Following the huge success of a number of sci-fi blockbusters in the ‘70s and ‘80s like Sar Wars, Alien, E.T, and Terminator, by the time the 1990s arrived, appetite for the genre was at an all-time high. The decade was characterized by a diverse array of films ranging from groundbreaking blockbusters like Jurassic Park and Armageddon to laugh-out-loud comedies like Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and Mars Attacks!.
As the genre has evolved throughout the history of the Hollywood, naturally by the ’90s it gave rise to certain tropes and conventions shaped by the perceived desires of the audience. Things like malevolent robots and science experiments gone wrong became staples of the genre.
Unsurprisingly, though, the market became oversaturated and, as a result, a number of filmmakers began thinking outside the box, subverting expectations and playing with these established tropes and conventions to set their movies apart from the herd. Consequently, a slew of unconventional sci-fi movies were released that eschewed traditional cliches, broke new ground, and challenged the notion that sci-fi movies needed to adhere to established formulas.
Here are 10 ’90s sci-fi movies across a range of genres that dared to defy conventions.
10 Split Second (1992)
This sci-fi creature feature, starring Rutger Hauer and Kim Cattrall, was released in 1992 and largely flew under the radar of mainstream audiences. Full of unexpected twists and turns, it follows the story of a down and out detective on the hunt for a monstrous serial killer who’s wreaking havoc on the gritty streets of London.
Split Second Takes Place in a Bleak Dystopian London Future
Combining elements of sci-fi and detective thriller, Split Second’s perpetually rainy, bleak, dystopian London setting is noticeably darker than many of its contemporaries and sets the tone for this tense thriller. Despite a lackluster box office performance, many were impressed with its atmosphere, mix of genres and Hauer’s intense performance, making it a hidden gem in the cluttered sci-fi genre. Stream on Prime Video
9 Open Your Eyes (Abre Los Ojos) (1997)
This Spanish sci-fi thriller sees a wealthy young man’s life unraveling before his very eyes as he loses his grip on reality. Full of unexpected twists and mystery, Open Your Eyes constantly challenges the audiences’ expectations. The movie was a huge hit with critics who were enamored with its unconventional storytelling, compelling performances and explorations of though-provoking themes.
Open Your Eyes’ Popularity Led to The American Remake Vanilla Sky
Open You Eyes holds a very impressive score of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and performed relatively well at the box office. Hollywood icon Tom Cruise caught wind of the movie’s international success and optioned the remake rights.
The result was Vanilla Sky, directed by Cameron Crowe and starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz (reprising her role from the original movie). Vanilla Sky was a hit at the box office but lacked the authenticity found in the original resulting in mixed reviews from critics. Stream on Prime Video
8 Naked Lunch (1991)
Naked Lunch (1991)
5/5
Blank-faced bug killer Bill Lee (Peter Weller) and his dead-eyed wife, Joan (Judy Davis), like to get high on Bill’s pest poisons while lounging with Beat poet pals. After meeting the devilish Dr. Benway (Roy Scheider), Bill gets a drug made from a centipede. Upon indulging, he accidentally kills Joan, takes orders from his typewriter-turned-cockroach, ends up in a constantly mutating Mediterranean city and learns that his hip friends have published his work — which he doesn’t remember writing.
- Release Date
- December 27, 1991
Never one to follow any kinds of conventions, director David Cronenberg doesn’t disappoint with the harrowing science fiction drama Naked Lunch. Based on William S. Burroughs’s 1959 novel of the same name, Naked Lunch takes viewers on a nightmarish ride through a dark and disturbing dystopian world where reality and fantasy become indistinguishable for a troubled writer.
Naked Lunch Delivers an Unsettling yet Captivating Surrealist Sci-Fi Experience
Fans of the more extreme side of cinema are in for a treat as Cronenberg delves into the depths of the human psyche in a story that slips between a detective ‘noire’ mystery and an addiction memoir with plenty of visceral body horror and mind bending sci-fi thrown in for good measure.
The movie has developed a strong cult following but its unconventional style of surreal storytelling and darker themes may have put off much of more mainstream audience resulting in it bombing at the box office despite positive reviews from critics. Stream on Max
7 Hardware (1990)
Hardware, released in 1990, is a post-apocalyptic, British cyberpunk movie that sees a malfunctioned robot going on a lethal rampage, wreaking havoc through a run-down slum. The movie manages to defy genre conventions and somehow succeeds in being both bleak and brooding and fast-paced and frenetic, simultaneously.
Hardware Revels In Its Anarchistic, Counterculture Essence
Everything about the film exudes punk rock attitude, from its heart thumping soundtrack and cyber-punk aesthetics to its low budget DIY approach to filmmaking and the cameos from counterculture music icons Lemmy and Iggy Pop. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the movie was considered a box office success grossing $5.7 million on its $1.5 million budget and has developed a strong cult following.
6 Existenz (1999)
eXistenZ
5/5
Video game designer Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh) has created a virtual reality game called eXistenZ. After a crazed fan attempts to kill her, Allegra goes on the run with Ted (Jude Law), a young businessman who falls into the role of bodyguard. In an attempt to save her game, Allegra implants into Ted’s body the video game pod that carries a damaged copy of eXistenZ. Allegra and Ted engage in a series of experiences that blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
- Release Date
- April 19, 1999
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
Existenz is an exhilarating trip into the unknown as audiences bear witness to a game designer being hunted down by a relentless assassins inside the confines of a virtual reality of her own creation. With frequent comparisons to The Matrix, it incorporates similar themes and takes them in an altogether stranger direction with a movie that combines an intricate, thought-provoking narrative with some of cinema’s most horrifying body horror effects.
