Science Fiction is one of the most important and popular film genres of all time. Sci-Fi has continued to stand the test of time and is responsible for some of the greatest movies in the entire medium. One aspect of the filming process that can quickly make or break a movie in the eyes of the viewer is its writing. No matter how visually appealing a movie is, it won’t hold up without any substance.
Great writing is what sets incredible sci-fi installments like Alien: Romulus from box-office flops like Tron: Ares. Both films had incredibly popular franchises behind them, but only one movie actually found success. The 2020s have become an incredible era for sci-fi fans, with several films being released every year. Unfortunately, some of these movies feature much better writing than others.
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10
Aliens: Romulus Is the Latest Chapter In A Historic Sci-Fi Franchise
Romulus Takes the Alien Series In a New and Shocking Direction
Alien originally released in 1979 to widespread praise and critical acclaim. Many consider Alien one of the greatest sci-fi horror films of all time, for good reason. Alien: Romulus is one of the latest entries to the franchise, and takes a lot of inspiration from the original. The movie even has a canon place in the timeline, falling in between the first film and its original sequel, Aliens.
Despite carrying many of the same story beats as the original, Alien: Romulus isn’t afraid to get creative. The last arc of the film contains one of the most disturbing creatures in the entire franchise. Fans everywhere were quickly enthralled by writer and director Fede Álvarez’s direction for the Alien universe. Thankfully, he is staying on to direct the film’s upcoming sequel, which is allegedly already in development.
Alien: Romulus
- Release Date
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August 16, 2024
- Runtime
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119 Minutes
- Director
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Fede Alvarez
- Writers
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Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues, Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett
9
Predator: Badlands Shows a Unique Side to Sci-Fi’s Most Dangerous Hunters
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi Brings a New Emotional Level to the Yautja
Predator: Badlands is an incredible entry into the Predator franchise. Badlands explores the Predator species, The Yautja, to a degree that has never been done before. The result is an incredible coming of age tale that gives more depth to the space-faring hunters than ever before. Although some fans were not happy with the species’ humanization, it was undoubtedly brilliantly executed.
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi brings the amazing script by Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison to life, incredibly mastering the Yautja’s more subtle expressions and ideals. Predator: Badlands expertly sets up for a sequel, which will more than likely continue Dek’s journey to find his own place in the universe. If the team continues tackling the sequel with similar passion, there is no doubt Predator: Badlands 2 will find similar success.
Predator: Badlands
- Release Date
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November 5, 2025
- Runtime
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107 minutes
- Director
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Dan Trachtenberg
- Writers
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Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, John Thomas, Jim Thomas
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Elle Fanning
Thia / Tessa
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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Dek / Father
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Michael Homick
Kwei (Suit)
8
2020’s The Invisible Man is a Remake to Remember
Elizabeth Moss Carries This Incredible Sci-Fi Thriller
Reboots and remakes have become extremely common in Hollywood today. It’s often easier for studios to recreate a popular franchise, rather than start their own, but sometimes a reboot is made because a writer has an extremely clever take on an older idea and is genuinely passionate about bringing it to life. This is undoubtedly the case for 2020s The Invisible Man.
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The original story written by H.G. Wells in 1897, and the first film released in 1933, mainly follows a scientist’s descent into madness after an experiment renders him invisible. The 2020 Invisible Man takes the concept in a completely different direction. The story now follows the scientist’s estranged spouse as she is continuously tormented by her scorned invisible ex-husband. This fresh take on the franchise found widespread success and proves that reboots can be done in a more creatively fulfilling way.
The Invisible Man
- Release Date
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February 28, 2020
- Runtime
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124 minutes
- Director
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Leigh Whannell
- Writers
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Leigh Whannell
7
Together Redefines the Sci-Fi Body Horror Genre In the Best Way Possible
Together’s Married Leads Bring Their Very Real Chemistry to the Silver Screen
Together was one of the most unexpected releases of the summer. The incredible writer and director, Micheal Shanks, used the film’s leads’, Alison Brie and Dave Franco, very real chemistry to create one of the most unforgettable films of the year. Together follows a struggling couple who become frighteningly close after a hike leaves them slowly merging into one body.
Shank’s uses the very real body horror elements to analyze some of the more nuanced aspects of relationships in an ingenious way. Tim and Millie’s struggle with co-dependence is visualized by slowly and painfully merging them into a single being. The fantastic writing coupled with both leads’ incredible performance makes Together one of the best entries in the body-horror genre in a long time.
Together
- Release Date
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July 30, 2025
- Runtime
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102 minutes
- Director
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Michael Shanks
- Writers
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Michael Shanks
6
Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein Is Moe Accurate to the Original Source Material Than Previous Adaptations
The Director Takes More Influence From Mary Shelly Than Hollywood’s Take on the Classic Franchise
Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein proves that one of the best ways to become popular in the modern day is to remain accurate to the source material. Hollywood is responsible for turning Mary Shelly’s monster into the gargantuan green stitched figure that horror fans are familiar with today. Thankfully, Del Toro has finally brought an accurate version of Frankenstein’s Monster to the silver screen, to widespread critical acclaim.
2025’s Frankenstein beautifully touches on the sentiments from the original novel, while offering the usual Del Toro flair, creating an unforgettable masterpiece that is both respectful to the past and acceptable to the present. Jacob Elordi’s performance as the creature is nothing short of incredible, and he truly takes the movie to the next level. Hopefully, del Toro’s Frankenstein shows writers and directors that being faithful to the source material is always the best way to go for an adaptation.
