Thirteenth Floor (1999)

Synopsis: In late 1990’s Los Angeles, Hannon Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl) is the owner of a multi-billion dollar computer enterprise and the inventor of a newly completed virtual reality simulation (VR) of 1937 Los Angeles…

Why you may have missed it: The title screams “horror flick” but it’s nothing of the sort. It’s actually great, stylish, expensive looking sci-fi. It also sported some of the best scenic CGI of its day and its aging very well.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtYdZkPmFoU

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Upside Down (2012)

Synopsis: Adam is a seemingly ordinary guy in a very extraordinary universe. He lives humbly trying to make ends meet, but his romantic spirit holds on to the memory of a girl he loved once upon a time from another world, an inverted affluent world with its own gravity, directly above but beyond reach…

Why you may have missed it: Again, the title doesn’t do a lot for the movie unless you know what’s about. This is fantasy sci-fi, with some of the best visuals I’ve ever seen – and great acting by all involved.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtixqUXid9A

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Strange Days (1995)

Synopsis: A former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a police conspiracy in 1999 Los Angeles.

Why you may have missed it: By its movie poster, I don’t get a clue as to what it’s about. A “strange” movie that builds around a neurological gadget, with a superb cast and a riveting story, written by James Cameron.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yaXPx6xWEQ

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Dark City (1998)

Synopsis: A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.

Why you may have missed it: Trailer looks a tad weird. Dystopian in nature, with several memorable settings and a surprising ending. A young(er) Jennifer Connolly in a charming role.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt9HkO-cGGo

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Moon (2009)

Synopsis: Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet’s power problems.

Why you may have missed it: Its movie poster seems evocative of the 1970s but doesn’t do a lot for this great solo movie. One of the best actors of his generation, Sam Rockwell, stars in a character-driven story on the moon surface. Some of the best FX until “Gravity”.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuScTcDP_