Do you love sci-fi? Do you love comedies? Well, why not try a combination of the two? Few things are as exhilarating and engaging as a sci-fi comedy movie done right.
If you have a taste for the other-worldly, the highest of tech, and the most hilarious of characters and situations, then here are some of the best sci-fi comedy movies to watch if you haven't already.
14. Spaceballs (1987)
Decades before Family Guy and Robot Chicken did their hilarious parodies of Star Wars, Mel Brooks riffed on the franchise with Spaceballs. There's a lot that doesn't hold up with this movie, but it's still a fun watch—especially for fans of the genre.
13. Repo Man (1984)
Repo Man is an 80s punk rock-fueled sci-fi comedy movie starring Emilio Estevez.
He plays Otto Maddox, a down-on-his-luck punk rocker who takes a job as a repo man. One of his repossessions has radiation-emitting aliens in the trunk, and anyone who's exposed meets an 80s low-budget sci-fi end.
Repo Man is a classic sci-fi movie that's very much of its time, and yet it still manages to hold up as a fun flick even today.
12. Coneheads (1993)
Besides Wayne's World, Coneheads is the best movie based on an SNL skit. Rewatching this, I was surprised by how well it holds up.
It really embraces how weird its own concept is, and doesn't waste any effort trying to appeal to conventional tastes. This one is really worth revisiting if you haven't seen it in a while.
11. Mars Attacks! (1996)
What do you get when you combine a star-studded A-list cast, a B-movie plot, and a big studio budget? You get 1996's infamous Mars Attacks! movie.
I don't know who had the foresight (or recklessness) to allow this project to happen, but it all worked out in the end. As a result, we all get to enjoy this unique movie experience that's very unlikely to happen ever again, in Hollywood or elsewhere.
10. Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
Turn off your brain and get your air guitar ready. Bill and Ted face off against The Evil Us with the help of Station, tollbooth time-traveler George Carlin, and Death dressed like Little Bo-Peep.
If that all reads like nonsense to you, then you haven't seen Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey—and you're seriously missing out on one of the most fun sci-fi movies ever made. Yes, it's a stupid movie... but that's the point! Do yourself a favor and check this one out.
9. The World's End (2013)
Director Edgar Wright has described The World's End as "a boys' night out movie gone wrong." That's an understatement, given the crazy sci-fi shenanigans that happen throughout.
Simon Pegg stars as Gary King, a 40-year-old man who drags his old friends back to their hometown to complete a pub crawl they failed to finish 20 years earlier. They're going to see it through this time, and nothing't going to get in their way—not even aliens.
The World's End is a fun and contemplative conclusion to Wright's trilogy that started with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. All three are great movies that you won't regret checking out!
8. They Live (1988)
Alien overlords are controlling the masses through subliminal messages in John Carpenter's They Live.
Roddy Piper plays the lead, who finds a pair of sunglasses that lets him to see the world as it really is—full of aliens manipulating people to consume, breed, and conform.
Who knew social commentary condemning Reagan-era consumerism could be so entertaining?
7. Demolition Man (1993)
Demolition Man is an outrageous 90s action flick whose faults are all obscured by how downright entertaining it is.
Yes, it's cheesy... but it's all the better for it. A lot of the humor doesn't hold up after all these years, but then again, I'm not sure it ever did. Yet even after countless rewatches, Demolition Man manages to never get old.
6. Ghostbusters II (1989)
It's sacrilege in certain circles to claim the second Ghostbusters as better than the first. On Rotten Tomatoes, Ghostbusters has a 97% score while Ghostbusters II has a 53% score.
Clearly, the first Ghostbusters is a timeless classic while the second Ghostbusters is a flop... right? Right???
Yet I've always liked the second one more. I love the living evil wizard painting of Vigo the Carpathian (aka the Scourge of Carpathia, aka the Sorrow of Moldavia). I love the underground slime river. I love the ghost and slime special effects.
I don't know what I'm seeing that others aren't, or vice versa... but I think the whole movie is hilarious! If you don't have fond memories of Ghostbusters II, I implore you to give it another try. You may be pleasantly surprised!
5. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Some people criticize this movie for not adhering strictly enough to the books. Don't listen to those people! Because if you did, you would be missing out on a really good time.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie perfectly captures the light-hearted, adventurous mood of the books and gives Douglas Adams' ideas a shape that I imagine he would be proud of.
4. Men in Black (1997)
Men in Black is an undeniable sci-fi comedy classic. But things could have ended up a little differently if director Barry Sonnenfeld hadn't stuck to his guns when it came to casting.
The producers wanted Chris O'Donnell and Clint Eastwood to play the lead roles. Thankfully, Sonnenfeld got his way—and we were all spared the disaster that this movie could have been.
3. The Fifth Element (1997)
The Fifth Element is a one-of-a-kind sci-fi comedy adventure. If you haven't seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to make it the next movie you watch. There's nothing else quite like it.
Not only does it have some of the most iconic characters and scenes in sci-fi movie history, it's also visually beautiful with its bright color palette that plays great in modern 4K.
2. Galaxy Quest (1999)
Galaxy Quest is the gold standard of Star Trek parodies. But even if you aren't a Trekkie, there's a lot to enjoy in this movie.
There are even rumors of a TV series in the works, starring the original cast (save for the late Alan Rickman). Given how great the movie was, there's much promise. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
1. Back to the Future (1985)
This movie came together almost supernaturally perfect. Even the strange performance from noted weirdo Crispin Glover could not have been a better fit. That's the very definition of movie magic.
Making a movie this good is as hard as trying to capture a bolt of lightning, and in the words of Dr. Emmett Brown: "Unfortunately, you never know when or where it's ever going to strike."
The sequels that followed were good fun, but couldn't approach this pinnacle of blockbuster movie history.
