9. The Matrix (1999) (Dir. Lana & Andy Wachowski)
In a fashion that would come to define 90s cinema, the Wachowski siblings brought in a whole array of personal influences when it came to crafting their visually groundbreaking masterpiece – everything from Japanese anime, cyberpunk novels and martial arts made its way into their melting pot. The result is something both intellectually sound and superbly entertaining, a sci-fi film that hit the zeitgeist at just the right time. Most will remember The Matrix now as a source ripe for parody (what with its slow-mo bullet time sequences and unsubtle soundtrack cues), but it’s important to remember that The Matrix is also one of the most plainly enjoyable films in the entire sci-fi movie canon.