Avatar is widely considered to be one of the best movies ever produced, if not the best. The movie was directed by James Cameron and released in 2009. The globally renowned science fiction starred Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver in major roles.
The plot of the movie is set in the not-so-distant future, where the resources present on Earth have been minimalized. This leads to the humans making a call to colonize a habitable moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. The higher-ups send a paralyzed man on a mission to Pandora, the habitable moon, with an offer to restore his legs, should he gather intel about the inhabitants of the area. But destiny has other plans, as the man falls in love with a local from the moon which leads to a conflict between the humans and the natives.
Avatar was highly appreciated for its visual effects and received a lot of positive reviews. The film became the highest-grossing movie of all time and kept the spot till the release of Avengers: Endgame, for nearly a decade. The movie won many notable awards, including the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects, and was nominated for nine Academy Awards.
The producers have announced four sequels for the movie, which delighted the fans. The sequel to the original film, Avatar: The Way of Water, has been announced to hit the cinemas in December 2022, and Avatar 3 is expected to roll out in December 2024. The remaining two movies are expected to release in December 2026 and December 2028, respectively, thereby making the original movie into a franchise.
Movies like Avatar
Here are a few movies that don’t let you do any other task except finish the movie.
Ready player one
Ready Player One was released in 2018 and was immediately loved by viewers. The science fiction directed by Steven Spielberg depicts what the metaverse could possibly look like. The movie is set in 2045 when a virtual reality simulator is globally used and is the new normal. Everyone has his/her own life in the simulator, but the overall aim of the people using it is to win a competition that the creator has created.
The movie stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance as the main characters. The plot of the movie is based on a novel sharing the same name by Ernest Cline. The visual effects of the movie have been greatly loved, and the film was even nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards. A sequel has also been announced for the movie, much to the delight of hardcore fans.
John Carter
John Carter is a well-known movie for its take on interplanetary locomotion. The film focuses on the changes in a man’s life who suddenly gets transported to Mars as he realizes he has various superhuman capabilities in this newly found place and thus starts a beautiful journey for the man.
The movie was released in 2012 and was directed by Andrew Stanton. Taylor Kitsch stars as the titular John Carter and Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Dominic West, and James Purefoy play supporting roles in the movie. The movie received a mixed response, as it was praised for some things and disliked by many. Nevertheless, the movie is a great watch for anyone looking for an interplanetary course of action.
Black Panther
Marvel’s Black Panther is arguably the best film the MCU(Marvel Cinematic Universe) has ever produced. The movie was released in 2018 and was an instant hit at the box office. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the superhero movie is based on the homecoming of T’Challa, the newly crowned king of Wakanda. Wakanda is considered to be a poor country by global leaders, but in reality, the African country is the most technologically advanced in the world, maybe even out of Earth’s league.
The movie starred Chadwick Boseman in the titular role and Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, and Winston Duke as the prominent characters. The movie has been greatly admired for its direction, its action sequences, and the performances of the cast members. A highly anticipated sequel to the movie is set to be released in November 2022.
Star Wars franchise
Star Wars doesn’t need an introduction. The franchise has been around the Earth long before even the Internet was made available for everyone. The popular franchise has produced many hits over the years, with some of them still being the benchmark of story-telling and action scenes long after they have been released.
Created by George Lucas, the franchise kickstarted with the first film in 1977 and has not looked back since. The franchise has many movies, even adaptations for games, and many upcoming projects as well.
The series is based on the lives of certain individuals who hail from another galaxy where humans and other species of life live together. There are two major factions- the Jedi and the Sith who are at war with each other. Every major incident in the franchise is generally related to the rift between the Jedi and the Sith which gives way to many different stories.
Rampage
Rampage was released in 2018 and was directed by Brad Peyton. The movie starred Dwayne Johnson in the lead role alongside Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in major supporting roles.
The plot of the movie revolves around a primatologist whose life goes through hell when an experiment causes three animals who are keen on destroying Chicago, as one of the three is a friend of the man, George: an albino gorilla. The movie is a must-watch for anyone and everyone looking for what mutated animals can do if something goes wrong.
Interstellar
Interstellar was directed by Christopher Nolan and released in 2014. The movie starred Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, And Michael Caine in major roles along with various others.
