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Owen Wilson-starrer Secret Headquarters is set to release on Paramount+ on August 12, 2022. With the setting of a secret superhero headquarters in a non-descript basement, the film features Walker Scobell as a young character trying to defend the headquarters with his friends. The trailer was well-received, and the fact that Owen Wilson stars in it has given it the extra edge.
From classics like Frankenstein and Back To The Future to contemporary films like Arrival and Aliens, science fiction in Hollywood has experienced considerable growth. Superhero films, too, have used science fiction elements to create origin stories, such as the story of the Hulk.
While Secret Headquarters may not be the first to include science fiction in a superhero film, there seems to be a novelty about the approach it adopts.
So, let's look at sci-fi-fantasy movies that walked so Secret Headquarters could run.
Back To The Future and other sci-fi films like Secret Headquarters
1) Repo Man (1984)
Alex Cox's directorial debut, Repo Man, works on many different levels, making it a masterpiece. When a punk rocker becomes a recovery agent at a repossession firm, he soon finds himself on a mission to find a car that aliens inhabit. What follows is some brilliantly written black comedy and performances that perfectly complement the writing.
The film is known for its satire on American culture and the widespread consumerism that controlled lives at the time. The film was highly acclaimed and continues to be a critics' favorite.
Set in Los Angeles in the heart of Hollywood, it is also considered one of the best films set in the city. Repo Man is close to Secret Headquarters in terms of its story and the mood of a mission-oriented central conflict.
2) Back To The Future (1985)
Arguably one of the best science fiction films out of Hollywood, Back To The Future found its place in the list of cult classics. With an eccentric scientist and a vulnerable protagonist, Back To The Future popularized all the concepts now considered science fiction cliches.
Marty travels back in time and has to set things right before one thing leads to another and messes up the sequence of events. The film follows him as he tries to ensure his parents fall in love so that the present day remains in order. Numerous films borrowed this trope from Back To The Future and even applied similar rules of time travel to other stories.
Like Secret Headquarters, Back To The Future features a protagonist who, throughout the movie, discovers science and fantasy while coming to terms with several personal truths.
3) Donnie Darko (2001)
This Jake Gyllenhaal and Drew Barrymore starrer is another classic in the list of genre-defining science fiction films from Hollywood. It includes themes of apocalypse and is a psychological thriller while also being a science fiction fantasy.
Like Secret Headquarters, Donnie Darko features a young protagonist but is much darker in its narrative. When Donnie Darko, an introvert, starts seeing and developing a friendship with an imaginary bunny, it tells him that the world is nearing its end. The film follows the protagonist dealing with the news and what makes him see this friend occupies.
4) Attack The Block (2011)
Attack The Block is a sci-fi action film that deals with an extra-terrestrial invasion of the protagonist's world. As aliens invade parts of London, a group of teenagers attempts to save their homes. The trailer of Secret Headquarters also explores a similar storyline with much younger protagonists.
Attack The Block is funny and fast-paced. It received some great reviews after its release and is one of the best science fiction films in recent times. It fuses sci-fi with fantasy. What's interesting is that the filmmaker is slated to make a sequel for the film after all this time in 2022. This one's a must-watch for sci-fi fans.
5) Big Hero 6 (2014)
Big Hero 6 is similar to Secret Headquarters and is a brilliant superhero film. The movie features some exciting elements of a superhero movie and revolves around Hero who is eager to avenge his brother's death but, on his journey, finds out some fascinating truths about his brother's world.
Big Hero 6 is also one of the finest animated films as it uses the scope of animation to bring the fantasies of science alive. The movie is generally categorized as a family film but makes for a great sci-fi watch.
Secret Headquarters has a lot of high points, with one of them being Owen Wilson. However, considering the intriguing trailer, it would be unfair to attribute the entire film's anticipation to his involvement.
Watch Secret Headquarters as it streams on Paramount+ from August 12, 2022.
