Greatest Science Fiction Film of All Time (32 Film Bracket)

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00]What is the greatest science fiction film of all time? Well, today we're going to find out because I have put together a bracket of 32 of the best sci-fi movies ever made and this isn't necessarily my own top personal 32, but it's my best attempt at putting together a consensus list just so as many people watching the video as possible are also able to play along. But from here on out it's just going to be purely personal preference. I'm going to be picking based on what I enjoyed the most. So my bracket might look a little bit different to yours. So I want you guys to post your bracket results, your winner in the comments. So let's get into it. We have 16 first round matchups starting with 2001 A Space Odyssey versus Planet of the Apes. Okay, so this is a good one.

[00:00:49]2001, it's got Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, one of my favorite directors, one of my science fiction authors, what a duo.

[00:00:57]Going up against Planet of the Apes.

[00:00:59]Now, I'm a big apes fan. I really love the book. Pierre Boulle, fantastic book that it's adapted from. And I also really like the latest movies. I particularly Rise, Dawn, and War. I thought they were great.

[00:01:16]Is iconic Planet of the Apes I think the differentiator for for me here is just going to be the filmmaking, the production quality because I do enjoy Planet of the Apes.

[00:01:24]It kind of looks its age a little bit whereas 2001 you watch it and you're like, how did they make this back then?

[00:01:30]This truly just would have blown me away had I saw this at the theater in 1968.

[00:01:35]It's got to be 2001.

[00:01:38]We have our first winner into the round of 16. Up next, Inception versus Robocop. Okay, this is another good matchup. I'm a big Christopher Nolan fan. I like Verhoeven especially his sci-fi movies. Inception it would definitely be in my towards I think the top of my Nolan rankings.

[00:01:57]Robocop, RoboCop's just such a fun movie though. It's so interesting because it seems sort of like this funny premise.

[00:02:03]It seems like a silly '80s action movie.

[00:02:06]But there's some great sci-fi concepts here. There's some really interesting philosophical questions.

[00:02:11]I think that's what brings me back to RoboCop cuz it's fun. And then every time I rewatch it and I'm like, oh yeah, this like this is really thought-provoking. I want to watch it again.

[00:02:19]I think I might have to go with RoboCop, but this is a tough one.

[00:02:23]I'm giving the win to RoboCop.

[00:02:26]All right, up next another great match up. Terminator 2 versus Alien.

[00:02:31]These are both classics. And they're both they're both such a vibe as well. I guess it just sort of depends on what kind of vibe you're going for because Alien that sci-fi meets horror, it's tense, it's atmospheric, a little funny at times. And then Terminator 2 is one of the best sci-fi action films of all time. Arnie is great. The time travel is really interesting in the Terminator movies.

[00:02:55]I think just because it's the one I've rewatched more, it's obviously the one that I'm maybe drawn to a little bit more. I'm going to go with Terminator 2, but I think this is a bit of a vibe choice cuz they're both great.

[00:03:05]Terminator 2 into the second round. All right, up next we have Stalker versus E.T.

[00:03:12]This is an interesting match up because they're very different.

[00:03:16]Stalker is kind of slow and a little dark and philosophical and E.T.'s just kind of magical, especially the first half. I think the second half is still good, but I had a little bit of issues with some of the the writing and pacing, but it's just such a joy to watch whether you're a kid or an adult.

[00:03:36]Hm, I think my gut's saying E.T.

[00:03:38]I like Stalker's an interesting one cuz sometimes I feel like a cinephile. Like last year I watched Train Dreams and it's beautifully shot and it's kind of slow, not that much plot progression and it sort of ponders life and at the end I teared up. I loved it, and I thought, "What a cinephile, what a good movie fan I am." And then then I watched Stalker, and it's beautifully shot, and it's kind of slow, not that much plot progression, and it just kind of ponders life, and didn't fully hit for me the same way Roadside Picnic did, the book that it's kind of loosely based on. So, Roadside Picnic though is a book that I appreciate more and more over time.

[00:04:16]Stalker I saw relatively recently. Maybe that's a film that I'll appreciate more and more over time, but for now, I'm going ET.

