Philip K. Dick was a science fiction writer who, despite flying under the radar for much of his career, created many compelling and influential works.
Many of these books and short stories, in fact, wound up being the foundation for a slew of prominent sci-fi films today, such as Blade Runner and Minority Report. Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle and Electric Dreams are also based on his work.
Dick frequently used celestial and mind-bending concepts to ignite the imagination of his readers. Themes included technology’s relation to humanity and power structures – in addition to the fluid, uncertain nature of reality itself. Often thought to be ahead of his time, his work is largely a prototype for deeper, thought-provoking sci-fi such as The Matrix.
With this list, we’ll be taking a look at the top films whose plots and premises are based on Philip K. Dick’s work, based on the ratings of IMDb.com.
Next (2007) (6.2)
This sci-fi action romp, directed by Lee Tamahori, features a man blessed and cursed with the ability to see into the immediate future. As you might imagine with such a talent, this makes him the instant target of powerful groups including the FBI as well as terrorist networks. Nicolas Cage stars as the psychic in question, Cris Johnson.
Loosely based on the short story, The Golden Man, this 96-minute film is chock full of action-laced campiness, which has been criticized for being “schlocky,” busy, and poorly executed. Yet, it also contains some intense thrills and an imaginative premise.
Paycheck (2003) (6.3)
Similar to Next, the consensus surrounding Paycheck is that the thoughtful concepts established by Dick are somewhat cheapened; reduced to flashy car chases and over-the-top explosions. That’s not to say there aren’t fun moments to be had in this John Woo picture – featuring a reserve engineer who undergoes memory wipes to protect his properties.
It’s an interesting capitalist spin on a sci-fi premise, though it’s never quite realized. Critics have noted, along with fairly stock action scenes, that neither the writing nor acting does Paycheck any favors. Even performances by Ben Affleck and Paul Giamatti aren’t quite enough to save this one.
Total Recall (2012) (6.3)
Though this movie captures some of the same thrills and imagination of its predecessor, many found it hard to find a reason for this remake’s existence. This is especially the case given the already-impressive effects of the first film.
2012’s Total Recall, starring Colin Farrell, fleshes out the world-building a bit more, and offers some fun action scenes – yet it’s been criticized for coming off as lacking and formulaic elsewhere.
Screamers (1995) (6.4)
Post-apocalyptic settings are an ongoing element of Dick’s work, at least on a subtle level. Yet, Christian Duguay’s Screamers takes this dark tone from its novelette source material – called Second Variety – and revs it up to the next level. The result is a bombastic sci-fi horror that stresses thrilling action over social commentary or nuance.
Devastating ongoing warfare has reduced the planet Sirius 6B to a toxic ruin crawling with hostile androids. These “screamers,” who emit high-pitched noises when attacking, reign over two overwrought, undermanned factions.
The film’s received flak for resembling a cheap version of Alien, wrought with dull environments that diminish an otherwise interesting premise.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011) (7)
It’s not easy to translate a P. K. Dick tale into a coherent 2-hour film, given his unique storytelling and rich content often holding deep, sociopolitical themes. Yet, George Nolfi achieves this in just 106 minutes, with this sci-fi romantic thriller. This is all the more impressive, considering it’s Nolfi’s first time taking the helm as both writer and director.
2011’s The Adjustment Bureau is based on a story equally rooted in paranoia known as The Adjustment Team. Like that story, the film toys with the notion of destiny and unknown, influential forces at play. It hones in on a politician named David (Matt Damon) who finds himself conspired against following his romance with a ballet dancer (Emily Blunt). Great chemistry between the actors, along with a gripping conspiratorial plot make this an entertaining watch.
A Scanner Darkly (2006) (7.1)
Given the mind-twisty concepts and themes of Dick’s work, it makes sense we’d get a story revolving around drug use. Similar to Huxley’s Brave New World, Dick’s book-turned-animation explores a society tarnished by drugs run rampant. Rather than stress a future dystopian locale though, Dick balances a dark trippiness with grounded, close-to-home realism with its Californian setting.
Director Richard Linklater goes above and beyond in conveying the disorienting, mind-bending nature of drugs, using a fluid style of rotoscope animation. These bizarre visuals complement both the tone and plot, which features a mentally-unstable narc leading an ironic double life. This off-kilter animated film manages to captivate both on a visual and narrative level.
Total Recall (1990) (7.5)
What if your memories were not your own, but rather – had been implanted or “downloaded” in some way?
This mindblowing notion is explored in a fun, imaginative way with Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Though its remake has been far more mixed critically, this 1990 classic is still regarded for its impressive effects and gripping plot – despite some cheesy moments.
The movie follows a construction worker named Quaid looking to plug into a virtual trip to Mars. This is achieved by having memories of a manufactured vacation on the Red Planet fed into his brain. But a snafu leads to Quaid becoming a target, setting the stage for action-laced showdowns on Mars that may or may not have actually happened.
Minority Report (2002) (7.6)
Based on the short story by the same name, ’02’s Minority Report features a police organization with the useful – but potentially problematic – ability to tap into the minds of would-be criminals. This gives them the chance to catch them for crimes they have not yet committed, thereby avoiding casualties and carnage.
The film stars Tom Cruise as the “Chief of PreCrime,” as he ironically finds himself accused of a crime, setting the stage for intense, chaotic escapades as he seeks to get to the bottom of this.
Iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s well-crafted film is a great blend of sci-fi, action, and mystery that explores the concept of free will.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) (8.0)
Despite the clout surrounding the cult-hit Blade Runner, Denis Villeneuve manages to come very close in terms of quality with this sequel nearly 3 decades later. Though this film contains original material, this actually works in its favor. It builds on Dick’s imaginative premise from the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
At the same time, Blade Runner 2049 still captures much of that same cyberpunk charm and neo-noir style that made its predecessor shine – and looks even better doing it. It even features the return of Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos reprising their roles from the first film.
It’s great to finally see this world of humans and replicants being further explored.
Blade Runner (1982) (8.1)
One of the predominant questions that Dick liked to pose was “what makes us human?” This notion is greatly explored in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which was converted to this similarly enthralling film.
Ridley Scott’s knack for rich, engrossing visuals and thick atmosphere can be seen throughout this 2-hour epic. The blend of noir and dystopian sci-fi set the scene for a captivating watch, as we follow a man tasked with hunting down human-like “Replicants.” Detailed set pieces and convincing performances round out this dense sci-fi which greatly compliments Dick’s work.
