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Love, death, robots and more: 11 unusual sci-fi films

Scified 2024-06-12 18:59:46 http://www.scified.com/articles/love-death-robots-more-11-unusual-sci-fi-films-31.jpg
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If you think science fiction consists of endless stories about starships and aliens, our selection will prove otherwise. Independent filmmakers and international stars ponder the future of technology and civilization, explore the human psyche, and travel through multiverses. Just as exploring these stories can unlock new realms of thought, uncovering Wanted Win no deposit bonus codes can unlock new possibilities in the world of online gaming. We suggest exploring the full breadth of new science fiction, which offers as much variety and excitement as the ever-evolving landscape of online casinos.

‘I'm Made for You’

Sociologist Alma (Maren Eggert) was lucky enough to take part in an unusual experiment. Especially for her they created an ideal male android, capable of satisfying all her emotional and physiological needs. But the charm of the blue-eyed, handsome Tom (Dan Stevens) extends to everyone except Alma: she is infuriated by the robot's flawlessness.

An inventive romcom about artificial intelligence, the relationship between humans and technology, and the eternal philosophical question of what it means to be human. The dramedy premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, and Maren Eggert, who plays Alma, won the Silver Bear for Best Actress.

‘Paranormal’

Brothers Justin and Aaron escaped from a cult commune years ago. Growing up, they receive a strange message from the past and return to the eerie places of their childhood. The boys discover that the cultists did not choose this location for nothing: supernatural things really happen here, and even time flows differently.

The story was written, directed and produced by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who also played the main roles. They were inspired by films and TV series such as Twin Peaks, The Lobster and The Prestige, as well as books by Lovecraft and Richard Matheson. Critics well received the fantasy film, noting the originality and unexpected plot twists.

‘Blood of Machines’

Space bandits pursue a huge ship, controlled by the artificial intelligence of Mim. When it is forced to make a stop on the planet Apus-7, Mima takes the shell of a woman with a shining inverted cross on her body. The planet's female inhabitants rise to her defence, and the pirates barely get away from the Amazons, unaware of what powerful forces have crossed their path.

‘Blood of the Machines’ - that rare case when a film made by enthusiastic directors with a minimal budget, can shut behind the belt of many multi-million dollar blockbusters. The project grew out of a short music video for the track Turbo Killer by synthwave project Carpenter Brut. The money for the extended version was raised through crowdfunding. The result is a powerful psychedelic dive into a creepy and beautiful alternative universe filled with neon, brutal spaceships and electronic music.

‘High Society’

A group of criminals are sent on a space journey to a black hole, where they must extract valuable energy. Among the participants of the expedition there was a young man Monte (Robert Pattinson), who faced a complex moral dilemma during the journey. Monte is forced to immerse himself in an experience he has carefully avoided, as well as look at life and death in a whole new way.

Claire Denis' English-language debut received conflicting reviews from critics: some called it a science fiction masterpiece, while others said the story was drawn out and pretentious. Robert Pattinson was quick to accept a role in the author's leisurely sci-fi film, saying it was the most interesting script he'd read.

‘Time Patrol’

A time agent (Ethan Hawke) is constantly travelling between the past and the future to prevent terrible crimes. A new twist in the endless mission brings him on the trail of a terrorist preparing to blow up New York City. To make sure this event never happens, the agent travels back to the 1970s to find the still-young criminal.

The story is based on Robert Heinlein's short story ‘All You Zombies’, dealing with such phenomenon as a time loop. In addition to an interesting plot with unexpected twists and turns, it is worth noting the good work of artists and impressive special effects (directors Spirigi brothers previously worked on visual effects and animation for ‘The Matrix’ and ‘X-Men’). The film was shown at many prestigious festivals, including Cannes, as part of a programme of special screenings.

‘Robot Child’

In the post-apocalyptic world there are only two of them left: Robot Mother and the last girl on Earth, Daughter. They live in a bunker protected from the dangers of the external environment, from which it is forbidden to leave on pain of death. One day, a wounded woman appears in the dwelling, whom the girl rescues and hides from the Mother. From her she learns a very different version of humanity's fate, and the picture of the world built by the android collapses.

