15 Underrated International Sci-Fi Films Ranked

The Big Picture

Foreign sci-fi films like 1990: The Bronx Warriors and Chronopolis offer unique and visually striking storytelling outside Hollywood norms. The Congress explores the consequences of digital likeness ownership, reflecting modern film industry concerns in an engaging and dazzling way. The Man Who Stole the Sun is a darkly funny and unpredictable Japanese sci-fi gem that defies genre boundaries and hooks viewers in.

You can go back more than 100 years to see that science fiction has always been an interesting genre for filmmakers and audiences alike. As far back as 1902, there was the iconic short film A Trip to the Moon, for example, and something like Metropolis (1927) – one of the greatest silent movies of all time – is rapidly approaching its 100th anniversary.

Also, both those movies came from places other than the U.S. (France and Germany respectively), so there’s nothing particularly new about groundbreaking sci-fi being made outside Hollywood. While there are plenty of iconic sci-fi movies and underappreciated sci-fi films from there, what follows is a rundown of some of the greatest – and most underrated – science fiction movies to be made outside the U.S., including a couple of English-language titles (though most are in a language other than English).

Most Underrated International Sci-Fi Movies Ranked

15. Stalker (1979)

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

A profound exploration of human desire and existential uncertainty, Stalker is a Soviet film by Andrei Tarkovsky that delves into the mysterious and dangerous Zone, a place where one’s deepest wishes can be granted. The journey is not only physical but philosophical, as the characters grapple with their own motivations and the nature of happiness. The film’s slow pace and meditative tone create a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after the credits roll.

Watch on Criterion Channel

14. Timecrimes (2007)

Director: Nacho Vigalondo

This Spanish sci-fi thriller revolves around a man who accidentally becomes entangled in a time loop, with each iteration revealing darker layers of his predicament. The film masterfully builds tension and suspense, utilizing its modest budget to craft a gripping and unpredictable narrative. Timecrimes is a clever and tightly constructed film that explores the complexities and dangers of time travel without relying on flashy effects.

Watch on Hulu

13. The City of Lost Children (1995)

Directors: Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet

A visually stunning French film, The City of Lost Children presents a dark, fantastical world where a mad scientist kidnaps children to steal their dreams. The film’s unique aesthetic, characterized by its steampunk influences and surreal atmosphere, complements its imaginative storyline. The collaboration between Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet results in a richly detailed and immersive experience that stands out in the sci-fi genre.

Watch on Amazon Prime

12. Avalon (2001)

Director: Mamoru Oshii

A Japanese-Polish production, Avalon is a cyberpunk film that explores a dystopian future where people escape their bleak realities by immersing themselves in a highly addictive virtual reality game. Directed by Mamoru Oshii, known for Ghost in the Shell, the film features a distinctive visual style with its sepia-toned cinematography and explores themes of reality, addiction, and the human desire for escape.

Watch on MUBI

11. The Quiet Earth (1985)

Director: Geoff Murphy

A New Zealand sci-fi classic, The Quiet Earth follows a scientist who wakes up to find himself seemingly alone in the world after a mysterious experiment goes awry. The film explores themes of isolation, existential crisis, and the human condition as the protagonist grapples with his newfound solitude and the potential consequences of his work. Its haunting atmosphere and thought-provoking narrative make it a standout in the genre.

Watch on Tubi

These films offer a diverse range of sci-fi narratives and styles, showcasing the rich variety of storytelling that exists beyond Hollywood.

10. 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)

Director: Enzo G. Castellari

Taking place in the super-duper distant future of 1990, 1990: The Bronx Warriors comes from Italian filmmaker Enzo G. Castellari, whose best movie is probably the action-packed war movie The Inglorious Bastards (not the Quentin Tarantino one). As for 1990: The Bronx Warriors, it’s also got a good deal of dopey yet fun action, and has a post-apocalyptic New York City as its main setting.

There are various gangs fighting, perhaps a little like The Warriors, but everything’s just a bit more heightened and ridiculous; your mileage might vary on whether this is a good thing or not. Also, perhaps a little like some Spaghetti Westerns, there are a good number of American actors who appear throughout 1990: The Bronx Warriors, but it was ultimately an Italian production, with different dubs existing for the final film.

Watch on Amazon

9. The Congress (2013)

Director: Ari Folman

The Congress is technically one of the longest animated movies of all time, though it’s not entirely animated, featuring a decent number of sequences that are live-action. It uses its 2+ hour runtime to go to some strange places and touch upon a huge amount of thematic material, with its premise centering on the long-term consequences of an actress agreeing to have her body digitally scanned so a studio can own her likeness, and make her appear in all sorts of movies going forward.

