Books are always going to make for great movie source material, and adaptations of every genre have improved over the past few years as quality entertainment has been in high demand. With the recent star-studded release of Dune, it's obvious that science fiction features are also just as wildly popular now as they were in years past.
With that being said, there are many amazing science fiction book adaptations out there ready to be watched, but there are a few that are absolutely necessary for any science fiction fan to experience at some point in their life.
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005) Available On HBO Max
This film, based on the series created by Douglas Adams, has a multimedia branching franchise following its stories from space. The film follows Arthur Dent, whose best friend saves him from being killed on earth as the planet is completely decimated.
This movie focuses on the search for life and its meaning in an ever-expanding universe, but it does so in a lighthearted way. Martin Freeman plays Arthur and makes this movie even more comedic with his deadpan lines and confusion that turns into an interest in the design of the universe.
Blade Runner (1982) Available On Netflix
Blade Runner, a sci-fi classic that still holds up today, is based on the story called "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. The film follows Rick Deckard as he falls in love with a replicant, Rachael, and realizes that the human clones of his world are more real than he originally thought.
This film has been cut into multiple renditions over the years, but the final cut is the one that audiences should watch. As it explores what makes humans human, the film also manages to visually amaze with its stark and futuristic scenes.
Minority Report (2002) Available On Netflix
Minority Report is also based on another story by Philip K. Dick with the same name. It follows a character, played by Tom Cruise, who is arrested for the "Precrime" murder of a man he hasn't even met yet.
This story takes place in the near future and it is a trippy tale of how feelings of passivity can dramatically escalate to being driven to murder. It is one of the most original plots for a science fiction movie, and Tom Cruise plays the lead like any other hardened and likable action hero he has played in the past.
Dune (2021) Available In Theaters
Dune, written by Frank Herbert, is about Paul Atreides, a young man with a destiny beyond his own comprehension. The novel is an epic adventure tale that features danger and spaces politics.
Although this newest interpretation of the book is going to be separated into two parts, the production value and casting choices are unmatched. Though Dune has some big changes between the movie and the book, this film exceeds the success of the first film adaptation and leads viewers to expect an even more climactic second part.
Ready Player One (2018) Available On HBO Max
Ready Player One, originally written by, Ernest Cline, is about a virtual reality world filled with fun games. If that's not enough, it's also directed by Steven Spielberg. The story follows a teen living in 2044 who finds a vital clue that leads him to unlock the fortune of a tech billionaire.
Ready Player One, which is even better in 3D, has tons of product placement and recognizes several video game franchises, but the story is actually extremely fresh and echoes some of the real-life creations of things like virtual reality and augmented reality. It also has a cute romance that adds some levity to the plot.
The Hunger Games (2012) Available On Amazon Prime
The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, quickly became one of the biggest science fiction YA novels of the late 2000s, and the film made Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson huge stars in an instant. The story follows Katniss, a girl who volunteers into a competition where she must fight to the death in order to save her sister.
The first book in this trilogy is a great stand-alone story about the evils of wealth disparity and using fear to rule over people. The film is a direct comment on capitalist society, while still having creative elements of science fiction with its genetically engineered animals and futuristic wardrobing.
The Martian (2015) Available On Amazon Prime
The Martian stars Matt Damon and is based on the novel written by Andy Weir, and it's another one of Ridley Scott's great science fiction films. It follows Mark Watney, an astronaut who is stranded on Mars after a storm who does everything in his power to stay alive and get back home to his family.
The cinematography in this movie is outstanding, and Matt Damon delivers a performance that makes his character enjoyable even while he doing the most mundane things just to survive. For fans of space exploration, this film is definitely something that should be high on their list to watch.
Annihilation (2018) Available On Paramount +
Annihilation is based on the novel by the same name written by Jeff VanderMeer and published in 2014. The story follows a group of female scientists as they explore an area cut off from the rest of the world where no one has ever come out alive before.
This film has everything a science fiction fan would love, including its theme of life developing in undeterminable and strange ways. The ending of this film, which heavily focuses on Natalie Portman's character, Lena, is something that will leave audiences guessing when she escapes as the sole survivor.
Jurassic Park (1993) Available On HBO Max
Jurassic Park has some of the best action sequences in movie history, and it is based on the 1990 book by Michael Crichton. Its the story of a theme park filled with scientifically created dinosaurs that break loose of their enclosures and wreak havoc on the tiny island that they live on.
Though this concept may sound a bit more like a horror film, it's actually relatively wholesome since there really aren't any graphic deaths or particularly gruesome scenes. The innovation used by the filmmakers to make the dinosaurs come to life in this movie also warrants some attention. With the franchise's revival doing quite well, it's clear that this concept has captured the hearts and minds of many audiences.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Available On HBO Max
2001: A Space Odyssey is based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story The Sentinel and it's also one of the best and most influential science fiction movies ever made. The film is a man vs. machine narrative that follows a team of astronauts and their artificial intelligence system, HAL, that seems to have its own potentially malevolent agenda.
This is a classic but esoteric movie, and it is beautifully shot and extremely well made considering it was made by Stanley Kubrick in 1968. HAL is actually terrifying to watch, as the machine slowly turns on the humans that it is supposedly meant to protect.