The 1990s coincide with several elements, namely a major evolution of digital special effects, the exploration of post-apocalyptic worlds, and the emergence of new iconic franchises. Here is our selection of the five best science fiction films from that era!
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Terminator saga depicts a dark future in which machines wage war against humans, following a nuclear holocaust triggered in 1997 by Skynet, a computer system housing a powerful artificial intelligence. In 2029, the resistance leader John Connor is on the verge of triumphing over the machines. The AI then sends a robot (the T-800) back to 1984 Los Angeles in order to eliminate his pregnant mother, but this endeavor fails. This portrayal of a ruthless machine would propel actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to icon status in the 1980s and 1990s.
After the success of Terminator (1984), director James Cameron returns with a second explosive installment. This time, Skynet sends in 1995 a a more powerful robot with remarkable properties (the T-1000) to kill the young John Connor. However, the future human resistance also sends back to the same era a robot intended to protect the child: a modified T-800, completely identical to the one from the first film.
Demolition Man (1993)
By 2032, Los Angeles is a sanitized city where crime and violence are supposedly a thing of the past, at least on the surface. Two inmates cryogenically frozen in the 1990s wake up suddenly: Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) and John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone). The former is a savage and psychopathic criminal, while the latter is a daredevil police officer who was sentenced in 1996 for causing the deaths of about thirty hostages while trying to stop Phoenix. Upon their return, the two “dinosaurs” appear ready for a second round.
On the menu: autonomous cars, a virtual reality headset instead of sexual acts, a cryogenic prison, automatic graffiti-erasing systems on walls, vending machines that issue fines for insults, and, as in a nod to the classics, the iconic “three seashells” in the toilets instead of traditional toilet paper.
Gattaca (1997)
This production is the quintessential example of a 1990s speculative and dystopian science fiction film. In an undetermined future, society is highly technological and eugenics (genetic selection) is practiced on a large scale, notably at Gattaca, an elitist research center. The objective? To secure a superior genetic heritage so that children possess as few flaws as possible and as many advantages as possible.
In this world, Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is a natural-born child—and thus imperfect—and Jerome (Jude Law), a genetically ideal child, has had his life ruined by an accident. These two characters will help each other change their fate while evading the rules of Gattaca.
The Fifth Element (1997)
Indeed! In 1997, the French director Luc Besson becomes a global icon after the release of this film set in 2263. Descendants of archaeologists fear the return of the “Absolute Evil,” made possible by a planetary alignment that occurs every five thousand years. To counter this evil, which takes the form of a colossal spherical mass near the solar system, the “Good” is embodied by four stones representing air, water, fire, and earth. At the heart of the story stands a fifth element just as essential as the others: Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a young woman who has a lot to learn but extraordinary abilities.
The film stars Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), a former soldier who has become a New York taxi driver. His life rapidly changes as his new mission becomes to protect the fifth element and save the world from Absolute Evil. Flying cars, aliens, and spaceships of all kinds, along with other technological innovations, punctuate this must-see film.
The Matrix (1999)
The original Matrix film falls into the cyberpunk category, a science fiction subgenre that often portrays—in a near-future setting—a decadent yet technologically advanced society, especially in the fields of information and cybernetics. The main character is Neo (Keanu Reeves), a computer programmer living in the 22nd century in a world where most humans live in a virtual reality known as the Matrix.
In the real world, AI-empowered machines are in command, subjugating humans who are lethargic and unresponsive. These humans are prisoners in countless individual capsules filled with liquid, while their body heat and electrical activity serve as an energy source for the machines. Neo is the One, a human endowed with extraordinary powers foretold by a prophecy to save humanity.