It was a bit ahead of its time, considering there have been worries about such a thing happening more and more in the film industry, particularly for extras/background actors. Beyond being intellectually engaging, The Congress also succeeds in being visually dazzling, and is also noteworthy for being a large co-production of half a dozen different countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Luxembourg, and Poland.

The Congress

• Release Date: July 3, 2013
• Director: Ari Folman
• Runtime: 122 minutes
• Watch on Peacock

8. Chronopolis (1982)

Director: Piotr Kamler

1982 was a good year for science fiction movies, seeing the release of mammoth hits like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and films that took a little longer to get considered classics, like Blade Runner and The Thing. Less well-known, in terms of sci-fi movies released that year, was Chronopolis, an animated French/Polish film that clocks in at under an hour, and has very little by way of conventional narrative.

Chronopolis is experimental, but not so dramatically that it becomes tedious or boring, succeeding largely thanks to how eerie and alien the world it takes place in is. The city in Chronopolis is filled with immortal beings who are largely tired of their existence, all finding ways to pass the (endless) time. It’s striking to look at and listen to, and the mood/atmosphere here more than carries the film in its entirety.

Buy on Amazon

7. Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

Director: Kazuki Ōmori

There are plenty of Godzilla movies to keep track of, and anyone who wants to take in the entire series will have to set aside enough time to watch almost 40 films. With that many films going back 70 years, perhaps it’s understandable that a few kind of get buried and subsequently overlooked, with Godzilla vs. Biollante being arguably the best of these underrated Godzilla movies.

The titular Biollante is one of the most impressive-looking monsters Godzilla has ever gone up against, not to mention one of the most tragic, with an origin story that ties in directly to the human-focused portions of the movie. This means Godzilla vs. Biollante succeeds at both the ground level and when it comes to the monster-centered action, which is more than can be said about a great many giant monster films.

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6. Spirits of the Air: Gremlins of the Clouds (1987)

Director: Alex Proyas

Spirits of the Air: Gremlins of the Clouds is an Australian science fiction movie that largely takes place in the desert and is post-apocalyptic, but it’s otherwise pretty far removed from the early Mad Max movies, which one might be tempted to compare it to. It’s very small-scale and character-focused, with just three main characters: a brother and sister living alone in the outback, and a mysterious stranger who comes across them and instantly changes their lives.

The look of Spirits of the Air: Gremlins of the Clouds is the main thing it has going for it, with Alex Proyas – best-known for the likes of The Crow and Dark City – proving here that he always had a knack for making films with imaginative and mind-blowing visuals. It’s ultimately a good movie to get mesmerized by and then eventually lost in.

Rent on Google Play

5. Dead Man’s Letters (1986)

Director: Konstantin Lopushansky

The infamous yet acclaimed TV movie about nuclear war and its devastating consequences, Threads, is already a little underrated, but it’s basically Star Wars popularity-wise when compared to Dead Man’s Letters. This film came out two years after Threads, and was a USSR production, feeling similarly unsettling to that 1984 film while providing a hard-to-forget look at a nuclear apocalypse.

As one might expect from the title, Dead Man’s Letters is super bleak, and it feels a good bit longer than its 83-minute runtime because of how intentionally oppressive, cold, and ominous it all feels. It’s exceedingly effective at being an anti-war film, and even though it’s downbeat, it is very human while feeling dauntingly realistic. Anyone interested in this science fiction subgenre and doesn’t mind it being particularly depressing ought to check it out.

Buy on Amazon

4. Summer Time Machine Blues (2005)

Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro

Summer Time Machine Blues takes a time travel premise and uses it to craft an entertainingly goofy comedy, and one made on what’s clearly a modest budget, too. It shows how extensive special effects aren’t needed to make a good sci-fi movie, getting by on creativity and a charmingly scrappy aesthetic, all revolving around a group of sci-fi-obsessed young men using time travel to fix their air-conditioning unit’s broken remote during a particularly bad heatwave.

From there, absolute chaos unfolds, and while it takes a little while to get going, the first act is successful in hindsight, given how many situations and gags it sets up. Once Summer Time Machine Blues takes off, it’s a huge amount of fun, and ends up scratching a similar itch to another Japanese film that had a grounded and comedic approach to time travel, Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020).

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3. The Aerial (2007)

Director: Esteban Sapir

There’s a whole lot going on in the singular sci-fi movie that is The Aerial, so much so that it’s inevitably hard to summarize or sell to people who haven’t seen it. Maybe the latter’s okay, in the end, because it’s probably not the kind of thing that will appeal to everyone, what with its bold visual choices and its commitment to telling a strange story about various people in a futuristic city controlled by oppressive forces.

