Movies were made for science fiction. Spaceships, laser battles, alien creatures, chemical outbreaks, exploding planets – all elements dreamed up by many an imaginative writer and destined for special effects glory on the big screen. After traveling to other worlds and fighting for the survival of mankind, romantic comedies just don’t seem all that cinematic. Without further ado, here is a list of the most important, entertaining, and successful sci-fi movies of all time.

10. Predator – This underrated sci-fi action movie from 1987 features a terrifying creature design and clever optical effects (the invisible body shield and thermal vision). John McTiernan’s thrilling tale of a special forces team hunted in the South American jungles introduced the infamous alien trophy-collector that lives on in video games, novels, comic books, and sequels (most notably the Alien Vs. Predator franchise).

9. Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Steven Spielberg’s original foray into science fiction proved a massive success. Richard Dreyfuss steals the show with his performance as a UFO-obsessed electrician. The communication sequence alone (the humans use light and sound to speak to the alien spaceships) is worthy of a place on this list.

8. Planet of the Apes – Famous for its prosthetics and Charlton Heston’s bravura performance, Planet of the Apes is one of the most recognizable films in science fiction. It spawned many sequels, a television series, and a remake. The wayward astronaut’s discovery of the Statue of Liberty at the climax is one of the most classic twist endings in all of cinema (take a lesson, M. Night Shyamalan).

7. Blade Runner – Gritty, dirty, adventurous, and violent, Ridley Scott’s science fiction/film noir may not have done well at the box office, but is has been released in seven different versions and become a cult classic. Whether you believe the director or the actor’s take on the character, Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard ranks among the great all-time leading men in sci-fi.

6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – James Cameron’s 1991 action masterpiece is without a doubt the best of the series. The film shows Arnold Schwarzenegger in his most memorable role as the robotic killing machine battles the wildly inventive and terrifying T-1000. The sheer scope of action and effects (most notably the liquid metal initially seen in Cameron’s Abyss) make this an important entry in the genre.

5. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Spielberg’s second sci-fi film is both charming and scary, a partial children’s movie that turns adult once the government steps in to take away a young boy’s alien friend. “E.T. phone home” will forever be one of the most famous lines of dialogue in film.

4. The Matrix – Mind-bending and groundbreaking, the brainchild of the Wachowski brothers is famous for its fight sequences and complicated plot and themes. The bullet-time effects ushered in a new standard for slow-motion action and the success of the film yielded two sequels.

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey – Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction masterpiece is a benchmark for the entire genre: the sound design, realism, and imagery prove endlessly inspirational. This sprawling space epic, co-written by legendary novelist Arthur C. Clarke, is hallowed ground in sci-fi film and famous for tone rather than pace or bombast.

2. Aliens – The second James Cameron film to make the list, and also a sequel, Aliens is without doubt the most entertaining entry in the extraterrestrial saga. Ridley Scott’s Alien is of equal caliber but deserves more recognition in the horror category, whereas Cameron’s take on Ellen Ripley and the creatures that haunt her combines the classic sci-fi look with heavy duty action and thrills.

1. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back – There’s just something about science fiction and sequels, and Star Wars is no exception. Irvin Kershner took the reigns as director from George Lucas (apparently for the better) in this sequel to A New Hope, but it is Lucas’ world that makes the Star Wars saga so famous. The Empire Strikes Back stands at the top of the list for adding pathos and real human drama to an imaginative and exciting outer space adventure. Also it has Boba Fett.