If it's true that the best science-fiction poses the question "What does it mean to be human?" then it's really no wonder that Blade Runner is sitting pretty in our number one spot. And "pretty" is right, given that Ridley Scott's masterpiece - based on the novel "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick - is still one of the most beautiful motion pictures in existence, regardless of genre. Set in a dystopian Los Angeles, Blade Runner tells the story of Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who works as a special kind of detective whose job is to track down and kill replicants (androids indistinguishable from humans). For a motion picture of two hours, Blade Runner is packed so densely with ideas, thoughts, questions, and philosophies that it's a genuine wonder that it doesn't explode under its own weight. Disguised as a sort of neo noir movie with beautifully choreographed action sequences scattered throughout, Blade Runner weaves in a smorgasbord of abstract conceptions about the nature of life and death, what it means to be human, and the future and advancement of technology. As Deckard is tasked with hunting down a group of rogue replicants, led by the angelic, charismatic Roy Batty, he begins to question his motives - and so do we. As a sci-fi film, Blade Runner ticks all the boxes and then some; it's haunting, strange, beautiful, intelligent, bold, visionary, mesmerising and even flawed; Ridley Scott's attention to detail is something to be awed by (indeed, he ensured that every prop in the film was custom made, to ensure authenticity). Having been through several "cuts" over the years, it's 2007's Final Cut that marks the definitive version. Like any great sci-fi picture, Blade Runner demands that you come back to it again and again; there is much to be poured over and appreciated. No wonder it was voted the best science fiction film ever made in a poll of 60 top world scientists, hm? Like this article? Which movies have we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
