5 Best Sci-Fi Movies Based on Philip K. Dick Works Beyond Blade Runner
Hollywood has had a strange love affair with the author's works for decades. Movies based on his books are released regularly, but they contain less and less of the original texts.
Philip K. Dick enriched psychedelic and science fiction literature, but above all cinema, especially visionary science fiction about the latest technologies.
Traces of Dick's presence are visible in every third blockbuster, but the direct adaptations of his novels are especially interesting – more than twenty have been released since Dick's death, and obvious masterpieces coexist with outright flops.
We have chosen only those movies that will definitely not disappoint both ordinary viewers and fans of the author.
1. Total Recall, 1990
The image of Douglas Quaid from Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall, embodied on screen by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is one of the most recognizable roles of this actor, along with the Terminator.
And this is not surprising – Verhoeven created a movie that sci-fi action films would follow for many years to come. But it is not only about the impressive special effects. Rather, the formula for success lies in the combination of meaningful sci-fi, a strong thriller with a detective basis, and a serious humanistic message.
2. Minority Report, 2002
Steven Spielberg is a versatile director, but he is certainly especially good at sci-fi and adventure.
A talent for visualizing the most bizarre fantasies and a subtle understanding of human psychology make Spielberg a unique master, as if he were born to film Philip K. Dick's books.
The meeting of the two great artists has happened only once before – the director brought to the screen the story The Minority Report, one of the author's most dramatic and profound works, in which Dick reflects on free will.
3. Screamers, 1995
At the time of its release, Screamers was poorly received by viewers and virtually ignored by critics, who were not impressed by the changes made to the plot in comparison to Philip K. Dick's story Second Variety.
The action was moved from Earth to deep space, and the motivations of the characters slightly changed. However, time put everything in its place and the movie became a cult among science fiction fans.
A fascinating plot, unpretentious but vivid special effects and the energy of the characters fighting for their lives make Screamers worth watching even today.
4. A Scanner Darkly, 2006
The most unusual adaptation of one of Dick's later novels – at the time he tried to move from pure sci-fi to a very peculiar understanding of psychedelic realism.
The film became a milestone for director Richard Linklater, who specializes in films about the complexity of human relationships.
A Scanner Darkly is a story about drugs that destroy consciousness. The director found the perfect form: the film was made using rotoscoping technology, in which the filmed image is outlined. This allowed the director to create a surreal atmosphere of madness.
5. Impostor, 2001
The story of a man accused of being a changeling, a hostile alien, is perhaps one of the most terrifying in Dick's work. How can you prove that you are you when technology allows you to duplicate your body, your abilities, and your memory?
Impostor is a very short story, the adaptation was also planned as a short movie, but during the work it grew to a feature-length format, although it remained low budget.
It is difficult to say why it was harshly panned by critics and viewers upon its release. Impostor is perhaps the most underrated adaptation of Philip K. Dick. Director Gary Fleder did not make the story up or turn it on its head: he carefully transferred the original text to the film format.
