Science fiction is a genre associated, somewhat unfortunately, with a particular brand of reclusive teenage boy who possesses a penchant for space ships and light sabers. While it is true that, of all genres, science fiction (or ‘sci-fi’ to the aforementioned enthusiast) inevitably attracts the - no offense - geekiest fan base, its cult exports have the potential to be far more sophisticated than the average sci-fi flick. These films manage to deal with enthralling ethical, moral and philosophical concepts, while still finding time for the occasional flying car to zoom in for good measure. 

Blade Runner is often regarded as one of the greats of cult sci-fi. Set in a sinister dystopia, it stars Harrison Ford as the former policeman Rick Deckard,  brought out of retirement to track down several rogue replicants – robots engineered to imitate humans. As the film delves deeper into its noir-influenced world, the very essence of humanity is closely investigated. The replicants provide plenty of material for the examination of what it means to be human and the ramifications of man playing god through genetic engineering. Arguably, the use of a dystopian future filled with overwhelming technologies serves as a warning for the present. After all, the film is set in the genuinely not-too-distant future of 2019.

Futuristic dystopias are rife in the world of cult sci-fi, providing the ideal backdrop for explorations of morality. A Clockwork Orange,  for example - though it lacks the outlandish technology schoolboy dreams are made of - is nevertheless a cult sci-fi classic. Cult films are typically greeted with lukewarm reactions, so if this is any indication of cultishness, then this one is as cult as they come. After a series of murders that mimicked the horrors performed by its protagonist Alex, the film was banned in 1972. A disturbing and challenging watch, this could be the ultimate cult film. Through Alex’s unreliable first-person narrative, we are made to empathise when he is arrested for the theft, murders and rapes he has committed. The nature of morality is questioned when he is forced to become good through aversion therapy.

The complexity of these philosophical issues is a definite asset to both these films. They also share an individual style, which is perhaps one of the roots of their cult character. Each emerged from a time when sci-fi was increasingly popular and so inevitably there would be a healthy demand for films cut out for future cult status. More recently, films like Equilibrium (an exploration of subversion and totalitarianism) and 12 Monkeys (a complex study of consciousness and perceptions of reality) have gained a cult following, though not of comparable proportions to Blade Runner.  Perhaps, due to the high-budget CGI blockbusters of recent years, the complex cult sci-fi is rarely given the green light. But the genre is not dying. It is clear that more films of a similar calibre and depth need to surface lest they become, to quote Ridley Scott's 1982 masterpiece, “lost like tears in rain.”