10 Amazing Sci-Fi Movies You Need To Stop Sleeping On
2. Melancholia
No stranger to the bizarre and lyrical, Lars von Trier's second entry into his Depression Trilogy - preceded by the divisive but brilliant Antichrist and followed by the two-part epic Nymphomaniac - is a beautiful, surreal and symbolic sci-fi drama which seamlessly touches on themes of depression, life and death.
The film revolves around two sisters (as played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg) as they come to terms with the fact that a rogue planet is about to collide with and destroy Earth.
Featuring a typically strong ensemble for a von Trier picture, including Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard, Stellan Skarsgard and John Hurt, Melancholia is a visually stunning and constantly surprising film which details a dysfunctional family dealing with an impending apocalypse. More than that, though, it is a film more personal and metaphorical than anything von Trier has ever produced, a moving portrait of mental health and nihilism based on the director's own battles with depression.
Visually, yes, it's fantastic, and the acting is phenomenal, but it is the film's respectful and seamless depiction of depression which make it all the more unforgettable. Add to that a healthy dose of surreal sci-fi in the shape of an incoming planet, and what you have is one of the most striking and entertainingly bleak films ever made.