The movie is set in a timeline where a group of astronauts is sent to space with hopes of finding a new home for the people on Earth as humanity is struggling to survive. The movie has been critically acclaimed for the performances of its characters, its gorgeous screenplay, and even its scientific accuracy. The movie has even gained a cult following and was nominated for five major Academy Awards, among other honorable nominations.
Passengers
Passengers starred Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt in the lead roles alongside Laurence Fishburne, Michael Sheen, and Andy Garcia in the supporting roles. The movie was released in 2016 and was directed by Morten Tyldum.
The movie revolves around two individuals who are on a mission to transport numerous people 60 light years from Earth. But there is one catch, the two of them wake up 90 years earlier than their planned hibernation due to various incidents around the spacecraft. The two must find a way to correct the failures of the carrier, or else all of them perish. The movie is a great experience to watch and the thrill of the race against time adds to the stupendous experience.
Transformers series
Transformers kickstarted its franchise with the release of Transformer in 2007 and immediately became a fan favorite. The franchise has so far released five movies with the main storyline spanning through a decade (2007-2017), and a prequel film in 2018. Another movie is rumored to be in the post-production state and is expected to hit the theatres in 2023.
The movie series is based on the war between two alien races- Autobots and Decepticons, who have been battling it out for many years, which led to the destruction of their native planet, Cybertron. The aliens then make Earth their new home, and the chaos of the war shifts to Earth. The movie series is pure entertainment, as it has produced many hits over the years.
Gravity
Gravity was released in 2013 and starred Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in leading roles. The film was directed by Alfonso Cuaron and received overwhelming praise for its visuals. The movie was nominated for various Academy Awards and won seven of them.
The plot of the movie revolves around two astronauts who get out in space as their Space Shuttle gets destroyed and the attempt they make to return to the Earth. The movie is a must-watch and shows what survival really means.
Free Guy
Free Guy was released in 2021 and was directed by Shawn Levy. Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi act as characters in the leading roles.
The movie focuses on the life of a bank teller who finds out that he is actually an NPC (non-playable character) when he just keeps dying and waking up every day. But suddenly, he falls in love with a girl, who is an avatar of a real person, and then begins his journey with the girl to help her complete her quest. The movie is fun to watch and shows what games in the future might look like.
Inception
Christopher Nolan is known for his masterpieces, and Inception is no exception. Released in 2010, the movie starred Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, whereas Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine played other significant roles in the film.
The plot of the movie revolves around a group who gather intel by trespassing into the subconscious of their targets; fancy, right?
The movie has one of the best potentials based on its story, and boy, oh boy, does it fulfill the same. Inception is easily a pillar of anyone’s list of must-watch movies. If you haven’t watched it yet, what is the wait?
TRON: Legacy
TRON: Legacy is a popular science fiction that was directed by Joseph Kosinski and hit the cinemas in 2010. The movie starred Garett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, and Michael Sheen in prominent roles.
The movie is a sequel to Tron, which was released in 1982. The film story revolves around a man who gets dislocated from his real life into a virtual reality where he must stop an evil algorithm from invading the real world. The franchise gained a very hardcore cult following, which made the movies globally popular.
Edge of Tomorrow
Edge of Tomorrow starred the man himself, Tom Cruise, and was released in 2014. Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, and Brendon Gleeson also played important roles in the movie. The famous science fiction action movie was directed by Doug Liman.
The movie is set in a future timeline, where an alien race is taking over the world gradually. Amidst the war against the aliens, two soldiers are forced into a loop, which only moves forward after a particular condition is met. The movie received very good reviews from the critics and the viewers too, which speaks for its quality.
The Martian
Released in 2015, The Martian was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Matt Damon in the lead role. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Andy Weir. Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Kristen Wiig, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, and Donald Glover starred as supporting characters, alongside a few others.
The movie is based on the hardships faced by an astronaut, who gets left behind on Mars as he looks to survive his fate, and the efforts made by NASA to save him and bring him back to Earth. The movie was well-praised by everyone for its visual effects and its screenplay, and it even received numerous accolades, like the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture.
Kong: Skull Island
This reboot of the King Kong franchise was released in 2017 and was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. The movie is the second movie in the “monsterverse”, which consists of several other big names like Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, etc. The movie cast includes Tom Hiddleston, Mary Parent, Jon Jashni, and Samuel L. Jackson.
The plot of movie is set in 1973, when a group of scientists travels to Skull Island, a remote island where life is going on differently as compared to the rest of the world, looking for Kong, a giant ape who is the last of his species. The movie offers a great experience for anyone looking for an action-adventure movie.