[00:04:25]All right.

[00:04:27]Moving down a little bit, we've got up next The Matrix versus 12 Monkeys.

[00:04:32]Okay, this is fun.

[00:04:34]I think these might have came out around the same time.

[00:04:36]Mhm, I'm going to say these both came out in '99. Let me know if I got that right.

[00:04:40]The Matrix, okay, it's a classic. I saw this at the movies when I was 10.

[00:04:45]I think it was the first M-rated movie I saw in Australia at the theaters, and it just blew me away. Like, 10-year-old Jonathan wanted to learn kung fu, he wanted to fight the agent. Yeah, this is just one of the This is one of the best theater-going experiences I've ever had.

[00:05:00]What should have done since then?

[00:05:02]Not just for 10-year-olds.

[00:05:04]Genuinely great for adults, too. And then 12 Monkeys, that's one I watched more recently.

[00:05:11]Yeah, really interesting time travel. Uh Bruce Willis is great. Brad Pitt is very funny in this movie. Like, Brad Pitt really goes for it. His character's just bonkers. This is kind of entertaining.

[00:05:24]It's a little hit or miss. It's got some great high points, but I'm not sure it reaches the high points of The Matrix.

[00:05:29]It's bullet time. Matrix into round two.

[00:05:34]All right, up next we have a battle between the beginning of the alphabet, Arrival versus Aliens. So, you have Denis Villeneuve first contact story. I don't want to give too much about Arrival away. I think if you haven't seen it, it's best to go in knowing as little as possible.

[00:05:51]Man, there's some really cool stuff here. It's it's emotional, it's thought-provoking. Yeah, it's phenomenal.

[00:05:58]And then Aliens, just an another classic sci-fi action, great lines, very quotable.

[00:06:06]Was ahead of its time, like visually I think it it it was uh uh really nice to look at.

[00:06:11]I think I'm just I just connected more emotionally with Arrival.

[00:06:15]These are both good films, but Arrival got me, man.

[00:06:20]It got me good.

[00:06:22]Okay, Project Hail Mary versus Akira.

[00:06:25]So, some of you might be thinking, "Jonathan, is this recency bias?" I think putting Project Hail Mary is the opposite of recency bias. I think this is going to age very well. I think in the future, Project Hail Mary is going to be like this generation's 2001 or Interstellar or ET. Visually, it's stunning. Emotionally, it hits. It's like feel-good, but not in a cheesy way.

[00:06:49]It's really funny. Great sci-fi. I love the book. I love the movie. I love Ryan Gosling.

[00:06:56]This is going to be tough to beat.

[00:06:58]Akira. Now, I'm not the biggest anime expert, but I have been trying to dabble a little bit more recently. And I liked Akira. I thought there were some really interesting themes, and I I think towards the end, it hit me pretty hard.

[00:07:10]But as a story, I'm not sure I connected with it that consistently throughout, and some of the characters were a bit hit or miss for me. I liked it.

[00:07:20]Kind of ran out It kind of ran into a buzzsaw with Project Hail Mary. I'm a PHM guy. PHM to round two.

[00:07:28]All right, moving down a little bit. The Iron Giant versus The Thing. Okay, this is an interesting match-up. We have 2D animation versus a sci-fi horror. So, The Iron Giant has some really interesting themes, sort of adult themes for a kids animation, although it does feel very much like a children's movie. There's There's kind of a bit of a contrast there because I'm a big Pixar fan, and when I watch a Pixar film, I don't really feel or ever notice I'm watching a kids movie.

[00:07:59]I did a little bit during The Iron Giant, and the art kind of has, depending on your your perspective, a dated or timeless uh aesthetic. I think it's very pretty to look at, but probably not one of my favorite animations of all time.

[00:08:15]I like the I like The Iron Giant.

[00:08:17]There's some It It stuck with me.

[00:08:20]But, that can it beat The Thing? Because The Thing, one of the best sci-fi horror movies of all time. I'm not really a horror expert. I like the sci-fi more than the horror, but I was gripped by The Thing. The atmosphere is so tense, the pacing is great. It just kind of builds and builds, and the practical effects happen to crushed it. This looks so good without relying on the CGI.

