These days, science fiction films are the biggest moneymakers in the movie industry. In order for a studio to succeed in Hollywood, they've got to have at least one big-time sci-fi franchise under their belt; whether it's Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek, or The Hunger Games. But sci-fi wasn't always the norm. It used to be pretty fringe genre, and there have always been some pretty bizarre sci-fi movies kicking around. But the '90s probably had the weirdest sci-fi movies ever.
When most people think of '90s sci-fi movies, they're going to think of the big blockbusters that dominated the decade. Terminator 2. Jurassic Park. Independence Day. Men in Black. The Matrix. But for each of these major successes, there were several more totally bizarro flicks. There were a lot of movies about strange aliens and dystopian futures and just types of weirdness that can't easily be explained. The campiness is off the charts in several of these movies, and some of them have casts that are absolutely mind-blowing. Mick Jagger and Emilio Estevez in a movie together? What? The '90s was a wild time for science fiction, so check out these 14 weird sci-fi movies from that glorious decade.
1. Total Recall
Easily the most successful film on this list, this Arnold Schwarzenegger classic is incredibly weird. The special effects still hold up as impressive, and they're put to use in the weirdest ways, like creating a guy with a baby growing out of his stomach and a three-breasted woman.
2. Freejack
Emilio Estevez is about to die when he's brought to the future of 2009 (LOL) to be a replacement body for the dying Anthony Hopkins' mind, and is pursued by a bounty hunter played by Mick Jagger when he goes on the run. Yep.
3. Project Metalbeast
The U.S. government seeks to create a supersoldier using, what else, werewolf blood. The experiment goes wrong, so the subject is put on ice, only to be turned into a cyborg werewolf two decades later. Classic.
4. Tank Girl
A grunge-ariffic heroine, with the help of a Chewbacca-like Ice-T, fights a robot-handed villain in a world without water.
5. The Arrival
Charlie Sheen plays the hero against an alien plot to take over the world via global warming. Also, the aliens have backward knees for some reason.
6. Space Truckers
They're truckers! In space! And they need to transport cyborg warriors disguised as sex dolls to Earth without being stopped by pirates led by a sadistic cyborg played by Tywin Lannister.
7. Naked Lunch
There's way too much weirdness going on to try and describe here thanks to insecticide-induced hallucinations.
8. Martians Go Home
One billion Martians invade Earth, and all of them are hacky standup comics who threaten to annoy all humans to death.
9. Abraxas, Guardian Of The Universe
In between his stints as a pro wrestler and the Governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura found time to star in this awesomely-titled film about a space cop who comes to Earth to stop another alien who can impregnate women by touching their bellies.
10. And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird
Two kids invent a robot to help their lonely widowed mother, when their dad's ghost inexplicably inhabits it. And you thought your movies were weird.
11. Oblivion
Combining science fiction and westerns makes for a bizarre mix, understandably. Jim Beam me up!
12. Barb Wire
It has the same basic plot as Casablanca, except it takes place in a dystopian future America in the middle of a Civil War and stars a scantily-clad Pamela Anderson in Humphrey Bogart's role.
13. Deep Blue Sea
In an attempt to create a cure for Alzheimers using shark brains, scientists accidentally create super-smart sharks instead. Humans and their arrogance, smh.
14. Face/Off
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage play insane versions of each other after they switch faces. It. Is. Amazing.
So the next time you've got a hankering for some sci-fi, skip the usual fare and check out one of these weirdo masterpieces instead. Your brain will thank you for it.
Images: TriStar Pictures; Prism Pictures/Blue Ridge Entertainment
