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The 25 Best Sci-Fi Films of the 1970s

The 25 Best Sci-Fi Films of the 1970s

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The 70s introduced technological advancements in cinema, which made the imaginative worlds of sci-fi come to life on the big screen. Filmmakers were able to alchemize their ideas in a way they couldn’t before, and a new method of immersive storytelling was born. During this time, many social issues were at the forefront of people’s minds and these films incorporated relevant social and political themes. Many sci-fi films throughout this decade were meant not just for entertainment, but for philosophical ponderings as well.

The influence of the Cold War had people considering the possibility of total collapse and annihilation. Films like “Damnation Alley” (1977) explored the themes of survival in a post-apocalyptic world as well as hope following a difficult journey. “The Crazies” (1973) explores similar themes about survival and leans into some of the darker aspects of human nature. During this decade, society witnessed the success of the Apollo missions, which opened up questions about space. “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) explores the mysteries of alien life forms, taking you on a search for truth.

70s sci-fi films are rich with culturally relevant themes. Paired with the groundbreaking special effects of the time and the kind of storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat, cult classics were delivered. Those who had the opportunity to enjoy these films at the time of their release know the way nostalgia sweeps over them when they rewatch their favorites. The good news is there is a host of 70s sci-fi films worth watching, so you’re never without an option. (For other amazing movies from this decade, check out the Best 70s Movies That Will Never Get Old.)

Methodology: 

To determine the best 70s sci-fi films, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 1,000 reviews on IMDb were considered, and documentaries were not excluded. Cast information is from IMDb.

Here is the list of the best 70s sci-fi films. 

25. Flesh Gordon (1974)

Source: Courtesy of

Source: Courtesy of Mammoth Films
  • IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (4,226 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (2,888 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (6 reviews)
  • Cast: Jason Williams, Suzanne Fields, Joseph Hudgins

24. The Fury (1978)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (14,513 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (5,213 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (30 reviews)
  • Cast: Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Carrie Snodgress

23. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (33,671 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (22,594 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (30 reviews)
  • Cast: Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman

22. Rollerball (1975)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (23,901 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (12,309 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (33 reviews)
  • Cast: James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams

21. Logan’s Run (1976)

Source: Courtesy of

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (54,080 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (44,778 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (35 reviews)
  • Cast: Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan

20. Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (1,971 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 57% (1,690 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (5 reviews)
  • Cast: Kurt Russell, Cesar Romero, Joe Flynn

19. The Stepford Wives (1975)

Source: Courtesy of

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (17,060 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (14,373 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (33 reviews)
  • Cast: Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson

18. A Boy and His Dog (1975)

Source: Courtesy of LQ/JAF

Source: Courtesy of LQ/JAF
  • IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (17,328 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (9,987 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (33 reviews)
  • Cast: Don Johnson, Jason Robards, Susanne Benton

17. Silent Running (1972)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (27,984 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (9,083 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (31 reviews)
  • Cast: Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin

16. Dark Star (1974)

Source: Courtesy of Jack H. Harris Enterprises

Source: Courtesy of Jack H. Harris Enterprises
  • IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (23,469 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (11,328 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (27 reviews)
  • Cast: Dan O’Bannon, Dre Pahich, Brian Narelle

15. The Boys from Brazil (1978)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (26,951 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (7,700 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (32 reviews)
  • Cast: Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason

14. Death Race 2000 (1975)

Source: Courtesy of New World Pictures

Source: Courtesy of New World Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (26,944 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (25,875 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (37 reviews)
  • Cast: David Carradine, Sylvester Stallone, Simone Griffeth

13. Phantasm (1979)

Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures

Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (34,292 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (24,727 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (46 reviews)
  • Cast: A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister

12. The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (35,245 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (8,739 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (39 reviews)
  • Cast: James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne

11. Soylent Green (1973)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (61,132 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (23,798 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (38 reviews)
  • Cast: Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young

10. Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (12,696 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (6,235 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (17 reviews)
  • Cast: Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, Eugene Roche

9. Westworld (1973)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (55,107 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (16,182 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (41 reviews)
  • Cast: Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin

8. THX 1138 (1971)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (49,969 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (28,201 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (63 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley

7. Time After Time (1979)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (17,624 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (7,020 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (31 reviews)
  • Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, David Warner

6. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (8,632 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (2,129 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (8 reviews)
  • Cast: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent

5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (56,317 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (35,471 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (61 reviews)
  • Cast: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum

4. Sleeper (1973)

Source: Courtsey of United Artists

Source: Courtsey of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (42,162 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (30,618 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (36 reviews)
  • Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, John Beck

3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (192,000 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (142,184 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (64 reviews)
  • Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr

2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (785,984 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (437,137 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (73 reviews)
  • Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates

1. Alien (1979)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (823,459 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (460,436 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (126 reviews)
  • Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
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