Why It Ranks
Oblivion is the most beautiful-looking sci-fi film of its year. Kosinski's design sensibility is extraordinary. Cruise commits fully. The Iceland locations are stunning. Sometimes pure visual ambition is enough.
The Film
Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion is the most visually gorgeous sci-fi film of 2013 — a post-apocalyptic Earth where Tom Cruise maintains drones that protect fusion generators from alien remnants. The Sky Tower set design, Claudio Miranda's cinematography, and M83's synth score create an atmosphere of lonely beauty. The twists are familiar, but the execution is impeccable.
Fun Facts
The Sky Tower interior was a real set built on a mountaintop in Iceland with actual cloud views through the windows.
M83's Anthony Gonzalez composed the score — his first and only film score to date.
Kosinski originally created the story as a graphic novel before adapting it as a film.
The drone designs influenced real-world drone aesthetics in subsequent years.
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