Sci-fi movies give viewers a chance to be transported to other worlds or see things on planet Earth that we could only dream of. If you’re a fan of the genre looking for something to watch, let us help you with our picks for the best sci-fi movie on Netflix right now.
From some of the most famous sci-fi movies of all time to some more hidden gems, big blockbuster adventures to the more thought provoking entries, Netflix has a variety of sci-fi movies to scratch whatever itch you may have. While a number of these pics are Netflix original movies, so will be on the service presumably forever, others come from outside of Netflix, so may be moving in and out of the library, so be sure to check back with our list for the latest movies available.
So, read on to find our picks for the 22 best sci-fi movies on Netflix right now.
The Adam Project (2022)
For anyone who misses the charm and sense of awe that many sci-fi movies had in the 80s (think E.T., Back to the Future) but loves modern visual effects, then The Adam Project checks off both those boxes. A time travel adventure that sees a young boy named Adam (Walker Scobell) meet his older self (Ryan Reynolds), who is on a mission to save the future. Reynolds is unsurprisingly charming, while the movie’s light and humorous moments blend well with the action and some of the emotional ones. Available: US/UK
Annihilation (2018)
Writer/director Alex Garland has given us some of the best sci-fi movies of the last decade, including Annihilation. Natalie Portman leads a group of scientists (including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriguez) into a mysterious zone that has appeared on Earth where the laws of nature don’t apply. What secrets does it hold and can any of them get out alive? You’ll have to watch this thrilling movie to find out. Available: UK only
Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022)
While this may not be the type of sci-fi you think of initially, Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood provides a fictionalized tale of a young kid being recruited by NASA as part of the Apollo program as they work to get the kinks out of it, so we’re counting it. But beyond its made-up story of a teenage astronaut, Apollo 10 1/2 is a story that reflects on the 1960s and the excitement caused by the space race. Available: US/UK
Attack the Block (2011)
Before Star Wars or Doctor Who, John Boyega and Jodie Whitaker found themselves at the center of another sci-fi adventure, the alien invasion movie Attack the Block. The movie stars a teen gang in South London who take it upon themselves to battle a group of vicious aliens that have landed by their apartment complex. The movie is a blast, but like many great sci-fi films before it, it has an underlying message that adds an extra dimension to the proceedings. Available: UK only
The Discovery (2017)
When a scientist proves that there is definitely an afterlife, some people decide that it’s best to just move on to what comes next while others are left to find new meaning to life. This is what is at the heart of The Discovery, a thought-provoking drama starring Jason Segel, Robert Redford, Rooney Mary, Jesse Plemons and Riley Keough. Available: US/UK
District 9 (2009)
District 9 came practically out of nowhere to be a box office and critical hit. The movie that introduced most of the world to Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley, is a faux documentary that follows a human who works for the government managing a slum created for aliens that landed and are trapped on Earth. The movie also highlights the hate and violence that arises from their presence. Available: UK only
Dune: Part One (2021)
Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi tale Dune was masterfully brought onto the big screen by Denis Villeneuve. Broken into two parts (Dune: Part Two is currently playing in movie theaters), the first Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his family as they arrive to take over the desert planet Arrakis, where the most powerful resource in the galaxy is mined. That of course puts a target on their backs. A star-studded cast and a massive scope make these Dune movies some of the best sci-fi movies this century. Available: UK only
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow was mostly overlooked when it first came out (quite possibly because its title admittedly isn’t that great), which is a real shame because it is a fantastic sci-fi movie starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Cruise stars as a cowardly soldier thrust into combat to fight off an alien invasion. But when he dies that first day, he is inadvertently given the power to reset the day any time that he dies, giving him a chance to save humanity. It has become a fan-favorite since more people have discovered it, and you can too by streaming it on Netflix. Available: UK only
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Multiverses, a bagel that can destroy the universe, martial arts and hot dog fingers all make Everything Everywhere All at Once a great and outrageous sci-fi adventure. But what elevated it to the point where it also became a Best Picture winner is that at its heart it is a story of a family reconnecting, with brilliant (and Oscar-winning) performances from Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis (not to mention an Oscar-nominated turn from Stephanie Hsu). Available: US only
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
You can enjoy all of the main four The Hunger Games movies on Netflix right now, but if we had to pick just one to re-watch, we’re going with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The first sequel to the dystopian future series adds political intrigue and a bigger picture that wasn’t quite as strong as the first Hunger Games movie, while it also adds the time in the arena that is by far the strongest quality of the series. It’s the perfect balance for the franchise. Available: US only
