Summary
- Sci-fi movies that are so bad they're actually good offer unusual and implausible premises that provide novelty and unintentional comedic value.
- These movies often feature ludicrous aliens, spectacular costume and production design, and wacky dialogue, making them truly entertaining.
- Whether they are misguided, under-budgeted, or overly ambitious, sci-fi trainwrecks are mesmerizing disasters that have earned loyal cult followings.
While there are bad movies in every genre, sci-fi movies that are so bad they're actually good contain some of the most unusual and implausible premises on the fringes of the genre. To be fair, filmmaking is never an easy endeavor, and this is especially true in effects and production-heavy genres like science fiction. Apart from their unintentional comedic value, these movies typically offer substantially more novelty than other similarly charming movies from different genres. Though all movie genres have produced trainwrecks that are impossible to look away from, the most mesmerizing disasters typically hail from misguided, under-budgeted, or overly ambitious approaches to sci-fi.
When it comes to so-bad-they're-good movies, sci-fi failures are a different breed. This quasi-subgenre is home to the most ludicrous aliens in cinema, spectacular costume and production design, the funniest CGI and practical effects scenes, and often also the wackiest dialog to explain whatever's going on. While the majority of these films hail from the 20th century, more recent science fiction movies aren't immune to belonging in this special category. As objectively terrible as they are, these movies have also earned loyal cult followings. For audiences who appreciate the most ridiculous attempts at making science fiction films, here are 20 sci-fi movies that are so bad they're actually good.
20 Jurassic Park III (2001)
Where Steven Spielberg's crew seamlessly merged CGI with practical effects to bring dinosaurs back to life in the first two films, director Joe Johnston's poor use of CGI and green screen sequences nearly killed the beloved franchise. Also, with Sam Neill's Dr. Alan Grant being primarily motivated by money - just like in the first movie - Jurassic Park III seems more like fan fiction than an actual official sequel. However, even though the script even undermines its own potential for drama with consistently poor attempts at comedy, the movie nevertheless includes some great set pieces and remains an enjoyable dinosaur-heavy romp.
19 Mac And Me (1988)
Upon the release of Mac and Me, audiences quickly recognized it as a ripoff of E.T. the Extraterrestrial. Yet, even if it wasn't, what really makes Mac and Me stand out among sci-fi movies that are so bad they're actually good is the inadvertently hilarious terrible acting and bland script. These are further magnified by the confusing scoring, bad effects and production design, and the fact that the entire movie is literally an ment for McDonald's. Mac and Me is such a common example of a so-bad-it's-good B-movie that actor Paul Rudd has famously tricked talk show host Conan O'Brien into repeatedly showing its infamous wheelchair scene.
18 Battlefield Earth (2000)
Terrible production, senseless plot lines, and great actors playing hammy characters all come together in the gloriously awful Battlefield Earth. While the consistent use of skewed camera angles throughout the entire movie adds to its overall novelty, this also makes it extremely visually jarring. However, from John Travolta's iconically bad performance, to the story involving aliens taking over Earth just to mine gold, Battlefield Earth stands tall among sci-fi movies that are so bad they're actually good. The winner of 8 Golden Raspberry Awards - including Worst Picture of the Decade in 2010 - Battlefield Earth is one of the worst sci-fi movies from the 2000s, yet no-less entertaining for it.
17 Roller Blade (1986)
In Roller Blade, society's only hope against a fascist warlord in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles is a cabal of sexy nuns who don't even rollerblade. Hilariously, the titular wheeled shoes are entirely missing from Roller Blade. However, the killer nuns do dole out some creative kills and moves that require serious roller skating skills. From Roller Blade taking every opportunity to show the nuns nude, to the movie's grotesque puppetry, incoherent plot, and overall garish look and feel, it's clear that this movie was never meant to be taken seriously. Roller Blade is a must-see for viewers searching for post-apocalyptic sci-fi movies that are so bad they're actually good.
16 Robo Vampire (1988)
A drug lord hires a magician to summon Chinese vampires to protect him from the authorities. The only one who can stop the vampires is narcotics agent Tom Wilde, who's been resurrected as a silver comforter-clad half-robot after he was shot and killed in the line of duty. A hilariously failed attempt at ripping off Robocop, Robo Vampire's convoluted plot is bested only by its funny action sequences. As described in Chinese folklore, the vampires hop towards their prey - especially funny when they're fighting Wilde in his terrible costume. For a sci-fi movie that's so bad it's actually good, however, the vampires and gore are surprisingly well-designed and executed, adding to the entertainment.
15 Teenagers From Outer Space (1959)
Derek is a well-meaning alien who arrives on Earth to help his species find suitable places to grow their reserve food source: giant land-dwelling lobsters called Gargons. Although the other aliens consider themselves to be the "supreme race," Derek is more concerned with Earth's fate and learning about human culture. While wearing the blandest of costumes, the aliens are armed with plastic toy guns, which they use to instantly turn humans into skeletons. However, what really makes Teenagers From Outer Space a must-see is the stilted dialog, driven by a hilariously long-drawn-out and unnecessarily convoluted plot.
14 Reptilicus (1961)
What makes Reptilicus unique among so-bad-they're-good sci-fi movies is that it's the only Danish kaiju film. In Reptilicus, a miner finds the fossilized tail of an ancient giant creature, and when it's brought to Copenhagen to be studied, the tail regenerates into the creature's full form. This leads to some of the worst creature effects in the history of cinema. Moreover, after an extremely troubled production involving a Danish and English version of the movie, the already laughable dialog and acting is made even more awkward by the English dubbing over Danish actors in the final cut. Few other Godzilla have cult followings like Reptilicus.
13 Earth Vs. The Spider (1958)
The police officers of a small town discover a giant spider living in a nearby cave. After the authorities knock out the spider with DDT gas, the high school science teacher convinces them not just to keep the monster alive for studying, but also to bring it to the school to be displayed. When students practice rock and roll songs for the school dance, however, the power of rock awakens the giant spider, who then terrorizes the town. Hammy acting, bad composite shots, and silly animatronics come together to make Earth vs. The Spider one of the earliest unintentionally comedic sci-fi horrors from the 20th century.
12 They Saved Hitler's Brain (1968)
The title says it all - They Saved Hitler's Brain imagines an alternate fate for Adolf Hitler, one where Nazi high command preserves the führer's head and essentially makes him immortal. From the inverted (historically inaccurate) swastika serving as the centerpiece of the grandiose room from where Hitler's head screams commands, to the obviously fake head burning to death in the ending, there's a lot to love about this ode to Nazi super science. In fairness, the scenes where Hitler's head is carried around in a glass case are seamless - impressive for a movie from the late '60s.
11 Robot Monster (1953)
A true classic among sci-fi movies that are so bad they're actually good, Robot Monster is about the eight humans that survived the global genocide of Ro-Man, an intelligent alien with the body of a gorilla wearing an old-school diving helmet with antennaes. As Ro-Man carries out his directive of ridding the planet of human life, the alien and a human named Alice fall for each other, causing Ro-Man to ask, "how do you calculate that?" From Ro-Man's ill-conceived appearance to the montage where Ro-Man's overlords destroy Earth, Robot Monster seems like an amalgamation of leftover props, footage, and even plots from previous movies.
