5 Sci-Fi Movies That Everyone Has To Watch In 4K

4K makes any film look great, but if you're going to put it through its paces, firing up a science fiction film is easily one of the best ways to notice the difference. Spaceships, exploding stars and technology everyone secretly wishes were real already looked great, but putting them through the 4K-o-metron (or you know, like a decent television) can make things that bit better. Space travel looks crystal clear, giant intergalactic beasties look that much more intense, and worlds of the future that have traffic in the skies just look that much cooler.

But what specific science fiction entry is worth putting through its paces and assuring you that it was money well spent, after all? Well, worry not because we have a delightfully mixed bag of movies that will do just the trick. From massive blockbuster movies to small-time cinematic outings, the following is a varied collection of tales from other worlds, the distant future, and even a comic book adaptation that shows a world of tomorrow you might not be too keen on living in.

Watch one, or queue them up in a movie marathon if you can. All of them are great ways to pass the time and make it clear that there's no better time in history to be an absolute sci-fi nerd with decent enough gear. To start off, we've got the sequel to an absolute classic that would look good hung up on a wall, let alone on a high-spec television.

Denis Villeneuve carrying on the legacy of a misunderstood Ridley Scott masterpiece, with Roger Deakins keeping an eye on the cinematography? Well, of course, this was going to look incredible. Regardless of what its box office receipts might've said, "Blade Runner 2049" dared to return to the world of replicants and super-cool-looking Spinners, and the outcome was a stunning bit of cinema, with every frame getting some well-earned oomph in 4K.

Still dwelling in the dark and smoke-filled future of the original that became a foundation for so many cyberpunk stories thereafter, "Blade Runner 2049" is the visual gift that keeps on giving. You'll struggle to find a single shot that won't make your peepers water over a legacyquel that no one asked for, but we're so lucky to have got. 

Villeneuve retreads over the tech-noir terrain laid out by his predecessor effortlessly and adds to it in so many breathtaking ways, from K's (Ryan Gosling) standoff with Dave Bautista's Sapper Morton to Niander Wallace's (Jared Leto) almost hellish domain where he plays god, evoking the same kind of set design we'd eventually see in "Dune." All that, and we're not even including the return of OG Blade Runner Rick Deckard, giving audiences Harrison Ford at perhaps his grumpiest, who, via 4K, appears even more agitated than usual, and that's just the way we like him.

Look hard enough, and every other movie on this list has something to thank Stanley Kubrick's exploration of time, space, and an artificial intelligence that should've been big enough of a warning sign. Just like how every 4K horror collection should have Kubrick's "The Shining" stacked in amongst it, so too should "2001: A Space Odyssey" have a space on the shelf as well with regard to science fiction. Bursting with color and groundbreaking images that would be replicated for years to come, "2001: A Space Odyssey" remains the sci-fi staple by which all other entries should look and say, "Are we doing it right?"

Watching this in 4K, however, confirms that they never will, but all they can do is try. Just like "The Shining," Kubrick uses stark colors and wide-open spaces that pop off the screen and have somehow not only stood the test of time but could also be easily improved by the much-needed 4K-ification. From monkeys chucking bones in the air to send us light-years into the future to Keir Dullea's David Bowman taking mind-bending space walks, "2001: A Space Odyssey" was mind-blowing already, but with this upgrade, it's an even greater watch. This is the bar that so few films have dared to try and reach, so do yourself a favor — sit down to watch this and realize why they'll only just come close.

Two Denis Villeneuve movies on this list? Well, what do you want from us? The guy has made three of the best science fiction films in just over the last decade. When it comes to choosing which part of the "Dune" series to add here, though, "Dune: Part Two" had to take the top spot. After David Lynch tried to bring Frank Herbert's world to life in 1984, Villeneuve dared to take a trip to Arrakis and, in doing so, converted those who didn't know their Hallecks from their Harkonnens into devoted fans of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), even if he eventually transformed himself into a space tyrant.

It's the rise and (depending on how you look at it) fall of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) that comes with so much more wallop than its predecessor. The second chapter not only displays just how much life is in this initially desolate-looking planet, by way of the civilization fighting back against its invaders, but it's also in our brief trip off-world to House Harkonnen's black-and-white world of Giedi Prime.

The crystal clarity helps the unflinching cruelty and heartlessness of Paul's enemy nation shine through. Add in a stupendous amount of extra sandworm and a knife fight for the ages, and "Dune: Part Two" takes everything the first brilliant part provided and surpasses it in every way. All we can hope for is that "Dune: Part Three" keeps the ball rolling and House Atreides looks just as good as this when it arrives.

Trying to see a 35 or 70mm showing of "Interstellar" is like waiting for the next solar eclipse. It makes sense then that while you wait to bask in that big-screen splendor, you get the best version you can of Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" in 4K instead. Following the flightpath of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and making a space-aged "Odyssey" of his own, "Interstellar" is still a hair-raising, jaw-dropping thrill ride as Matthew McConaughey's Cooper tries to find a solution to save Earth, dragging Anne Hathaway and others along for the trip. As it stands, it still feels like the director's boldest and biggest blockbuster to date, fueled by every mind-blowing and equally terrifying step through space Cooper makes.

Whether it's braving a black hole or escaping mountains on the move, "Interstellar" is and probably always will be one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made, with a director who only wanted the best for the audience wanting to see it. In fact, it's through the eye-watering scope of this film that Nolan has assured audiences that his handling of "The Odyssey" will be just as good, if not better than this. As for his 2017 trip through the stars, though, it might not be possible to see a special screening of "Interstellar," but it's absolutely necessary to add it to your 4K collection if you haven't already.

Appearing on this list just as it was received during its original theatrical run, Pete Travis' "Dredd" is something of an underdog, but that doesn't keep it from delivering extra visual bite in this incredible adaptation of the meanest lawman in comic book history. "The Boys" star Karl Urban takes on the permanently grimacing good-ish guy who gives zero drokks about the drug lords and delinquents he's forced to go up against when he gets trapped in an apartment block that's also a drug factory. From there, Dredd and rookie Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) push back against an army of henchmen, most of whom are hopped up on the futuristic drug Slo-Mo.

It's through this fictional criminal substance that "Dredd" wields its secret weapon so effectively. Thanks to Slo-Mo literally slowing the world down for the user, the audience is privy to some stunning, action-packed sequences that really make the film pop off the screen. Bullets burst through brick and bodies in a euphoric fashion, shifting this gritty action movie into a bright, tripped-out display that looks so good you'd almost wonder why they never got around to making a sequel like the world has demanded ever since. Even so, the first one still looks great and deserves to be rewatched as many times as possible.