Lost in (bad) space: 10 most painful sci-fi movies

Sci-fi movies or science-fiction TV shows are among the most entertaining and consuming genres of films. From classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey to Interstellar, the canon of sci-fi movies has expanded considerably and tackled many hypothetical questions that intrigue humans. However, the theme of love, humanity, and relationships, are a constant in the genre. From questions about love and memories in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to themes of communication with Aliens in Arrival, here are some emotional sci-fi movies that have heart-wrenching moments.

---

1. Interstellar

Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and others, this famous sci-fi movie is set on an epic scale and makes the viewers realize how ruthless time and its passing can be. The movie focuses on Joseph Cooper (Matthew), a former NASA pilot, and is called back to help save the world when it is facing extinction due to crop blights and dust storms. As Cooper takes on a journey to travel across intergalactic space, he leaves behind years on Earth. The movie has many emotional scenes as the time when he has to leave his daughter, Murph, and when he watches 23 years’ worth of video messages and sees his children grow up literally in the blink of an eye. Further, the movie has a haunting soundtrack by Hans Zimmer that also hints at the passing of time. Therefore, time and human emotions play an important part in the movie, and are its deepest tragedy.

---

2. Never Let Me Go

Starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield, and others, this British dystopian romantic drama is based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro and is set in an alternate history. The movie focuses on Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, played by Carey, Keira, and Andrew, who are involved in a love triangle. The movie toys with the simple idea of cloning as the three grow up together, attend the same school, and fall for each other, only to realize that their whole existence is based on organ donation and all three are clones. While the movie does not have any expansive scientific concepts or space travel, it explores the repercussions of a simple concept—what happens to people who are born as a result of an experiment. The movie has the perfect balance of love, relationships, drama, and science fiction. The movie sets out to explore the meaning of being human and how it changes with the emergence of technology, making it one of the most emotional sci-fi movies.

---

3. Arrival

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and others, this sci-fi drama movie is based on the short story by Ted Chiang. A critical and commercial success, the movie is about a linguist, Louise Banks (Adams), who works for the US army and is tasked with finding out how to communicate with aliens after they arrive on Earth, and tensions lead to a war-like atmosphere. The movie is noted for Villeneuve’s direction, cinematography, and its unique but heartbreaking concept of communication with aliens, which might seem like an interesting idea but holds many painful secrets within. The movie has themes of choice, memories, and courage, as the extraterrestrials teach Banks that they use language as their weapon and can alter humans’ perception of time and its linear nature. The discovery is horrific as Banks learn that she will have a daughter even though she will die from a disease. The movie has poignant moments that are brilliantly done.

---

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, this classic sci-fi and romantic drama from the early aughts is one of the most painful sci-fi movies. Directed by Michel Gondry, the movie is about two people, Joel (Carrey) and Clementine (Winslet), who undergo a procedure that allows them to have their memories erased. However, Joel has to re-experience all the happy and painful memories of his relationship as they are slowly erased, and he begins to realize that he does not want his memories to fade away. The movie explores themes of love, loss, and memories, and questions whether humans want to let go of their relationships when given a choice. The movie is full of heartbreaking moments as Joel tries to race against time and his mind, before all his memories of love, heartbreaks, fights, and laughter slowly get erased. The film portrays the ups and downs of a relationship and is full of melancholy and nostalgia. Noted for its themes, performances, and visual style, the movie explores the boundaries of science and technology.

---

5. The Road

Directed by John Hillcoat and starring Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, and others, this post-apocalyptic and sci-fi survival movie is based on a novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy and revolves around a father and a son who are trying to survive the hardships and danger amidst a dystopian wasteland and amidst an Earth that has been ruined by an unspecified extinction event. The movie is hauntingly tragic and is one of the most tear-jerking yet authentic portrayals of post-apocalypse in sci-fi movies. There are many heartbreaking moments in the movie that begin with the unnamed man’s wife’s suicide and the desperate search and hope that he and his unnamed son show throughout the movie. While people might think that an apocalypse would bring humans together, the movie depicts the opposite. It shows that the world would still be filled with dangerous thieves, cannibals, and killers, and hanging on to hope might feel pointless. The movie is dim and has themes of the savagery of humans and nature, ruin, and death.

