Top 6 Epic Movies Like the Blade Runner
Sci-fi movies like the blade runner abound, and this article will highlight some of them. Sci-fi is an acronym for science fiction movies. Now sci-fi combined with various action sequences, you are likely to get a blockbuster.
Blade Runner is a mixture of science fiction, action, drama, and thriller, which makes it to be widely regarded as one of the all-time best sci-fi movies. This article will highlight and discuss other movies that are just like the Blade Runner.
Movies Like the Blade Runner
Blade Runner plot denotes a dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019 where a retired Blade Runner is called out of retirement to help subdue a group of replicants (android humans) who have gone rogue, having developed feelings and emotions.
This movie stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, and others. It was directed by the legendary Ridley Scott and released in 1982 to equal measures of positive and negative reviews from film critics and audiences.
Over time the film has come to be appreciated and has influenced the production of several franchises. It is often referred to as a sci-fi masterpiece. The film garnered a cult-like following among sci-fi movie buffs.
The movie generated over 41 million dollars after a production budget of $30 million.
This article will cover several movies similar to the Blade Runner. These are some of the movies like the Blade Runner;
1. Upgrade
The plot follows a mechanic who loses his wife when four assailants murder her and shoot him in the neck, leaving him paralyzed.
He gets a stem transplant and regains control of his limbs. He decides to go after the assailants who murdered his wife and left him in that condition.
This film was directed and written by Leigh Whannell. It stars Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, and several other gifted actors.
The movie was released in 2018 with mostly positive reviews. It performed well at the box office regarding returns on the production budget.
It fetched $17 million at the box office after a production budget of $3 million. The Upgrade is a scientific fiction movie full of action, which makes it worthy of being on the list of movies like the Blade Runner.
2. Demolition Man
Another great movie of the science fiction genre that has striking similarities with the Blade Runner is Demolition Man. Like the Blade Runner the Demolition Man is set in a dystopian future (2032).
The Demolition Man follows the story of a crime lord and a cop capable of causing significant destruction of properties while carrying out his duty.
They were both cryogenically frozen in 1996 after an event that left hostages kidnapped by the drug lord dead. The drug lord escaped in 2032, and the cop was released to hunt him down. The movie was released in 1993 with positive reviews from film critics.
The box office haul was also encouraging, with $159 million against a production budget of somewhere between $45 million to $77 million.
The movie was directed by Marco Brambilla and starred Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, and several other fantastic actors.
The Demolition Man makes the number 2 entry on our list of movies like the Blade Runner because of the apparent similarities, such as the sci-fi and dystopian future factors. It’s also got some fantastic action sequences.
3. Strange Days
The similarities between Blade Runner and Strange Days lie in the science fiction and thriller elements present in both movies.
The plot follows a former LAPD police officer who is now a black-market trader for SQUID (an electronic device capable of recording memories). He discovers a SQUID with memories of someone being raped and killed, which begins the thriller cycle associated with the movie.
The entire movie was set in the last 2 days of the previous millennium. Kathryn Bigelow directed the movie, and the legendary James Cameron was one of the writers.
It was released in 1995 to polarized reviews from film critics and audiences alike. The movie tanked terribly at the box office, making a miserly $8 million after a production budget of $42 million.
Despite its poor box office performance, it deserves a place in our list of movies like the Blade Runner. I think Strange Days was misunderstood just like the Blade Runner in its early days.
4. The Running Man
This movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson, Yaphet Kotto, Jesse Ventura, and other equally impressive actors. The running man was directed by Paul Michael Glaser and released in 1987 to mixed reviews by film critics.
It performed below expectations but still managed to turn a profit netting $38 million against a production budget of $27 million.
Like several other movies on this list of movies like the Blade Runner, The Running Man is also set in a dystopian future. It followed the story of a collapsed global economy in 2017, and various societies, including the United States of America, are now police states.
It details a TV show that involves convicted criminals fighting to survive an onslaught of professional killers to the delight of the viewers eerily similar to the coliseums of the Roman empire.
In general, fans of the Blade Runner and science fiction would likely find the Running Man enjoyable.
5. Nirvana
Nirvana is an Italian scientific fiction movie. It follows the story of a computer game designer who discovers that his latest game has been corrupted by a virus, causing the main character in the game to develop consciousness.
The movie possesses the same qualities as the Blade Runner. It’s a scientific fiction movie with loads of action. This makes it one of the movies in this exclusive list of movies like the Blade Runner.
It stars Chistopher Lambert, Diego Abatantuono, Stefania Rocca, Emmanuelle Seigner, Gigio Alberti, Claudio Bisio and several other talented actors.
It was released in 1997 to mixed reviews from film critics. It was written and directed by Gabriele Salvatores.
6. Total Recall
Total Recall is another scientific fiction movie set in the distant future, 2084. It follows the life of a construction worker who keeps having recurring dreams about the planet Mars due to an implant embedded in him.
To satisfy his curiosity, he decides to investigate the recurring dreams and opens a different can of worms.
The movie was directed by Paul Verhoeven and released in 1990 to mixed reviews from film critics. The movie made a huge box office profit, garnering over $261 million against a production budget of nearly $80 million.
The movie stars established actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox, and others.
Though the storylines are fundamentally different, Total Recall and the Blade Runner still share similarities on the genre front. They are both science fiction, both set in the future, and are both action movies. This explains its addition to this list of movies like the Blade Runner.
Conclusion
It’s almost funny how several movies on this list all predict a dystopian future for the human species. Whether it turns out true or not, it is almost certain that humans will thrive regardless of the outcome.
Like those covered in this article, movies like the Blade Runner are all enjoyable movies.
We hope you enjoyed reading this piece as much as we enjoyed writing it. Regardless, we implore you to share it across your social media pages and engage us in the comment section.
Recommended Readings:
- 11 Movies Like The Invisible Guest
- Top 6 Fun Movies Like The Goonies
- 5 Romantic Movies Like The Longest Ride