Existenz Forces Viewers to Constantly Question What They Believe to Be True
By using a virtual reality setting, viewers are challenged to reevaluate their perceptions as they grapple with the shifting nature of the truth within the confines of Cronenberg’s mind-bending reality. With Cronenberg’s twisted imagination able to run amuck, critics were impressed by the unconventional story, special effects, and acting, and it earned him the Silver Bear Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival. Rent on AppleTV
5 Delicatessen (1991)
Wonderfully whimsical yet magnificently macabre, Delicatessen is anything but conventional. Set in a surreal post-apocalyptic world, much of the movie takes part in a run-down apartment block, home to the landlord’s suspicious and shady butcher shop. (What kind of meat is he really serving?)
At its core, it’s a love story between the apartment’s newly appointed handyman and the butcher landlord’s daughter, but it’s the whacky world and the array of memorable characters, though, that really makes the movie stand out.
Delicatessen Boasts Some of the Most Eccentric Characters Ever Committed to Film
From a former clown turned rebel leader to a tenant who communicates solely through clapping, Delicatessen plays host to some of the weirdest and wackiest characters in movie history. Whether charmingly eccentric or horrifically grotesque, every character leaves an indelible mark in the viewers’ minds.
It was this creativity, apparent both in the characters and the world they inhabit, along with its storytelling that made it such a hit with critics, scoring it an impressive 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Rent AppleTV
4 12 Monkeys (1995)
12 Monkeys
- Release Date
- December 29, 1995
- Cast
- Joseph Melito , Bruce Willis , Jon Seda , Michael Chance , Vernon Campbell , H. Michael Walls
12 Monkeys is the critically acclaimed sci-fi masterpiece from the notoriously unconventional Monty Python member Terry Gillian. Set in a post-apocalyptic future ravaged by disease, it follows a grizzled convict, played by Bruce Willis, who is sent back in time to gather intel on the man-made virus that almost wiped out all of mankind.
12 Monkeys’ Impressive Cast Shine In This Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Thriller
With a stellar cast including Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Madeleine Stowe and Christopher Plummer, 12 Monkeys was a huge hit at the box office, making $168.8 million on its $29 million budget. Brad Pitt, in particular, stands out for his charismatic performance of the rebellious and unpredictable ecoactivist Jeffrey Goines, which earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Stream Hulu
3 Flatliners (1990)
Directed by Joel Schumacher, Flatliners follows a group of medical students as they push the limits of mortality by inducing near-death experiences in an attempt to explore what lies beyond. The movie takes a disturbing turn as the group’s ‘flatlining’ experiments result in them being forced to face their dark pasts and subconscious manifestations.
Flatliners Is a Heart-Stopping, Genre Splicing Thrill Ride Into the Unknown
Combining elements of sci-fi, horror, drama, and psychological thrillers, Flatliners transcends typical categorization as it explores themes of mortality, guilt, redemption, and the consequences of playing God. Thanks to its strong cast including Julia Roberts, Keifer Sutherland, Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon, its tense atmosphere and unique premise, the movie has cemented itself as a cult classic within the sci-fi genre.
2 Cube (1997)
Cube
- Release Date
- September 9, 1997
- Cast
- Maurice Dean Wint , David Hewlett , Nicole de Boer , Nicky Guadagni , Andrew Miller , Julian Richings
Directed by Vincenzo Natali, Cube follows a group of strangers who find themselves trapped in a series of interconnected deadly rooms, each with its own set of lethal traps. Made on a shoestring budget of under $300,000 the movie was considered a huge hit as it raked in $9 million at the box office and was praised for its tense atmosphere and creative premise.
Cube Is a Hugely Influential Movie, Inspiring Future Films and Shows Across a Multitude of Genres
Cube’s premise of trapping a group of strangers in a deadly life or death game-type situation combined with its intricate puzzles, moral dilemmas, and confined setting bear a striking resemblance to a plethora of movies and shows that have followed, including Squid Game, Escape Room and, most notably, the Saw franchise.
And while Saw took the concept in a darker and more bloody direction, the thought-provoking nature of Cube is imprinted all over the later franchise’s blend of suspense and psychological horror. Rent on AppleTV
1 Being John Malkovich
When it came making Being John Malkovich, all the rules, norms and conventions were thrown out of the window. Written by Charlie Kauffman and directed by Spike Jonze, this surrealist, sci-fi dark comedy sees John Cusack playing a man who discovers a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich.
First, he begins charging people for the experience of being inside the actor’s mind, but as he later learns to manipulate Malkovich’s actions, he becomes obsessed with living vicariously through him.
Kaufman’s Script Is a Masterclass In Originality and Seamlessly Blends Sci-Fi and Fantasy With Humor, Philosophy, and Emotion
Kaufman’s imaginative script and Jonze’s creative direction make for one of the enthralling, immersive and compelling cinematic experiences of the 90s. The film received widespread critical acclaim and currently holds a near perfect 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics praising its creativity, philosophical ponderings and Malkovich’s portrayal of a satirical version of himself. Rent on AppleTV