[00:08:45]The effects don't look dated. The practical effects in this film are truly phenomenal. The Thing goes into round two.

[00:08:52]I love The Thing.

[00:08:55]All right, up next.

[00:08:56]Ooh.

[00:08:58]A battle of the Blade Runners. Okay, this This is going to be divisive.

[00:09:03]Blade Runner sort of helped define like the aesthetics of cyberpunk. Very loosely based on uh Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? And I'm a big PKD fan.

[00:09:15]However, Blade Runner 2049, even though the story resembles it less, I think spiritually, thematically, atmospherically, kind of resembles Do Androids a little bit more than the original Blade Runner.

[00:09:32]Hmm. Blade Runner My My I need to rewatch Blade Runner, and I need to go through the different versions again because I do sort of go back and forth on exactly how much I like this film and how the endings sort of affect my experience.

[00:09:47]Whereas Blade Runner 2049, this was just a hit right out of the gate. This this movie was made for me.

[00:09:53]The visuals are phenomenal. The performances are phenomenal. The soundtrack is phenomenal. Blade Runner 2049 is phenomenal. I don't know if this is a hot take or not.

[00:10:05]It's not often the sequel beats the original.

[00:10:08]But 2049, it did for me. It's into round two.

[00:10:12]All right. Mad Max: Fury Road versus Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

[00:10:18]I like this match up because one is a bit of a slow burn, and the other is just a lit TNT fuse. Uh, Mad Max: Fury Road, it has fury on the title in the title, and it delivers both on the fury and the road. Some people say, "Oh, it's just like a 90-minute car chase." Well, they did it well. Uh, >> [laughter] >> some of the best action you'll ever seen. Visually amazing.

[00:10:44]I think you could watch this at the theater on IMAX, and just it be like a blood-pumping visceral experience, or you could watch it on your phone and still just be like, "This is getting the juices flowing." That's how much sauce this movie has.

[00:11:02]And then Close Encounters, I like it.

[00:11:04]There's some interesting ideas here. I think it's it it creates intrigue. It's a bit of a slow burn. And then yeah, there's kind of a mystery, but it's like still satisfying.

[00:11:15]I like this.

[00:11:17]I'm a fan of Close Encounters, but I'm a big fan of Fury Road. Fury Road into round two.

[00:11:26]All right. Up next, ooh, two heavy hitters here. Jurassic Park versus Interstellar.

[00:11:33]Now, this is interesting because I'm 36 and I feel like that's pretty prime prime age for Interstellar fans. Like I think that you know, if like Gen X had Shawshank Redemption, that was sort of like the number one film for people of that age group. I feel like if I would have polled like if you would have polled all millennials the best film of all time, I think there's a good chance Interstellar would win. But will it win this bracket? Cuz I don't know, man. It's going up against Jurassic Park.

[00:12:06]That's another one where I saw where I was young.

[00:12:11]And that just blew me away. And I think the effects hold up really well. Like Jurassic Park when you watch it now, it still just sort of captures that your imagination. Those emotions just come flooding back. And it's a rare case of the film, I think, being better than the book. I like the book Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.

[00:12:30]But the film takes that story and makes it even better.

[00:12:34]And the kids are slightly less annoying.

[00:12:37]They're really annoying in the book.

[00:12:40]Either way, I'm going to be making people mad. I got to go with my gut. I got to go with my heart. And my heart says I like dinosaurs.

[00:12:48]Jurassic Park into round two.

[00:12:53]What an evil match up this is. What this should not be a first round match up.

[00:12:58]Okay. Everything Everywhere All at Once versus Back to the Future.

[00:13:03]Wow, this is so tough because when Everything Everywhere All at Once came out, it was my favorite film of the year. I think it was 2022.

[00:13:12]Either way, if I'm if I'm off by a year, whatever year it was, it was still my favorite.

[00:13:19]So wacky, so many cool sci-fi ideas, has a lot of heart.

