A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law
Director: Steven Spielberg
Less violent dystopian sci-fi drama also thoughtfully profiles race of artificial people hated by humanity ... until its sappy finale.

Akira (1988)
Starring: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki
Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Animated dystopian sci-fi shares atmospherics, subjects, eye-popping effects.

Creative Movie Matches

12 Monkeys (1995)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe
Director: Terry Gilliam
Dark, futuristic sci-fi tale with alienated characters, myriad plot twists.

Alien (1979)
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt
Director: Ridley Scott
Terrifying, riveting blend of sci-fi and horror in outerspace setting.

Dune (1984)
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Patrick Stewart
Director: David Lynch
Offbeat, cult-status, stylish sci-fi novel adaptation is similarly atmospheric.

Manhunter (1986)
Starring: William Petersen, Kim Greist
Director: Michael Mann
Stylish, dark contemporary thriller about equally troubled detective.

Silent Running (1971)
Starring: Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts
Director: Douglas Trumbull
Ecologically themed sci-fi with similarly alienated characters.

THX-1138 (1971)
Starring: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence
Director: George Lucas
Less opulent sci-fi about near-android human existence. Many plot parallels.

Total Recall (1990)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Same screenwriter's similarly schizoid plot in otherwise mainstream sci-fi adventure.