Sci-fi movie marathon!

Why does it feel like we don't get movies like the ones from the mid-90s anymore? Back then, we had actual thrillers, gritty dramas, and crime stories... now, every single year it's just a handful of Avatars, Avengers, Spider-Mans, Batmans, Maze Runners, or Planet of the Apes, and people act like they're huge hits.

Is it because nobody knows how to make a good movie anymore, or is everything just so burnt out that all we have left is filming visions of what the "future" might look like?

Visual effects have leveled up so fast lately that it’s honestly no surprise we’re seeing this massive explosion in popularity,
plus, when you're talking about cinema, you get these incredibly lush and engaging sets,
where some lazy writer can just pull a total deus ex machina out of their sleeve whenever they get stuck. ☕

Michael Harris20 said:Why aren't we seeing more films like the ones from '94 or '95? Real thrillers, dramas, crime procedurals... instead, every year it's just a handful of Avatars, Avengers, Spider-Mans, Batmans, Maze Runners, or Planet of the Apes, and they're all treated like massive hits.

It’s as if nobody knows how to make a decent movie anymore, or maybe everything is just so burnt out that we're forced to watch endless stories about what the "future" might look like.

Interesting question. I don't have the answer, but SF seems to be dominating. It feels like the audience prefers themes disconnected from actual life. If you dive deep into fantasy, you're distancing yourself from reality and, by extension, from life itself.

It's concerning.

Michael Harris20 said:Why does it feel like we haven't seen anything like the mid-90s lately? Back then, you actually had a steady stream of gritty thrillers, heavy dramas, and police procedurals... but now, every single year is just a revolving door of Avatars, Avengers, Spider-Man, Batman, Maze Runner, or Planet of the Apes, and suddenly those are treated like the only hits worth mentioning...

I suppose nobody is really hurting anyone else by watching them, though...

Amanda Garcia57 said:It’s all pretty worrying...

I mean, it hasn't even been specified what kind of SF movies we're talking about here. The genre itself stays pretty much the same—it’s just that right now, everyone is obsessed with superheroes. Honestly, I wouldn't call it worrying at all. Back in the 90s, we had Scream, which triggered this massive wave of cheap knockoffs, and nobody was freaking out that kids were going to start attacking people with kitchen knives or something... Superheroes are just where the money is right now, so that's why they're everywhere, but there's still plenty of other stuff out there (like Star Trek, Interstellar, The Martian...) so it's really no different than it was back in the 90s...

briskhound2 said:Besides, there was no specific definition given regarding what kind of science fiction films are invading the market. SF is a constant genre, but right now superheroes are just the trend. It isn't concerning. In the 90s, Scream came out, followed by a massive wave of copies, and nobody worried that kids would start swinging kitchen knives at each other. Superheroes make money right now, which is why they dominate, but there are plenty of other titles within the genre (Star Trek, Interstellar, The Martian...) so it’s no different than the 90s.

So-called superhero SF movies aren't actually SF. They are nothing more than visually "slick" action flicks wrapped in SF cellophane, designed for a shallow audience—to put it politely, the less demanding crowd.

In those films, action reigns supreme. Visual impact is mandatory; everything revolves around it. Substance, plot depth, narrative, even the soul a film should possess for a more sophisticated audience becomes secondary in these works.

Shallow tropes dominate this action-heavy SF. Superficiality is the rule in superhero movies. Everything centers on obligatory stunts, explosions, flying objects, and various other gimmicks used to create maximum visual impact for the consumer, forcing them to drop cash on a movie ticket whenever a new installment in a franchise hits theaters.

I am not talking about that.

I am talking about films like The Martian. Films that deal with fantasies completely detached from life—from reality—yet manage to thrill audiences, sometimes to a level bordering on fanaticism, as we see here. That is what concerns me: having no connection to reality while building a massive, dedicated following.

Amanda Garcia57 said:I find that pretty concerning

What worries me more is seeing people who take SF as seriously as you do. Don't sweat the movies; there are plenty of real-world delusions out there that fascinate crowds of fanatics. Just look at the extreme militants popping up everywhere these days.

Benjamin Ruiz60 said:What worries me more is people who view SF the way you do. Don't bother with movies; reality is full of fantasies that have nothing to do with actual life yet still thrill crowds of fanatics. Just look at the extreme militants popping up everywhere.

Which "real-world fantasies" am I supposedly preferring? I’ve posted two recommendations here on the forum, and I stand by them. What exactly is the problem with them?

