10 Most Underrated 1990s Sci-Fi Movies
3. Contact
The science fiction genre is overflowing with stories about humanity making contact with alien life. Some might even say it's built upon it. And 'some' wouldn't necessarily be wrong.
It's influenced countless films over the years and always finds a way to reinvent itself for a new generation. Yes, whether it be alien invasion epics or thrilling tales of first contact, it's part of the very fabric of Hollywood.
With all that in mind, you'd expect 1997's Contact to be more appreciated than it actually was - especially when you factor in its star-studded cast (which included Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, John Hurt and Angela Bassett), its box office success and the mostly positive response. While it still does receive a mention here or there in genre conversations, the truth is that the film deserves to be held in a lot higher regard than it actually is.
What sets Contact apart from others in its genre is how it takes an ambitious concept and chooses to tell a very grounded story, using the humanity of Foster's protagonist to build a narrative about the human race's response to the unknown while using the unknown itself to create a highly thrilling atmosphere. The result is really quite brilliant.