La Jetée

This 1962 short film, composed only of black and white photos and background narration, inspired 12 Monkeys, another sci-fi classic that's also in our list. In the aftermath of World War III, scientists invent time travel in the hope that they can send a person back to change the present. A man, imprisoned underground in post-apocalyptic Paris, has vague memories of a woman on a peer, and witnessing a murder as a child. The scientists choose him, and his memories turn out to be key to his time travel. A masterpiece that shows you don't need a large budget or spectacular special effects to make great sci-fi