8. Blade Runner
There's no disputing the fact that Phillip K. Dick is one of the best and most imaginative science-fiction writers in history, and this entry has no aim to take him to task. If anything, Dick does those adapting his films a huge favour by describing the events therein in such vivid, visual detail, that directors really do have a leg-up. Blade Runner is a film with a strong thematic base, yet a discussion about it almost always inevitably moves towards Ridley Scott's beautiful visual style, and Vangelis' mesmerising aural sound-scape. That's not to imply that the film is superficial, but it packs a visceral punch for its arresting visual sensibilities as much as it does for its riffing on identity and technology. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, Dick's novel upon which it is based, is a great text, but Scott stands among the few filmmakers able to elevate it with a little Hollywood magic; it remains one of the most visually striking films ever made, and though we all can use our imaginations, Scott's film doesn't need us to.