[00:13:24]I really resonated with this. But Back to the Future is one of just the best films ever. This is I don't rewatch things a ton. If you give me the option between rewatching something or watching something new, typically, for whatever reason, my brain, my personality is more drawn to the new thing.

[00:13:41]But, if I do have a few comfort watches, ones that I do like to watch repeatedly, if I'm in that kind of mood, nothing's going to put me in a better mood than Back to the Future. That time travel is clever, has so much charm, charisma. Michael Fox crushes it.

[00:13:59]Yeah, I don't know. Back to the Future.

[00:14:01]I'm sorry, Everything Everywhere. You deserved better than a first-round exit.

[00:14:05]But, Back to the Future is moving on.

[00:14:09]All right, up next, Ghost in the Shell.

[00:14:11]Okay, so we have sort of cyberpunk versus a sort of a post-apocalyptic or or kind of like mid-apocalypse, to be honest, uh in Children of Men.

[00:14:22]Visually, Children of Men is awesome. It has that famous long shot, that one-er.

[00:14:26]That's great. But, the whole the whole film just has a fantastic vibe.

[00:14:30]The performances are great. I'm a really big fan of the book. This is a classic example of the film being better than the book, but I'm higher on the book than the average person. I think they're both great. Read the book.

[00:14:42]But, Ghost in the Shell or So, I said I've been dabbling in anime, and I and I liked Akira. I loved Ghost in the Shell.

[00:14:49]I If I'd have watched it earlier in the day, I would have done this. I didn't end up doing it. But, I watched it, and I got to the credits, and I felt like I just wanted to watch it again. I I don't remember ever feeling that way before. Even if I love something, I'm like, "That's awesome. Now it's time to eat. Now it's time to go to bed." I finished Ghost in the Shell, and I thought, "I want to watch this again."

[00:15:08]The animation is fantastic. The score is fantastic. There's some really interesting sci-fi ideas here.

[00:15:16]I think it's not just one of the best animated films of all time. I think it's just one of the best films of all time.

[00:15:21]Sorry, Children of Men.

[00:15:23]Ghost in the Shell.

[00:15:25]Into round two.

[00:15:27]Now, we have two completely different films here. Okay, Dune Part Two versus Metropolis.

[00:15:32]Dune Part Two, recent film, better than part one, no debate. Or maybe there is, but not in my mind. I love part two more.

[00:15:40]Modern blockbuster, visually amazing, perfect for Tik Tok edits. They If you are a fan of Dune Part Two, there are a lot of edits for you to enjoy on Tik Tok.

[00:15:51]versus Metropolis.

[00:15:53]A silent film from about 100 years ago, and it's an interesting experience watching it as a as a modern film viewer because the pacing is different. Obviously, it's a a silent film, but it doesn't it does look old, but it looks like maybe like from the '40s, not the '20s. Like it it's very impressive how they made that at the time. Like I feel like it was ahead of its time.

[00:16:18]And while the story didn't necessarily flow in a way that like hits all the structure and story beats that a modern viewer would necessarily expect, or be accustomed to, it still has some great high points and some really interesting themes and ideas that I think influenced a lot of dystopian films that came afterwards.

[00:16:37]So, I think it's a film that I enjoyed and appreciated, but probably appreciated and respected more than I enjoyed. Whereas, I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed Dune Part Two. It makes it to the next round.

[00:16:51]Dune Part Two. All right, we've got two first round match-ups to go. A Clockwork Orange versus WALL-E.

[00:16:57]Possibly the darkest film in the bracket versus a kids movie. They're little robots that meet and fall in love and try and save the planet.

[00:17:06]WALL-E.

[00:17:07]It A great example, I mentioned Pixar earlier about they don't really feel like kids movies.

[00:17:13]I think it's like the first 15 minutes, there's no dialogue. Like what a brave choice from a kids animated movie studio.

[00:17:22]And then after that, great story, very funny, very endearing, I really connected with it. For me, it's a top three Pixar film. And I'm very high on on at least 12 to 15 Pixar films.

[00:17:36]A Clockwork Orange. I like the book, I like the movie. It's dark, it's unsettling, it's visually interesting, thematically, you know, free will, you know, can people really change? Have they really changed if you force them to change? A lot of interesting ideas here.