Frankenstein
- Release Date
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October 17, 2025
- Runtime
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149 Minutes
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Oscar Isaac
Dr. Victor Frankenstein
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Mia Goth
Elizabeth Lavenza
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Christoph Waltz
Dr. Pretorius
5
Palm Springs Lures Audiences Into a False Sense of Comedic Security
Andy Samber and Christin Milioti Brilliantly Explore The True Meaning of Eternity
Andy Samberg is primarily known for his comedic acting, and Palm Springs is certainly a comedy at its core. That said, the film is also a foray into the existential and a discussion of what two people might do when faced with eternity. Samberg proves once and for all that he is far more than just a comedy specialist, and delivers some truly gut-wrenching monologues about the passage of time. No other film could alternate from brutal self-reflection to shockingly raunchy comedy.
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The combination of the mundane and the fantastical is one of the greatest parts of the movie. It flew under many people’s radar, but anyone who has seen the film typically speaks of it fondly. Palm Springs has a little something for everyone, but that doesn’t mean everyone will enjoy it. However, fans of series like Brooklyn 99 are sure to enjoy Samberg in this unforgettable sci-fi comedy.
Palm Springs
- Release Date
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July 10, 2020
- Runtime
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90 minutes
- Director
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Max Barbakow
- Writers
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Andy Siara
4
Mickey 17 Is Twice the Fun of a Normal Sci-Fi Film
Robert Pattinson Explores Two Sides of the Same Character
Mickey 17 is one of the most creative movies to come out of the sci-fi genre in a long time. In a universe where cloning technology has been relatively perfected, expendable workers are continuously cloned so they can perform dangerous jobs no one else will. A malfunction occurs in Mickey’s case, leading Robert Pattinson to play two completely different versions of the same character. Both Mickeys might share the same memories, but they couldn’t be more different.
In addition to fighting for their own survival, the Mickeys are introduced to a race of alien creatures desperate for their help. Mickey 17 brilliantly shows each Mickey’s reaction to the creature’s suffering and demonstrates how even clones could theoretically act completely differently. Mickey 17 is a great watch and a fantastic indicator that Hollywood could be shifting in a more creative direction.
Mickey 17
- Release Date
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February 28, 2025
- Runtime
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137 minutes
- Director
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Bong Joon Ho
- Writers
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Bong Joon Ho, Edward Ashton
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-
-
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Mark Ruffalo
Kenneth Marshall
3
Bugonia’s Twist Ending Is Simply Out of This World
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Latest Film Is His Best, By Far
Bugonia is Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film, and is likely to be his most successful. Bugonia is a remake of the Korean movie Save the Green Planet with Hollywood stars Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone at the helm. Plemons plays an eccentric nobody who believes a highly rich and famous CEO, played by Emma Stone, is actually an alien set to conquer the earth.
Bugonia portrays Plemon’s character as totally insane, but as the movie progresses, something interesting begins to happen. Towards the film’s ending, Plemon’s character slowly starts to make sense, following a twist ending that is completely unexpected. Bugonia is worth watching for the finale alone, but Lanthimos assuredly takes his audience on a wild ride along the way.
Bugonia
- Release Date
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November 7, 2025
- Runtime
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119 minutes
- Director
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Yorgos Lanthimos
- Writers
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Will Tracy
2
Dune: Part One Sets The Scene For the Decade’s Most Prominent Sci-Fi Franchise
Dune: Part One’s Superior Writing Is Contrasted by the Sequel’s Heavy-Action Focus
Before the year 2021, Dune was considered a fairly hardcore sci-fi franchise. It was relatively unheard of in the mainstream and most who had read the novels, couldn’t find anyone to discuss them with. Thankfully, that all changed with 2021’s Dune. The first film in the franchise did a fantastic job of bringing Arrakis to life. Dune: Part One might have significantly less action than the sequel, but it was fundamental for introducing the audience to the world and its intricacies.
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2021’s Dune might not have been the first attempt to bring the franchise to the silver screen, but it was undoubtedly the most successful. The film was written by a team of three people, each dedicated to bringing Frank Herbert’s original vision to life in a way that would appeal to modern audiences. Now, Dune is set to become one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of the decade, and it’s all thanks to the amazing writing of the first film.
Dune
10/10
- Release Date
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September 15, 2021
- Runtime
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155 minutes
- Director
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Denis Villeneuve
- Writers
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Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, Frank Herbert
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Timothée Chalamet
Paul Atreides
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Rebecca Ferguson
Lady Jessica Atreides
1
Everything Everywhere All At Once Master’s the Multiverse
Other Interdimensional Storylines Feel Flat In Comparison
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a multiversal movie in an era of multiversal madness. However, Everything Everywhere All at Once truly sets itself apart with its incredible writing and amazing performances by Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. The film received widespread critical acclaim and several awards, including the 2022 Academy Award for Best Picture.
Few films could succeed in the same capacity as Everything Everywhere All At Once. It offers a multiversal tale to an audience likely tired of inter-dimensional storylines and keeps them engaged the entire time. There will probably never be a sequel, but the directors, known as The Daniels, have already confirmed their next project is in the works. Hopefully, their next film will be just as thoughtful as the original.
