When the movie came out in 2017, people were excited for all sorts of reasons. The sci-fi fans were just intrigued with the general storyline and the interest that the trailer sparked, and on the other hand, there were the original fans of the anime movie that came out in 1995 (based on a very popular steam-punk sci-fi manga of the same name), on which the 2017 remake was based.
While the original is definitely unbeatable, the movie did have a number of fans. It follows the story of Major, a cyber-human in the future who is tasked with fighting against cyber-crime. Things go a little out of the loop when she learns of her identity.
The story is solid, and despite the obvious sci-fi/action involved, manages to raise philosophical questions as well. And if you enjoyed the journey this movie took you on, and would like to see similar ones, we’ve come up with a list of movies that you can watch next!
Here are Some best Movies like Ghost in the shell:
Blade Runner
Available on Amazon Prime |Netflix
Number one on our list is Blade Runner, and basically the entire Blade Runner series. We’re going to mainly talk about the first one, starring Harrison Ford, which follows the story of Rick Deckard, and ex-policemen who finds himself on a mission to take out a group of violent androids. But the deeper he goes into his mission, the more he begins to question his own reality and identity.
If watching the legendary Harrison Ford in his youth with this 1982 movie isn’t enough, the perfect blend of sci-fi, action, and a little bit of soul-searching should definitely win you over! Not to mention that this movie and the series that followed definitely is a cult classic that any fan of sci-fi shouldn’t forget to watch! So, if you loved Ghost in the Shell, this series will be right up your alley!
Related: Movies like Blade Runner
The Matrix
Available on Amazon Prime |Netflix
Honestly, can we even mention a sci-fi list of movies and leave out this iconic movie? If you’re already big on the sci-fi genre, chances are you’ve watched this movie, and a hundred times at that. But, if Ghost in the Shell brought you into the genre, or you’re a youngling in the arena, it’s time you sit back and go watch some of these OG movies that have influenced pop culture so deeply.
The Matrix follows the story of Thomas Anderson, a programmer, who is led to fight a mysterious war against super powerful AI who have constructed his entire reality with a system that they refer to as the Matrix. This movie is sure to leave you hooked, and you better check out all the movies in the series so you can come out with your mind blown and lots of big “what-ifs”.
Robocop
Available on Amazon Prime |Netflix
Boy, oh boy, this list is sure filled with iconic movies from the era where people had big hopes for a future that actually just turned out to be a burning planet and melted icebergs (wink, wink). Robocop, released in 1987 follows the story of an injured policeman who returns to the force as a cyborg (with quite a lot of unresolved trauma) to help bring order to crime infested Detroit, years into the future.
This movie is yet another classic that you should add to your to-watch lists simply because the sheer amount of influence it placed on sci-fi coming forward. The 80s were really a great time to be alive if you’re into sci-fi, but since we can’t invent a time machine (yet), it’s best that you sit back and enjoy the aftermath of all these iconic movies!
Ex Machina
Available on Amazon Prime |Netflix
A more recent addition to the world of movies, The Movie Ex Machina was released in 2014 ventures a little further from action, and veers to the thriller genre, which coupled with sci-fi is definitely a fun combo that will leave you amazed and on the edge of your seat. Ex Machina follows the story of a young programmer who gets an opportunity to be a part of a very strange experiment-one that he doesn’t know very much about at all-where he is supposed to assess and monitor artificial intelligence by interacting with a female robot.
This movie is definitely a little eerie but is very enjoyable and one that we can recommend freely to someone who enjoyed Ghost in the Shell, so be sure to give it a watch because we think you might just end up loving it!
I, ROBOT
Available on Amazon Prime |Netflix
Next on our list is I, Robot. Yet another classic movie. Released in 2004, I, Robot tells us the story of Del Spooner, a detective who, along with the help of a psychologist, investigates the murder of Dr Alfred, who worked at US Robotics. The movie follows the investigation as Del Spooner tries to figure out if the robots Dr Alfred created went against the laws of robotics and killed him.
This Will Smith starrer has loads of fans throughout the world, and if you want to immerse yourself in some sci-fi, this movie is the way to go, unless of course you’ve already watched it, which, considering the popularity of the movie among the fans of sci-fi won’t be surprising!
Get out
Available on Amazon Prime |Netflix
Now before you say anything, we are well aware that this is a horror movie but that does not deny that it is good on so many levels. This film puts an eerie, terrifying spin on something that is already terrible to think about.
It follows the story of Chris, an African-American who decided to visit his white girlfriend’s family over the weekend. Already filled with nervousness and anxiety over the racism he expects, he is in no way prepared for the twisted horrors he is about to face.
But since we’re talking about its likeness to Ghost in the Shell, we might as well mention that Get Out has a lot to do with the concept of taking the consciousness of one body and placing it in another. While Ghost in the Shell does that with a robot, Get Out does it with- well, we’ll let you figure out by yourself because we definitely don’t want to spoil the movie for you!
So put your inhibitions behind and watch this movie! Plus, the added horror will put a nice twist on the sci-fi aspect of things, so go ahead and add it to your watch list!
Related: Movies Like Get Out
Advantageous
Available on Amazon Prime |Netflix
Next up on our list is Advantageous, released in 2015. This sci-fi/drama movie is a much lesser-known film but is nonetheless one that you should watch if you enjoyed Ghost in the Shell. We might even go out on a limb and say this one’s better! Directed by Jennifer Phang, Advantageous follows the story of a twisted, futuristic world where Gwen and her daughter Jules try to hold on to any little bit of happiness that remains.
Over time we’ve seen a shift in the general thought behind ideas of the future, where the more recent movies portray a darker, and perhaps a more realistic picture of things, with economic hardship, fragile human relations, and machinery. As opposed to the positivistic, slightly delusional portrayal we see in older movies. Advantageous is a brilliant film which will raise the questions of what we even hold dear and why.
WALL-E
Available on Amazon Prime
If there’s a chance you haven’t yet watched this beautiful, touching, heart-warming animated film, I suggest you do so immediately. Animated movies really have the power to show us what exactly it is that we need to value, and with Pixar’s Wall-e, the message comes shining through.
Wall-e follows the story of a little robot named, well, Wall-e who is one of the many machines responsible for cleaning the earth of the waste that humankind has brought to it. When he falls in love with another robot named Eva, they set out on a journey that will very well alter the fate of humankind.
Even if you’re not one for animated movies, you should definitely give this one a watch, and even if you’re a mild crier at the movies, we suggest you keep some tissues handy because Wall-e really has the power to make you bawl your eyes out.
The Terminator
Available on Amazon Prime
Ending this list with a bang (very literally. Many, many bangs) we bring you to The Terminator! Yet another classic from the 80s, this 1984 release starring the supremely popular Arnold Schwarzenegger. If there’s the very minute chance that you haven’t crossed paths with this iconic movie, we’re sure you’ve seen the popular dialogue “I’ll be back” floating around the internet like a reaction image to multiple memes, and we suggest you watch the entire movie.
The Terminator tells the story of a cyborg assassin (yes very cool) who is sent back in time to kill Sarah, in a bid to stop her son who will end up waging a long war against his enemy in the future unless the course of history is altered. Quite the topsy-turvy movie, we know, but don’t worry, it’s not very complicated, and you’ll end up thoroughly enjoying this movie with all the action scenes it has to offer!
Conclusion
With that, we come to the end of our list! Tell us what you thought of these recommendations, or if you feel like we missed out on any good ones, feel free to let us know!