[00:17:53]This is a classic for a reason, and I like it.

[00:17:58]Just a Pixar guy, though. I'm feeling in a happy mood. If I was in a dark place today, maybe I would have chosen A Clockwork Orange, but I'm feeling good.

[00:18:06]Wall-E into round two.

[00:18:09]And finally, to round out the first round, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Empire That Strikes Back.

[00:18:17]So, I spoke about Ins- Interstellar being a deeply millennial movie, which I don't say is a bad thing as a millennial. Eternal Sunshine, it's up there in terms of millennialness.

[00:18:28]If you were just slightly sadder and more introspective than the average Interstellar fan, it's a The bros love Interstellar. Uh >> [laughter] >> I mean, I love my sports, too. I'm a bit of a bro, too. I like Interstellar. But, if you're more of a an artistic type, an an artistic millennial, you probably liked Eternal Sunshine even more.

[00:18:50]Going up against Empire Strikes Back, I think we'll probably not unanimously, but the would get the majority votes for best Star Wars film.

[00:19:01]One of the best sequels, one of the best like a movie two.

[00:19:07]I just forgot how to use words all of a sudden. Second movie.

[00:19:11]I feel like book two is a common expression for book people, but movie two, for some reason, it just sounds like I'm saying random words. You guys know what I mean. Uh-oh.

[00:19:21]Doorbell. All righty, I just had to quickly answer the door, but like the Empire, I am back.

[00:19:27]So, yeah, this is probably my favorite Star Wars films, too. So many iconic moments.

[00:19:32]I really like Eternal Sunshine, but is it as iconic as Empire? I don't think so. Empire Strikes Back in turn around two.

[00:19:41]All righty, guys, we've whittled 32 films down to 16. Let's kick off the round of 16 with 2001: A Space Odyssey versus RoboCop.

[00:19:54]I love both of these films, but 2001 just has that something.

[00:20:00]You know, it was so good. It felt like it changed cinema. It's changed culture.

[00:20:04]It changed science fiction films. It is the bar for science fiction films.

[00:20:11]So, as much as I love RoboCop, I think 2001 has got to be my choice to advance. All right.

[00:20:20]Terminator 2 versus E.T.

[00:20:25]Wow.

[00:20:26]Okay.

[00:20:28]I really enjoy both of these, but I feel like I find myself coming back to Terminator 2 more.

[00:20:36]Because it I do love the the kind of uh sense of wonder that E.T. gives you, but Terminator 2 is just such a fun time. I can rewatch that whether I'm in the mood for action or humor, some Arnie. Every now and again, you just need some Arnie, uh as well as those cool sci-fi ideas. I think Terminator 2 gets my vote.

[00:20:56]It's into the quarter-finals. Okay, and now we have The Matrix versus Arrival.

[00:21:03]Interesting.

[00:21:04]Arrival is more thinky, some heavy themes, surprisingly heavy for themes. I wasn't expecting to get as emotional as I did while watching Arrival.

[00:21:15]Whereas The Matrix intellectually very stimulating, physically very stimulating, couple of emotional moments, but I don't think it resonated as deeply on that kind of level, but I think everything else about it is just so memorable, so iconic, so influential.

[00:21:35]I don't think you can go wrong either way here, but I'm leaning The Matrix. I think, you know, if there was only a handful of science fiction films that we could show to an alien race that wanted to come come check out what science fiction meant to humans in a visual medium, in that little movie time capsule we blast off into the into space to send to the aliens, The Matrix has got to be in there. It's making my quarterfinals.

[00:22:03]All right, let's scroll down here. We've got Project Hail Mary versus The Thing.

[00:22:11]I gave The Thing some props for its practical effects. Project Hail Mary obviously has a lot of CGI as well, but for a modern movie, I think part of the reason why it succeeded and why people enjoyed it was because of the practical effects, that the sets they built, the props they used. It had a tactical grounded real feel to it, which I think people are missing sometimes from some of the more modern movies which rely a lot on uh CGI and certain visual effects.

[00:22:41]Oh, these are both five stars. These are both five stars. You can't go wrong.

