Sci-fi, perhaps more than any other genre, lends itself to producing cult classics. After all, by definition, the genre deals with speculative and futuristic ideas, meaning that they’re always literally ahead of their time. Sometimes, science fiction films wind up being too forward-thinking for contemporary audiences, being dismissed on release only to be hailed as masterpieces decades later.
Blade Runner, for instance, was a commercial disappointment in 1982 but is now celebrated for its groundbreaking visuals and complex narrative. Similarly,The Thing, dismissed as overly gory and lacking substance upon its release, has been lauded for its suspense and innovative special effects. These films and many others demonstrate that time can reshape perceptions. Indeed,many beloved sci-fi movieswere actually critical duds or box office failures when they first came out. Here are ten that bombed at the box office only to later become cult classics.
10‘A Scanner Darkly’ (2006)
Directed by: Richard Linklater
“I can’t any longer see into myself.“A Scanner Darklyis a roto-scoped dystopian sci-fi from the great Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise, Boyhood). It takes place in a future where the war on drugs has escalated to an all-time high. The story centers on Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves), an undercover cop who is tasked with infiltrating a group of drug users to uncover the source of a powerful new drug called Substance D. The drug causes severe hallucinations, leading Arctor to question his own reality.
This is a decidedly odd film, with Linklater transformingPhilip K. Dick’s story intoa psychedelic kaleidoscope.The animation is deliberately bizarre, like a cinematic acid trip.This may explain why it fared poorly commercially,grossingjust $7.6m against an $8.7m budget. Nevertheless,A Scanner Darklyhas a small but growing following of devoted fans. In time, it looks like more audiences will appreciate its depth, experimentation, and undeniable uniqueness.
A Scanner Darkly
9‘Annihilation’ (2018)
Directed by: Alex Garland
“Almost all of us self-destruct.“Natalie Portmanleads this one as Lena, a biologist who joins an expedition into a mysterious, rapidly expanding zone known as “The Shimmer.” The Shimmer is a quarantined area where the laws of nature seem to be distorted, creating a surreal and often terrifying landscape populated by all kinds of monsters and dangers. Lena’s husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac),is the only person to enter and return.
While it may be a little too soon to callAnnihilationa full-blown cult classic, it’s certainly on its way there, with a small but intense fanbase that is disproportionate to its weak box office performance (itgrossed$43.1 against a budget of $40–55 million).It’s that rare sci-fi movie that manages to simultaneously be philosophically rich, visually striking, and genuinely entertaining.The big-brain themes, winning performance from Isaac, and inventive aesthetic set it apart from most of the genre’s 2010s output. Heck, evenBarack Obamais a fan.
Annihilation
8‘Titan A.E.’ (2000)
Directed by: Don Bluth and Gary Goldman
“The human race is outta gas. It’s circling the drain. It’s finished!“Titan A.E.is an animated sci-fi adventure targeted toward adult audiences, something one doesn’t see every day. It tells the story of Cale Tucker (voiced byMatt Damon), a young man living in a future where Earth has been destroyed by an alien race called the Drej. He finds himself thrust into a quest to find the Titan, a spaceship his father helped design that holds the key to humanity’s survival.
The premise isn’t particularly groundbreaking, butthe film was innovative in its use of traditional animation alongside then cutting-edge CGI.As a result, it’s easily one of the best-looking animated movies of the 2000s. Unfortunately, there wasn’t really a mass audience for this kind of film at the time. As a result,Titan A.E.flopped hard,bringing injust $36.8m against a budget of between $75m and $90m. However, thanks to streaming, the viewers who connect with this kind of material have been able to find it, andTitan A.E.is now regarded by many as one of the more underappreciated sci-fi movies of its day.
Titan A.E.
7‘Idiocracy’ (2006)
Directed by Mike Judge
“The years passed, and mankind became stupider at a frightening rate.“Idiocracyis a sci-fi satire that imagines a future where intelligence and critical thinking have dramatically declined and humanity has degenerated into a wacky mess. The president is a pro wrestler, crops are watered with energy drinks, and monster truck demolition derbies are a key part of the justice system. In the midst of it all is Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson), an average Joe from our time who is now one of the smartest people in this anti-intellectual world.
Despite being fun and silly,Idiocracymade a significant loss at the box office,grossing$495, 000 against a $2.4 million budget. Nevertheless,its reputation has improved in recent years, with several commentators arguing that the movie was prophetic.Indeed,much of its satire now hits alittletoo close to home, as politics increasingly resemble reality TV and nuanced debate has been abandoned for tribalism and memes.
6‘Strange Days’ (1995)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
“I can get you what you want; I can. I can get you anything.“Strange Daysis a gritty cyberpunk thriller starringRalph Fiennesas Lenny Nero, a former cop turned black-market dealer of “SQUID” recordings—illicit devices that allow users to experience the recorded memories and sensations of others. The story kicks into gear after he stumbles upon a recording that implicates powerful figures in a heinous crime.
