The 1990s were a pretty great time for sci-fi, mostly because we were in a strange period in special effects technology. Some of the bigger-budget studio films like "Jurassic Park" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" were advancing CGI technology in impressive ways, while smaller-budget movies were perfecting animatronics, stop-motion animation, miniatures, and other practical visuals. There was a cool sense that, visually, everything was in the toolbox. And even the smaller, less well-known 1990s sci-fi movies were interesting to look at.
In terms of style and theme, though, 1990s sci-fi didn't have too many unifying principles. In general, one might note that many of the sci-fi films and TV shows of the decade turned toward paranoia and suspicion. Shows like "The X-Files" pointed out how little American citizens trusted their own government, indicating that they were responsible for shadowy, potentially destructive cover-ups involving aliens and UFOs. But that was just a corner of the genre. There were still post-apocalyptic thrillers, space operas, cosmic terror, tech freakouts, and just about every subgenre of sci-fi one can imagine. There was an expansive pop culture biodiversity throughout the decade, where it seemed -- for a glorious spell -- that everything was available, even while the monoculture still existed.
The following films are perhaps a little obscure to modern audiences, so we here at /Film are here to remind you that these films are worthy of note. There are three dystopian thrillers on the below list, a psychedelic nightmare about machinery, and, yes, an alien abduction thriller based on a true story. People who were paying close attention to B-movies in the 1990s might have taken note of these films. For the young whippersnappers, be ready to have your mind blown.