Science fiction is a very divisive genre. Most people either love it or hate it, but there are a few undeniable classics. Some of those classics came in the 1970s, some being early works for great directors and others becoming incredible movie franchises. Indeed, the '70s were a time for experimenting in film, and a lot of great cinema was made of it.
In the following list, there are movies made by legendary directors such as Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg, and international greats like Andrei Tarkovsky and Jean Rollin. Many other genres orbit science fiction, as this article mentions comedies, space movies, horror, and timeless dystopias.
Now, let's take a dive into the best sci-fi movie of every year in the 1970s.
1970: The Nude Vampire (La Vampire Nue)
In The Nude Vampire, directed by Jean Rollin, the protagonist falls in love with a woman who is being chased by a masked man at night. She is eventually kidnapped by a cult led by a mysterious figure known as "The Master," later revealed to be the protagonist's father. The cult worships the kidnapped woman, who has a rare blood condition that makes her wound heal immediately, which causes some cult members to believe she's a vampire.
One might ask, "How is this sci-fi?" The catch comes at the end, when the woman sees sunlight for the first time, and then the cult reveals she's not a vampire, but a mutant, and that the entire human race will eventually evolve into immortal mutants as well.
What Makes It Great
Rollin is better known for films such as Fascination and The Living Dead Girl, but The Nude Vampire is also a classic done by the horror master. 1970 was not very big on science fiction, so it's worth mentioning a lesser-known film by a great director that still fits the genre. Rent on Prime Video
1971: A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
- Release Date
- December 19, 1971
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
- Cast
- Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke, John Clive, Adrienne Corri
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Crime
Nine years after Anthony Burgess released the namesake book, Stanley Kubrick directed the classic movie, A Clockwork Orange. Just three years removed from his other sci-fi classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange was just as much of a hit. While the movie isn't set in space or in a specific time in the future, it is a dystopian tale that could be set anytime, classifying it as sci-fi.
What Makes It Great
A Clockwork Orange explores the use of unknown technology in severe circumstances. Alex DeLarge, the protagonist, undergoes an experiment that could very well be classified as torture, in order to turn him from an evil person into a good person. The film's purpose is to debate whether morality is real and if one's true nature can be changed. Kubrick's marvelous directing and clever touch on a sensitive subject make this one of the best book-to-film adaptations of all time. Rent on AppleTV
1972: Solaris
Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, is seen by many as Russia's response to 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is a Soviet film about a psychologist sent to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and analyze the mental problems of the space station's workers. He then finds out that the water on the planet is a sentient being that brings out repressed memories and obsessions to whoever drinks it.
What Makes It Great
In his list of favorite films, Kubrick includes Tarkovsky's Solaris. The opposite is not true, as Tarkovsky once called 2001: A Space Odyssey "phony on many points, even for specialists" (via Far Out Magazine). The early-1970s were the pinnacle of the Cold War, and this apparent "battle" between movies that came out close to Neil Armstrong's journey to the moon only helped cement their legacy.
Solaris's impact is great not only on the USSR, but on the entire world. Tarkovsky is mainly known for his slow cinema style, so his take on a sci-fi outer planet story is nothing short of interesting, to say the least. Stream on Max
1973: Fantastic Planet
Fantastic Planet is the only animated sci-fi feature in this article, but that doesn't make it any less of a great film. In this French classic directed by René Laloux, the Draags are giant blue humanoids that inhabit the planet Ygam and have enslaved humans originally from Earth.
What Makes It Great
A psychedelic, surrealist picture is how one could describe Fantastic Planet. Though only 72 minutes long, the art style and captivating storytelling are impossible to forget. It's nowadays known as a cult classic, but nonetheless, it should be an obligatory viewing for any science fiction-lover. The film premiered on May 11th, 1973, in Cannes, and won the Special Prize at the festival. Stream on Max
1974: Zardoz
"Beyond 1984, beyond 2001, beyond love, beyond death." That's the slogan for Zardoz, the 1974 action sci-fi fantasy directed by John Boorman, which stars Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling. Far into the future, a trained savage assassin discovers a community of bored immortals that preserve by themselves all of humanity's achievements.