This is a hard-edged film, deftly fusing sci-fi and noir elements to comment on our own society.Cultural issues like violence and exploitation are placed under the microscope. This grim vibe put off many viewers on release, so much so thatStrange Dayswas a catastrophic bomb.It madeonly $17 million against a hefty $42 million budget, derailing directorKathryn Bigelow’s career for several years. In hindsight, though,it’s undoubtedly one of the strongest sci-fi movies of the 1990sand well worth checking out for those who haven’t seen it yet.
Strange Days
Strange Days is a dystopian science fiction thriller set in the closing days of 1999 Los Angeles, where an ex-cop turned street hustler sells illegal virtual reality experiences. As society teeters on the edge of chaos, he becomes entwined in an underworld conspiracy involving murder and corruption that challenges his ideals.
Watch on Disney+
5‘Sunshine’ (2007)
Directed by: Danny Boyle
“At the end of time, a moment will come when just one man remains.” In 2057, a group of astronauts is on a mission to reignite the dying sun with a nuclear bomb. The crew of the spaceship Icarus II, led by Captain Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada), includes a diverse team of specialists, each with their own personal struggles and motivations. However, an encounter with an abandoned ship triggers a series of catastrophic events that test the crew’s sanity and resolve.
This isSolarismeets28 Days Later, with major slasher movie vibes thrown in for the third act. In a lesser director’s hands,Sunshinecould have been pure pulp, butDanny Boyleelevates the material (written byAlex Garland) into genuinely thought-provoking sci-fi. The focus is on the emotional and psychological toll of this space voyage rather than the action or visuals,helped in no small part by the talented cast. With a budget of $40 million,Sunshinemade a losswith its $34.8 million haul, but it’s one of the stronger, darker sci-fis of the 2000s.
4‘Children of Men’ (2006)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
“Everything is a mythical, cosmic battle between faith and chance.” This bleak sci-fi from the brilliantAlfonso Cuarónenvisions a future where humans have become infertile and society is on the brink of collapse. Disillusioned bureaucrat Theo (Clive Owen) stumbles into a mission to protect a young woman named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), who miraculously becomes pregnant and may hold the key to humanity’s survival.
Children of Menis now widely regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century, with its compelling plot, technical wizardry, and smart handling of issues like faith, refugee crises, and population decline, a problem facing many countries right now. The film is very reflective,drawing on sourceslikeA Clockwork Orangeand the writings of philosopherSlavoj Žižek. So formidable is the movie’s critical stature that it’s easy to forget that it actually lost money,grossing$70.5 million against a $76 million budget.
Children of Men
3‘Event Horizon’ (1997)
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
“You break all the laws of physics, and you seriously think there wouldn’t be a price?” A decade beforeSunshinetread similar ground, this horror movie successfully fused old-fashioned scares with a sci-fi setting. It’s about a rescue crew sent to investigate the reappearance of the spaceship Event Horizon, which vanished seven years earlier during its maiden voyage. But the ship, designed to test an experimental gravity drive that creates artificial black holes, has brought a malevolent force back with it.
Event Horizonis just such a killer premise: a spaceship that travels through wormholes accidentally winds up in literal Hell.The movie realizes this demonic dimension well on-screen, taking inspiration from painters likeBoschandBruegeland making it look legitimately unsettling. Despite these strengths,Event Horizonbrought injust $42 million against a budget of $60 million, perhaps because of the truncated cut of the theatrical release. Fortunately, it sold well on home video and has developed a cult following.
Event Horizon
2‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
Directed by Ridley Scott
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.“Blade Runneris another sci-fi so iconic that it’s hard to imagine that it wasn’t well-received on release. This classic imagines a grim future where advanced robots, known as replicants, are virtually indistinguishable from humans.Harrison Fordstars as Rick Deckard, a retired “blade runner” tasked with hunting down and “retiring” rogue replicants.
Perhaps more used to the sunnier and more straightforward plots ofStar WarsandStar Trek, audiences didn’t really come out forBlade Runner, and critics were also mixed in their responses. While it did at least make a profit,grossing$41.8 million against $30 million, this was a major disappointment, especially when a film likeThe Empire Strikes Backmade over $500 million. However,Blade Runnerhas since been hailed as a masterpiece, revered for its visionary direction, intricate storytelling, and atmospheric world-building. Its darker vision of the future was deeply influential, and its DNA has become an indelible part of the genre.
Blade Runner
1‘The Thing’ (1982)
Directed by John Carpenter
“If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies; nobody is left to kill it. And then it’s won.” When it comes to sci-fi movies that were initially rejected but later came to be cult classics, it’s hard to miss this wintry gem fromJohn Carpenter. It follows a team of American researchers who encounter a shape-shifting alien that can assimilate and imitate any living organism. As the creature begins to infiltrate the team, paranoia and mistrust spread among the members, threatening to turn them against one another.
An immersive setting, stellar creature effects, and ever-ratcheting tension are the order of the day here.The Thingwas startlingly bleak compared to most sci-fi of the era, something that must have repelled a lot of viewers. Its box office performance was weak, if not abysmal,grossing$20 million against a $15 million budget. Critics were also initially icy toward the film. However, in the decades since,it has come to be viewed as a touchstone of sci-fi horror, frequently appearing on critics' lists of the greatest films of all time. Its current esteem is the complete inverse of its dismissal on release, making it the definitive sci-fi cult classic.
