Science Fiction Rating System
Film, TV & Pop Culture
About
Join Sam, Alex and Chris as they rank every science fiction film EVER. Every week we dissect a new film before adding it to a giant and highly scientific ranked list. We review a film a week until we run out of films. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- The Tomorrow War
This week we continue 2021 season with The Tomorrow War ! Join us as we immediately identify severe problems with the premise, wonder at the possibility that this is wartime propaganda, and marvel at the production budget, if nothing else.…
- Dune: Part One
This week we kick off our 2021 season with big-hitter Dune ! Join us as we luxuriate in the craft and restraint of one of the modern world's few 'serious' sci-fi films, Sam forgets we aren't a vodcast (yet) and try our best to avoid annoyi…
- End of Year 2025 But Actually It's February 2026
Join us as we stumble into the new year, late but with good intentions! We wrap up our highlights (and lowlights) of the previous year and look ahead to what's coming up on the podcast in 2026. (Apologies for the audio on this one, can con…
- Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Hello there! We're back, after a long, long absence for actual boring IRL reasons, but, much like ol' Sheev himself, somehow we returned! Join us for a latest christmas slice of Star Wars, as we slog through the confusing mess that is Rise…
- Face/Off
This week starts with a message from Sam about what's going on with your favourite podcast - essentially, don't panic, we will return in 2026! Instead of our normal Christmas film, we celebrate the festive period watching Nicolas Cage and…
- PREDATOR: BADLANDS SPOILERCAST!
Alex and Sam have seen Predator: Badlands and they're here to spoil it for you! Join us to find out what we thought about this new direction for the franchise, the crossover with another franchise, and we find out we've been saying Yautja…
- Resident Evil
This week, we come as close as we've ever been to doing a halloween episode actually on halloween, arriving barely a week late with Resident Evil. Join us as we discuss how similar (or not) this is to the game it's based on, the absolutely…
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
This week, we find yet another excuse to watch Star Trek, as Chris' film Time Travel is Dangerous has now hit streaming platforms across the UK, and will soon be available in the US! To celebrate we watch another time-travel comedy, its Th…
- Explorers
This week Chris uses AI to try and solve the mystery of a long-forgotten childhood film, and predictably AI gets it wrong. No matter, we watch Explorers anyway, a black hole in our collective nostalgia knowledge, in which Ethan Hawke, Rive…
- Robocop 3
Chris returns to the pod in time to watch Robocop 3 ! Join us as we try and work out which bits of the plot aren't in the earlier films, discuss casting via waist measurement, and promise that there are better films on the horizon. Maybe n…
- War of the Worlds (2025)
We're still a man down as Sam takes advantage of Birthday Pick Rules to watch the recently released War of the Worlds . Join us as we marvel at this most glorious of train wrecks. Ice Cube 'acting', data-eating aliens, the word 'cyber' - J…
- Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
This week we belatedly celebrate Alex's birthday by watching Daft Punk's animated epic Interstella 5555 . Join us for one of the most inscrutable quizzes Alex has ever made, and we try and fail to convince Chris this is worth his time…
- 10 Cloverfield Lane
This week we watch and talk about 10 Cloverfield Lane , but also discuss Chris' plans for the apocalypse (again), favourite prepper tinned foods, the 'looseness' of this whole Cloverfield concept, and even find time for Sam's thoughts on S…
- Superman 3
This week Sam hosts our discussion about Superman 3 from his new shock-jock perch, drenched in lemonade and struggling to keep his computer running. Join us as we learn about how now to look after a poster, who mistakenly thought they were…
- Mars Needs Moms
This week we celebrate 350 episodes by watching Mars Needs Moms , an odd CGI kids film that no-one remembers! Join us as we discuss the godawful motion capture, the curse of Mars films, and because Sam feels bad about making us watch this,…
- Zathura
This week we fill a long-time listener request (maybe?) and watch Zathura , the spiritual successor to Alex's favourite film of all time Jumanji - even if the director really doesn't want you to think that. . Join us as we discuss some fin…
- Forbidden Planet
This week we head way back in time to watch Forbidden Planet , one of the earliest examples of the sci-fi genre we've been stomping around for almost 350 episodes now. Join us as we discuss '50s man in outer space, the afterlife of Robby t…
- 28 Days Later
This week we discuss another end of the world, with Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later . Join us as we discuss the pros (none) and cons (lots) of filming in 480p, dodgy cockney accents, how long it takes to drive from London to Manchester if the…
- Predator: Killer of Killers Spoilercast!
