7. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Sci-fi doesn’t always have to be bleak and hostile futurescapes. Sometimes, it’s more akin to fantasy, and every so often, it establishes an alien life form that doesn’t just want to kill every human it meets. Y’know, an alien like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Steven Spielberg’s E.T. has been delighting audiences for generations. It tells the story of a young boy who discovers an alien stranded on Earth and risks everything to help him find his way home. Along the way, he learns a lot of friendship, kindness, and love.
There’s a reason that E.T. has been such a beloved family classic for decades. It’s thoroughly touching, deeply magical, and still somehow able to make us cry after all these years. If there ever comes a day when E.T. isn’t considered one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, that’s the day we give up on cinema.