Science Fiction is a popular genre that takes aspects of real-life science and amplifies it into something that is fictional. For example, Jurassic Park takes the concept of recreating dangerous dinosaurs to a new level by advancing the science of it. But what if it wasn’t fiction? What if the science in these films could be applied to real life? That is becoming more and more common. Throughout the film industry, science fiction is becoming more science and less fiction. Keep in mind that every one of these films has some aspect that is fictional, or has been enhanced for the sake of entertainment, but these films have a greater level of overall accuracy. Here is a list of sci-fi movies that are actually scientifically accurate.
Updated: January 2023: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Maria McGinnis.
Blade Runner 2049
Warner Bros.
Blade Runner 2049 follows LAPD replicant K (Ryan Gosling) who discovers a dark secret of another replicant who gave birth. The film follows K as he searches for the child and discovers a harsh truth. This sequel to the 1980s original Blade Runner shows a realistic depiction of climate change and how, if left unchecked, will ravage the planet, rendering Earth a barren wasteland.
The state of the climate throughout the film is dire, and while it is not realistic of what the planet will look like in 2049, it is an accurate portrayal of how climate change could ultimately ravage the planet in the next few decades. The film feels more present than it does future, based on both the technology and the state of the planet.
Arrival
Paramount Pictures
When spaceships of unknown origin land in 12 different locations on Earth, linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is called to lead the investigation. The crew is running against the clock to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrials as national tensions rise. Arrival is praised for its attention to linguistics in relation to alien contact. While not every aspect of the film is accurate, the main aspect of language deciphering is. Banks must learn the language in its entirety to accurately decipher the messages from the extraterrestrials. Other accuracies include the artificial gravity on the alien ship and the fact that the aliens would in fact live in a different atmosphere from Earth.
The Martian
20th Century Studios
Based on the novel of the same name, The Martian follows the journey of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who is left stranded on Mars after a fierce storm and struggles for survival. One of the best accuracies in the film is the travel time between Earth and Mars, taking a grueling eight months to get from one planet to the other with current technology. Another accuracy worth noting is that it would indeed be possible to grow plants in Martian soil. The amount of dust devils seen throughout the film is also true to Mars’ surface, and while the film may dramatize it for the sake of entertainment, the portrayal is accurate despite Mars’ thin atmosphere.
Interstellar
Interstellar is probably one of the most acclaimed sci-fi films, particularly from the great Christopher Nolan. Following former NASA pilot turned farmer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) who is brought to aid a team of researchers to try to find another inhabitable planet through a wormhole, Interstellar examines many aspects of science and space travel. The film has been praised for its portrayal of the black hole, referred to as “Gargantua” in the film, considered one of the most accurate film portrayals of a black hole. Another truth in the film is that getting too close to the gravity well of a large object can cause time to move more slowly than it would for people on Earth. This is made clear when Cooper returns to the ship with his surviving crew to discover that 23 years passed on Earth during their time on the planet.
Gattaca
Sony Pictures Releasing
Gattaca revolves around the concept of genetic modification. Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), a genetic “in-valid” is not allowed to leave the planet. When he buys “valid” DNA, he is able to join the Gattaca space program where he falls in love with Irene. While Gattaca is more than 20 years old, the film’s contents have been deemed very possible as genetic engineering of children and altering DNA has become the topic of much discussion. It has also been made clear that if children were to be genetically engineered, there would be a divide between those who are and those who aren’t, just as seen in the film.
Contact
Contact, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey, is considered one of the most accurate sci-fi films to date. Dr. Ellie Arroway is tasked with deciphering a message from the Vega star system. As her work progresses, Arroway is faced with the National Security Agent and religious fanatics trying to keep the message under wraps. Radio waves are used to communicate with extraterrestrials, which is what SETI does in real life. Part of Contact’s accuracy is thanks to the assistance of having real-life astronomers sprinkling scientific jargon throughout. On top of this, the reality of dealing with National Security when investigating contact with extraterrestrials is accurate to what scientists face when making a new discovery.
Her
Warner Bros. Pictures
Her starring Joaquin Phoenix follows the story of lonely divorcee Theodore. His life takes a turn for the better when he discovers a new program that develops into an intuitive and unique entity. Enter “Samantha,” who befriends Theodore, and that friendship eventually grows into romantic love. The concept of the film was so original that it earned the award for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards and received a nomination for Best Picture.
While some have compared Samantha to Apple’s mobile device assistant Siri, she is far more advanced, but that’s not to say that type of technology is impossible. That said, other aspects of the film are possible and accurate, including tiny face cameras as well as the earpiece Theodore uses to communicate with Samantha on a regular basis.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
This list would not exist without Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. While some may say the film is boring and moves slowly, the original sci-fi film portrayed everything with as much accuracy as possible. The film managed to predict a lot of scientific advances back in 1968, long before they came into existence. For example; the briefcase with a phone handset and dial has all the aspects of a modern-day smartphone.
The film was praised for its portrayal of astronauts as well-trained, methodical men rather than having them being the heroes of the tale as many sci-fi movies had done in the past. Another aspect of the film that was praised was the computer’s ability to play chess, long before Deep Blue famously won against Garry Kasparov in 1997.
Apollo 13
Universal Pictures
Likely everyone has seen Apollo 13 at least once as it’s a staple in a lot of middle and high school science classes. Premiering in 1995, it’s a dramatization of the real-life Apollo 13 lunar mission that was aborted in 1970 when an onboard explosion depletes the spacecraft’s oxygen supply and electricity. Apollo 13 is about a real space mission, which is a large part of what makes it feel so scientifically accurate — so much so that it really feels more like a documentary than a movie.
Also, the actors — including Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton — underwent extensive astronaut training, including a physics course and a lesson in NASA lingo. This adds a major level of realism to the movie and shows how director Ron Howard and the production team went the extra mile to ensure Apollo 13 was as accurate and believable as possible — and they did a great job at it.
Minority Report
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Minority Report takes place in the year 2054 in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia, where a specialized police department called Precrime that uses advanced, psychic technology to apprehend criminals before they even commit a crime. Starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, and Samantha Morton, Minority Report premiered in 2002 and is loosely based on the 1956 short story of the same name by Phillip K. Dick.
To create the futuristic world in the year 2054, Spielberg had to do a lot of research and consult with various experts — from science to technology — to develop a realistic future for Minority Report. And the research clearly paid off because some of the technology used in the movie, like retinal scanners and motion-tracking computer systems that seemed far-fetched in 2002 when the movie premiered, have actually come to fruition today.
Deep Impact
Starring Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, and Morgan Freeman, Deep Impact is about a teenager who spots a deadly comet coming toward Earth and then details the efforts to stop the 7-mile-wide comet from colliding with Earth and causing a mass extinction. While it may not be totally likely that a random teen with a telescope would spot an Earth-ending comet before NASA would, there are other elements of Deep Impact that are more believable and accurate.
For example, using nuclear bombs to destroy the comet isn’t a terrible idea, and back in 1998, when Deep Impact premiered, it was likely the most viable option we had to handle something like this. There’s also a scene in the movie where a fragment of the comet lands in the Atlantic Ocean, causing a mega-tsunami that destroys a large portion of the East Coast of the United States, even making its way over to Europe and Africa. The idea of a mega-tsunami like that sounds crazy, but it was actually highlighted by beloved astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as being realistic.