What Makes It Great
In an attempt to reinvent himself after being James Bond in 007, Connery took on the role of Zed in Zardoz. Reception wasn't great at the time, with Roger Ebert giving a 2.5/4 rating and calling it "an exercise in self-indulgence." Despite that, in the '90s, the movie went through an era of re-appraisal with fans of science fiction. Boorman is really ambitious in Zardoz, directing this very original story, and achieving his goal. It's a relatively unknown film, but it definitely deserves its love as an auteur picture. Rent on AppleTV
1975: Shivers
Cinépix Film Properties
Shivers is very early David Cronenberg, but that doesn't mean it's not as good as his other phases. On the contrary, this may be one of Cronenberg's best movies. It follows an apartment building that has its residents being infested by parasites that turn them into sex-obsessed creatures desperate to infect others by the simplest sexual contact.
What Makes It Great
Cronenberg started to show his real self as a director in Shivers. The movie is peak sexual horror and science fiction, so it is a bit different from other traditional sci-fi movies. It's a very agonizing picture, which is no surprise for the body horror master. In just 88 minutes, the plot is innovative and the directing is great. It should be up there with The Fly and Videodrome as mandatory viewing for science fiction and body horror fans. Stream on MUBI
1976: The Man Who Fell to Earth
David Bowie released the song "Starman" in 1972, and four years later, he took on the role of the Star Man. No, not really, but he does play an extraterrestrial in Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell to Earth. Thomas Jerome Newton is an alien who visits Earth in search of water to save his home planet. While on Earth, he falls in love with a hotel clerk named Mary-Lou and invents a method to transport water. But, as he is ready to leave Earth, the United States government kidnaps him and puts his plan in jeopardy.
What Makes It Great
Bowie delivers an amazing performance in The Man Who Fell to Earth, which earned him Best Actor at the 1977 Saturn Awards. Also deserving of praise are Rip Torn and Candy Clark for their performances as Dr. Nathan Bryce and Mary-Lou, respectively. Roeg's directing is stellar, hence why many consider The Man Who Fell to Earth to be his best film. Rent on AppleTV
1977: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Release Date
- May 25, 1977
- Director
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels
- Rating
- PG
- Main Genre
- Action
Star Wars needs no introduction. George Lucas directed a film for the ages in 1977, as the Star Wars franchise has produced another 10 movies and several TV shows, live-action and animated. It's impossible to talk science fiction without mentioning Luke, Leia, or Darth Vader.
What Makes It Great
A close second for this year could be Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but it doesn't have the same impact Star Wars had (and still does). Star Wars was nominated for Best Picture at the 1978 Academy Awards, along with nine other nominations and six awards, being the film with the most nominations that year. Stream on Disney+
1978: The Fury
The Fury is yet another film on this list based on a book, this one being the novel by John Farris in 1976. Only two years later, Brian De Palma directed the movie, starring Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, and Amy Irving.
The film follows Peter Sandza, who is separated by the CIA from his son, Robin, because of his psychic abilities. Robin is being held captive by Ben Childress, who is conducting a study of supernatural powers to utilize their special powers as weapons. Peter then partners up with Gillian, a teenage girl with telekinesis, to rescue his son.
What Makes It Great
The Fury is not De Palma's most famous film. Cassavetes has an even better performance here than the one in Rosemary's Baby. Douglas also delivers a very emotional performance, and De Palma is as great as ever. Taking on an original plot, The Fury is one of the better sci-fi movies ever made and should be more known throughout the science fiction-loving community. Stream on Max
1979: Alien
alien
- Release Date
- May 25, 1979
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Cast
- Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Horror
The same case for Star Wars can also be made for Alien. Films like Stalker and The Brood were also released in 1979, but Alien takes the edge for its lasting impact. Many other Alien films were made, including Aliens by James Cameron in 1986, a sequel considered by many to be even better than the Ridley Scott original, but 1979's Alien paved the way.
What Makes It Great
Alien is the movie that would inspire The Thing three years later. Its horror atmosphere and amazing visuals strike a nerve — they're virtually impossible to forget. Scott is at his best here, as is Sigourney Weaver as the iconic Ripley. At the 1980 Academy Awards, Alien was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, winning the latter. Stream on Hulu
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