Science fiction has always been a flexible genre, one that covers a huge range of stories, from pulp adventures to space operas to time-travel rom-coms. It’s a constantly evolving, amorphous genre that can demand the highest of budgets to bring to life its far-off worlds. Or it can be the perfect backdrop for a low-budget, lo-fi character drama.
At this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival, the latter ended up dominating the space, with sci-fi becoming the backdrop to intimate human drama — with varying degrees of success. Is it an indicator of a growing trend in sci-fi filmmaking? Or just a coincidence that several filmmakers used time travel or digital consciousness transference to tell character-driven stories? Perhaps it’s both. But here’s a snapshot of some of the best and worst sci-fi films to use the genre as a prop for their character dramas.
