IfStar Wars: The Last Jediis your favoriteStar Warsmovie, here are 10 sci-fi movies you should watch. As far as theranking ofStar Warsmoviesgoes,The Last Jediholds a very peculiar position. After all,The Last Jediis the movie that shattered theStar Warsfanbase in two.
Half of the fanbase deemed it a disgrace to the franchise George Lucas created, while the other half thought of it as a compelling, bold new direction in which to take an established IP. The movie holds a 41% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, proving just how divisive andcontroversialStar Wars: The Last Jeditruly is.
UpcomingStar Warsmovieswill be looking to avoid this division, but there is no denying thatThe Last Jedihas its fans. For those who enjoyed the eighthchronologicalStar Warsmovie, here are 10 sci-fi movies with stylistic and thematic similarities toThe Last Jedithat you may enjoy.
10Looper (2012)
Another Sci-Fi Movie From The Last Jedi’s Writer-Director
Perhaps the most obvious choice for this list isLooper.Looperis the movie that writer-director ofThe Last Jedi,Rian Johnson, made before stepping into the galaxy far, far away.Looperis a sci-fi, time-travel-based movie centered around the titular Loopers, bounty hunters whose targets are sent back in time from the future.
LikeThe Last Jedi,Looperis much more interested in being thought-provoking rather than just being another sci-fi movie of its ilk. The dynamic between Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character Joe and his future self, played by Bruce Willis, is proof of this. The film’s villain and how it wraps up its story further showcase howLoopersubverts expectations.
IfThe Last Jedican be described as anything, it is subversive. The film decided to takeStar Warstropes and play around with them, much likeLooperdoes with its specific niche of sci-fi. With Johnson’s particular flair for strong action and deeper takes on a well-known genre,LooperandThe Last Jedihave a lot in common.
9Dune: Part Two (2024)
A Sci-Fi Epic That Subverts A Very Specific Genre Trope
One of the biggest waysStar Wars: The Last Jedisubverts the tropes of its genre is via the character of Luke Skywalker. The depiction of Luke as an old, weary, disillusioned hermit as opposed to a wise, epic, legendary Jedi was one of the film’s most controversial decisions. In some ways, this can be applied to a movie likeDune: Part Two.
Frank Herbert’s originalDunenovel was an inspiration for George Lucas’Star Wars, meaningDune: Part TwoandThe Last Jedihave broader sci-fi elements that link them together.
Dune: Part Two takes a typical genre trope thatStar Warshas utilized, that of the Chosen One, and subverts it. Paul Atreides, a prophesied leader of men, is explored as more of a cautionary tale of power, prophecy, and religious fanaticism than an uplifting, benevolent hero’s journey, subverting the idea of a Chosen One.
The Last Jeditakes a much more human, flawed route with Luke’s character in a similar vein toDune: Part Two’s treatment of Paul Atreides…
In many ways,The Last Jedidoes the same with Luke Skywalker. WhileDune: Part Twogoes much deeper with this aspect, Rian Johnson did not want to depict Luke Skywalker in the way many expected him to.
Instead,The Last Jeditakes a much more human route with Luke’s character in a similar vein toDune: Part Two’s treatment of Paul Atreides. For this reason, fans of the former and its depiction of a flawed hero may find things to like inDune: Part Two.
8Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Another Subversion Of Some Sci-Fi Tropes
Blade RunnerandStar Warsare two big sci-fi franchises that have influenced each other in many ways. The sequel to the former,Blade Runner 2049, was released in the same year asThe Last Jedi, with the two sharing some thematic elements. For instance,Blade Runner 2049also subverts the Chosen One trope and includes an aging, weary hero.
Blade Runner 2049centers around the replicant - a bioengineered human - known as K. K discovers he may have been the first replicant to have been created via a natural birth, leading him to Harrison Ford’s Deckard,Blade Runner’s protagonist. What ensues is an interesting story about parentage that, likeDune: Part TwoandThe Last Jedi,subverts what is expected.
The twists and turns regarding the parentage of K and the idea of a “Chosen One” are all addressed inBlade Runner 2049,though in ways many might not expect. WithThe Last Jedidoing the same for Luke Skywalker but also Rey, where her parents are concerned, there are some thematic similarities between the two.
7Prometheus (2012)
A Prequel To The Alien Franchise
Released in 2012,Prometheuswas the long-awaited comeback to theAlienfranchise with Ridley Scott at the helm. Many simply expected a return to the franchise’s horror-infused sci-fi routes. WhilePrometheushas that to an extent, it took things in a very different direction from thehighly rankedAlien.
BothThe Last JediandPrometheusare very different fromStar WarsandAlien…
Prometheustried to answer some big questions in its story, tying things back toAlienwith a sci-fi grandeur that was not necessarily expected.The big themes, explorations of creation, and wider questions of the galaxy caused many to viewPrometheusvery differentlywhen compared toAlien.
