5 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of 1995, Ranked

1995 was a big year for movies. “Toy Story” launched one of cinema’s most reliable hit-makers in Pixar and helped redefine what animation could be. One of the greatest crime thrillers of all time came our way with “Seven.” Michael Mann’s crowning achievement “Heat” was gifted to action lovers around the world. Nicolas Cage delivered his Oscar-winning performance in “Leaving Las Vegas.” But it was also one heck of a year for science fiction.

In terms of historical context, Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” revolutionized Hollywood just two years earlier with its blend of CGI and practical effects, with the industry rapidly adopting computer generated visuals (not always with great results). Meanwhile, other movies were still relying heavily on practical effects, which gives movies from this era a specific feeling. It was a unique time for science fiction, a genre that’s often been at the forefront of adoption for new technology in cinema while serving as a breeding ground for underrated gems.

We’re going to take a look at the best of the best that sci-fi had to offer viewers in 1995. From groundbreaking anime to rubber suit monster movie goodness and everything in between, there’s a little something for everyone here. Let’s dig in.

I can’t sit here and rightfully say that “Species” is A-class cinema. I can’t say that it’s the best that the science fiction genre had to offer in the year of our lord 1995. What I can say is that, more than 30 years removed, it’s a delightful relic of its time, one that is sexy, ridiculous, and a great deal of fun. Sci-fi doesn’t always have to be serious to be seriously enjoyable.

Directed by Roger Donaldson, the film centers on Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley) who intercepts a space transmission containing the genetic sequence for an alien life form. He uses it to produce “Sil” (Natasha Henstridge), a gorgeous alien-human hybrid. Fitch’s team is concerned by her rapid rate of growth before Sil destroys the laboratory and begins a violent quest for a male human to impregnate her. The U.S. government dispatches top assassin Preston Lennox (Michael Madsen) and a team of experts to stop her.

“Species” is a wacky movie that features some incredible makeup effects and not-so-great CGI. It has Oscar-caliber actors like Sir. Ben Kingsley giving his best to a bonkers script, while guys like Michael Madsen gladly ham it up. It was also a breakout role for the movie’s lead, Natasha Henstridge, who has a true scene-stealing presence about her. She is undoubtedly the main reason why this movie sticks out in so many people’s minds all these years later.

This also spawned a franchise, with the “Species” sequels bringing DND and T&A to the DTV market. I can’t in good conscience recommend those midnight movie sequels to the masses, but I can easily defend the original as a worthwhile bit of ’90s sci-fi goodness. (Ryan Scott)

The “Gamera” movies are many things. The original entries are campier kaiju classics oft-remembered as corny fuel for some of the best episodes of “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” But the franchise has also produced some genuinely excellent entries in the genre. Case in point: “Gamera: Guardian of the Universe.” Directed by Shūsuke Kaneko, this launched a whole new era for the classic Japanese monster, with this particular entry serving as an excellent launching pad for Gamera’s grand return.

In this “Gamera” cinematic adventure, a ship runs aground on a mysterious atoll leading to an investigation by insurance representative Kusanagi (Akira Onodera). He discovers an ancient bead that he gives to his daughter Asagi (Ayako Fujitani). Meanwhile, ornithologist Nagamine (Shinobu Nakayama) investigates reports of a new species of large bird named Gyaos. As the Gyaos begin to attack, an ancient guardian with a bond to Asagi emerges.

By the mid-’90s, so much of Hollywood was already relying heavily on CGI to create special effects. Part of what’s great about “Guardian of the Universe” is that it still has that tangible, rubber suit monster magic. Yet, technology had gotten better since the ’60s and ’70s, allowing for those practical effects to shine even brighter. The result? Some of the best practical kaiju action one could ever hope to find.

