While the ’90s had amazing scifi movies, we must acknowledge that it built off the incredible genre revolution that took place in the ’80s. There are tons of very well-known blockbuster scifi hits from that decade that we all know so well, but today I want to direct your attention to some other very decent but overlooked ’80s scifi flicks — along with links to our full reviews of all of these!

1980

Altered States: “Altered States was in the batch of experimental movies that hit strong in the 80s. I would loosely classify it as scifi horror, although it kind of crosses boundaries so it’s not easy to pin down.”

Galaxina: “You do get the feeling that Galaxina was trying to accomplish what Spaceballs would later achieve, albeit doing it with less comedic chops and source material.”

The Final Countdown: “This is a grounded and low-key exploration of the pitfalls of time travel, and the film mostly pulls it off. I was impressed that the project attracted some big names.”

Battle Beyond the Stars: “It may be campy and goofy, but Battle Beyond the Stars is not even in the same solar system as a good movie. Unless, somehow, your parents completely shielded you from Star Wars growing up, and this was the only space opera substitute in your morning coffee.”

Saturn 3: “One thing is undeniable: Saturn 3 is gorgeous old-school scifi eye candy. The models and the sets pop with color and pleasing design, a more cheery vision than Nostromo’s industrial tech.”

1981

Scanners: “It’s such a solid premise that it’s only somewhat held back by Cronenberg’s wonky storytelling techniques. I know the guy’s a cult legend and all that, but I find that his movies are usually as flawed as they come.”

Outland: “The single best element Outland has going for it is its awesome atmosphere (and, occasionally, lack of it). The colony itself doesn’t look half-bad, for old school ‘future technology’ design.”

Image of the Beast: “The filmmakers of the Thief in the Night series, thrashing about for more ideas, landed on PCs as the scapegoat of civilization So what does a bad evangelical movie about hackers look like?”

Heartbeeps: “Heartbeeps is one of those movies that reeks of putrid failure from the first minute on, practically daring you to make it through the whole thing. And you do, just so that you can complain about it later.”

Galaxy of Terror: “What took this project to the next level was the aid of a rising star in the business — a production designer named James Cameron. It’s hard not to know this and then watch Galaxy of Terror without seeing the prototype of Aliens all over the place, which is kind of cool.”

Heavy Metal: “Heavy Metal is a loose collection of fantasy and sci-fi stories that revolve around the Loch-Nar, a green glowing ball of evil. I kept thinking of that SNL skit featuring Happy Fun Ball (‘If Happy Fun Ball’s core becomes exposed, call the police and evacuate immediately’).”

Time Bandits: “If you can power on through the less interesting scenes however, the zaniness, askewed history, hilarious dialogue and terrific over-the-top performances more than make up for it.”

Escape from New York: “Escape From New York was one of John Carpenter’s first babies, and his love for it shows in every decrepit sewer-dwelling scab that creeps down the street. It’s such a great idea (if preposterous) for a movie, and its lead so iconic that you can’t help but fall in love with it, even with the minimal production values present.”

1982

The Electric Grandmother: “If all this sounds a little odd for a TV special, it’s because NBC elected to adapt a Ray Bradbury short story (and original Twilight Zone episode!) from the ’60s and made sure to include elements to keep kid viewers off balance.”

Forbidden World: “Corman tried his darndest to mimic Ridley Scott’s scifi/horror masterpiece. What he ended up doing, however, was making a movie so ridiculous that test audiences laughed in his face and a dude even dumped a cup of soda on his head afterward.”

Megaforce: “On this day, I fall to my knees and weep silent tears at the majesty that is… MEGAFORCE. This right here is the reason the ’80s were invented, even if it gets a bit of ’70s disco crud on it.”

Attack of the Super Monsters: “Every blessed second of this movie is both ridiculous and entertaining as all get out. It’s so intensely cheesy that I started to suspect that it’s actually a modern parody of the old Japanese anime and kaiju styles, but… no, it’s a real thing.”

Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann: “And here I thought I had seen pretty much every one of the crazy and ludicrous time travel movies from the 1980s, but no, I guess there was still one more out there.”

The Thing: “It’s a lot of what you’ve seen in other movies — part Alien, part Invasion of the Body Snatchers — but The Thing has fun bringing a splatterpunk haunted house experience to an interesting locale.”

1983

Strange Invaders: “I don’t regret seeing Strange Invaders, but I can see so many points of this where better direction, acting, and writing could’ve made it far more than a cult oddity.”

The Dead Zone: “This is one of the more successful Cronenberg/Walken/King movies, an anomaly that often gets overlooked until pointed out.”

Yor, the Hunter from the Future: “But there are also advanced survivors who have laser guns, androids, and spaceships, so Yor finds himself at a slight disadvantage with only a crusty loincloth and a fire sword (don’t call it a lightsaber!) at his disposal.”

