellar" isn't necessarily the most original sci-fi film of the 21st century, but that hasn't
stopped it from becoming one of the most beloved. In style and tone, the film is very similar to
the rest of Christopher Nolan's filmography. Thematically, it reads like a modern version
of "2001: A Space Odyssey" — a movie that's fascinated with both the theoretical science
and strangeness of space. However, "Interstellar" shines brightest in its most human moments — and
if you've seen the movie, one scene in particular is probably leaping to mind right now.
In an effort to find new horizons for humanity, Joseph Cooper and the rest of
the Endurance team are tasked with visiting several different planets in orbit around
the black hole Gargantua. Their first stop is an hour-long visit to an aquatic world
that unfortunately brings nothing in the way of scientific revelation. Due to miscalculations
of the black hole's time dilation and an unforeseen tragedy on the planet's surface,
Cooper and Dr. Amelia Brand return to the Endurance to find that 23 years have passed.
This moment is designed to wreck you. Before the mission even really gets started,
the crew is broken. As Cooper watches two decades of backlogged video messages
from his now-grown children, he completely breaks down. The music from Hans Zimmer — a
composer famous for sweeping anthems and soaring strings — is quiet here,
as if it too has been hushed by the terrifying vastness and power of space.
It's not every year that we get a new film worthy of the sci-fi cinema pantheon,
but 2022 brought an instant classic with "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The
hilarious, emotional, and infinitely creative family drama from directors Daniel Kwan and
Daniel Scheinert is the rare film that occupies a space all its own.
Even in the modern crowd of multiverse movies, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" stands out.
The movie is a non-stop rollercoaster of bizarre alternate realities and exciting
martial arts action, all anchored by a powerful story about the things we give up for the people
we love. In the third act, though, things really kick into high gear. Protagonist Evelyn fully
locks into the multiverse she's been accessing and starts racing through it at a fever pitch,
leading to a stunning montage of different realities flashing by her in an instant.
It's a perfect encapsulation of the film's unique style, and a moment that leaves a
lasting impression. Everything from animated universes to celestial landscapes and snowy
city streets flash by while the camera stays rooted firmly on Evelyn's face. We see the
infinite possibilities of her life, and we feel the weight of the decisions she's made.
Though the montage itself only lasts a moment, it leads to an equally frenetic final act with
plenty of other wild scenes. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" beautifully balances
chaos with grounded emotion, and it all comes together flawlessly at the end.
In 2010, hot off the star-making success of "The Dark Knight," Christopher Nolan dropped an
original sci-fi masterpiece that took the world by storm. "Inception" was a success on many levels,
achieving high marks from critics and raking in cash at the box office with a star-studded
cast. It also introduced a sound effect that has haunted blockbuster trailers ever since.
Because the dream-sharing technology at the center of "Inception" is so high-concept, it's easy to
forget that the film is still, at its heart, a heist movie. But when you hit the climax, that
becomes pretty clear. After diving down into the forbidden third level of target Robert Fischer's
dream world, the crew prepares for extraction. To get out, they trigger "kicks" — weightless
moments that wake dreamers — in all three active dream levels at once. This causes time, gravity,
and the very fabric of "reality" to unravel in different ways across the different layers,
resulting in one of the most intense, unique, and impressively shot sci-fi action sequences ever.
Calling "2001: A Space Odyssey"
influential would be a dramatic understatement. Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke's 1968
sci-fi epic basically defined an entire era for the genre, and it's still one of the most
talked-about movies today. In truth, any number of scenes could be plucked from the film for
this list. We could talk about the infamous Star Child ending, or the bizarre monolith
sequences. But instead, let's talk about the scene that everybody loves to quote.
"Open the pod bay doors, HAL."
The iconic line itself is recognizable to many people who've never even seen
the movie. It's the moment that our protagonist, astronaut Dave Bowman,
realizes that his ship's A.I. isn't just sinister, but way, way ahead of him.
"I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me
and I'm afraid that is something I can't allow to happen."
