2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science fiction epic, produced with NASA's consultation, pioneered practical special effects that remained unsurpassed until the digital era and was achieved without CGI on a budget of $10.5 million. It was ranked the greatest film ever made in the 2022 Sight & Sound poll (tied) and inspired George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Ridley Scott's careers in science fiction. HAL 9000 is rated the 13th greatest villain in American cinema history by the American Film Institute.