The Last Jediis similar in that it tried to answerStar Warsquestions that some felt did not need answering. The broader explorations of the Chosen One trope and the questions about bloodline and heritage were somewhat new forStar Wars.Evidently, bothThe Last JediandPrometheusare very different fromStar WarsandAlien, respectively.
6Alien: Covenant (2017)
Prometheus' Sequel
The sequel toPrometheuswasAlien: Covenant. Everything thatPrometheusdid,Alien: Covenantexpanded upon.Yes, there were more, well, aliens, butCovenantcontinued the exploration of the grand questionsthatPrometheusstarted. As a result, it compares favorably toStar Wars: The Last Jedi.
5The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Another Star Wars Film With Plot-Based Similarities
While you could watch any otherStar Warsmovie ifThe Last Jediis your favorite of the bunch,The Empire Strikes Backis arguably the most similar to the 2017 installment.The Empire Strikes Backexplored deeper themes thanStar Warsdid, which many would agree is true forThe Last Jediwhen compared toStar Wars: The Force Awakens.
Even beyond that, though, the stories of both movies are similar. InThe Empire Strikes Back, the central Jedi figure goes off to a distant planet to train with an old master while his friends evade a movie-long chase by Darth Vader and the Empire.The Last Jediis essentially this, with Rey and Luke filling in for Luke and Yoda.
On the other side of the story, the Resistance heroes being endlessly chased down by the First Order emulates Han and Leia’s story inThe Empire Strikes Back.Everything then culminates after the Jedi figure leaves their training early, drawing many plot-based similarities between the two.
A Long Chase Movie
Mad Max: Fury Road’s version of futuristic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi is very different fromStar Wars: The Last Jedi. That said, the similarity between the two is found in the plot. As alluded to above,The Last Jediis essentially one big chase movie; the same can be said aboutMad Max: Fury Road.
Both movies are about the heroes trying to simply survive while they get from point A to point B. Of course, the setting and high-octane action ofMad Max: Fury Roaddifferentiate it fromThe Last Jedi. Nonetheless, fans of the latter may enjoy the similar, albeit faster, story of the former.
3The World’s End (2013)
Edgar Wright’s Final Three Flavors Movie
The World’s Endis the third movie in the Three Flavors trilogy, succeedingShaun of the DeadandHot Fuzz. As such, it is much more grounded than the epic sci-fi ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi,but it is sci-fi nonetheless.
The action-adventure sci-fi vibe ofThe World’s Endalone is enough to draw some comparisons toThe Last Jedi, but the two have somewhat similar main characters.The World’s End’s Gary King is trying to recapture the glory days with his friends, despite suffering some deeper mental health and trauma issues.
The Last Jediis about Rey trying to get Luke Skywalker to recapture his glory days and face down the First Order. Luke, however, suffers from his own mental issues. When combining these deconstructions of main characters with the sci-fi trappings both have,The World’s Endcan be enjoyed by those who loveThe Last Jedi.
2Logan (2017)
Wolverine’s Swan Song
As a superhero movie,Loganfaces the argument of being sci-fi at all. That said, it contains an almost dystopian future and is much more grounded than the overtly fantastical stories of theX-Menmovies. Therefore,Loganis much more akin to realistic sci-fi than a superhero flick, with some similarities toThe Last Jedi.
Loganexplores an aging, weary version of Wolverine who embarks on a quest he soon discovers is bigger than himself.Logantakes the titular character from cynical and depressed to more hopeful and heroic, whichThe Last Jedidoes for Luke.
Luke Skywalker’s story was criticized inThe Last Jedi, but no one can deny that he becomes a hero by the end of the film. Luke’s sacrifice to save the Resistance and restore hope to the galaxy and future generations is strikingly similar toLogan’s third act, meaning the 2017 superhero film is one that those who loveThe Last Jedicould enjoy.
1Arrival (2016)
Another Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Movie
The final sci-fi movie that fans ofThe Last Jedishould watch isArrival.Arrivalis about the first contact with a specific group of aliens, which the film explores via the use of language. As a result,Arrivalis much more of a thinking-person’s sci-fi film than the genre is known for, whichThe Last Jedisomewhat is regardingStar Wars.
Arrivalis the third Denis Villeneuve movie on this list afterDune: Part TwoandBlade Runner 2049.
Arrival is much smarter and more in-depth thanThe Last Jedi, but the two have similar themes. For one,Arrivalplays on the theme of time.The Last Jedidoes do, if only in a different way. InThe Last Jedi, flashbacks are used to explore a point in time from different perspectives.
Arrivalis somewhat similar in that it uses time as a way to deconstruct typical sci-fi, first encounter narratives. For this reason, as well asArrival’s exploration of deeper elements than typical sci-fi movies, fans ofStar Wars: The Last Jedishould check it out.