The story ponders the question that has been troubling sci-fi writers for decades: will technology save man or, conversely, destroy him? Will artificial intelligence follow the ethics and morality we are accustomed to? Grant Spewer's debut feature film was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. There it was seen by Netflix representatives and immediately acquired the rights to show it in the USA and many other territories.

‘Special Opinion’

The action of the sci-fi thriller takes place in the world where the forecast of the future has become a reality. Captain John Enderton (Tom Cruise) works in a special department of crime prediction, but soon becomes a victim of the system - it shows that he himself will become a killer in the near future. The man goes on the run and searches for a way to prove his innocence, while at the same time questioning the fairness of the justice he has served for so long.

Made by Steven Spielberg 20 years ago, the film is remarkable for the number of technological prophecies made by the team of experts hired by the director. Facial and retinal recognition system, ‘smart glasses’, unmanned cars, spherical screens, tablets and many other innovations shown in the story, today we already consider something commonplace.

‘Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy’

Based on the Douglas Adams novel of the same name, the sci-fi film tells the story of Arthur (Martin Freeman) forced to flee Earth with only a towel in hand. It's all about the construction of a new intergalactic highway, in the path of which our green planet happens to be in the way. So Arthur becomes a real space hitchhiker, finds a cheerful group of fellow travellers and goes to the mysterious planet Magrathea to get the answer to the Main Question of life, the Universe and everything.

The film will appeal to fans of absurdist humour and comedy fiction. It's not every day that Zooey Deschanel, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, for whom the role of Humma Kavula was specially written, fool around and have fun from the heart.

‘Planet Ka-Pax’

Experienced psychiatrist Powell (Jeff Bridges) begins working with a new patient who calls himself Prot (Kevin Spacey). The charming man claims to have come to Earth from the planet Ka-Pax, and his arguments sound so convincing that even the doctor begins to doubt his initial diagnosis. To get to the truth, he decides to put the ‘alien’ into hypnosis and consult his memories.

The touching story of the alien among us skilfully combines drama and fiction, hiding the truth about the protagonist from the viewer until the very end. Prot is one of Kevin Spacey's most sensual and somewhat forgotten roles.

‘Cloud Atlas’

The plot of the exciting film by the Wachowski sisters and Tom Tykwer is built around the idea of reincarnation. Six destinies on different continents and in different times intertwine and influence each other in incredible ways. From the dramatic story of a rebel on a ship in the 19th century to a sci-fi tale of a post-apocalyptic future, the story exposes the surprising connection between people and their actions, over which the boundaries of time and space have no power.

The budget of the ambitious project is estimated at $102 million. At the time of its premiere, Cloud Atlas was one of the most expensive independent films. In the main roles starred four Oscar winners: Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent and Susan Sarandon. Actors performed several roles at once, sometimes reincarnating beyond recognition with the help of make-up, prosthetics and computer graphics. The film was shot all over the world, including Germany, Spain, South Korea, USA and New Zealand.

‘Everything everywhere and at once’

A dizzying journey through multiple dimensions and realities, in which an unassuming laundromat owner has to save the world and herself. During a trivial bureaucratic visit to the tax office, Evelyn Wong (Michelle Yeoh) discovers that she has access to a multiverse where her fate has taken very different paths. Now she has a chance to set aside her regrets, find out what her life could have been, and at the same time prevent the apocalypse.

Project directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert continue to use their trademark absurdist humour, familiar to viewers from the drama about the adventures of a corpse ‘Man - Swiss Knife’. Their new work can be called a masterpiece at least because of the unusual visual solutions and dashingly twisted plot, which could be envied by the writers of ‘Rick and Morty’. However, behind the flawless sci-fi shell with plenty of impressive fight scenes in the spirit of Hong Kong action films there is a touching story about family relationships, working through generational traumas and adaptation of migrants in a foreign country.

Article Published:
2024-06-12 18:59:46

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