This film redefined what a “Gamera” movie could be. No longer was this just the lesser-than, turtle-like cousin to “Godzilla.” Gamera was undeniably cool now. As was Gyaos, an impeccably designed addition to the franchise. It also served as a springboard for several sequels, including “Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris,” one of the best sci-fi movies of 1999. It was a damn fine time for monster movies. (Ryan Scott)

There are dozens of “Godzilla” movies of varying quality dating back to 1954 when the King of the Monsters first debuted on the big screen. But for those who have a fondness for a time when the one they call Gojira was still a rubber suited monster duking it out with other monsters made of rubber, it’s hard to do better than “Godzilla vs. Destroyah.” Directed by Takao Okawara, it’s one of the best “Godzilla” movies of all time.

The film wastes no time as it opens with a burning Godzilla, on the verge of meltdown that could threaten all of humanity, emerging to lay siege to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, horrifying new organisms are discovered in Japan and these crustacean-like creatures are seemingly born of the Oxygen Destroyer, the weapon that killed the original Godzilla. These separate monster problems ultimately lead us to a kaiju clash for the ages.

This is the final entry in the so-called Heisi era of the “Godzilla” franchise, which has by far the best practical monsters in the 70-plus year history of the series. One would be hard-pressed to find more impressive monster designs than that of Destroyah, a hulking, terrifying, hellish vision that is worth the price of admission alone. Plus, the design of the burning Godzilla is unique and metal AF.

With lots of sci-fi craziness, just enough cheese, and some of the best practical kaiju action ever put on the silver screen, this is a must-see for monster movie lovers. Not for nothing, it’s the only “Godzilla” movie that currently boasts a perfect critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It deserves it, in my humble opinion. (Ryan Scott)

A time-travel movie, a post-apocalyptic movie, and all-around a mind-melting piece of sci-fi, “12 Monkeys” is a wild ride. Arguably Terry Gilliam’s best film, it loosely adapts Chris Marker’s 1962 experimental short film “La Jetée,” and follows Bruce Willis as James Cole, a convict sent back in time to find out information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of humanity back in his time. What starts as a relatively simple mission devolves into an exploration of madness, time, and dreams, set in a world that is slowly coming apart. Though made in 1995, the film’s focus on how we perceive information and decipher the truth among all the noise is as relevant today as it’s ever been. This is not a feel-good movie, but rather a story of rebellion and resilience in a world that tries to tear you apart for perceiving things differently, and Gilliam adequately captures that thought with a cold and dark film that reflects the slow descent into madness of its protagonist.

Even if there’s little hope to be found by the end of the movie, “12 Monkeys” is still thrilling and hugely entertaining. It walks the line between commerciality and art, with Gilliam employing two of the biggest stars in Hollywood at the time (Willis and Brad Pitt), while also presenting them without an ounce of vanity. It’s a big production, but it sneaks in a provocative and idiosyncratic story with a bleak vision of the future. It also has a layered story that never compromises its singular vision. (Rafael Motamayor)

There are few sci-fi films as generation-defining as Mamoru Oshii’s adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s “Ghost in the Shell.” This is a film that’s inspired countless filmmakers around the globe, in both animation and live-action. We wouldn’t have “The Matrix” if it wasn’t for “Ghost in the Shell,” and titans like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg count themselves among its many fans. Plus, it’s just genuinely a thrilling and monumental piece of science-fiction cinema. The film is set in the then-distant future, at a time when most people have some sort of cybernetic implant and some even have cyber brains that allow access to the internet. The story follows a cyborg public security agent hunting down an enigmatic hacker.

Mamoru Oshii does a great job of condensing the complex and dense plotting of the original manga, while adding his own take on the material. This is a dark film with austere seriousness that meditates on the nature of self, identity, and our relationship with technology. It can take several viewings to fully grasp the many thematic layers present in this film and the way each scene builds on some thematic idea, adding to the main character’s crisis of identity as she contemplates how much of her humanity is left under all her cybernetic implants. “Ghost in the Shell” is also a straight-up beautiful movie to look at, with Production I.G delivering a stunning combination of traditional cel animation with CGI animation. In many ways, this is the ’90s answer to “Akira” in how the film pushes forward what animation can do, with lens effects and attention to light and shadow serving to make a film that looks like nothing before or since. (Rafael Motamayor)