2001: A Space Odyssey

Heralded in 1968 as the most striking sci-fi film ever, Stanley Kubrick’s epic meditation on human evolution shines brilliantly almost half a decade later.

First, a mysterious monolith is discovered by prehistoric, ape-like hominids. Then, it's the 21st century: a scientist (William Sylvester) landing on the moon discovers an identical obelisk.

Eighteen months later, a pair of astronauts journey to Jupiter in search of the monoliths, with the aid of their omnipresent speaking computer, known as HAL 9000 (eerily voiced by Douglas Rain). The mission soon becomes fraught with tension as HAL begins to endanger the astronauts’ lives.