6. The Andromeda Strain
The Andromeda Strain is a pulsing, paranoic thriller based on Michael Critchton's 1969 sci-fi novel, revolving around a group of scientists who are attempting to put an end to a virus that kills humans with an aggressive efficiency. To prove the level of scientific commitment to the film - which some have argued borders on the mundane and laborious - David Kirby, a postdoctoral researcher in science and technology studies at Cornell University decided to chime in, declaring that, "there is a scene where they are trying to figure out how big the microbe is that they are dealing with. From modern eyes, it ends up being a very slow, boring scene, but that is because it is realistic". Though the film has only a modest critical reception and is lambasted by most critics for being too drawn-out, it is admirably clinical in its depiction of a virus and the various means of putting a stop to it. As Kirby said, "the science in it is accurate. They are experimenting, but it doesn't make for very gripping cinema." The ins-and-outs of biology may not make for exhilarating cinema, but there's no doubt those who found the geekiness appealing.