This week it's time for another spoilercast as Predator-stans Alex and Sam take a look at Dan Trachtenberg's new animated Predator anthology. Join us for a spoiler-filled breakdown (you have been warned!) of each part of the film - join us…
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Join us on the Road to the Fan Dance! This week we dodge watching Star Trek: Into Darkness by watching one of the 2 remaining OG films we haven't given the full episode treatment. Join us as we luxuriate in slow-moving ships, appreciate Sc…
- Independence Day: Resurgence (again)
This week Will Smith Season finally concludes in calamitous circumstances with a film in which he doesn't actually act which we've reviewed before anyway. Oh well (FYIF), we spend 30 seconds discussing I, Robot , then realise we've messed…
- Gemini Man
Hellooo, the SFRS era of random shows appearing at random times continues as we emerge from hibernation to launch into Will Smith season. This week, it's Gemini Man ! Join us to hear about Sam's confusing experience watching at 120FPS, Cli…
- Alex & Sam Talk About Films
This week Chris is away promoting his film, so Alex and Sam convene for an Easter chat about upcoming films and a whole lot more. Join us for discussion of Fantastic Four, Eternals, A Minecraft Movie, Avengers Doomsday, Superman, M3gan 2.0…
- Marooned
This week we continue to say RIP to the great Gene Hackman by watching Marooned. Join us as we discuss this film's eerie prescience, the strange refusal to inject any sort of drama, and...Poppins!? Next week, Will Smith season begins (not…
- Superman II
This week we say RIP to Gene Hackman who was in a lot of good films and some terrible stuff, too. Which category does Superman II fall into? Join us as we discuss Superman's inability to remain secret, Lois Lane's smoking problem, all the…
- Starship Troopers
This week, we conclude the rerank season with Chris' pick, Starship Troopers ! Bugs, blood, and other things I've forgotten about because we recorded this ages ago. But it's good and no doubt very in-depth. Also, don't forget Time Travel i…
- Predator 2
This week we (re)watch Predator 2 ! Join us as we get nice and LA sweaty and discuss Alex's early obsession with this film, Danny Glover's trousers, the Films With Jeopardy! In Rating System, and much more! Also, don't forget Time Travel i…
- The Thing (1982)
This week we finally actually watch The Thing as part of rewatch season. Join us as we learn about why Big Dog doesn't want you to remake The Thing in Antarctica (or Alaska?), we gush over the gushing special effects,and we definitively so…
- Time Travel is Dangerous Extra Super Special Show
We return to finally talk about Time Travel is Dangerous , a new sci-fi comedy directed by our very own Chris Reading! A podcast in the making as long as there's been a podcast, join us as Chris talks us through the inspiration behind the…
- Sputnik
This week we conclude our 2020 season with Chris' choice, Russia's Sputnik ! Join us for monster chat, iron curtain chat, and technically difficult chat because Chris' audio was SO far out of sync with the rest of us it sounds a bit like w…
- Star Trek: Section 31 Spoilercast
This week, we report back from our fancy screening of Paramount+'s Star Trek: Section 31 . Join us for a spoiler-free discussion* about the newest trip to the Trek universe. Next week, we return to 2020 with Sputnik ! *I think we threaten…
- Tenet
2020 season continues with Sam's pick, the saviour of cinema, Christopher Nolan's Tenet . We spoilercasted it way back when and were confused and couldn't hear anything...has anything changed since? Join us as we try to unravel reverse ent…
- The Invisible Man
This week, we kick off 2020 season with The Invisible Man , Alex's pick! Join us as we remember how weird lockdown was, discover what we would do with invisible powers, and ask: is James Bond sci-fi? Well maybe not, but let me tell you abo…
- The 8th Annual SFRS End of Year Bonanza
For an eighth (!) time we gather round the dying embers of the year and discuss what we liked (and didn't) from 2024. Join us for discussions of Megalopolis , Transformers One , Alien Romulus , and much, much more! Also, we have a quiz and…
- Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
