What is the best sci-fi movie ever? The 21st century has served up a host of contenders, including Denis Villeneuve‘s Arrival, the modern animated classic Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the six Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once, and an adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s Dune worthy of the source material. However, I think most would admit that the best sci-fi cinema came in the 21st century, with perhaps the best decade for the genre being the 1980s.
Although Blade Runner still seems as if it’s still getting better with age, and the Star Wars franchise received its best entry, Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, in the ’80s, there is only one film that truly stands out as the perfect sci-fi movie for the whole family to enjoy. Of course, the film in question is Back to the Future, director Robert Zemeckis‘ timeless time-travel adventure starring Michael J. Fox, fresh out of the TV series Family Ties. Fox stars in the film and its two sequels, opposite Christopher Lloyd as the enigmatic Doc Brown, as they explore the limits of time travel in the iconic DeLorean.
Not just an iconic sci-fi movie, Back to the Future is one of the most important films of all time, and has been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry as a consequence. A pop-culture phenomenon, the film has spawned countless imitators and homages. However, none are as good as the original, except perhaps the direct sequel, which some consider to be an improvement on its predecessor. At the time of writing, over 40 years later, Back to the Future is a streaming hit again, ranking as one of the ten most-watched titles on MGM+ in the U.S.
Will There Ever Be Another ‘Back to the Future’ Movie?
We live in a time when it’s impossible to rule out a return to any franchise. From Beetlejuice to Top Gun, it wasn’t long ago that the most beloved movies felt untouchable. Now, seemingly no IP is safe from the ever-turning Hollywood machine. However, Back to the Future remains highly unlikely to receive a legacy sequel, with series creators Bob Gale and Zemeckis, who hold the rights to the franchise, making it clear they have no intention of retreading old steps. With Fox’s battle with Parkinson’s disease all but ruling him out of a theoretical fourth film, it is even more unlikely. Instead, we’ll just have to bask in the glory of what we already have.
Back to the Future is a streaming hit on MGM+. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.
- Release Date
-
July 3, 1985
- Runtime
-
116 minutes
- Director
-
Robert Zemeckis
