Gattaca (1997)

Gattaca has one of the best ideas in sci-fi and then hangs a murder mystery on it like a cheap ornament. The case drags, the detectives mostly squint at hair samples, and you’ll forget it the second it’s solved. The real movie is everything else. Ethan Hawke plays Vincent as a guy who scrubs himself raw every morning so nobody finds out who he really is, and you feel how exhausting it is to fake perfect. Jude Law is the standout as Jerome, the genetically flawless one, sharp-tongued and bitter and very funny about it. Uma Thurman is stuck playing cool and distant. The look is gorgeous, all clean lines, sleek old cars that hum like electric razors, and offices that feel like a museum. Critics gave it 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, yet it made only $12.6 million worldwide on a reported $36 million budget. A 7.9 because the idea still lands and the mystery is filler. $840.38 says you find an eyelash on your cheek today and get a little paranoid about where the rest of them went.

What works: Jude Law’s bitter, funny Jerome, Ethan Hawke’s anxious determination, and a sleek, retro-future look.

What doesn’t: The murder investigation is dull filler, and Uma Thurman is stuck playing a love interest who is mostly cool stares.

Who it’s for: Sci-fi fans who like ideas over explosions, and anyone who was ever told they weren’t built for something.