[00:22:45]I think I've got to go The Thing here just because of its timelessness, its influence.

[00:22:51]It's unique. I'm not even really a horror guy and I just loved it. It's kind of made me kind of a sci-fi horror guy just because of how good The Thing was.

[00:23:01]It hurts me to send Project Hail Mary home, but the thing has got to move on to the quarterfinals.

[00:23:08]All right, Blade Runner 2049 versus Mad Max: Fury Road.

[00:23:13]So, two kind of modern films that are sequels to older classics. Interesting.

[00:23:20]Mad Max: Fury Road. What an adrenaline rush. Blade Runner 2049, a little bit more of a slow burn. It does have some great moments of action, but it is a longer movie. I think it clocks in around 2 hours 40 minutes.

[00:23:33]But, it's just my jam, man. It's just my turn, my theme. Ryan Gosling, he's my guy.

[00:23:39]He's my guy, Mr. Gosling.

[00:23:41]I sent him home from Project Hail Mary, but I can't send him home from Blade Runner 2049. It moves on to the quarterfinals.

[00:23:50]Okay, we now have Jurassic Park versus Back to the Future. Two classics, both very fun. You can enjoy them as kids.

[00:23:59]You can enjoy them as adults.

[00:24:02]I rewatched Jurassic Park not that long ago.

[00:24:05]And this movie shows how sort of like modern technology is affecting people's attention spans. Cuz I was watching it, and I was thinking, "Man, they sure are taking a while to get to the dinosaurs." It's like, Jonathan, relax. Like, there's going to be dinosaurs. I can guarantee you there's dinosaurs in the movie. Just wait a little bit. They'll show them to you.

[00:24:26]Back to the Future though, well, this is almost a perfect script. I love the cleverness of the time travel. Although, Back to the Future 2 is arguably has an even cleverer time travel story. Just not quite as funny and as charming as the original. But, a clever movie, tight script.

[00:24:45]I'm just totally on board. It is like, Marty, what what are we doing next, Marty? I'd go on any adventure, high jinks, shenanigans with Marty.

[00:24:54]You say the word, Marty, I'm there.

[00:24:57]Round two, round three, I'm there. You're there.

[00:25:03]Back to the future, into the quarterfinals.

[00:25:06]Ghost in the Shell versus Dune part two.

[00:25:09]Ooh.

[00:25:11]So, we kind of have this like grand thematic space opera versus an animated cyberpunk movie. I Those are two of my favorite subgenres of science fiction.

[00:25:25]I really like Dune, and I really like the books. I like I really like the first four Dune books. Books five and six I didn't like as much.

[00:25:33]I'm not quite as high on Dune as some of the other sci-fi readers, and I kind of felt the same way with Dune part one.

[00:25:40]But, then Dune part two I absolutely loved. I think it nailed the things that were great about the book, and then added just a little bit here and there to take the the movie within sort of the the visual medium, like the format that it was in, to its highest potential.

[00:25:55]The Ghost in the Shell is pretty much a perfect movie. There's nothing that really compares to it. It just kind of stands alone. Within the canon of science fiction, it's got to be Ghost in the Shell.

[00:26:05]Ghost in the Shell into the quarterfinals.

[00:26:08]WALL-E versus The Empire Strikes Back.

[00:26:12]Interestingly, both owned by Disney now.

[00:26:15]Disney bought Pixar, they bought Star Wars.

[00:26:19]What will they buy next?

[00:26:21]Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2059 by Disney. Is that coming?

[00:26:26]Is that an option in the future? All right, I've derailed myself.

[00:26:29]WALL-E versus The Empire Strikes Back.

[00:26:31]I really like Star Wars as a franchise, but as someone who's such a big sci-fi guy, I'm more of a casual fan of Star Wars than you might expect. I'm not a hardcore. I don't know everything about Star Wars.

[00:26:45]Whereas Pixar, I'm kind of a hardcore Pixar fan. I don't know what it is, man.

[00:26:48]It just gets to me. Those those Pixar moments, they tug on the heart strings, and Wall-E, it's a top three Pixar movie.

