The science-fiction films of the last decade have pushed the concept of what the genre can encompass, offering some of the most mind-bending and provocative films since its inception. The strength of these films often relies on the character development inherent to the narrative, and the interpersonal relationships that make the often outlandish plots seem grounded in reality.
From the bond between humans and synthetic beings in Robot and Frank, to the deeply personal connections between two people trying to make a better future in Arrival, to the romances shared between warriors and fighters in a galaxy far, far away, there have been relationships that use the vehicle of science-fiction to be relatable in a way that transcends the genre. Here are the 10 best sci-fi relationships of the decade, ranked.
LOUISE BANKS AND IAN DONNELLY
Arrival became known as one of the most influential science fiction films of the past decade, not because of a dizzying array of special effects and extreme creature design, but because it was a contemplative contribution to the genre. Its narrative involves non-linear time, and two characters committing to making choices even when they have the insight to already know the outcome.
Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) are part of a team of investigators unraveling the mystery of 12 alien ships that have positioned themselves all over the world. In an effort to stop any possible violence by Earth's military forces, they must discover a way to communicate with the beings inside them. Their love unfolds quietly, becoming the strength they both need during one of the most momentous efforts of humankind.
ROBOT AND FRANK
Robot and Frank details the unlikely friendship that develops between a retired jewel thief and a robot assistant, resulting in an equally unlikely series of misadventures and heists. Frank (Frank Langella) begins the film very "anti-tech", despite the insistence of his son (James Marsden) that he needs the robot for help at home in his advanced years.
Frank soon realizes Robot has his uses, in the realm of senior care as well as burglary. He has a fractured relationship with his ex-wife (Susan Sarandon), as well as his daughter (Liv Tyler), and Robot provides the one thing Frank seems to need; a companion who doesn't judge him and lets him be himself, flaws and all.
NYOTA UHURA AND SPOCK
2009's Star Trek reboot from J.J. Abrams introduced us to a Star Trek that was both familiar and new, populated by characters we recognized from The Original Series, in situations and events that diverged from that timeline. One of the biggest changes was giving Mr. Spock, the half-Vulcan who eschews emotion in favor of logic, a love interest.
Two sequels over the next decade revealed a complexity to Spock's character that would only have been possible when connected to a formidable partner like Nyota Uhura (and because Kirk didn't like him yet). Her spirited nature complemented his calculating cool and allowed for some out-of-this-world flirtations.
HIRO HAMADA AND BAYMAX
The 54th animated film from Walt Disney Pictures and loosely based on the Marvel comic of the same name, Big Hero 6 featured a heartwarming relationship between a boy and his robot. Hiro (Ryan Potter) is a robotics prodigy who, after a period of waywardly enjoying robot battles with his microbots, gets into the acclaimed technology institute his big brother attends.
When his brother is killed, a depressed Hiro activates Baymax, a robot specifically designed to comfort humans. When Hiro and his friends find themselves embroiled in a sinister plot with his microbots at the center, Baymax is transformed into the ultimate hero.
LT. COL. BILL CAGE AND RITA VATRASKI
In Edge of Tomorrow, Tom Cruise stars as Lt. Col. Bill Cage, part of a military unit sent on an impossible mission to defeat an unbeatable alien force. When he dies within moments of engagement, he gets stuck in a temporal loop that forces him to relive the same day over and over.
In a strange mash-up of Groundhog Day, Top Gun, and Aliens, Cage eventually learns from the events of the day, improving his fighting skills by spending time with his instructor Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt). Together in their mech-armor suits (that look something like the loaders in Aliens), they kick ass and fall in love in this underrated sci-fi gem.
KYLO REN AND REY
Throughout it's 40 plus years, the Star Wars Saga has had many relationships, some adored by fans like Han Solo and Princess Leia, and some reviled like Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. But never has a relationship elicited a response like the one between Dark Side warrior Kyo Ren and the Jedi pupil Rey.
Whether fans detest their bond or find it romantic, there's no denying that there's something enigmatic about it. Beginning in Episode VII: The Force Awakens and building in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, it has ignited the debate of whether or not the Dark Side and the Light Side can join together and bring true "balance" to the force instead of wiping each other out.
STAR-LORD AND GAMORA
Guardians of the Galaxy was the unlikely hit of the superhero genre, managing a perfect blend of sci-fi, fantasy, action, and adventure with its exciting tale of Star-Lord and his crew of misfits from across the universe. One of his unlikely companions was Gamora, the last of her kind and the adopted daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos.
With his laid-back charisma and roguish charm Star-Lord, aka Peter Quill seemed like a bizarre suitor for the no-nonsense Gamora, one of the galaxy's most deadly assassins and trained by Thanos himself. But the duality of their personalities created some fun chemistry and true heartfelt moments in the film as well as its sequel.
COOPER AND MURPH
As emotionally impactful as it is visually resonant, Interstellar features at its center the bond between a father and his children. When the Earth is becoming uninhabitable, former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is approached by a NASA physicist (Michael Caine) to go through a wormhole and explore which planets can support its population.
On Coop's journey across the galaxy and through the black hole, he finds he is gone an extraordinary amount of time and misses many of the milestones in his daughter Murph's life. What he does to try to communicate with her makes up some of the film's most powerful moments about the significance of human connection even lightyears away.
MAD MAX AND FURIOSA
George Miller's dazzling Mad Max: Fury Road featured one of the most visceral partnerships of the decade between Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy). In a post-apocalyptic future, the former is an operative of the tyrannical Immortan Joe who keeps survivors in the fortress-like Citadel, while the latter is trying to escape it.
When Furiosa escapes the Citadel in an armored War Rig with Joe's five wives, she forms a begrudging partnership with Mad Max, possibly the only man alive who can help her outrun Joe's henchmen in the Wasteland. Supposedly Theron and Hardy didn't along during filming, but it only added to the visceral nature of a bond forged in sand, sweat, and blood.
TONY STARK AND PETER PARKER
One relationship has stood out as the most meaningful connection of the decade, spanning several films and providing a critical emotional foundation of Marvel's Phase 3; Tony Stark and Peter Parker. The bond began in Spider-Man: Homecoming, where Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) became Parker's (Tom Holland) watchful mentor as he began his superhero career.
The touching nature of the father-and-son bond between Stark and Parker goes beyond Parker's father not being in the picture. Stark is the stand-in for Uncle Ben in Spider-Man's origin story, becoming an integral part of shaping the sort of superhero he will be. From Homecoming all the way to Avengers: Endgame, their special relationship provided the gut-punches the franchise needed to cement its legacy.