It's Christmas Eve, and as is tradition round these parts we watch a Star War. Unfortunately, we're up to The Last Jedi, a film we spoilercasted way back when. In those heady days of 2017 Alex was a fan and Chris and Sam really weren't...b…
- Looper
This week we watch Looper , Rian Johnson's time-travel film that doesn't want to talk about time travel. Join us as we discuss bad prosthetics, try not to get too in the weeds with how everything works, and have differing opinions about a…
- Cocoon
This week we head back to the '80s to watch three horny old men on their quest for eternal youth in Cocoon . Join us for the Old Man Rating System, the problem with an aimless film, God's waiting room, Steve Guttenberg (unfortunately), and…
- Cube
Halloween but really not season continues with Cube ! Join us as we hear more about Chris' exploits abroad, run out of plot to talk about very quickly, then Sam learns that films are shot in order (but still doesn't believe it), Alex is in…
- Lifeforce
We're back! It's been a while, but we're here and we're still ranking! Keeping up with tradition, we miss halloween by almost a month and bring you sci-fi horror with Lifeforce ! Join us as we hear about Chris' trips to film festivals with…
- Ikarie XB-1
This week, we watch Ikarie XB-1 , a film that is 'influential', or maybe actually influential, it's hard to tell! Join us as we discuss the reach of this film, enjoy people laughing at a robot, and get our vertical integration sorted, just…
- Blade Runner
This week, it's a bumper episode as we accept the podcast will NEVER END by watching the 'final' film, Blade Runner ! Join us as we learn about Chrismas, deep dive into different versions of the film, Sam can't shut up about Vangelis, we g…
- Independence Day (again)
Hi! Remember us? After a month off, we're back! We accidentally deleted an episode and we're doing the films in the wrong order, but we're here! This week, It's Chris' birthday pick, our 2nd, 3rd, 4th viewing of the Devlin/Emmerich career…
- AVPR: Alien Vs. Predator - Requiem
Alien fever continues as we watch the second AvP film. Chris hosts as we try and see what's going on, the problem with Detective Predator, muppet aliens, and then all hell breaks loose as we get to the rating in a way it hasn't in a long t…
- Alien Romulus Spoilercast!
This week we review the latest instalment in the Alien franchise - it's Alien Romulus ! Alex shares his experience of his trip to the premiere, Sam gets to enjoy some free beer, and Chris sent us some texts. Join us for a spoiler-free disc…
- Things to Come
This week we go all the way back to 1936 to watch a slice of very early British sci-fi, it's Things to Come ! Join us as we revel in the bombast of the script, marvel at the special effects, and discover how moaning is eternal. Next week,…
- The Postman
This week we watch Kevin Costner's big budget post-apocalyptic flop Waterw- no, the other one, The Postman . Join us as we slog through three hours of people not sending the post, and then people really REALLY sending the post. It's a film…
- Virus
Donald Sutherland (RIP) season concludes with Virus ! Join us for some top Jane's Fighting Ships discussion, lots of robot talk, and the Baldwin Rating System Next week it's Things to Come ! See the new list! Play along at home! Get in tou…
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
This week we continue our impromptu Donald Sutherland (RIP) series with Invasion of the Body Snatchers ! Join us for a lot of discussion about how feasible this particularly snatching really is and Chris makes a horrible noise. Next week,…
- Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
This week we belatedly celebrate the release of Furiosa with the last Mad Max we can watch for now. Join us as we head back to post-apocalyptic Australia, discuss some super deep lore, play a game of Max or Martin, and marvel at how terrib…
- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
This week we watch Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within , a film so monumentally misguided that it managed to kill an entire company. Join us as we discuss high quality bad CGI, the concept of 'virtual actors', and what 3 things we would save…