Pacific Rim Uprising
Directed by Steven S. DeKnight, Pacific Rim Uprising was released in 2018 and was received rather well by critics, with the science fiction being praised for its visual effects and characters’ performances and being criticized for its pacing.
Set in 2035, the events of the movie focus on the stand by Jake Pentecost(John Boyega) against giant sea monsters with the aim of destroying the Earth. Jon Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Adira Arjona, and Rinki Kikuchi, alongside a few others. The movie is a sequel to the 2013 film Pacific Rim, which makes it the second movie in the Pacific Rim franchise.
Independence Day Series
The franchise kickstarted its campaign with Independence Day in 1996 and followed up with Independence Day: Resurgence. The franchise focuses on the survival of humanity when aliens invade the Earth and plan to get rid of humans.
The movie franchise starred many well-known celebrities like Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Liam Hemsworth, Bill Pullman, and Mary McDonnel, along with several others. Both movies received a fairly good response from the viewers as well as the critics, especially for their visual effects.
The Last Airbender
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Last Airbender was released in 2010. The action-adventure movie is based on the first season of the popular television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, and Jackson Rathbone played the leading roles in the movie.
The movie depicts the story of a young Avatar who needs to master all four elements of water, air, fire, and earth to restore balance in the world by stopping the Fire Nation from invading the earth and water kingdoms.
Pirates of the Caribbean franchise
This globally popular franchise has a place in everyone’s heart, as it is the series that introduced the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. The franchise has seen five movies so far, with each of them being dearly loved by the viewers.
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Elizabeth Swann, Geoffrey Rush, and Kevin McNally play the roles of the most significant characters in the series.
The franchise started in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and the movie was a successful one as it was heartily loved. This was followed by Disney announcing that a film series is in the works, and the franchise has been a massive hit at the box office with a total of over $4.5 billion worldwide grossing, savvy eh?
The Lord of the Rings series
This epic fantasy series was started in 2001 and had three movies. Directed by Peter Jackson, the series focuses on the quest of a few individuals as they seek to destroy the “One Ring,” which will ensure the destruction of evil.
The film series has been considered to be one of the greatest film series ever produced, as it was a major financial success, and the movies received overwhelmingly positive responses from the critics for their screenplay, special effects, production values, and their ambition. The three films were produced on a budget of $281 million, whereas it grossed $2.991 billion, ten times the budget of the series. Anyone skipping this series is missing a once-in-a-lifetime experience of pure fantasy action.
The Chronicles of Narnia series
The Chronicles of Narnia is a movie series that was directed by Andrew Adamson and Michael Apted and hit the theatres with its first movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, in 2005. There are two more movies in the series, with one being released in 2008 and the other in 2010.
The series revolves around the life of the Pevensie siblings, whose life changes when they find out about a hidden world- Narnia. Peter Dinklage, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Ben Barnes, and Liam Neeson play the lead roles throughout the series, and a few others star alongside them.
Wizarding World franchise
The infamous Wizarding World franchise consists of two series-the Harry Potter series and the Fantastic Beasts series. The franchise was created by J.K. Rowling and has been present as a film since 2001.
The Harry Potter series started in 2001 and ran till 2011, releasing 8 films over the years, each one being absolutely madly loved by the fans. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson starred as the leading characters(Harry, Ron, and Hermoine), and some others like Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, and Dame Maggie Smith played the roles of supporting characters. Each movie from the Harry Potter series of films has made the list of highest-grossing films worldwide, which speaks to its success, at least financially. The series has also been critically acclaimed for its screenplay, storyline, characters, and the visual effects of magic.
Fantastic Beasts has so far produced three movies, with the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016 starting its campaign. The remaining two movies were released in 2018 and 2022, respectively. The Fantastic Beasts series is a prequel spinoff series to Harry Potter and focuses on the war between the wizards as some wizards plan to eradicate the muggles(people who can’t use magic), whereas others are happy to co-exist. The movie series is a must-watch for anyone looking to binge action with a pinch of magic. Avada Kedavra!
The Tomorrow war
The Tomorrow War was released in 2021 and starred Chris Pratt in the lead role. Directed by Chris McKay, the film also starred Yvonne Strahovski, Ryan Kiera, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Edwin Hodge, Keith Powers, and Sam Richardson in major roles.
