15 Most Visually Stunning Sci-Fi Movies

15. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick is known for his visually sumptuous cinematic offerings, with the clinical and often austere helmer even being accused of using his actors as props for some stunning tableaus long before that became Wes Anderson’s whole schtick.

The filmmaker never topped 2001: A Space Odyssey, an Arthur C Clarke adaptation which in Kubrick's hands became a psychedelic interstellar trip from the sixties. A stunning sci-fi exploration of deep space, the flick begins with methodical, swooping camera shots introducing us to its beautiful production design and meticulously perfected sets, gradually revealing its story. Then comes the unparalleled ending sequence, one of cinema’s most potently mind-blowing scenes.

An impossible-to-parse trip, the colourful, strange closing moments of this film are guaranteed to stick with you for life—even if you have trouble explaining them to anyone without the aid of some seriously strong psychotropics.