Sci-fi movies can really explore a plethora of topics, from advancing technology to dystopian futures. Personally, one of my favorite, more underrated aspects of the genre is when the concept of cloning is injected into a narrative, which is why Mickey 17 checked so many boxes for me. It’s truly an underrated sci-fi gem that a lot of people missed in 2025, which has been a very common theme in science fiction films.
But for as good and wacky as Mickey 17 is, it made me seek out some other films that focus on cloning. While I still think it’s an underserved concept, at least in film (there are tons of sci-fi books about the subject), I discovered some truly weird, great films that took cloning to a whole new level.
Moon
Sam Rockwell, but more than one
This 2009 gem is a film I have talked about before, for good reason. It’s one of my favorite sci-fi films because it’s ambitiously weird, and anchored by a hilarious and affecting performance by Sam Rockwell. Actually, more than one performance, as it turns out. Much like Mickey 17, Rockwell plays various clones of one person in Moon.
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It’s a disturbing tale of what cloning can be, because Rockwell’s character is not initially aware that he’s a clone. He fully believes he’s nearing the end of his contract aboard a station on a lunar mine, and that he’ll be going home to be with his wife. In reality, the original Rockwell character has been home for years now, and he’s just another clone in a long line of them. It’s a devastating, beautiful film that really captures the feeling of being alone in space, only with clones.
Moon
- Release Date
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July 10, 2009
- Runtime
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97 minutes
- Director
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Duncan Jones
- Writers
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Nathan Parker
Multiplicity
For when one of you is just not enough
I was surprised to find that Multiplicity was not exactly well-received by critics when it was first released. While it’s not the greatest film in the world, I do love the concept of a man making a clone of himself, only to then have that clone do the same thing, and so on. Especially when these clones are all various versions of Michael Keaton, who is at his comedic best here, he’s absolutely brilliant at injecting each clone with their own distinct personality.
The concept that a clone of a clone would be a little less than the original is also fascinating, though some of its usage here is a bit outdated and problematic. Still, Multiplicity is one of those rare comedy films that tries out a sci-fi angle and very nearly pulls it off. Plus, it’s a lot stranger than I remember it being.
Multiplicity
- Release Date
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July 17, 1996
- Runtime
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117 Minutes
- Director
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Harold Ramis
- Writers
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Chris Miller, Mary Hale, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
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Michael Keaton
Doug Kinney
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Andie MacDowell
Laura Kinney
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Katie Schlossberg
Jennifer Kinney
Oblivion
No, not the game
This Tom Cruise-starring film is filled with ambitious ideas. A post-apocalyptic world of mystery, devastated by an alien war. A man trying to discover the truth about who he is, or who he was. And, yes, a very big chunk of that centers on cloning. Oblivion is another movie that wasn’t exactly praised, though it did have its defenders. I am absolutely one of them.
While I do wish that the script did a better job of exploring its themes, Oblivion is well-directed by Joseph Kosinski. He injects a level of strangeness into the film that makes it feel as alien and removed from our world as it should. Plus, Cruise gives one of his more understated performances. He’s still that action hero that his fans have come to expect, but there’s a level of complexity to his character that you don’t often see the actor tackle in his more modern roles.
Oblivion
- Release Date
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April 19, 2013
- Runtime
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124minute
- Director
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Joseph Kosinski
- Writers
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Karl Gajdusek, Joseph Kosinski, Michael Arndt
The 6th Day
Classic Arnold action
I don’t know that it’s necessarily weirder than any of the films on this list, or even Mickey 17, but it’s still fitfully bonkers, especially for a latter-day Arnold Schwarzenegger action vehicle. In The 6th Day, he plays a man who comes home to discover he’s been replaced by a clone and sets out to uncover the sinister secret behind it. This has everything from ridiculous action sequences to barely believable evil corporation motivations.
But The 6th Day knows exactly what kind of movie it is, and it’s never less than fun. It also somewhat explores the moral complexities of cloning, but that’s not what will make you stick around. You know exactly what you’re getting when it comes to a film like this, and it delivers in spades.
The 6th Day
- Release Date
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November 17, 2000
- Runtime
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123 minutes
- Director
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Roger Spottiswoode
- Writers
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Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley
I need more cloning in my sci-fi movies
For real, though. I would love to see more movies embrace the concept of cloning. While it’s popped up quite a lot in sci-fi television shows, we rarely see it done well in film. Mickey 17 was a nice offering, and it’s truly fun, but more filmmakers need to take some cues from it and evolve the concept. Speaking of, if you’re looking for some unsettling sci-fi shows to check out, we have some recommendations.