Michael Harris20 said:Why does it feel like we’ve completely lost that magic we had back in the mid-90s? I find myself constantly looking back at the films from '94 and '95—those gritty thrillers, deep dramas, and sharp crime stories that actually stayed with you. It felt like there was more substance, more variety. Now, it seems like every single year follows the exact same pattern. We get a handful of massive blockbusters like *Avatar*, the *Avengers* franchise, *Spider-Man*, *Batman*, *The Maze Runner*, or *Planet of the Apes*, and suddenly everyone treats them like they're the pinnacle of cinema. It feels like the industry has shifted entirely toward these big-budget spectacles, leaving those character-driven stories in the dust. Does anyone else miss when movies felt a bit more grounded and less like a series of endless sequels?

Is it just me, or has the industry completely lost its touch? It feels like nobody knows how to craft a truly great movie anymore. Or maybe we’ve just reached a point of total creative exhaustion where all they can come up with is another tired story about what the "future" might look like. Is that really all there is left?

Where exactly are you seeing this "invasion" happening? Honestly, we haven't seen a truly solid piece of SF since *Oblivion*, *Gravity*, and *The Martian*. If I recall correctly, we’re lucky if we get one good one a year. Meanwhile, the market is absolutely flooded with action flicks, comedies, and those "teen dramas wrapped in an SF skin" that you can find on every street corner. We haven't had any decent drama in ages either, so I’m just not seeing any sign of an invasion. Could you clarify where this invasion is supposed to be? Because I’m still sitting here waiting for some actual aliens or maybe a *Predator* type situation, and at this rate, it feels like we might be waiting forever.

Amanda Garcia57 said:I’m talking about movies like The Martian. Films that lean into pure fantasy and have zero connection to actual reality, yet they somehow blow the audience away—sometimes even bordering on fanaticism, like what we're seeing here. That's my point. It’s honestly kind of worrying to me: creating this massive cult following based on stuff that has nothing to do with real life.

Look, you're totally off base on this movie😉

If you had picked Interstellar, I might actually get where you're coming from, but trying to group this modern Robinson Crusoe flick in with those? That's a massive fail on your part.☕

Amanda Garcia57 said:What do you mean by preferring "fantasy in reality"? I’ve put two recommendations here on the PDF and I stand by them. What’s the problem with them?

I never said you prefer fantasy over reality. I’m saying you're wasting your time on fluff. You're choosing pure fiction over actual science fiction.

Patrick Martin said:All that holds weight, but you clearly watched the wrong movie.😉

If you had pivoted to Interstellar, I might follow you. But trying to salvage this modern Robinson Crusoe-style flick? That’s a much harder miss.☕

You might have a point.

Benjamin Ruiz60 said:I’m not saying you prefer fantasy over reality. I'm saying you waste your time on the trivial. You're trading science fiction for mere fiction.

Not quite. It’s strange to me how people can adore things with no basis in reality—to marvel at them, or even elevate them to the status of life ideals. Some souls crave raw reality; others crave fantasy. Strange. To me, incomprehensible.

The Martian is basically just a massive metaphor for how humans can stay unshakable and optimistic even when everything is going to hell, so if you look at it that way, it’s actually totally fine.

Amanda Garcia57 said:Not really. I just find it so strange how people can be obsessed with things that have zero basis in reality... like, they actually admire it, and sometimes they even put it on a pedestal as some kind of life ideal. It’s weird. Some people's souls just crave raw, harsh reality, while others just want to live in a fantasy. It’s odd. Honestly, I don't get it.

It honestly blows my mind that you’re dropping a post like this when, you know, like 99% of the people on this planet follow some kind of religion.
Escaping into a fantasy is just part of being human—it's universal. Everyone, just like you, is basically looking for a way to feel superior through those fantasies.
Some people do it through forum posts, some through superheroes, and some through Zeus.

dustyfalcon122 said:It’s strange to see you drop a post like this when 99% of the planet follows some form of religion.
Escaping into fantasy is a universal human trait. Everyone, just like you, looks for ways to feel superior through those fantasies.
Some do it via forum posts, others through superheroes, and others through Zeus.

I assume you included me in that 99%. Care to tell me which religion I follow? I don't attend church. Never have.

And what does this "fantasy" you're talking about actually have to do with my posts? Are they unrealistic? Stop projecting.

Where exactly am I escaping into fantasy in my writing? Where am I trying to elevate myself or act superior to others?