"2001" is more about tone and atmosphere than it is about a straightforward story,
and this scene is the ultimate example of that. The unsettling sound of HAL's mechanical voice,
intercut with shots of the empty ship and the dark void of space,
creates a sense of instant, unstoppable dread.
"Although you took very careful precautions in the pod, against my hearing you,
I could see your lips move."
Dave's own shots are claustrophobic, and we see the fear play out on his face as
HAL shows his hand. In an age when A.I. technology is becoming a bigger part of
our lives every day, this scene is even more foreboding now than it was in 1968.
Many of Steven Spielberg's most famous films fall into the sci-fi genre, including 1977's
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" — Spielberg's first movie after breaking out as a blockbuster
director with "Jaws" in 1975. "Close Encounters" is a movie all about aliens, but it plays out more
like a mystery than a straightforward drama or action movie. In fact, there's very little
action to speak of at all, even when humanity finally makes contact with the extraterrestrials.
The ending of "Close Encounters" is as beautiful as it is mystifying. The aliens finally touch
down in Wyoming, where the U.S. military has laid out a welcome party. To communicate,
the humans use a combination of light patterns on a giant screen and musical notes inspired
by the aliens' own strange sounds. In this way, the two species are able to communicate,
though it's still a bit unclear what the conversation entails.
But then again, that's kind of the point. The audiovisual communication with the aliens is
tonally perfect, maintaining the alluring mystique of the rest of the film while also
offering a satisfying resolution. We don't get concrete answers about what the aliens have done,
or what they want, but we do get a powerful, resonant moment of connection between two corners
of the universe. Even decades later, the scene is absolutely breathtaking.
A lot of the best moments in sci-fi movie history are scenes that challenge viewers intellectually,
giving form to impossible things or exploring mind-blowing ideas. Some, though, are great
simply because it's fun to see big, beefy dudes fight aliens with knives in the jungle.
"Predator" may not be the most thought-provoking science fiction movie,
but it's a certified classic. The first action movie from director John McTiernan,
who later conquered the genre with the "Die Hard" franchise, follows a squad of muscle-bound
military commandos on a routine mission into a South American jungle. Things go awry when
they start to be hunted by an invisible extraterrestrial foe: the Predator itself.
By the time the final act rolls around, it's just Dutch and the Predator. Slathered in mud
to avoid the alien's thermal vision, Dutch lays traps, ambushing his enemy in the same way it's
been taking out his comrades. Sparks fly, and the jungle lights up with fire and explosions as the
two titans go at it. We even get a few choice one-liners along the way to keep things light.
"What the hell are you?"
Sometimes, a great scene doesn't need to tap into the deepest recesses of your mind. Sometimes,
it just needs to be flashy and fun, and the ending of "Predator" is exactly that.
There are a lot of things to love about the Wachowski sisters' breakout sci-fi masterpiece,
from the stunning visual style and rip-roaring action to the heady A.I. storyline. And in truth,
many different moments could justify spots on this list. The red-pill-blue-pill scene,
for instance, or the slow-mo lobby shootout that kicks off the final act. But one moment
stands tall above the rest: When Neo finally unlocks his true potential.
"What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?"
After seemingly being killed by Agent Smith and his compatriots, it looks like Neo might
not be the one after all. But a real-world kiss from Trinity gives him a second wind,
and when he stands up, he's a very different man. As foretold by Morpheus, Neo blocks the agents'
bullets like they're nothing — and when Smith comes in for a closer attack, he remains equally
untouchable. Suddenly, the most dangerous forces in the Matrix are reduced to frightened children,
and Neo finishes Smith off with an explosive display of his reality-altering power. This moment
is only made better by the final shot of the film, which sees Neo take flight for the first time.
"Tron" might not have been a huge success in 1982, but it's become a cult classic
since — and its historical impact can't be understated. According to The Guardian,
"Tron" was one of the first feature films to use CGI in a major way, which fit perfectly with its
experimental cyber-world setting. The most famous action set piece from the film today is probably
the Light Cycle battle sequence — a combat racing scene that was incredibly ambitious for its time.
