10 '70s Sci-Fi Movies You Need To Watch Before You Die

The decade that gave us Star Wars, Alien and Close Encounters!

Silent Running
Universal Pictures

The 1970s was an amazing time for movies, arguably the absolute pinnacle for the industry of filmmaking. There was at least one outstanding film released for every type of genre – The Exorcist for horror, The Godfather for crime drama, Annie Hall for romance, Cabaret for musicals, Blazing Saddles for comedy etc.

And the decade was definitely not short of some excellent science fiction. As technology continued to evolve, cinematography was constantly improving and having a greater sense of clarity and refinement. The sci-fi movies of this era amazed audiences because they all featured stories, themes and visuals that hadn’t been explored yet.

Sci-Fi allows for plenty of creative freedom and many potential plot focuses, whether it's set in space, involves extra terrestrials, features supernatural activity or perhaps some sort of attack on planet Earth.

The following movies are the absolute best of the decade’s science fiction offerings (although some don't get the recognition they deserve), because they embody all the best parts of the genre, plus other exciting dynamics. Their influence is so powerful, they would become the cornerstone of all sci-fi pictures to come afterwards.

10. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

Silent Running
Columbia Pictures

After a successful hit with Jaws, Steven Spielberg continued the momentum with his exciting film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It would prove that Spielberg was a master of the science-fiction genre, as well as horror and thriller.

The plot is what you’d expect from the title – several groups of people on Earth witness UFOs flying through the night’s sky. A man named Roy Neary, uniformly portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss, experiences strange visions in his head and becomes obsessed with discovering what it means. As the plot develops, most unpredictable twists and turns unveil themselves, grabbing the audience’s attention until the very end.

Overall, Close Encounters of the Third Kind has a little bit of everything that you’d want from a classic sci-fi movie. It has epic production values, breathtaking set designs, a classic John Williams composition, an enticing story and a terrific cast all round.

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