Save for one or two films, perhaps, these directors provided audiences with the most well-known titlessci-fihas to offer. Space travel, time manipulation,futuristic settings, high-functioning pieces of technology — these are all common tropes within the cinematic genre at hand. And they’ve rendered their respective projects among the highest-rated and most popular movies of all time, with franchises likeStar Wars,Back to the Future, andPlanet of the Apesperfectly fitting the qualifications of science fiction. Those are some truly beloved titles by some powerhouse directors.
Guys like Richard Marquand and Katsuhiro Otomo only made one science fiction film inReturn of the Jedi(1983) andAkira(1988) respectively, while people on this list seemed to specialize in that regard to one degree or another. But all that said, these are the twenty most beloved science fiction directors of all time.
20Franklin J. Schaffner
With an intriguing premise, a sprawling score, engaging characters, and a plot twist for the ages,Planet of the Apes(1968) remains one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever made. It spawned four sequels within the following five years, and there have even been a couple of21st centuryreboots — the most recent of which has been performing exceedingly well.
DirectorFranklin J. Schaffnerfollowed up in this regard exactly one decade down the line with a sci-fi thriller calledThe Boys From Brazil(1978), which starred Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier. Two brilliant leading men who indeed marshaled their dramatic troops to a brilliant degree as the film’s antagonistic duo. And despite its lackluster response from critics and modest box office numbers, it did garner three nominations from the Academy Awards. It’s definitely underrated these days.
19Steven Lisberger
To be frank:Slipstream(1989) bySteven Lisbergeris among the more irrelevant films written about on this list. Despite featuring the likes of Mark Hamill and Bill Paxton, this project was largely thrown by the commercial wayside, and it also underwhelmed critics.
On the opposite end of the sci-fi spectrum, however, Lisberger directed the originalTron(1982). For sheerly technical purposes — itsearly, famous use of computer-generated imagery (CGI)— this project moved the cinematic needle like few films before, and even since. Other franchises are more well-known, feature higher critical ratings, and raked in far more money at the worldwide box office. But they didn’t impact the industry as a whole quite to the extent ofTron.
18Alfonso Cuarón
As a two-time Best Director winner at the Academy Awards, Mexican filmmakerAlfonso Cuarónis among the most lauded creatives not just of this list, but throughout Hollywood history.He’s known for operating within a wide variety of genres such as fantasy withHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(2004) and dramas likeRoma(2018), but Cuarón perhaps shines the brightest under a lens that’s focused closely on technology, time travel, space exploration, and, well, you know the rest.
His first foray into the genre came withChildren of Men(2006), which has aged just gracefully. Film students: watch this closely, study its behind-the-scenes subversions and carefully-honed plot. It almost transcends the genre just on sheer quality alone — as does Cuarón’s other film of this variety:Gravity(2013). Starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, he co-wrote, co-edited, and produced this award-winning film on top of his directorial efforts. It truly stands out amonghis high-caliber filmography.
17Irvin Kershner
This American director had two science-fiction projects under his belt:The Empire Strikes Back(1980) andRobocop 2(1990). The latter was poorly received and didn’t exactly rake in millions upon millions at theworldwide box office, but it does help establish him as a sci-fi director for the purposes of this list.
On the other hand,The Empire Strikes Backremains one of the most beloved films of its kind even four decades down the line. More than that, in fact. It’s commonly cited as the bestStar Warsmovie ever made thanks to its rock-solid structure, well-paced action sequences, and perfectly-executed plot twist. And ultimately, it will forever go down as the definitive project in the career ofIrvin Kershner.
16J.J. Abrams
Okay, in full candor,Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker(2019) was not by any means a quality film, nor did it do anything to catapult the status ofJ.J. Abramsas a beloved director of science fiction movies. However, there’s no discounting the work he put in prior to that one, unfortunate release.Star Trek(2009)rebooted the film franchiseof this fan-favorite universe to a well-revered degree. And its sequel,Star Trek Into Darkness(2013), garnered similar acclaim.
Abrams then switched deep-space franchises and helmed the first of a sequel trilogy withStar Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens(2015). It’s undoubtedly the best of the three mainline films. And tacking on an extra sci-fi release —Super 8from 2011 — only helps fans forget the misdoing that wasRise of Skywalker.
15Alex Garland
Among the least-recognizable names on this list,Alex Garlandhas come into his own in the past decade with regard to stellar science fiction films. He kicked things off withEx Machina(2015), starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander. It’s considered one of the highest-quality films of this category in recent years, and that isn’t without good reason.
It was nominated for two Oscars — winning forBest Visual Effects— and it holds an impressive approval rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. But Garland wasn’t done there. He then came out withAnnihilation(2018) featuring Natalie Portman, and while it may not have raked in numbers at the box office, it still resonated fondly with critics.
14Terry Gilliam
Set in a dystopian world that operates on second-rate technology,Brazil(1985) byTerry Gilliamsatirizes the very societies in which we live. And given those allegorical implementations, its message is even grander in scale today. In other words,it definitely holds upto its 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it isn’t the only science fiction project under Gilliam’s directorial belt.
Twelve Monkeys(1995) stars Bruce Willis as a prisoner who’s incarcerated in a 2035 Philadelphian compound, and is sent back in time to find the cure to a deadly virus that’s speculated to have been released by a cultish group called the Army of the Twelve Monkeys. It’s a thrilling plot, but what’s truly worth writing home about is the Oscar-nominated supporting performance from Brad Pitt. It truly drives the film, and remains among the most impressive deliveries of Pitt’s career.
Related:Terry Gilliam’s Best Movies, Ranked
13Christopher Nolan
As one of the most prolific directors of the twenty-first century,Christopher Nolanhas also put forth science fiction movies of equal caliber. WhileThe Dark Knight Trilogy(2005 – 2012) could very well be his most important contribution to cinema, his tales of time manipulation and space travel rival the popularity of Christian Bale’s stint as the Caped Crusader.
Inception(2010) is his third-highest grossing film to date, and it was nominated for eightAcademy Awards. Plus, it won half of them: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. All tell-tale signs of a great sci-fi outing. His next film in this regard,Interstellar(2014), arguably rivaled the quality of the last, while his most recent,Tenet(2020), fell just a bit short. Odds are likely he’ll put out another one before his career is done, though.
Related:These Actors Have Worked With Christopher Nolan the Most
12Robert Zemeckis
Though he isn’t necessarily known as a specialist of the genre at hand,Robert Zemeckisdid direct one of the most prolific science-fiction trilogies ever filmed. It all started withBack to the Future(1985), which made great money in theaters and garnered tremendous reviews from critics. Today, it’s preserved by the Library of Congress within theNational Film Registry, and remains a staple of the genre nearly forty years down the line.
And, again: it spawned two sequels. The first came a few years down the line withBack to the Future: Part II(1989), and then just one year after that, Zemeckis releasedBack to the Future: Part III(1990). These are some truly timeless classics of their kind, and despite his future accolades at the Oscars, Zemeckis will likely always be remembered for gracing us with the company of Doc Brown and Marty McFly.
11David Cronenberg
Like another filmmaker who appears even higher on the list,David Cronenbergis typically associated with the horror genre. But more specifically, Cronenberg was known for delving in the subgenre of body horror, of which he’s considered the master. And nearly every entry thereof is also classified as a science fiction film:Scanners(1981),Videodrome(1983), andThe Fly(1986), for example.
However, Cronenberg also helmed a film calledThe Dead Zone(1983), based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name from 1979. This is more of a science-fiction thriller than it is based at all on horror, and it’s among the most critically acclaimed titleshis filmographyhas to offer. He’s a true veteran of the genre.
