TOPIC

Science fiction

Science fiction
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Science fiction. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Back to the Past: Louis Koo, Raymond Lam lead nostalgic film sequel

This big-budget sci-fi fantasy may be an emotional watch for fans of the 2001 Hong Kong show A Step into the Past, even if it falls short.

videocam
United States

Director convicted of scamming millions from Netflix for unfinished sci-fi show

Open Questions series

Open Questions | Why sci-fi’s Liu Cixin hopes AI surpasses humanity

videocam
Science

Opinion | Simulation hypothesis is really a proof for the existence of God

While science still disagrees on whether humanity lives in a simulation, philosophy has yet to rule out a ‘cosmic host’.

4
People walk near a church in the commune of Las Condes, in Santiago, Chile on November 12. Photo: AFP
TV shows and streaming video

AppleTV+ sci-fi Pluribus makes the end of the world look happier than ever

The new show from Breaking Bad’s creator about a cheery hivemind virus that infects humanity flips the script on the post-apocalyptic genre.

American cinema

Michael J. Fox looks back on Back to the Future as the sci-fi turns 40

Fox talks about the DeLorean, being suddenly thrown into the lead role of the 1985 film, and how it has become ‘more accessible’ with age.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
American cinema

Why Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, 30 this month, was ahead of its time

It bombed upon release, but this 1995 sci-fi with Ralph Fiennes offers a vivid portrait of contemporary society, and some prescient warnings.

videocam
Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett in a still from Strange Days. Kathryn Bigelow’s flawed thriller gave a powerful portrait of Los Angeles on the brink of implosion, and prophetic warnings about the expansion of the internet, when it was released in 1995.
American cinema

Review | Tron: Ares – third time’s almost a charm for sci-fi film series

Starring Jared Leto and Greta Lee, Joachim Ronning’s Tron Ares is at times thrilling but features an overly familiar plot focusing on AI.

videocam
US-China relations

China stakes a claim on the future with sci-fi and speculative fiction

Liu Cixin’s Three-Body trilogy and other Chinese works may challenge the West’s projection of capitalist society in fiction, experts say.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Measure in Love: Angela Yuen and Greg Hsu in baffling fantasy romance

Benny Kung’s dystopian fairy tale in which humanity is separated across two sides of the ocean looks good but leaves basic logic far behind.

videocam
Greg Hsu (left) and Angela Yuen in a still from Measure in Love (category IIA, Cantonese and Mandarin versions available), directed by Benny Kung.
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | The Great Flood: Kim Da-mi can’t save bewildering Netflix sci-fi fantasy

Kim Da-mi stars in what begins as a disaster movie then spins off into science fiction, a move that will surely leave viewers floundering.

videocam
Kim Da-mi (left) and Kwon Eun-seong in a still from The Great Flood. Photo: Netflix
Asean

Opinion | AI won’t provide the answer to today’s geoeconomic puzzles

No algorithm can predict how the clash of civilisations and economies on a global scale will unfold.

videocam
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy – Korean fantasy is glossy but uninspired

Featuring Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin and K-pop’s Nana and Jisoo, this Korean sci-fi fantasy fails to live up to its ambitions.

videocam
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon – sci-fi anime film is for diehard fans only

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon offers a big-screen compilation of the anime, but character development and emotional nuance are stripped away.

videocam
A still from Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon (category IIA, Japanese), directed by Tomomi Kamiya and Shigeyuki Miya. Masaya Fukunishi and Asami Seto provide voices.
China consumption

China’s sci-fi industry shoots for stars as Beijing pushes ‘quality’ growth

With successes like The Three-Body Problem, the genre has never been more popular – and authorities have taken note.

videocam
‘The Wandering Earth’
Fashion

Style shoot: Prada plays with punk and sci-fi vibes for spring/summer 2025

Metallic fabrics, ‘alien’ accessories and hole-punched garments mix with sturdier woollens and distressed leather, alongside floral prints and feminine silhouettes.

Korean drama reviews

Review | Sci-fi K-drama When the Stars Gossip goes from lame to ludicrous

Finale of When the Stars Gossip takes show from bad to worse, as its formerly professional female lead makes a series of bad decisions.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Mickey 17, wild sci-fi satire from Parasite’s Bong Joon-ho

Robert Pattinson plays the titular Mickey, a loser sent into space, where he is cloned with hilarious results in this cult-novel adaptation.

videocam
Robert Pattinson as Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 in a still from Bong Jooh-ho’s sci-fi comedy Mickey 17, screened at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival. Naomi Ackie and Mark Ruffalo co-star. Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Korean drama reviews

When the Stars Gossip midseason recap: giant leap back for Korean sci-fi

This Netflix series, like many sci-fi Korean dramas, doesn’t have the science or the fiction to be anything more than a formulaic romcom.

videocam
American cinema

Michelle Yeoh on her ‘liberating’ role in Star Trek: Section 31

Star Trek: Discovery spin-off film sees Oscar winner reprise her dual role as the virtuous Captain Georgiou and ruthless Empress Georgiou.

videocam
Korean drama reviews

When the Stars Gossip: Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin in space station romcom

A hackneyed melodrama dressed up as sci-fi, Netflix romantic comedy set aboard a space station is so silly the writer may be in on the joke.

videocam
Lee Min-ho as Gong Ryong in a still from When the Stars Gossip.
American cinema

Support for Interstellar’s IMAX re-release ‘magical’, Christopher Nolan says

Director pleased to see ‘new audiences’ experiencing sci-fi epic on big screen – and proof watching with others in a cinema is still a draw.

videocam
Matthew McConaughey in a still from Interstellar. Its sold-out re-release at IMAX cinemas in North America, gratified director Christopher Nolan, who reflects on the success of his sci-fi epic. Photo: AP
American cinema

I don’t want to see scary movies, star who acted in many says

Sigourney Weaver – Ellen Ripley in Alien films – tells BBC host she avoids ‘scary films’; Nosferatu star says he was scared seeing the film.

Fame and celebrity

Benedict Wong on ascending from deep-fat fryer to sorcerer by no easy route

The British actor, who faced agent indifference and was often typecast in predictable Asian roles early in his career, is now master of the sorcery required to make it as a star in Hollywood

Asian cinema

Review | Uranus 2324, Thai sci-fi girls’ love film with LGBTQ stars FreenBecky

‘GL’ fans will love watching lesbian stars Freen Sarocha Chankimha and Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, but Uranus 2324 offers little to others.

videocam
Freen Sarocha Chankimha (front) and Rebecca Patricia Armstrong in a still from Uranus 2324 (category IIB; Thai, English), directed by Thanadol Nualsuth.
American cinema

Director mocks Tesla’s Musk over sci-fi movie looks of Robovan, Optimus

Director of I, Robot film suggests Elon Musk copied its designs for Tesla’s Robovan autonomous bus, Cybercab and Optimus robot.

Tesla’s robovan is unveiled at an event in Los Angeles, California, on October 10, 2024. Photo: Tesla/Handout via Reuters
TV shows and streaming video

Could Nightmares and Daydreams be the Indonesian Black Mirror?

Netflix looks to keep feeding the growing regional audience with more local productions, following the success of last year’s Cigarette Girl

American cinema

Ranking every Alien film from worst to best, including Alien: Romulus

With Alien: Romulus seeing the series’ return to form, we rank the entire franchise from worst to best, including the Alien vs Predator films, Prometheus, the classic original, and the new movie.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement