Collider’s 8 sci‑fi films that shaped the last 25 years

Collider writer Remus published a handpicked list of eight science‑fiction films he says defined the last 25 years, highlighting works that transformed the genre and remain influential (Jan. 28, 2026). At the top of the list is A.I. Artificial Intelligence, a film developed by Stanley Kubrick and directed by Steven Spielberg that follows the childlike android David (Haley Joel Osment) on a quest to become human.

Collider describes it as a dark, intellectual meditation on humanity and technology and calls it foundational to 21st‑century sci‑fi. The list also singles out Moon, Duncan Jones’s debut focusing on isolation and identity with a solitary worker and an AI companion, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman’s non‑linear sci‑fi romance about memory erasure—both praised for their emotional and philosophical depth.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men is noted for its grim, realistic dystopia, single‑shot cinematography, and continued relevance decades after its release. Collider highlights large‑scale and technical leaps as well: James Cameron’s Avatar is credited with advancing native 3D filmmaking and launching a multimedia franchise, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is called a cerebral space drama that blends hard science with intimate themes, and Inception is noted for its mind‑bending, multi‑layered take on dreams and its wide cultural influence.

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