Losing track of the plot of The Aerial doesn’t affect things too badly, because the black-and-white visuals and various homages to movies and film movements of the past keep it all engaging on a pure gut level. There are strange, unsettling, and fascinating sights to behold throughout The Aerial, and it’s not too bold a claim to say there’s really nothing else out there like this Argentine film.

Watch on MUBI

2. Woman in the Moon (1929)

Director: Fritz Lang

If you can only ever watch a single Fritz Lang-directed science fiction movie, you should probably go with 1927’s Metropolis, but almost as worthy of your attention in this bizarre hypothetical scenario is Woman in the Moon, released just two years later. It’s one of the last great films of the silent era, as talkies had begun getting released in 1927, and post-1929, very few mainstream movies were sticking to silence.

Woman in the Moon is something of an epic, like Metropolis, but a good deal of it takes place off Earth, either on a spacecraft going to the moon, and then later on the surface of the moon itself. It was ahead of its time in terms of imagining how such an expedition might well go down, and still holds up nearly a century on from its release as a visually impressive, engaging, and technically astounding sci-fi adventure.

Buy on Amazon

1. The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979)

Director: Kazuhiko Hasegawa

One final Japanese sci-fi movie worth highlighting is the incomparable The Man Who Stole the Sun, which manages to be a lot more than just a work of science fiction. Going into how it juggles various genres would run the risk of ruining the entire thing, because it’s one of those movies where someone should go into it knowing as little as possible.

The ride provided by The Man Who Stole the Sun is equal parts darkly funny, intense, horrifying, and weird, and how it can do so many things across a runtime of nearly two and a half hours while never feeling boring or predictable is staggering. It’s wild and a bit ridiculous, but hooks you in and nevertheless refuses to let go. All in all, it certainly feels like a contender for the crown of “most underrated sci-fi movie made outside the U.S.”

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The Evolution of Sci-Fi Beyond Hollywood

Science fiction is a genre that transcends borders, offering unique perspectives and storytelling techniques from around the world. Films like A Trip to the Moon and Metropolis laid the groundwork for international sci-fi cinema, demonstrating that groundbreaking work doesn’t have to come from Hollywood. These early films from France and Germany respectively, highlight how the genre has always been a global endeavor.

Early International Sci-Fi Milestones

• 1902: A Trip to the Moon (France): One of the earliest examples of science fiction in film, it set a precedent for imaginative storytelling.
• 1927: Metropolis (Germany): A monumental work in silent film, it’s still celebrated for its innovative visual effects and complex narrative.

The Continued Impact of Non-U.S. Sci-Fi Films

International sci-fi films often bring fresh narratives and unique visual styles that can differ greatly from their Hollywood counterparts. These movies offer diverse perspectives and explore themes in ways that might not align with mainstream American cinema.

The Appeal of Underrated Sci-Fi Movies

Many international sci-fi films remain under the radar, often overshadowed by Hollywood blockbusters. However, these underrated gems offer rich storytelling, imaginative visuals, and thought-provoking themes. They push the boundaries of the genre and provide fresh takes on familiar sci-fi tropes.

Exploring Lesser-Known Gems

• 1990: The Bronx Warriors (Italy): A post-apocalyptic action film with a unique Italian twist.
• The Congress (Multiple countries): A visually stunning and thematically rich film about digital likeness and the future of cinema.
• Chronopolis (France/Poland): An experimental animated film that captivates with its eerie atmosphere.

The Global Landscape of Sci-Fi Cinema

European Contributions

Europe has a long history of producing influential sci-fi films that often differ from the traditional Hollywood approach. Films like Chronopolis and The Congress showcase the continent’s ability to blend artistic expression with science fiction storytelling.

Asian Sci-Fi Innovations

Asian cinema, particularly from Japan, has also made significant contributions to the genre. Movies like Godzilla vs. Biollante and The Man Who Stole the Sun offer unique narratives and visual styles that are distinctly different from Western films.

Australian Sci-Fi Adventures

Australia’s Spirits of the Air: Gremlins of the Clouds demonstrates the country’s ability to produce compelling sci-fi narratives with a distinctive visual flair.

Conclusion

Underrated international sci-fi movies provide a treasure trove of innovative storytelling, imaginative visuals, and unique perspectives. These films push the boundaries of the genre and offer fresh takes on familiar themes. From the post-apocalyptic world of 1990: The Bronx Warriors to the visually stunning and thematically rich The Congress, these movies deserve more recognition and appreciation. Exploring these underrated gems not only broadens our understanding of science fiction but also highlights the global nature of the genre.