Videodrome: “Cronenberg’s ability to visually tell these stories is amazing. There’s a heavy cerebral content which constantly keeps us guessing and mesmerized.”

Warriors of the Wasteland: “So the good news here is that the nuclear holocaust is, finally, over. Took 30 years, but everyone’s moved into the fun part of the apocalypse, where cars are tricked out, wasteland fashion is taking off, and most folks have pledged into their favorite gangs.”

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone: “Obviously, this wasn’t an attempt to make the most amazing story with an unlimited budget, but rather to pander, cajole, and entertain on the cheap. To that end, Spacehunter actually did fairly well, becoming one of the most popular videocassette rentals of the year.”

Brainstorm: “The real reason to see this movie, though, is the special effects, which range from impressive-for-the-time to downright beautiful.”

Rock and Rule: “The animation was great for its time, and remains darn pretty even today; the soundtrack is fairly impressive even if it’s not your thing, and the whole shebang just has a bizarre rock n’ roll sci-fi edge to it that makes it fairly unique.”

1984

Electric Dreams: “If a sentient learning machine in the home isn’t enough to keep Miles on his toes, he starts to fall for his new cello-playing neighbor Madeline. The only problem is that Edgar does too — and now we’ve got a love triangle that couldn’t really exist before the ’80s.”

1984: “This may not be as fun as a campy B-movie, I do think though it should be interesting for anybody who embraces sci-fi, literature, and 20th century history.”

The Ice Pirates: “The Ice Pirates does contain many pleasures in revisiting, like the goofy retro visuals. If you’re a connoisseur of pre-CGI optical-based effects, this movie is a smorgasbord.”

Gremloids: “Gremloids asked the question, ‘What if Darth Vader got lost while chasing the Rebels and ended up landing on Earth instead? And what if Darth Vader didn’t realize his mistake and started tormenting the locals thinking that they were intergalactic heroes?'”

2010: The Year We Make Contact: “2010 may not be quite as slow as 2001, but it’s still not a fast-paced or even that exciting of a trip. It’s like watching the crew of the Nostromo carry out a scientific mission instead of hunting down a giant space cockroach.”

Repo Man: “Weird and wacky hijinks ensue ranging from car chases, a double-crossing girlfriend, generic food, and some extraterrestrials in a Chevy Malibu.”

Voyage of the Rock Aliens: “Trust me, no matter what mood or mindset you’re in, you’re not ready for Voyage of the Rock Aliens. It’s a gonzo mish-mash of genres, fashion, and synth tunes that doesn’t allow for a logical foothold.”

The Philadelphia Experiment: “The Philadelphia Experiment is a total B-movie. Laughable effects, ludicrous premise, and bad acting (your choice of wooden performances or dramatic overacting — it runs the gamut) certainly make it qualify.”

She: “I’ve been bored by way too many post-apoc movies, so one that throws robots, hot tub oracles, vampires, chainsaws, mutants, werewolves, communist monks, telepathy, regenerating limbs, poolside poets, Green Acres, and even more at me is hunky dory.”

Dreamscape: ” While there’s a scifi angle here and the near-infinite possibilities for wacky dream settings, the whole concept seems a bit tenuous.”

Trancers: “So already we have cyberpunk, time travel, potential paradoxes, film noir, a jamming synth score, bounty hunting, and zombies. How have I never watched this before?”

Dune: “There’s a very good reason why this movie didn’t do as well as Star Wars, but I’d say it merits a look. If you can sit through the slow first half, the second half is undoubtedly worth your time.”

Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure: “The entire movie is fairly close to a loving documentary on Ewok culture, narrated no less, by a guy who sounds like he does nature shows on PBS.”

The Last Starfighter: “Perhaps the most interesting thing about this cult classic is how it really latched on to the video game generation that was only born less than a decade prior.”

Runaway: “Runaway was supposed to be a major blockbuster hit in 1984, and if you look at it objectively, it certainly has all the ingredients: major star power, robots, scifi, Michael Crichton directing, Jerry Goldsmith composing, and a hefty amount of promotion.”

The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the Eighth Dimension: “I read once that the best way to explain this movie is to compare it to jumping in to the middle of a series of movies. You feel like this is Part VI of something, since it doesn’t start at the beginning.”

Night of the Comet: “Now, faced with a world gutted of humanity and filled with human and non-human horrors, the sisters load up with heavy weapons and… go on a shopping trip. It’s the ’80s.  What did you expect?”

1985

The Blue Yonder: “It’s no Back to the Future, but The Blue Yonder does provide some of those same fish-out-of-water vibes as Jonathan explores the past of 1927.”

Starchaser: The Legend of Orin: “While the plot isn’t anything original, the world design, animated effects, and well-paced adventure instantly propelled this to a classic in my mind.”