The movie is very interesting as it involves time travel. A group of soldiers and civilians are sent to the future to fight an alien army as the human race is perishing. The movie received mixed responses upon its release, with the critics praising its action scenes, the concept of the movie, and the performances from the actors, but the execution was criticized a little. The movie is great for a movie night, and a sequel to the movie is also said to be in the works.
Terminator franchise
The Terminator franchise was created by James Cameron with the movie Terminator in 1984. The franchise has produced six movies so far, with the latest one being released in 2019. The plot of the movie series revolves around the war for survival between diminishing humanity and artificial intelligence. The artificial intelligence system, named “Skynet,” was set up by humans as a security measure, which goes on to see the human race as a threat to its existence.
Most of the terminators or the cyborgs made to destroy humanity have been played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Roland Kickinger, Bett Azar, Robert Patrick, Lee Byung-hun, and Kristina Loken, alongside a few others. It is safe to say that the movie series has been a success as all movies of the franchise have been hit at the box office, and the movies have been lauded for their action sequences.
Chappie
Chappie starred Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Ninja, Yolandi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo, and Sigourney Weaver in prominent roles. The movie’s plot revolves around a police robot who gets captured by criminals who take care of it as if it’s their own child and name him “Chappie”. The robot develops its own feelings and starts to think of itself without the need for commands.
The movie was released in 2015 and was directed by Neill Blomkamp. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its concept but criticism for its direction. Nevertheless, the movie is still a good one to enjoy for a one-time endeavor.
Men in Black Series
The Men in Black series is a globally popular movie series. Based on the comic book series “The Men in Black” by Lowell Cunningham, the franchise has won many awards over the years, including a few Academy and Golden Globe awards.
There are four films in the franchise, the original arriving in 1997 and the latest release in 2019. The central plot of the series revolves around a secret agency that fights against aliens looking to invade Earth. The series is a must-watch as it is filled with action sequences as well as great comedy scenes.
Jurassic Park franchise
The infamous Jurassic Park series started in 1990 and has been around ever since. The franchise is also known by the Jurassic World name, which came around the world in 2015.
The central plot of the series is based on a theme park consisting of clones of dinosaurs, the OG predators of Earth, which turns into a graveyard as the dinosaurs start hunting the humans. The movie series has six films so far, with the latest one hitting the cinemas in 2022. Overall, the franchise has always been loved by viewers as it shows why humans should not interfere with the changes made by mother nature.
Arrival
Arrival was directed by Denis Villeneuve and released in 2016. The movie cast included Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Mark O’Brien in the major roles, alongside a few others.
The story focuses on a linguist who has a massive task on her shoulders- to learn and interpret the language of aliens who land on Earth and communicate with them, and ensure no harm is done. The movie has been critically acclaimed for the cast’s performances, the direction, and a few other aspects. The movie clearly depicts why communication is key in everybody’s life.
Dune
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune was released in 2021 and is based on the novel “Dune” by Frank Herbert. Dune is the first part of a two-movie series from the mentioned novel.
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem; the movie is set in a future timeline where a noble family is forced into a war for a planet “Arrakis”.
The movie has been well-loved and well-received, as it has been lauded for its visual effects, performances from the actors, and especially its cinematography. The second part of the movie is scheduled to be released in November 2023.
Prometheus
Prometheus was released in 2012 and was directed by Ridley Scott. The plot of the movie revolves around the crew of a spaceship, “Prometheus,” who are onboard to find the origin of the humans but encounter a danger that could end humanity, and the mission to save humans begins.
Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron starred in major roles in the film, and the film enjoyed positive feedback and received praise for cast performances and the designs in the movie. The movie acts as the fifth installment in the Alien franchise, and a sequel, Alien: Covenant also released in 2017.
Planet of the Apes franchise
The Planet of the Apes franchise has been around since 1968 with the release of the original movie- Planet of the Apes, and nine movies have been released so far, with another one coming to the cinemas in 2024. The original movie was a blockbuster, which gave way for four sequels to be released, all of which performed great at the box office.
A remake of the original movie was released in 2001, and then a reboot series kickstarted in 2011 with the release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The reboot series has produced two movies so far, and the third one- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes set to be released in 2024. The series has been a staggering hit and is surely a must-watch for anyone wishing to see what an animal apocalypse would look like.
