Science fiction is a well-liked genre that amplifies elements of actual science to create fictitious works. For instance, by improving the science involved, Jurassic Park elevates the idea of re-creating hazardous dinosaurs to a new level. What if it wasn’t fiction, though? What if the science depicted in these movies could actually be used in real life? That happens more and more frequently. Science fiction in movies is increasingly becoming science and less fiction. Remember that each of these movies contains certain elements that are made up or embellished for entertainment, but overall, these movies are more accurate. Here is a collection of science fiction films that are truly based on fact.
January 2023 update: This article has been modified by Maria McGinnis to add new details and entries that will keep it current.
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2001: A Space Odyssey
Without Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, this list would not exist. Although some people might complain that the movie drags along, everything was shown as accurately as possible in the original science fiction movie. In 1968, the movie was able to foresee many scientific developments long before they actually happened. A current smartphone, for instance, has all the features of the briefcase plus a phone and dial.
The movie received accolades for not making astronauts the heroes of the story, as many science fiction films had done in the past, but for portraying them as disciplined, methodical guys. Long before Deep Blue memorably defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997, the computer’s ability to play chess was another feature of the movie that received appreciation.
Apollo 13
Everyone has probably watched Apollo 13 at least once because it is a common teaching tool in science classes in middle and high schools. It is a dramatisation of the actual Apollo 13 lunar mission, which was cancelled in 1970 when an onboard explosion depleted the spacecraft’s oxygen and electricity. It made its debut in 1995. Since Apollo 13 is based on a genuine space trip, a significant part of what makes it feel so scientifically correct is that it resembles a documentary more than a motion picture.
Additionally, the actors—including Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton—went through rigorous astronaut training, which included a physics course and a tutorial in NASA jargon. This significantly ups the level of realism in the film and demonstrates how the production team and director Ron Howard went above and above to make sure Apollo 13 was as authentic and believable as possible.
Arrival
Louise Banks, a professor of linguistics, is asked to head the investigation when unidentified spacecraft arrive in 12 different places on Earth. Amy Adams will be the chief investigator. As national tensions mount, the crew is working against the clock to figure out how to get in touch with the aliens. The focus on linguistics in connection to alien contact in Arrival has received high appreciation. The core language deciphering component of the movie is correct, albeit not everything else is. For Banks to correctly comprehend the signals from the extraterrestrials, he must fully learn the language. The artificial gravity on the alien ship and the idea that the aliens would actually live in a different atmosphere from Earth are other accurate details.
Blade Runner 2049
The LAPD replicant K (Ryan Gosling) in Blade Runner 2049 learns the sinister tale of another replicant who gave birth. The movie follows K as he looks for the kid and learns an unpleasant truth. This follow-up to the groundbreaking Blade Runner film from the 1980s portrays climate change realistically and how, if unchecked, it will devour the planet and turn Earth into a lifeless wasteland.
Although it is not realistic to depict how the world would appear in 2049, the film’s depiction of the Earth’s dreadful environment is a true representation of how climate change could ultimately wreak havoc on the planet in the coming decades. Based on both the technology and the situation of the world, the movie has a more present-day vibe than it does futuristic.
Contact
One of the most realistic sci-fi movies to date is Warner Bros. Contact, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. The responsibility of interpreting a communication from the Vega star system has been given to Dr. Ellie Arroway. Arroway encounters the National Security Agent and religious extremists who are trying to conceal the message as her job develops. In the actual world, SETI uses radio waves to communicate with extraterrestrials. It helps that real-life astronomers sprinkle scientific jargon throughout to aid with Contact’s accuracy. In addition, dealing with national security when looking into alien contact is a reality that is similar to what scientists encounter when they make a new discovery.
Deep Impact
The movie Deep Impact, starring Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, and Morgan Freeman, tells the story of a teenager who sees a dangerous comet heading toward Earth and the efforts made to prevent the comet’s collision and subsequent global extinction. There are other aspects of Deep Impact that are more plausible and realistic, even though it may not be entirely conceivable that a chance teenager with a telescope would find an Earth-destroying comet before NASA did.
For instance, it’s not a bad idea to use nuclear weapons to smash the comet, and in 1998, when Deep Impact debuted, it was probably our best chance of handling a situation like this. The movie also features a sequence in which a comet fragment crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, triggering a mega-tsunami that wreaks havoc throughout much of the East Coast of the United States and even spreads to Europe and Africa. Even if it seems absurd, Neil deGrasse Tyson, a well-known astrophysicist, has highlighted the possibility of such a mega-tsunami as being plausible.
Gattaca
SONY IMAGES The idea of genetic manipulation is central to Gattaca’s release. Genetic “in-valid” Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is prohibited from leaving the planet. He is able to join the Gattaca space programme, where he meets Irene, after purchasing “valid” DNA. Despite the fact that Gattaca was released more than 20 years ago, its themes have gained a lot of traction since genetically modifying children and altering DNA have gained much attention. Additionally, it has been made obvious that, just like in the movie, if children were to be genetically altered, there would be a gap between those who are and those who are not.
Her
The story of Theodore, a lonely divorcee, is told in the movie Her with Joaquin Phoenix. When he stumbles into a novel programme, his life changes for the better as it grows into an original and intuitive being. Theodore is then befriended by “Samantha,” and through time, their acquaintance develops into passionate love. The movie’s idea was so novel that it garnered a nomination for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Samantha is significantly more sophisticated than Siri, Apple’s personal assistant for mobile devices, although some have made the comparison. Other elements of the movie, however, including the tiny facial cameras and the earpiece Theodore uses to speak with Samantha on a regular basis are real and plausible.
Interstellar
One of the most well regarded science fiction movies, especially one from the great Christopher Nolan, is certainly Interstellar. Interstellar explores various facets of science and space travel while following Matthew McConaughey’s character Cooper, a former NASA pilot turned farmer who is brought in to help a team of academics try to find another livable planet through a wormhole. The movie has received accolades for its depiction of the black hole, known as “Gargantua” in the movie, which is thought to be one of the most accurate film depictions of a black hole. Another reality depicted in the movie is that time can flow more slowly when one is too close to a massive object’s gravitational well than it would for someone on Earth. This is demonstrated when Cooper returns to the ship with the remaining members of his crew and learns that 23 years have passed since they last visited Earth.
Minority Report
Steven Spielberg’s film Minority Report, set in 2054 in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, has a specialised police force called Precrime that use cutting-edge psychic technology to catch criminals even before they have a chance to commit a crime. Minority Report, which debuted in 2002 and starred Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, and Samantha Morton, is a loose adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s 1956 short story of the same name.
In order to establish a plausible future for Minority Report, Spielberg had to conduct extensive research and confer with numerous experts, from science to technology. And it’s obvious that the research was worthwhile because some of the technology seen in the film—such as retinal scanners and motion-tracking computer systems—has really become a reality since the movie’s 2002 debut.
The Martian
The Martian, which is based on the same-named book, depicts astronaut Mark Watney’s (Matt Damon) odyssey as he battles for survival after becoming stranded on Mars during a violent storm. The transit duration between Earth and Mars, which takes a rigorous eight months to complete with current technology, is one of the best accuracy in the movie. It’s also important to note that Martian soil would be suitable for plant growth. Even though the film dramatises it for entertainment value, the portrayal is accurate despite Mars’ low atmosphere. The quantity of dust devils observed throughout the movie is also correct for the surface of Mars.
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