Starcrossed: “Starcrossed isn’t as well-known from the period due to being a TV movie, but I’m here to say that’s premium ’80s cheese.”

Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future: “I certainly didn’t know that the British had created this icon, nor that an hour-long movie eventually spawned a show that ran in 1987 and 1988.”

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor: “Fortunately, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is much, much better than Caravan of Courage. It’s enjoyable, even, in a tacky film done right sort of way.”

Brazil: “For hardcore fans of Terry Jones, it’s certainly a must, if only to see how much he has improved as a film-maker – and it’s worth seeking out the edited-for-TV version really to give it a fair viewing.”

My Science Project: “Plagued by a lack of a soundtrack and some pacing issues, My Science Project is nevertheless an enjoyable ride for the person who thinks they’ve seen everything fun the ’80s has to offer.”

Lifeforce: “Lifeforce has to be seen to be believed, although if you feel it or smell it, that’s okay too.”

Explorers: “That being said, Explorers is far from perfect, and kind of goes wildly off the rails in the third reel, but the charm of its leads, coupled with the sheer whimsy of the goofy sci-fi concept makes this film a widely undiscovered gem.”

The Quiet Earth: “If you woke up one day to discover that you were the last person – indeed, the last living creature of any kind – in the world, what would you do?”

1986

Annihilator: “While Annihilator failed to land a berth as a pilot, it was repackaged into a pretty awesome TV movie. And yes, starting with the title and moving to everything else, this is as blatant a Terminator clone as I’ve ever seen.”

Condor: “It really goes all-in on the world-building of this alternate cyberpunk 1999. Outfits, vehicles, tech, and (especially) robots are packed into these 72 minutes as if the budget was no object.”

Deadly Friend: “So the more cerebral film underlying in there somewhere became a by-the-numbers slasher like many of that era, but I was 12 and I enjoyed the crap out of it.”

TerrorVision: “TerrorVision is a clear love letter to the creature feature B-movies of the ’50s, albeit with more spandex and new wave tunes.”

GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords: “This was really the last gasp of the franchise having any sort of impact on pop culture… and it wasn’t that impactful.”

Biggles: Adventures in Time: “It’s a decent enough time traveling tale with above-average acting and below-average special effects. But the strangest part is the fact that it’s loosely based on a very old book series by W.E. Johns chronicling the adventures of dashing fighter pilot Biggles.”

Star Wars Droids: The Great Heep: “But it’s still way more of a Star Wars production than I assumed. The sound effects, screen wipes, and callbacks to the movies (such as a certain interrogation droid or actual stormtroopers) are all welcome.”

Vicious Lips: “I know what you’re thinking. ‘What, ANOTHER movie about interstellar female rock ‘n’ roll glam bands trying to make it big with even bigger hair?'”

SpaceCamp: “SpaceCamp was released a few months after that tragedy, which was horrible timing and meant that the film was quickly buried.”

The Vindicator: “Oh, and his name is Carl, because that’s the most Canadian name for an unstoppable cyborg that could be thought up on the spot.”

Chopping Mall: “Honestly, I’d watch a non-killer robot movie just with this gang, they’re so amusing. But happily, killer robots we do have, and they are SPECTACULAR.”

Solarbabies: “Geez, that’s got to be the uncoolest name for a post-apocalyptic movie ever designed. I think ‘Solarbabies‘ and the image of sun spots in diapers leaps to mind, not cutting edge thrilling heroics.”

The Wraith: “Sure, The Ghost might’ve been appropriate, but a spoiler of sorts. Deathmobile would’ve been my pick, but then, no one consulted me as I was just a ten-year-old idiot in 1986.”

Flight of the Navigator: “This sends NASA into full-fledged evil mode, which comprises of imprisoning David and forcing him to watch Twisted Sister.”

Captain EO: “I saw Captain EO at EPCOT as a kid, and while it wasn’t exactly the coolest thing ever, it was definitely the highlight of that park at the time.”

1987

Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity: “There’s some decent production design here, even on what was likely a minuscule budget, and as Daria and Tisa, lead actresses Elizabeth Kaitan and Cindy Beal have a good rapport and keep the movie rolling along.”

Lily C.A.T.: “It’s a legitimate cult classic with a horribly dumb title that makes me think of heavy construction machinery.”

Timestalkers: “I mean how many movies with Grover Cleveland have you seen lately? If you watch this, you can proudly answer, ‘One!'”

The Time Guardian: “If you can shut off your brain and go on a very janky ride with a lot of silly moments and good SFX, you might have a better time than you’d figure.”

Hell Comes to Frogtown: “It turns out that Hell’s mission is to infiltrate Frogtown, an underground pipe plant of sorts, to rescue some fair virgins from the clutches of evil amphibian mutants.”

