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Combining the dark, mysterious undertones of neo-noir with the imaginative landscapes of sci-fi, these films take viewers on journeys that are both visually stunning and deeply philosophical.

Here is our list of some of the best neo-noir science fiction movies.

Dark City (1998)

Director: Alex Proyas

Starring: Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland

In “Dark City,” we follow the character of John Murdoch, who wakes up in a hotel room with no memory and finds himself accused of a series of crime.

As he tries to unravel his past and clear his name, he realizes that the city he lives in is far from normal.

The city is perpetually shrouded in darkness, controlled by a group of beings known as the Strangers who have the ability to manipulate time and alter the memories of its inhabitants.

The Strangers are searching for the human soul, experimenting with people’s memories to see if they can find it.

Murdoch discovers that he has a unique ability similar to the Strangers, which is the power to “tune,” or alter reality.

As he delves deeper into the secrets of the dark city, he tries to find his lost memories and understand the true nature of the world he is in.

Dark City (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

$8.08

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Blade Runner (1982)

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Joe Turkel

The story is set in a dystopian future Los Angeles, in the year 2019.

In this future, synthetic humans known as “replicants” are manufactured by the Tyrell Corporation to work in off-world colonies.

However, after a mutiny by a group of Nexus-6 replicants, they are declared illegal on Earth. Special police operatives known as “Blade Runners” are tasked with “retiring” (destroying) any replicants that defy the ban and come back to Earth.

Rick Deckard, a burnt-out Blade Runner, is reluctantly pulled out of retirement to hunt down and retire a group of these rogue replicants.

Throughout his investigation, Deckard grapples with moral questions about what it means to be human and the ethics of creating and destroying life.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut [Blu-ray]

$19.99

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The Matrix (1999)

Director: The Wachowskis

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving

The story revolves around Thomas Anderson, a computer hacker known by his alias “Neo.”

He discovers that the reality he perceives is actually a simulated reality called the Matrix, created by sentient machines to distract and subdue the human population while their bodies are used as an energy source.

Morpheus, a rebel leader, believes Neo is “the One” who will lead the humans to overthrow the machines and free humanity from the Matrix.

Once awakened to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where the remnants of humanity are hunted by machines, Neo joins Morpheus and his group in the fight against the machine oppressors.

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The Matrix [Blu-ray]

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Strange Days (1995)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Tom Sizemore, Juliette Lewis

Set in the last days of 1999 in Los Angeles, “Strange Days” presents a near-future world where a black market has emerged for “SQUID” recordings.

SQUID, which stands for “Superconducting Quantum Interference Device,” allows users to record and playback experiences directly from the cerebral cortex, enabling others to feel, see, and hear those memories and sensations as if they were their own.

These playback experiences, known as “clips,” have become a form of illicit entertainment.

Lenny Nero, a former LAPD officer, now deals in these illegal recordings.

When Lenny receives a disturbing clip depicting the rape and murder of a prostitute he knows, he becomes embroiled in a dark conspiracy.

With the help of his close friends, including Mace and Max, Lenny must unravel the mystery behind the clip as the city descends into chaos on the eve of the new millennium.

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Strange Days

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Cypher (2002)

Director: Vincenzo Natali

Starring: Jeremy Northam, Lucy Liu

The film follows the story of Morgan Sullivan, an average man who’s discontented with his suburban life.

To escape his mundane existence, Sullivan is recruited by a mega-corporation called Digicorp to work as an industrial spy.

His job is to attend conventions and secretly record presentations to transmit them back to Digicorp.

However, as Sullivan delves deeper into the world of corporate espionage, he gets involved with a mysterious woman named Rita Foster.

Rita reveals that he’s being brainwashed by Digicorp and convinces him to work against them.

Buena Vista Home Video Cypher

$3.59

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