20th Century Studios

Fifty years ago , Steven Spielbergdirected his first theatrical film , The Sugarland Express . Since then , Spielberg has establish himself as one of the greatest filmmaker of his generation , with a long list of megahit and critically acclaimed movies to his name includingJaws , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Schindler ’s List , Saving Private Ryan , and many more .

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spielberg ’s first motion-picture show , we ’re looking back at the seven best Steven Spielberg sci - fi movies . For someone who breach into the industry with genre flicks , there are n’t a lot of science fable films in Spielberg ’s filmography . But the I here rank among the greatest sci - fi movies of all time .

A man confronts a woman in Minority Report.

20th Century Studios

7. Ready Player One (2018)

Spielberg does n’t harness many sci - fi chronicle anymore , and his most recent genre film , Ready Player One , is noticeably softer than his former films . There ’s just not much of an edge to this adaptation of Ernest Cline ’s novel , but there ’s plenty of nostalgia for everyone older than 30 . The story takes topographic point approximately two decennary in the future , where Earth is in such defective bod that the vast majority of the survivors pass way too much clip in the practical world of the haven .

The haven is such a valuable resource that its creator , James Halliday ( Mark Rylance ) , leave a posthumous puzzle to solve that will grant the winner full mastery over his existence . Wade Watts ( Tye Sheridan ) and his protagonist make it their mission to win the competition and pull through the OASIS . But they ’ve got some very powerful enemies standing in their way both in the OASIS and in the genuine humanity .

WatchReady Player OneonNetflix .

6. War of the Worlds (2005)

Spielberg ’s take on H. G. Wells’The War of the Worldsis a very loose adaptation of the original story that ’s built around Tom Cruise ’s grapheme , Ray Ferrier . Ray ’s a pretty irresponsible longshoreman and a Padre of two kids , Rachel ( Dakota Fanning ) and Robbie Ferrier ( Justin Chatwin ) , who is no longer matrimonial to their mother , Mary Ann ( Miranda Otto ) .

After the kids get throw away off with Ray , an exotic invasion decimate everyone around them . With no way to fight back , Ray takes his shaver and flees in the hope of rule safety . And the more Ray run , the more he realizes that there is no safe home to hide from the encroacher .

WatchWar of the WorldsonHulu .

5. Minority Report (2002)

Cruise and Spielberg ’s first collaborationism was an adaptation ofPhilip K. Dick‘sMinority Report . In this world , a Precrime Division has made murder almost impossible in Washington , D.C. , thanks to a system that utilizes three precognitive individuals who can see next crimes before they fall out .

Chief John Anderton ( Tom Cruise ) is the top cop in Precrime , and he ’s been crack - dedicated to the job ever since the abduction of his boy geezerhood ago . Suddenly , just as Precrime is about to expand into a national political program , the precogs predict that Anderton will mangle Leo Crow ( Mike Binder ) , a man whom he has never touch . Anderton goes on the run to raise his innocence , but every step that he takes bring him nearer to his meeting with Crow and the latter ’s death .

WatchMinority ReportonParamount+ .

4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

The first big sci - fi motion picture of Spielberg ’s calling wasClose coming upon of the Third Kind . By forward-looking standard , this ’ LXX film moves at a arctic stride , and Spielberg has done good work since then . But in 1977 , this was a big hit and it help move Spielberg to further tiptop in the industriousness .

Close Encountersfollows ordinary people – like Roy Neary ( Richard Dreyfuss ) and   Jillian Guiler ( Melinda Dillon ) – who have a brush with visitant from another world . Neither Roy nor Jillian can go back to their normal lives afterwards . For Jillian , she needs to get her boy back from the aliens , while Roy scarcely notices that his family has abandoned him as he obsesses over the alien ship . Their stories , and the entire story , intersect late in the movie as they get a much closer encounter than they expected .

WatchClose Encounters of the Third KindonMubi .

3. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

A.I. Artificial Intelligencehad a decade - long road to the great screen under the counseling of Stanley Kubrick , who passed the project on to Spielberg a few eld before he pall . Kubrick ’s engagement with the tale is probably why this is one of Spielberg ’s darkest moving-picture show . The Sixth Sense‘s Haley Joel Osment stars as David , a realistic childlike android who longs for the erotic love of his human mother , Monica Swinton ( Frances O’Connor ) .

After being abandon by Monica to dispense with him from demolition , David sets out to become a “ veridical son ” like the lead lineament ofThe Adventures of Pinocchio . Along the way , David encounter Gigolo Joe ( Jude Law ) , an humanoid who is large-hearted to his quest . This film could have gone even high on the list if it had ended at a sure point in the story , rather than go for the traditional Spielberg   feel - good moment at the end . Regardless , it ’s still a majuscule pic .

WatchA.I. Artificial IntelligenceonParamount+ .

2. Jurassic Park (1993)

Dinosaurs take the air the Earth again in Spielberg ’s adaption of Michael Crichton ’s sci - fi novelJurassic Park . At the fourth dimension , CGI animation was still in its relative infancy , and audiences were n’t used to seeing such convincing recreations of dinosaurs . Some of the motion-picture show ’s animatronic dinosaurs also helped betray the legerdemain that they were real . In the nowadays , there have been so many Jurassic Park andJurassic Worldmovies that they no longer feel extra . Except for the original , of form .

In the film , Dr. Alan Grant ( Sam Neill ) , Dr. Ellie Sattler ( Laura Dern ) , and Dr. Ian Malcolm ( Jeff Goldblum ) are personally invite by Dr. John Hammond ( Richard Attenborough ) to his secret island in social club to see the scientific miracle of his clone dinosaurs , as well as Hammond ’s wacky ambitions to turn them into base park attractions . When the dinosaur get loose , it ’s anything but a Disney drive . rather , the humans will be lucky if they make it off of the island alive .

WatchJurassic ParkonNetflix .

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Even digitally swapping the FBI agents ’ gunman for walkie - talkies could n’t carry downE.T. the Extra - mundane . The outrage digital edits have since been overturn by a penitent Spielberg himself . Forty - two years after its initial release , this film still stand up as not only the best sci - fi flick that Spielberg has ever conduct , but also one of the very best films in his career .

The E.T. animatronic puppet is far more convincing than the vast legal age of CGI creations , but a portion of that credit also has to go to the young performing artist , Henry Thomasand Drew Barrymore , both of whom treat E.T. like he ’s just another actor on the hardening . Their belief in E.T. is so convincing that the audience goes along with it as well . The storey is so famous by now that it ’s been parodied many times . An abridged version of the plot is that E.T. is accidentally stranded on Earth , where he befriends Elliot ( Thomas ) and Gertie Taylor ( Barrymore ) , as well as their older brother , Michael ( Robert MacNaughton ) .

While the kids love E.T. , his declining wellness and his genial connectedness to Elliot threatens both of their sprightliness . The only style to save them is to chance a direction for E.T. to phone home . John Williams ’ splendiferous soundtrack seals the deal , especially as the kids and E.T. make their lam from administration agents on be adrift bicycle . It just does n’t get better than that .

Rent or buyE.T. the Extra - TerrestrialonPrime Videoor other digital outlet .