Not Quite Human: “Not Quite Human is a breezy watch that is helped by really likable characters in Carson, Becky, and Chip. I like how Underwood gives Chip a twitchy naiveté that serves as an always-ready joke platform.”

Cyclone: “So why not a movie where someone jazzes up a motorcycle to become a lethal machine and then puts a tough biker chick at the helm?”

Innerspace: “It’s just such a good movie stocked with excellent actors, fun special effects, and Joe Dante at the helm (with Steven Spielberg executive producing).”

R.O.T.O.R.: “t’s the kind of movie that, the more you watch it, the more you feel like someone is pulling your leg, because there is just no way someone made something this deliberately nonsensical while trying to pass it off as serious scifi entertainment.”

Cherry 2000: “I’m vaguely aware that it’s a terrible movie, but I still enjoy it, and mostly unironically at that.”

Batteries Not Included: “Is it a comedy? How can it be when you see the callous victimization of a helpless elderly couple? What the heck is this? I don’t know!”

Masters of the Universe: “What you have here is actually a pretty solid scifi flick, based on one of the more beloved toy lines and cartoon series of the eighties, with just a tad of silly dialog and the occasional overacting.”

The Running Man: “When his brute strength and cunning wit fails to deter his enemies, you can count on this shambling mound of muscles to break out one of his verbal chestnuts.”

Steel Dawn: “Swayze with a mullet is always good value, and it’s more fun than a lot of the schlock out there.”

1988

Remote Control: “Remote Control is a gem of a horror-scifi-comedy from that decade that’s flown very low under the radar. But if you know, you know.”

The Invisible Kid: “There’s also a climax that involves a chicken car wash, multiple invisible people, and just so many characters putting on mascot outfits.”

Alien Nation: “How well would we, a largely biased and bigoted species, integrate with off-world immigrants? What would that realistically look like?”

Deep Space: “This B-movie is pretty entertaining across the board, as long as you’re the type that loves to show up for some alien vs. earthling action.”

BraveStarr: The Legend: “While the movie suffers from some unnatural pauses and awkward transitions (as one would expect from cartoons at the time), I was really impressed by Bravestarr’s character and world design.”

Critters 2: The Main Course: “Critters goes its own path with a scifi angle that includes spaceships and shape-shifting bounty hunters. C’mon, that sounds cool, don’t it?”

Alien from L.A.: “The perverse attraction of Alien from L.A.. Ireland’s squeakiness, nonstop babbling, and wide-eyed gullibility make her the cinematic equivalent of a really nasty smell that you can’t seem to stop sniffing.”

Earth Girls Are Easy: “What would aliens do if they crashed on Earth? This movie answers with ‘PA-A-A-A-ARTY!'”

Space Mutiny: “Made famous by Mystery Science Theater 3000, this film is the most bizarre mishmash of ideas, sets, costume design, and acting choices that you’ll see all year.”

Mac and Me: “There’s always something goofy going on in every scene, from government agents in three-piece suits chasing down a kid on a wheelchair in the middle of a busy street to Mac’s repeated attempts at home decorating.”

Akira: “Akira‘s a hell of a show. But just like the genre it exemplifies, it’s an acquired taste, and one that doesn’t come too easily.”

1989

Alien Private Eye: “He’s going to have to go up against a poison-spitting gangster named Killgore (who prays to Hitler, I kid you not) and his many enthusiastic heavy metal minions. Also, there’s a nuclear bomb?”

Cyborg: “In the first 10 minutes of Cyborg, we get an amazing opening narration, a look at a destroyed NYC, some gang violence, cyborg stop-motion effects, and the outline of the entire plot.”

Meet the Hollowheads: “Meet the Hollowheads is so far out there, so deeply odd yet simultaneously so firmly grounded in its own internally consistent logic that it can only have been created by someone operating on a higher plane than most of us.”

Arena: “Aliens, robots, and humans alike fight for prize money and glory, usually with artificially induced handicaps to even the odds between wildly mismatched species.”

Not Quite Human 2: “Across the board, Not Quite Human 2 is better than the first movie. It’s funnier (and less dorky with its humor), features even more android gadgets (3.5″ floppy disc drives!).”

The Fly II: “Relationships are often cut short when one party starts mutating into a hideous fly and begins to lay maggots on rotting meat.”

Robot Jox: “Robot Jox went with a combination of these last two methods and does a fairly good job to deliver on the slow and powerful brawls on this scale.”

Slipstream: “So why did Slipstream — a genuinely decent scifi adventure film — fail to make any sort of impact on ’80s culture?”

The Blood of Heroes: “This really is Kidda’s tale, a kind of Karate Kid for the end of the world where we see a scrappy underdog rise up in the ranks and prove herself.”

Millennium: “If you’re willing to overlook a few flaws in the script and general low-budget-ness, I’d say it’s worth checking out.”