I recently got into an unreasonably heated argument over what film has earned the title of “Best Sci-fi Movie”. The opposition tried to make a case for Donnie Darko and I responded, with all my natural eloquence, by fake-barfing into my hand. To put an end to the debate once and for all, I decided to make a list of the 5 best Sci-fi movies and publish it on the internet, thereby validating my every word.

5) Timer (2009)- I stumbled across this science fiction-y rom com at the height of my (on-going) Buffy phase, and have been geeking out over it ever since. Emma Caulfield (or Anya the Ex-Daemon, for you Buffy fans) lives in a world where people are implanted with devices that count down to the moment they meet their one true love. For a movie with such a dorky premise, it rules pretty hard and begs the question why Emma Caufied isn’t an enormous movie star.

4) Alien (1979)- If nothing else, this movie earned a place on the list because it illustrated the beauty of childbirth better than any high school health class video ever could.

3) Starship Troopers (1997)- This one has literally all the elements of a Sci-fi movie. Monsters. Space, and ships to travel therein. A really hot guy who never starred in anything else. Boom. You have a classic. Love you Ricco.

2) Mac and Me (1988)- It’s just a much, much better version of E.T., guys. Get over it.

1) Sunshine (2007)– In all seriousness, this probably is the best Sci-fi movie of all time. Mostly because it’s heavy on the sci without being a Nova documentary. A Q-Ball (or a non-topological soliton, obviously) infects the Sun, causing a premature solar winter. Like, four and a half billion year premature. Earth’s only option is to send a team of questionable qualifications and unambiguous hotness to restart the sun, using a nuclear bomb and a dope spaceship. Like most Sci-fi movies, this one sounds pretty hilarious on paper but is actually kind of wonderful.

-Whitney