Last Updated on September 6, 2024
The period between 1940 and 1960 is widely regarded as the birth of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Our fascination with AI was largely inspired by a raging desire to understand how to harmonize the functioning of machines with human intelligence.
The first artificial intelligence program was developed in 1951. This program was written by Christopher Strachey, who would later become the director of the Programming Research Group at the University of Oxford. It was a checkers (draughts)-playing program intended to run on the University of Manchester’s Ferranti Mark 1 computer.
Interestingly, filmmakers had already conceptualized the idea of artificial intelligence and put it into practice long before the technology became a reality. The very first AI movie was released in 1927 and is still considered one of the decade’s most successful blockbusters. Several years later, artificial intelligence would become the preferred genre for hundreds of filmmakers worldwide.
AI movies now encompass a broad spectrum of themes besides simply highlighting the potential revolutionary effects of artificial intelligence on the human race. Some of these films tell of an apocalyptic future where the human race has been wiped off the face of the earth and their place taken by immortal robots. Others explore how humans can leverage AI to travel back in time and avert certain life-changing disasters.
Below are the 17 most scintillating AI movies to add to your watchlist.
1. Metropolis (1927)
Metropolis is an influential German science-fiction film based on a 1925 novel of the same name by Thea von Harbou. The movie depicts a highly stylized futuristic city where two worlds exist side by side but are unaware of each other’s existence. On the one hand is a beautiful and cultured society where every possible dream comes true. Yet, on the other hand is a bleak underworld inhabited by mistreated workers.
But the status quo is about to be upset when the privileged youth Freder (Gustav Fröhlich) discovers the grim scenario below, which has long escaped his attention. Freder is determined to pull the workers out of their misery. He enlists the help of the rebellious teacher Maria (Brigitte Helm) and the duo embark on one of the most daring missions of their life.
However, it doesn’t take long before Freder’s authoritative father gets wind of his quest. What follows is a protracted battle between good and evil, albeit in a utopian AI-themed setting.
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey is another classic AI-inspired movie that’s been on the lips of many film critics for years.
A mysterious black monolith turns up on Earth’s moon. At first, it appears as if the imposing structure was abandoned by some extraterrestrial intelligence. But as with most AI movies, things are hardly ever what they seem.
When a team of astronauts, including Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea), is sent on an investigative mission, their spaceship’s computer system begins to display unusual behavior. This leads to an epic showdown between man and machine as both strive to outsmart each other’s ingenuity.
3. Westworld (1973)
The ‘70s may have given us the first installment of Star Wars. However, Westworld is arguably the most successful film released in the first half of the decade.
Westworld explores how messed up the world can be if everyone were allowed to live their darkest fantasies. The movie takes place in an eponymous futuristic theme park where guests can pretend to be gunslingers in an AI-themed Wild West inhabited by androids.
Everything works out fine until a virus infects the robots one day as Blane (James Brolin) and Martin (Richard Benjamin) take their chances shooting off their guns and hitting the saloons. The system malfunction results in Blane’s death as he duels with a robotic gunslinger (Yul Brynner). The plot only thickens as Martin attempts to escape the pandemonium.
4. Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner may have been released more than four decades ago. But it remains one of the most recognizable AI movies ever.
The film was set in a dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019, where humans live alongside humanoids. Sounds like an uneasy coexistence, right? Well, you’re right, because everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong.
A violent mutiny is carried out by synthetic bio-engineered humans known as Replicants. This results in the robots being outlawed on Earth and a specialized police unit called Blade Runners established to detect any Replicant who illegally attempts to invade the planet.
5. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blade Runner (1982) was such a smashing success that it spawned its sequel in 2017, titled Blade Runner 2049. In this movie, Ryan Gosling plays Officer K, a new Blade Runner working for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
As with the prequel, the key mandate of Blade Runners is to nab Replicants who try to reenter Earth after they were banished from the planet. However, Blade Runner 2049 takes on a more scintillating twist.
When Officer K uncovers a long-buried secret that threatens to plunge society and human civilization into chaos, he knows he must act fast to avert danger. He embarks on a quest to track down a former Blade Runner named Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). The problem is that Rick has been missing for thirty years and Officer K isn’t prepared for anything that happens to him next.
6. The Terminator (1984)
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Terminator is undeniably the archetypical example of what an AI movie should be. And who else to play the title character than Schwarzenegger himself?
A cyborg assassin disguised as a human travels in time from 2029 to 1984 to assassinate a mother-to-be, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). The Terminator is doing the bidding of Skynet, a sentient machine trying to exterminate the human race through a nuclear holocaust.
The idea is to kill Sarah as her unborn child would rally the remaining humans to rebel against the Skynet. However, The Terminator must first go through Sarah’s bodyguard Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn).
7. The Matrix (1999)
If there’s a film franchise that truly propelled Keanu Reeves onto the limelight, it’s got to be The Matrix.
In this first installment of what would later become one of the most successful movie franchises of the new millennium, Keanu Reeves portrays Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer better known by his hacker alias Neo. Neo discovers an unsettling truth that causes him to team up with Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) on a rebellion against powerful and viciously intelligent secret agents.
The problem is that Neo himself is battling two realities – that of him as a normal person and that constructed into him by a computer system known as The Matrix.
8. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The Matrix spawned its first sequel in 2003, with the director keeping much of the plot. Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus are still freedom fighters leading a daring rebellion against the Machine Army.
But unlike the first installment where Morpheus was more of a mysterious Master considered the most dangerous man alive, he has now taken on the role of a preacher. Morpheus’ new role as a preacher makes him less combative and a little withdrawn from the violent frontline. However, his intelligence is still an invaluable asset in figuring out The Matrix.
Like in the prequel, the trio will stop at nothing to suppress the systematic forces of exploitation out to repress the human race.
9. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
The Matrix Resurrections was released to plenty of mixed reviews. Some critics lauded the director’s ingenuity in subtly bending the plot while still maintaining the original script. Others dismissed it as a far cry from the first and second installments. However, I’d strongly advise that you don’t listen to any reviews and get to watch the movie yourself.
The film introduces us to a wiser and more experienced Neo who has managed to figure out certain key aspects of The Matrix. It should be a lot easier to fight the system this time around.
However, what Neo doesn’t realize is that The Matrix has become stronger and more advanced, posing a graver danger to the human race.
10. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a classic example of how a simply-named movie can go on to have so many twists and turns. Directed by Steven Spielberg, A.I. follows a robotic boy named David (Haley Joel Osment) who’s adopted by a Cybertronics employee (Sam Robards) and his wife (Frances O’Connor).
David happens to be the first robot programmed to display human emotions, especially love. While this should make life easier for him and his human family, things turn out quite the opposite.
David soon realizes he cannot gain the favor of humans or machines as he desires. This realization leads him to a mission to discover where he truly belongs. His quest has him occasionally blurring the line between human and machine.
11. Minority Report (2002)
Barely a year after releasing Artificial Intelligence, Steven Spielberg made a comeback with yet another AI-themed movie – Minority Report.
Set in Washington D.C. in 2054, this action-detective thriller is based on a story by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. It depicts a utopian world where members of a special law enforcement unit known as PreCrime use psychic technology to arrest and convict murderers before they actually commit their crimes.
Things take a nasty turn when PreCrime police officer John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is accused of a future crime. The disgraced officer must run from his own unit as he tries to prove his innocence.
12. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
The name of this film offers a sneak preview of the storyline. But you’ll need to watch the movie to truly appreciate the director’s creative imagination.
Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) is an extraterrestrial visitor to planet Earth. The discovery of this humanoid has every government and scientist in a frantic effort trying to figure it out and possibly stop it before it starts to wreak havoc.
Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) is one of the many scientists appointed to investigate Klaatu. It doesn’t take long for Benson to discover that the alien and its gargantuan guardian robot – Genetically Organized Robotic Technology (G.O.R.T.) – means no good for planet Earth.
13. Wall-E (2008)
Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class, abbreviated as Wall-E, is the last robot on Earth responsible for tidying up the planet. Wall-E takes out one garbage at a time. Which means he has thousands of years to achieve a trash-free Earth.
After 700 years, the robot has developed a human personality and feels a little lonely. As he goes about his business, he meets and develops a fling with another robot called Eve (Elissa Knight).
Unknown to Wall-E, Eve was sent back to survey planet Earth for a possible invasion. The duo sets out on a mission that threatens to alter the face of humanity forever.
14. Moon (2009)
Many artificial intelligence movies are set on Earth. However, this film is a welcome exception if you’re looking for something whose plot revolves around the moon.
The movie introduces us to astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) who’s on a three-year shift at a lunar mine, working alongside his powerful computer called GERTY. The astronaut is approaching the end of his shift and is looking forward to a warm reunion with his wife and young daughter.
However, Sam’s health begins to deteriorate as he suffers frequent headaches and hallucinations. He stumbles upon what appears to be a younger version of himself. The astronaut must solve the mystery before the company crew arrives.
15. Her (2013)
Some AI movies depict futuristic events that might seem like a stretch of the human imagination. Others portray how modern machinery can evolve to become so sophisticated that they begin to threaten human existence. The latter is the premise of this 2013 blockbuster.
What makes Her so captivating is that it’s based on AI technology that’s already in use. The only difference is that the equipment are portrayed as more advanced than we know them.
The movie also highlights the constant conflict between humans and machine. It further explores a futuristic world where robots have developed human emotions and how that might affect interhuman relations.
16. Ex Machina (2015)
Ex Machina is fresh in the collective conscience of many movie lovers, and understandably so. This is one of the films that go a notch higher in exploring the devastating effects when machines develop human personalities but then become a lot wiser than us.
In the film, a young programmer named Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) who’s working for a fledgling Internet company wins a contest that has him spending a week at the exclusive estate of his firm’s CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac).
Unknown to Caleb, he’s about to be enlisted as the human component in a Turing test to determine the consciousness and capabilities of a cute robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander). The ambitious programmer soon learns that Ava is far more conscious and deceitful than she looks.
17. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens holds the record for the most expensive film ever made, with a total budget of $533.2 million, according to official filings. It’s also an excellent AI-themed movie to add to your watchlist.
Obviously, you’ll enjoy The Force Awakens better if you’ve watched most of the films in the Star Wars franchise. The movie is a sequel to 1983’s Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, taking place exactly 30 years later.
After the fall of the Galactic Empire, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his young allies have to contend with a new threat from Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and The First Order. The team must quickly figure out a way to stop the new threat before he begins to unleash evil.
Wrap Up
Artificial intelligence has inspired dozens of movies. However, the above-reviewed films top the list in terms of plot unpredictability, visual effects, and sheer drama.