[00:26:56]And there's like over 30 of them. Wall-E This might be a bit of an upset. Wall-E into the quarterfinals.

[00:27:05]All right, let's kick off the quarterfinals. 2001 A Space Odyssey versus Terminator 2. Okay.

[00:27:13]I really like Terminator 2.

[00:27:15]Is it a perfect movie?

[00:27:17]Yeah, it's pretty close.

[00:27:19]2001 might not be perfect, either, but I feel like it's minor flaws or the things that might not click for you are forgiven just by the high points. I think the high points of 2001 are just so mind-blowing.

[00:27:34]And I'm someone that tends to judge things on their high points. Like I'll eventually dock things if I think like a flaw is noticeable enough, but I can be forgiving of little things if your ending is amazing, your high points is amazing, and there are there are like being literal, like being amazed. When I say the word amazing, I'm not just using a superlative positive, I mean being amazed. I was amazed while watching 2001 A Space Odyssey.

[00:28:01]It's into the semifinals.

[00:28:04]All right, The Matrix versus The Thing.

[00:28:08]Ooh.

[00:28:10]I like this matchup.

[00:28:13]Okay.

[00:28:14]This is such a tough matchup. I had a brain freeze there for a moment. I'm honestly not sure which way I'm going to go because I love them both. The Matrix, the action is great, the visuals are great, the sci-fi concepts are great, but there's something that's drawing me to The Thing. There's just something about it. The way it made me feel, it kind of has like I can almost just think about watching the film, and I get that feeling again. It's like there's almost like something running like up and down my skin. It's like ooh.

[00:28:42]Oh, The Thing just makes me feel a certain type of way.

[00:28:46]I just got to I think I just got to go on got feel at this point cuz these are these are some of my favorite movies all some of my favorite movies at this point.

[00:28:53]The thing I'm giving the nod into the semi-finals.

[00:28:58]Okay, Blade Runner 2049 versus Back to the Future.

[00:29:04]Kind of different in the style. Back to the Future is fun. Blade Runner 2049 not super fun. It's a little bit serious but it has a very has a very well-defined tone and atmosphere of a visual language that it communicates through you with that I really connected with. I really connected with Blade Runner 2049.

[00:29:26]Back to the Future I can't really pick I was trying to think if I could nitpick Back to the Future.

[00:29:35]I can't but the fact that I wanted to nitpick Back to the Future means my heart is telling me Blade Runner 2049.

[00:29:42]We're making tough choices at this point. Blade Runner 2049 into the semi-finals. Apparently, we've got an animated match up to round out the quarterfinals with Ghost in the Shell versus WALL-E.

[00:29:55]So, I keep on saying that WALL-E is a top three Pixar film but Ghost in the Shell might be a top one anime film.

[00:30:06]It might be a top one animated film.

[00:30:09]It might be a top one film but I don't know. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[00:30:12]But I think of the two my gut's saying Ghost in the Shell.

[00:30:17]WALL-E, I connected with it emotionally.

[00:30:20]Ghost in the Shell though, it's those sci-fi concepts. I'm a sci-fi guy.

[00:30:26]And Ghost in the Shell delivered and in return I shall send it to the semi-finals. All right, we've reached We've just got four films four sci-fi films left. Which one is going to be the greatest?

[00:30:39]2001: A Space Odyssey versus The Thing.

[00:30:44]Okay.

[00:30:46]2001 it can be a touch long, it can be a touch dry at points. Not everything about it is clear, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's the kind of thing film that makes you want to ponder and think and ask questions and go on Reddit forums and do some do some internet sleuthing in order to get to the bottom of it.

[00:31:05]And I think reading the book helps. I don't think it gives you all the answers of the film, but I think they're a nice complement to each other. I think they're a nice pair. So, if you've read or watched one and not the other, uh read or watch the other.

[00:31:17]And then the thing, my favorite sci-fi horror film of all time.

[00:31:22]Do I like it more than 2000 and 2001 though? Both fantastic filmmaking.

[00:31:28]I think 2001 is a little more striking at its peak, but just throughout the thing just has a fantastic aesthetic.