Jurassic Park (1993)
While space and aliens may be the most popular ways to dig into the sci-fi genre, Jurassic Park fits the bill as it deals with scientists creating something that we humans have never seen before — dinosaurs. Steven Spielberg’s adventure tale remains one of his most beloved movies, as Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum must try and escape the titular park when things go off the rails and dinosaurs are let loose. Available: US only
Looper (2012)
Time travel is another popular sci-fi element, but Rian Johnson threw an interesting wrinkle in it with his movie Looper. In this world, time travel is used by criminal organizations, often sending people they want killed back in time to be taken care of by hitmen known as Loopers. However, when a Looper comes face to face with his future self, he is unable to keep him from escaping, which threatens to change both his present and the future. Available: US only
The Martian (2015)
Matt Damon often gets himself stuck in tricky situations. In Saving Private Ryan, it was behind enemy lines in World War Two, while in The Martian it is being stranded on Mars and forced to, as he puts it, “science the s**t” out of his situation to be rescued. Damon carries the movie as the wise-cracking but brilliant astronaut, but the Ridley Scott movie also features a great soundtrack and really makes the science central to the rescue mission accessible and thrilling. Available: UK only
The Matrix (1999)
There’s an argument to be made that The Matrix is the greatest original sci-fi concept for a movie since Star Wars (we’re not counting adaptations like Dune). It’s thrilling to see Neo (Keanu Reeves) punch and kick his way out of the Wachowskis vision of an apocalyptic future where machines harvest humans as batteries while their consciousness lives in an artificial world called the Matrix. Despite the lackluster sequels, The Matrix remains an all-time classic. Available: US only
Melancholia (2011)
Many sci-fi movies deal with the end of the world, but few of them ever actually end things with Earth’s destruction, but Melancholia does; sorry for the spoilers, but the movie is 13 years old. It doesn’t matter if you know the ending though, because the impending doom is just the window dressing for this story of depression. It sounds like a downer, and to be fair the movie kind of is, but it’s also incredibly well acted and directed, that’s truly worth a watch. Available: US only
Okja (2017)
Bong Joon Ho’s Okja is an ambitious story of a young girl who goes on a mission to rescue the genetically altered pig that she has helped raise from the company that created it and wants to turn it into a new kind of food. While that seems dark, and the movie is certainly that at times, it also has a sincere heart amplified by the friendship of the girl and the titular Okja. Available: US/UK
Ready Player One (2018)
Steven Spielberg has created many memorable pop culture moments with his movies, so it is fitting then that he was at the helm of Ready Player One, based on the book from Ernest Cline about a virtual reality world where pop culture is basically the currency. We won’t go as far as to call Ready Player One top-tier Spielberg, but it is a fun ride at the very least. Available: US only
Source Code (2011)
The Groundhog Day effect is something that has been recycled for a number of movies (including the already-referenced Edge of Tomorrow). Source Code is another example of a movie using this creatively, as Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a soldier tasked with finding a bomber on a train and only eight minutes to do so, experiencing the situation over and over again until he gets it right. Available: UK only
Spaceman (2024)
Spaceman is an ambitious psychological drama about an astronaut (Adam Sandler) who goes on a solo mission investigating a new phenomenon and comes in contact with an alien creature that attempts to understand his complicated past. In addition to getting strong performances from Sandler and his co-stars, director Johan Renck crafted a gripping and beautiful story of connection even if people are separated by the cosmos. Available: US/UK
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
While superhero movies are a genre to themselves at this point, many of the best ones lean into other genres, like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and sci-fi. Its multiverse storyline gives this take on Spider-Man its sci-fi credentials, but it truly raises the bar with how it uses different animation styles for all the different universes and Spider-people we are introduced to. But all of that is window dressing to the characters and plot that have made the story of Miles Morales probably the best Spider-Man movies yet (yeah, I said it). Available: US only
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
A second John Boyega movie makes the list, as he stars alongside Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx in They Cloned Tyrone. As the title suggests, the plot of the movie revolves around a cloning conspiracy that Boyega, Parris and Foxx’s characters stumble upon, which turns out to be a massive government conspiracy. Available: US/UK
Vivarium (2019)
We’ll go ahead and call Vivarium the strangest movie we have on this list, and it won’t take you long to see why. Jesse Eisenberg and Imogene Poots star as a couple that move into a new house, but soon find themselves stuck in the labyrinth of their new neighborhood. Things only get weirder from there. It’s the kind of heady sci-fi that you’ll either absolutely love or wonder what the heck you just watched, but we are definitely in the former camp. Available: US only
