Critics Liked Uma Thurman And Ethan Hawke's '90s Sci-Fi Movie, But Audiences Avoided It

Writer-director Andrew Niccol's 1997 debut feature, "Gattaca," one of the most scientifically accurate science fiction movies, was one of those sci-fis that's been so far ahead of its time that audiences didn't really know what to do with it in the mid-'90s. Therefore, Niccol's brainy masterpiece — it is a masterpiece, let's be clear about that — was destined to become a cult classic. It bombed at the box office, making only $12 million worldwide during its theatrical run against a $36 million budget.

Critics, on the other hand, deservedly gave it high praise, including Roger Ebert, who called the movie "one of the smartest and most provocative of science fiction films." If you've seen "Gattaca" — and if you have not, you have to fix that — you can't argue with that statement. The plot of "Gattaca" takes place in the not-too-distant future, where eugenics rules society, and follows a guy named Vincent (Ethan Hawke) who was conceived naturally and thus is deemed an In-Valid. His kind in this universe is looked down upon as inferior humans who can't qualify (or apply) for jobs like being an astronaut.

Vincent fights this in every way he can, and with the help of a Valid named Jerome (Jude Law), a swimming prodigy who became paralyzed by an accident, he assumes a new identity and joins the space travel program at Gattaca Aerospace Corporation to be one of the navigators sent to Titan in an upcoming mission. But when a murder occurs at Gattaca, Vincent's goal (and identity) are put in jeopardy after his eyelash is found at the crime scene by one of the investigators.

You'd think that the concept of "Gattaca" is such a brilliant idea that it must have come from a classic, mind-bending story of a legendary genre author like Phillip K. Dick, for instance. Yet you'd be wrong: from its first minute to its last, the film is all Andrew Niccol's. And it's no short of awe-inspiring how perfectly he dreamed up and executed his vision on the big screen (on his very first try at filmmaking) with a pitch-perfect cast who likely treated this project as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

From a modest budget, Niccol created a living and breathing world (a plausible future with smooth and spectacular visuals), and injected it with such profound intelligence alongside a vast array of relatable emotions that made it an extremely rare feat in the genre, not to mention the fact it came out nearly 30 years ago. "Gattaca" explores themes such as genetic discrimination, predestination, and free will with a well-rounded, insightful approach that leaves little to be desired (if at all) for the viewer when the end credits begin to roll after its roughly 100-minute runtime.

It's a wonder of a film with beautiful performances all around and a thought-provoking message that will linger in your mind for quite some time. Interestingly, there was supposed to be a follow-up in the form of a TV series from "Homeland" co-creators Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon at Showtime, but the network eventually killed the project before it could come to fruition. Given the movie's immaculate legacy, that may be for the better.