[00:31:38]I really vibe with the thing. I don't know. I think beforehand if you'd have asked me, I would have said 2001, but in the moment I'm thinking the thing.

[00:31:47]What an upset. The thing makes it to the grand final.

[00:31:51]Who will it be going up against? Blade Runner 2049 or Ghost in the Shell?

[00:31:56]Both kind of cyberpunk.

[00:31:58]I mean, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was kind of like protos proto cyberpunk. And then Blade Runner was cyberpunk and then Blade Runner 2049, I have no notes on Blade Runner 2049. I think it sets out to do a number of things and it does them perfectly. I think Denis Villeneuve is possibly the greatest director working today. And who knows?

[00:32:20]Any particularly in sci-fi cuz I like his non-sci-fi films like Sicario and Prisoners, but he's crushed it with the Dune movies especially part two, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Dune Messiah is going going coming out. And then he's also rumored to be doing a Rendezvous with Rama movie. Like, he could be the sci-fi goat by the end of his career. I think I got to go Blade Runner 2049. I love Ghost in the Shell, but Blade Runner 2049, it was pretty much made for me.

[00:32:53]And that brings us to the grand final, The Thing versus Blade Runner 2049. I'll be honest, I did just take a little moment there.

[00:33:02]2001: A Space Odyssey not being in the final kind of tripped me out a little bit. Here's the thing, I think 2001 definitely deserves in terms of if we're just doing a most iconic, most influential list, but if we're just doing personal preference, vibes, enjoyment, I should probably rewatch them both cuz I love them and it's been a little while, but in the moment, my gut said The Thing and I got to trust my gut. So, it's The Thing versus Blade Runner 2049. I kind of felt the similar way about Ghost in the Shell, but so, those are the I think I did a good job getting four of my favorites to the final four. But, the final two definitively are The Thing and Blade Runner 2049. So, here's the thing, guys. I've got a little story for you here. Around 10 years ago, I was actually abducted by aliens and they were friendly aliens and uh they came in peace. They wanted to actually provide me with a gift in order to introduce themselves to me and to the planet Earth. And so, they asked me some questions before giving me this gift.

[00:33:59]They said, "Who's your favorite actor?"

[00:34:01]I said, "Ryan Gosling."

[00:34:02]They asked, "Who's your favorite cinematographer?" I said, "Roger Deakins."

[00:34:06]They said, "Who's your favorite composer?" I said, "Hans Zimmer."

[00:34:09]They said, "Who's your favorite director?"

[00:34:11]I said, "Ooh, all time or current?" They said, "Current." I thought, "Hmm, probably Denis Villeneuve." And I said, "Okay."

[00:34:17]"What's your What's your favorite genre?" I said, "Definitely science fiction."

[00:34:20]"Any particular type?" I said, "Ooh, you know, I like space opera, like cyberpunk, something vibey, you know, something like that." And they're like, "All right. All right, let us have a think."

[00:34:30]And then, they returned me to Earth and I thought that was the end of it. I didn't know they were going to be providing me a gift, but here's the thing, about a year later, Blade Runner 2049 came out. A film that was perfectly curated to Jonathan. This film was made to me. I'm sorry that thing. I love you, but Blade Runner 2049 is the perfect film. If I could generate a film just like mix and match all of my favorite elements and people and filmmakers and ideas into a single movie, it would be Blade Runner 2049. I got to give it the win. I think it's the greatest science fiction film of all time.

[00:35:06]It kind of bombed at the box office, but all is all is restored. All is well now because it won this bracket. Blade Runner 2049 is my winner. So, there you go, guys.

[00:35:19]Blade Runner 2049 is my favorite science fiction film. What is yours? How did your bracket pan out? Who was your winner? Let me know in the comments. So, I hope you enjoyed this video. If you did, smash or just gently click the subscribe button. And if you really enjoyed it, consider checking out the perks of becoming a Patreon member, where you can become one of my robots, androids, or cyborgs like Nima, and New Eden, Half-Ogre, Zekowe, Sameal, Colin, and the goat Bamsis. And you can find more sci-fi content Uh I think it's over here.