---

6. The Mist

Based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King, this cosmic horror and sci-fi movie has one of the most ruthless endings in a movie. Directed by Frank Darabont and starring Thomas Jane, and others, the movie is about a group of people in a small town who become trapped inside a departmental store after a mysterious mist envelops the town and forces everyone inside because anyone who leaves is killed by deadly creatures. While most of the movie does not have any heartbreaking scenes, it is the ending that makes this one of the most painful sci-fi and horror movies. Throughout the movie, David (Jane) protects his son from the dangers of the outside. However, when they finally try to escape, they realize that a deadly creature is just in front of them. Helpless, David mercifully kills his child. However, the mist begins to clear, and it is revealed that the US army has come to destroy the creatures and save the survivors. The pain that David feels is beyond anguish as he killed his child for nothing.

---

7. I Am Legend

Directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith, this post-apocalyptic and sci-fi thriller is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Matheson. The movie revolves around a US army virologist, Robert Neville (Smith), who is immune to a virus that has turned everyone on earth into zombie-like creatures. As the last surviving human in New York and accompanied by his beloved dog, Robert tries to find a cure for the virus while also defending himself and his dog from the deadly creatures. The movie has lots of heartfelt moments as Robert spends a lot of time alone and reflects upon the mistakes he made in life. However, one of the most tearjerking moments is when Robert is attacked by infected dogs and his beloved companion, Sam, tries to protect him but gets bitten in the process. As Robert painfully watches his only companion becoming infected like the rest, the movie earns the title of being one of the most emotional sci-fi movies.

---

8. AI Artificial Intelligence

Another sci-fi movie from the early aughts that is devastating and pondering, this one stars Haley Joel Osment and is directed by Steven Spielberg. Based on the short story by Brian Aldiss. The movie is about a childlike robot, David (Haley), who is programmed to love others. Set in a futuristic society, the movie examines the meaning of humanity and technology and what it means to be human. Even though a couple adopts David, he has difficulty processing emotions and embarks on a heartfelt journey to find himself. Even though he accidentally kills a boy, he feels the same emotions of guilt and remorse as humans and realizes that the line between humanity and robots is blurred and thin. Set out on a lonely journey, David’s internal power source becomes depleted, and the viewers are left mourning as they witness David heartbreakingly plead to the “Blue Fairy” statue to turn him human, however, the abandoned little boy “dies” soon.

---

9. WALL-E

Directed by Andrew Stanton and featuring the voices of Ben Burtt, Jeff Garlin, and others, this animated romantic sci-fi movie is another one of the more emotional sci-fi movies to have been released. The film focuses on a solitary robot, WALL-E, who travels across a futuristic Earth in 2805, which is uninhabitable and therefore deserted. With no one left behind, WALL-E, alone, cleans up the Earth’s garbage. However, when a robot called EVE is sent from another starship, it falls in love with her and pursues her across the galaxy. The movie is, at its most emotional core, a movie about robot love. It has many poignant moments, as even though WALL-E is a robot, it has a personality of its own and has dreams of its own. It is a tale of endearment and exploration, and also has an important message about the harmful side effects of human waste, making it one of the most critically and commercially appreciated animated sci-fi movies.

---

10. Mr. Nobody

Starring Jared Leto and directed by Jaco Van Dormael, this sci-fi drama movie is about Nemo Nobody (Leto), who is the last mortal on Earth as the rest of humanity has achieved quasi-immortality. The movie has many heartbreaking moments as Nemo is now a 118-year-old man, and he reflects upon his life and recounts alternate versions of his past. The movie is about mortality and its importance, and how it shapes the experiences of humans and their lives. The movie has many poignant moments as Nemo has a series of heartbreaking recollections, and on his deathbed, he revisits his choices in life and the struggles he endured. The movie has a non-linear narrative and focuses on concepts like string theory and the multiverse hypothesis. It is a dim and heavy movie as it focuses on regrets and unfulfilled wishes. A heartbreaking look at life through the advancement of technology.