Steampunk Films
What is Steampunk you ask? The genre started as a fantasy take on science fiction. Think Jules Verne or H.G. Wells and you'll get the idea. Steampunk movies are a subcategory of science fiction with, you guessed it, steam-operated machinery based in the 18th and 19th centuries. Common materials you'll see are brass, chrome and copper. They commonly express the darker side of society and often feature sky pirates, mechanics, magicians and con artists. In other words, they're a very unusual but fun mix of speculative fiction and mystery with a gritty gothic vibe. The world in Steampunk movies often reflect the styles of the Victorian era and more advanced technology of the Industrial Revolution.
Origins/Classics
This is where it all began. Verne's fantasy adventure hit Hollywood with full32gb'>iPod.
For sea monsters and time warps galore:
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20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
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The Time Machine (1960)
Steampunk in the 80s
Okay, so there was a pretty large gap in time before Steampunk regained its throne. The 1970s (and a lot of the 1980s) were full of the post so there's a plus.
Our top hats and goggles go off to you, Mr. Gilliam:
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Time Bandits (1981)
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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
Horror/Gothic
What can you say about the 1990s except that it was a decade of depressed, angsty youth revolting against social norms. Even the films reflected that dark, broody mentality. Tim Burton, we're looking at you.
There's something innate about the gothic style that matches the industrial:
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Edward Scissorhands (1990)
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Sleepy Hollow (1999)
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Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)
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Van Helsing (2004)
Mystery/Thriller
If you have cool brass gadgets, pocket watches and some sort of magic trick, then you have a Steampunk mystery film. They usually involve some sort of unusual murder, death or disappearance. Add in a big name star and you've got a popcorn worthy fun film.
For some revamped and gritty "who-dunnits":
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Dark City (1998)
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The Illusionist (2006)
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The Prestige (2006)
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Sherlock Holmes (2009)
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City of Lost Children (1995)
Western
When you want steam that's when you look for Steampunk westerns.
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Wild Wild West (1999)
Action
You can always depend on action films for special effects. Steampunk action films tend to be visually stunning because the gothic industrial worlds are captivating. If nothing else, you'll feel satisfied that you got some eye candy and cool fight sequences.
Be prepared to be transported into a whole new realm of sci-fi:
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The Time Machine (2002)
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The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (2003)
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Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Anime
Miyazaki and Otomo own this category. Don't even argue. While some may say, "Anime is a cartoon!" don't be fooled. Many would go so far as to call it an art form. Anime is a good medium for Steampunk because the stories can mix the adventure of traditional myth and folklore with the action-based plot lines we expect to get in a cinematic experience.
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Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
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Steamboy (2004)
Kids
If we're going to be honest, kid movies rock. They're even our guilty pleasures. The light-hearted (or at least slapstick) pokes fun at how seriously we take ourselves sometimes. There truly is nothing greater in fantasy than flights of fancy free and space pirate adventures!
Full steam ahead! Get going on your adventure now:
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Treasure Planet (2002)
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Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
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The Golden Compass (2007)
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Stardust (2007)
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City of Ember (2008)
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Related Guides
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Science Fiction and Fantasy Films
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Steampunk
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Steampunk Comics and Graphic Novels
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Science Fiction TV Shows
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