Decades ago, the original "Tron" might have made it on this list with its Light Cycles. Sadly,
the scene hasn't aged especially well — but fans got a renovated version in 2010's "Tron:
Legacy." Director of the original film and a producer on the sequel, Steven Lisberger,
told Den of Geek that the Light Cycles in "Tron: Legacy" looked a lot more like what they were
going for in the early '80s. The same could be said of the entire Light Cycle battle, too.
"Now this I can do."
In "Tron: Legacy," the combat race is nearly operatic, anchored and elevated by Daft Punk's
stellar soundtrack. Every movement is timed to the music, creating a scene that's more like a
cyberspace music video than a typical action set piece. While it may not be the most important
moment in the movie's overall narrative, the Light Cycle battle is everything it needs to be.
It's great to see a classic scene revitalized so well, and the score is just the icing on the cake.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!"
George Miller's 2015 film "Mad Max: Fury Road" isn't just a sequel to his classic
trilogy from decades earlier. It's a partial reboot and quasi-reimagining
that incorporates elements from every prior film. Picking a single moment
from "Fury Road" to include is tough because the film is basically one long chase scene.
However, there probably isn't a more memorable sequence than the sandstorm battle in the
first act. From the pull-out shot that shows the gargantuan size of the storm to the final shot of
Nux's flare burning out into darkness, the whole sequence is breathtaking. It's the perfect way to
convey the natural brutality of this world and the fragility of human life within it.
For movie fans of a certain age, "E.T." is the quintessential alien movie. It's untouchable
in its simplicity — the story of a young boy who finds, befriends, and fights to protect a
gentle extraterrestrial left behind by his people. With Steven Spielberg's impeccable direction and
John Williams' triumphant score, the film takes this basic pitch and makes it a deeply emotional
journey. And of course, it also features perhaps the most famous shot in '80s film.
You already know the one. With E.T. bundled in a blanket on the front of his bike,
Elliott goes for an evening ride — and thanks to the alien's supernatural powers,
they're able to take flight. The shot of the bike crossing in front of the moon might as well be
the logo for Hollywood blockbusters, even decades after it first dazzled audiences. Williams' music
soars in the background, just as E.T. and Elliott fly before our eyes. It's the kind of scene that's
made Spielberg one of the most lauded directors of all time, and it just might be his finest moment.
Ridley Scott's "Alien" is one of the most beloved and influential films
in the entire sci-fi genre, both for its masterfully implemented horror elements and
its dense environmental worldbuilding. Most of the action takes place on the Nostromo,
a mining ship on its way back to Earth that's infiltrated by a deadly alien predator called
a Xenomorph. The whole reason that the xenomorph gets on board at all, though,
is that the ship receives a signal from a nearby moon. Weylan-Yutani company policy demands that
the crew investigate, leading to a gorgeously unsettling expedition onto an alien spacecraft.
From the stark landscapes of the moon itself to H. R. Giger's designs for the alien ship,
this whole sequence oozes atmosphere and dread. It captures the otherworldly nature
of what's about to happen flawlessly, and things only get more unsettling when the
first "facehugger" appears. There are plenty of other horrifying moments in "Alien," but
the whole tone is set during this first-contact sequence. Without directly explaining anything,
the film effortlessly conveys the terrifying strangeness of the universe,
which is the whole point. After all, in space, no one can hear you scream.
The "Star Wars" franchise is so important to the sci-fi genre at large that it earns two
entries on this list — and there should be no doubt that "The Empire Strikes Back" is
deserving. From the snowy battle on Hoth in the first act to Yoda's Jedi teachings on Dagobah,
the film is loaded with memorable moments, but the sequence we've chosen is particularly significant.
"Star Wars" is nothing if not loyal to narrative traditions, and the showdown
between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on Cloud City is about as "hero's journey" as
it gets. It's easily the best saber fight in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and it ends with
one of cinema's most memorable plot twists. As Vader holds out his hand to his son, promising
wealth and power if they join forces, we see in Luke's eyes a combination of terror and hate.
"Join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son."
And yet, Luke dodges the dark side, instead letting himself fall rather than to join his
father. It's a moment that's been done a hundred times in a hundred stories,
but it's never been more iconic than in "Star Wars."