Polygon has ranked the five most brilliant sci-fi movie quotes of the decade, and the list runs from a zombie sequel to the Litany Against Fear. The ranking draws on films from the past ten years, including Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17, a Danny Boyle zombie follow-up, a James Gunn Superman speech, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, and a Ryan Gosling space drama.
The list is subjective, as the ranking admits, and it is likely to change as the decade continues. For now, these are the quotes that stood out to the site’s writers.
Mickey 17
Robert Pattinson stars in Bong Joon Ho’s 2025 film Mickey 17, which he both wrote and directed. The story takes place in a grim 2050 where humanity’s dirtiest jobs are assigned to “expendables.” These workers consent to being cloned repeatedly, so that when they die on the job, a new version is printed out at the same age and uploaded with the latest memory backup of the previous clone.
Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes across multiple clones, but the story focuses on his 17th iteration. The film is a zombie picture whose premise revolves around the clone concept. Its dark humor peaks in Mickey’s narration, where he says: “Even on my 17th go-around, I hate dying.”
The line is absurd on its face, but Pattinson delivers it with understated humor, as if complaining about bad weather. The script earns its place at number five.
28 Years Later
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland returned to the zombie genre in 2025 with 28 Years Later, a follow-up to their 2002 hit 28 Days Later. The film introduces Dr. Ian Kelson, played by Ralph Fiennes, a general practitioner who survived the apocalypse and now studies the rage virus.
Kelson has built a morbid monument called the Bone Temple, made from thousands of skulls. He explains it to Spike, a boy played by Alfie Williams, with a line that is nearly Shakespearean:
“There were so many dead, infected and non-infected alike. Because they are alike. Every skull is a set of thoughts. These sockets saw and these jaws spoke and swallowed. This is a monument to them, a temple.”
The quote captures the film’s bleak horror, and it lands at number four.
Superman
James Gunn’s 2025 Superman restored a sense of optimism to the Man of Steel. Gunn wrote and directed the film, and David Corenswet plays a young reporter in the story.
The movie makes Superman relatable by showing his humility and vulnerability. That relatability peaks in a confrontation with Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult. When Luthor insults Superman, calling him an alien, Superman responds with a speech that the ranking calls uplifting:
“That is where you’ve always been wrong about me, Lex,” says Superman. “I am as human as anyone. I love, I get scared. I wake up every morning, and despite not knowing what to do, I put one foot in front of the other, and I try to make the best choices I can. I screw up all the time, but that is being human, and that’s my greatest strength. And someday, I hope, for the sake of the world, you understand that it’s yours too.”
The speech is uplifting, and it sits at number three.
Dune
Frank Herbert’s Dune novel, published in 1965, includes the famous Litany Against Fear. The mantra opens with the line: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.”
Denis Villeneuve adapted the book in 2021, with co-screenwriters Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. The line appears several times in the film, spoken by members of the House of Atreides, a noble family fighting for control of Arrakis, the desert planet that produces spice, the universe’s most valuable resource.
The quote remains resonant today, and it anchors the list at number two.
Project Hail Mary
The uplifting tone of Project Hail Mary comes from its central conflict. Ryan Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a scientist sent to a distant star to find a cure for a solar virus destroying Earth.
Early in the film, Grace doubts his ability to handle the mission. He tells mission commander Yao Li-Jie, played by Ken Leung, that he doesn’t have the bravery gene. Yao replies with a line that changes the conversation:
“It’s not a gene. You just need someone to be brave for.”
The exchange is brief but powerful, and it closes the ranking at number one.
Key Facts Box
- Mickey 17: 2025, written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, starring Robert Pattinson
- 28 Years Later: 2025, written by Alex Garland, directed by Danny Boyle, starring Ralph Fiennes
- Superman: 2025, written and directed by James Gunn
- Dune: 2021, directed by Denis Villeneuve, screenplay by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, and Eric Roth
- Project Hail Mary: 2025, adapted from the novel by Andy Weir, starring Ryan Gosling
Ranking Comparison
| Rank | Quote | Film | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “It’s not a gene. You just need someone to be brave for.” | Project Hail Mary | 2025 |
| 2 | “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.” | Dune | 2021 |
| 3 | Superman’s speech about being human | Superman | 2025 |
| 4 | Kelson’s skull monument speech | 28 Years Later | 2025 |
| 5 | “Even on my 17th go-round, I hate dying.” | Mickey 17 | 2025 |
The ranking reflects a decade of varied sci-fi storytelling. From dark comedy to epic fantasy to hopeful superheroism, the quotes show how language carries the weight of these films.
The list is a snapshot of a decade still in progress. As the 2020s continue, it will be interesting to see which quotes hold up and which fade. For now, these five stand out as the most brilliant sci-fi movie quotes of the decade thus far.
Source material: “The 5 most brilliant sci-fi movie quotes of the decade,” Polygon.
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