Hello, Friday Fiction Fans! It’s nearly that time of year when the heat is so oppressive (at least if you live in the South) that you want to watch movies, ones you’ve saved for just the occasion. So, I thought I’d share my ten favorite speculative films. Disclaimer: this will differ from my top ten favorite speculative television series which I hope to post later. Some of my favorite movies are part of trilogies or more so I’ll add my favorite among the others! 😊
Drum roll, please…
10. THE MATRIX Sci-fi/action Starring Keanu Reeves, this futuristic thriller is realistically scary. Love the allegory. My favorite is the first one.
9. INDIANA JONES Action/adventure Starring Harrison Ford, this adventure series with four movies and a new one releases later in 2023, combines treasure hunting, bad guys, and a gorgeous leading man. My favorite is the first: Raiders of the Lost Ark.
8. WIZARD OF OZ Adventure/fantasy/family Starring Judy Garland, this movie for the young at heart is a classic I’ve watched many times. I love it. Another similar movie I love that didn’t make the list is the original Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
7. MEET THE ROBINSONS Animation/adventure/comedy My only animated film to make the list, it combines science fiction, time travel, family ties, and a great villain. I mean, how can you lose?
6. JURASSIC PARK Action/adventure/sci-fi Starring Sam Neill, this seven-part series is awesome in graphics, acting, and scare you spitless tension. Some are better than others but my favorite is the 1993 original.
5. DISNEY’S THE KID Comedy/family/fantasy Starring Bruce Willis, the time-travel/time-shifting movie left a lasting impression on my life. Great acting and a good mix of laughter and sorrow.
Tied for 4. BACK TO THE FUTURE Adventure/comedy/sci-fi Starring Michael J. Fox, this trilogy of movies really inspired my love of time-travel books, movies, and television. My favorite is the first one. And THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA Adventure/family/fantasy Starring Georgie Henley, this medieval fantasy/alternate world adventure trilogy is a beautiful example of world-building at its finest. Loved The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe the best.
3. THE HOBBIT Adventure/fantasy Starring Martin Freeman, this great fantasy trilogy might have scored higher if the last movie hadn’t been so sad. 🙁 My favorite is An Unexpected Journey.
2. STAR WARS Adventure/fantasy/sci-fi Starring Mark Hamill, my favorite sci-fi movie series of all time. I love the strong hero vs villain theme and the production of all the movies is fantastic. There are three of the twelve I didn’t like as much (I’ll let you guess which three) but the villains are some of the best ever. My favorite is a tie between the first three. Love them all for different reasons.
1. THE LORD OF THE RINGS Adventure/drama/fantasy Starring Elijah Wood, this trilogy of movies is my all-time favorite in speculative. I’ve watched them so many times, I have the dialogue of whole scenes memorized. I also watched hours of movie production videos. My fantasy trip would be to New Zealand. 🙂 I can’t pick a favorite among the three. They are all awesome!
Here are my eleven favorite speculative films. Yes, I said ten but I just couldn’t narrow it down. Many are classics, I’ve watched countless times. They’ve all impacted the writer that I am today. You might notice my favorite is usually the first. I just love the start of any adventure and highly recommend you watch every movie, hoping you enjoy them as much as I did.
Do you have a favorite speculative movie that I missed? What would you add or take away? Please comment below. I’d love to check out more speculative fiction…
