Charlie Brooker’s favourite science-fiction movies
It won’t be wrong to say this about Charlie Brooker: he is a science fiction genius. The guy practically made his career out of terrifying us with tech. The creator of Black Mirror is not someone who just writes sci-fi but twists it, dissects it and then serves it to the audience. The recipe of his creations is so great that the plating automatically becomes super presentable.
But before he became the master of dystopia, Brooker was a die-hard sci-fi fanatic. The kind who loves desolate futures and clumsy space tech and asks questions like “What if the phone charger had feelings?” And when a person like this narrates the list of his favourite science fiction films, all you do is prepare yourself to take notes with speed.
Brooker’s taste can be concluded in three terms: smart, strange and unhinged. So when we talk about the picks of the man, those are not merely science fiction movies but those which also have a political edge, philosophical dread and loads of dark humour. These films are not just “fun watches”, but they make you contemplate things about yourself and the world around you.
And although his picks are a lot of vintage movies, these films will make you pause your screens and think that what was predicted years ago is becoming true. We are living it. Just like the predictions that are being made today will be normalised after a few decades.
Just like his choice of films, Charlie Brooker’s taste is reflected in his work too. Because at the end of the day, what is Black Mirror? It is not a reflection of the future but a mirror to our present self and the world around us. It cleverly shows how ridiculously disturbing our present can be, and there is nothing we can do about it.
Not so surprisingly, this is exactly what you will find in the movies of his choice. These films are less about the characters from extraterrestrial worlds or laser beams and more about people being and getting manipulated, awful and hopelessly confused about the present they are living in. All with a sprinkle of uncontrollable tech.
The most amazing part of Brooker’s favourite films is that they are very raw and chaotic. More importantly, the list is quite unpretentious. The titles that are being picked by the director are not just smart-sounding names but films that will actually mess with your head. Some titles are iconic, while some are a bit dubious, but all of them scream the fact that they will make you super uncomfortable, and you will like that.
These kinds of films make you sit in silence while wanting to scratch your head from inside as the credits roll. Once you go through them, you will realise the muse Charlie Brooker had for his masterpiece. So, if you are looking to plan a weekend to spiral into existential dread and chaos, all while getting a bit vintage, Brook’s watchlist is a perfect option.
Charlie Brooker’s favourite sci-fi movies
- Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
- Silent Running (1972)
- Dark Star (1974)
- Alien (1979)
- Escape from New York (1981)
- The Thing (1982)
- Threads (1984)
- 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)
- RoboCop (1987)
- Children of Men (2006)