Based on the masterful bookRoadside Picnicby Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Andrei Tarkovsky’sStalkeris widely considered to be one of the greatestsci-fifilms ever made. But it’s hard to come up with just one way to describeStalker,let alone define thereal meaning behind such a mysterious film.
Is it critical of something specific? Is it an allegory that everyone interprets in their own way? Or is it perhaps something that Tarkovsky actually tried to convey with his oeuvre that we’re still trying to figure out? In any case, the real question is: does it matter what we come up with from a collective perspective? Tarkovsky’s films aren’t easily digestible today, but they speak about your existence much more than you might imagine. Their presentation of abstract concepts may seem outdated, but this doesn’t mean they lack an undeniable importance in regard to an artist’s capacity to convey a powerful message.
So, when trying to explain the reason why it secured a 100% rating onRotten Tomatoes' list of the greatest sci-fi films, one must almost live through the actual film. Why? What the film may do for you is entirely different from what it did for millions of viewers, critics or not, throughout the years. It’s not that the Russian filmmaker made personal films that are now your own. It’s that his philosophical dictionary is universally beautiful and efficient. All you have to do is open up to the possibility of diving deep into a film, and becoming part of a spiritual experience crafted by one man talented enough to do this with ease in his entire body of work.
Updated Jun 30, 2025: This article has been updated with even more information about Andrei Tarkovsky’sStalker.
Tarkovsky’s Unique and Essential Way to Tackle Sci-Fi
If you open up your web browser and Google “greatest sci-fi films of all time,” chances are Tarkovsky will show up on every page listed in the results. EitherSolarisorStalkerwill be there, we can assure you. Just bear in mind that the director’s mannerisms are drastically different from the ones you would see on those lists.
Sci-fi is one of the broadest genres in film and television. It literally gives you infinite reach when designing other worlds, characters, and storylines. There are no limits to what filmmakers can do. As positive as this may sound, this freedom can also damage your vision when going beyond what the limits of your plot demand.
Best Andrei Tarkovsky Movies, Ranked
Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky left behind a deep cultural and movie legacy. Here are his best movies, ranked.
That’s exactly what Tarkovsky does very well. This is especially true inStalker, as he doesn’t go for a film that follows genre rules and standards. Neither his scripts nor his visuals are typical of what you can find in sci-fi. In Tarkovsky’s universe, philosophy and its offshoots are the basis of a radical study of the human mind and soul, and how characters perform in worlds that aren’t necessarily tangible, but can be realistic and a reflection of us all.
Stalker Features a Unique Story
InStalker, two men — the Writer (Anatoly Solonitsyn) and the Professor (Nikolai Grinko) — follow one another. They have been promised a visit to the Zone by the “Stalker” (Alexander Kaidanovsky), a guide who is familiar with navigating the eponymous area. The Zone itself is a place that exists only due to legends and stories told by the populace of a nation that’s on the verge of self-destruction, guarded by a combination of government bureaucracy and supernatural phenomena.
The Professor and Writer have different agendas that are only revealed in a mind-bending third act. It portrays the three men in an impossible place, a room the Stalker has taken them to where their desires can come true. An epiphany from the Stalker shortly thereafter is proof that this may be his first time in a place where the soul is subjected to an elevated experience. Or perhaps it’s his first time in this version of his existence. We may never know.
There’s nothing traditionally “sci-fi-ish” inStalker. Yes, there are talks of extraterrestrial races and their respective remains. But Tarkovsky doesn’t do this for the audience, nor to indulge in the commercial nature of a genre that tends to be a window to the otherworldly. He decides to stay on Earth and explore more grounded themes such as existentialism, the boundaries of faith and religion, and yes, a social circumstance that’s slightly reminiscent of a very different country.
Why the Critiques of Stalker Don’t Matter
In every review, article, video, or book, you will find something different aboutStalker. People will say you’re dumb because you didn’t understand anything the first time, and others will say you’re an idiot becauseStalkeris literal. Pay no mind to those. Every experience is supposed to be different, and, of course, you’re allowed to dislike Tarkovsky’s film. You may like its wonderful and gloomy aesthetic, but if youfound it too confusing, that’s fine.
Perhaps a rewatch may result in a different experience.Stalker isone of those films you should watch a few times before trying to decide what you like about it, and what ultimately didn’t resonate with you in comparison. You’re entitled to that wonderful realization. A self-awareness moment in which you’re able to transform an uncomfortable or pleasurable experience into an opinion about a film that represents different things for anyone who watches it. Just don’t deny the fact thatStalkeris an interesting film to watch, an unforgiving exploration into what lies deep inside you.
The Best Sci-Fi Movie of Every Year in the 1970s
The 1970s were a very important time for science fiction movies, delivering instant classics and franchises.
Chances are you aren’t a film critic. It seems to be a practice heading toward extinction. That100% score on Rotten Tomatoeswas given by critics that had the chance to reflect on their opinion. But it’s ultimately just that; an opinion based on personal views that aren’t more important than yours.
If there’s a gift from Tarkovsky that remains valuable today, it’sStalker.It’s a film that showed that everyone is on the same level of knowledge about its enigmatic existence. No one knows more than the other about what the film is supposed to mean. Critics are beside you when you stare in simultaneous awe and disbelief at what is possibly the greatest sci-fi film ever made.
Stream Stalker on Max
If you’re interested in what some of the other greatest sci-fi films ever made might be, you ought to check out our handy little video chronicling the best sci-fi films below.