Where in my posts is there any attempt to assert dominance over anyone else?

Amanda Garcia57 said:Not really. It’s weird to me how people can obsess over things that have zero basis in reality, marvel at them, and then go ahead and put them on a pedestal as life ideals. Some people crave raw reality, while others want fantasy. Strange. I just don't get it.

Exactly. You're exaggerating on every level here. There isn't some massive sci-fi invasion happening, nor has a cult formed around The Martian. Personally, I don't understand why some people see a metaphor or a personification and immediately start questioning its basis in reality. That's why I say, stay away from art—otherwise, you'll just end up treating someone else's imagination like a brick wall.

Watching movies, debating them, or even having favorites isn't about elevating them to life ideals 🤦—it's way simpler than that. It's socialization through conversation and exchanging ideas.

Benjamin Ruiz60 said:Exactly. You're exaggerating on every level. There hasn't been an invasion of sci-fi movies, and no cult has formed around The Martian. I don't get how some people see a metaphor or a bit of personification and immediately start spiraling. Lost in reality.That’s why I say you should stay away from art. You’ll just end up hitting someone else's imagination like it’s a brick wall.

Watching movies, debating them, even having favorites—none of that constitutes worship. The pinnacle of one's ideals. 🤦 It’s actually much simpler than that. Socialization happens through communication and the exchange of ideas.

Absolutely. People watch sci-fi for the social aspect—the dialogue and the exchange of ideas. 🤦

People call just about anything "art" these days. Even lies, deception, and pure fantasy. I don't get it, and I certainly don't classify them as such. To me, that kind of "art" is a wall. The longer I stay behind it, the better. Everything we consume gets under our skin. Lies, deceit, and fantasy are toxic substances. They poison the spirit. Some people seem to enjoy the taste, though.

Amanda Garcia57 said:Not really. I find it quite strange how people can absolutely adore things that have no basis in reality, marveling at them and even elevating them to the pedestal of life's ideals. Some souls crave a (harsh) reality, while others yearn for fantasy. It’s odd. To me, it's incomprehensible.

You make a fair point that a mission to Mars isn't financially realistic just yet; it would be astronomically expensive, and there isn't an immediate necessity since life on Earth is still perfectly viable. However, from a purely technological standpoint, it is entirely possible and within reach. We actually possess the technology TODAY required to pull off a one-way trip to Mars. A return journey, unfortunately, is hundreds of times more costly, so we will likely need more time for that, but the race officially kicked off a few years ago. Right now, the main players are the USA, China, and Russia/European Union, though it is very possible that over the next 20 years, India and Japan will establish themselves as major contenders too. The current roadmap for Mars missions focuses on developing sustainable SURVIVAL technologies on the planet, and there are plenty of competitions out there that any talented Americans could enter if they have the right ideas.

Patrick Martin said:The Martian is nothing more than a metaphorical depiction of human steadfastness and optimism under extreme circumstances, and as such, it's just fine.

Don't forget that a significant portion of the technology featured in the movie is already on Mars and actively functioning there. The most recent rover, Curiosity, is still up there every single day, sending back data regarding microflora, minerals, and water on Mars. So, by 2035, technology should become cheap enough to facilitate the first one-way mission to Mars, and it becomes a question of which nation will be the first to step onto that planet and claim the best territory for themselves. Just remember, it was the exact same story with the poles (North and South), so it is inevitable that we will go to Mars. Now, whether those will be one-way trips or round trips—well, that all comes down to economics.

That said, I am still curious about this "invasion" of sci-fi movies everyone keeps mentioning—am I missing something here?

Amanda Garcia57 said:Yeah, definitely. You watch Sci-Fi for the social aspect—the chance to actually talk about it and trade ideas with people. 🤦

What? You seriously don't talk about movies with your friends after you watch them? Or do you just not have any friends? I don't get what the big deal is.

People call just about anything "art" these days. Even lies, deception, and pure fantasy. I don't get it. I refuse to categorize those three things as art.

What’s next? Are we going back to burning books again? There’s this decent movie about it, but it’s Sci-Fi, so apparently it "isn't based on a true story."

Everything we consume gets inside us. Lies, deception, and pure fantasy? They’re just toxic waste poisoning our souls.

So, that's how it works.

I have this nagging feeling that briskhound2 is going to lock this subforum down, and trust me, that guy... A slight feeling. It’s not just some fantasy.