DexertoDo you love out-of-this-world settings, bizarre creatures, and thoughtful musings about humanity’s relationship with technology? If so, you need to check out our list of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix.
Why? Well, because our team of film fanatics has scoured the streaming service’s back catalog to ensure that only the best sci-fi movies (and some of the best movies) earned a spot on this list.
What I’m saying is that we weren’t content to put any old rubbish – I’m looking at you, Cloverfield Paradox – on this list or whatever’s new on Netflix this month. We only wanted the best of the best of the best (sir!).
As a result of those exacting standards, we’ve got an incredible selection of films for you that includes everything from awesome action movies to zany… zany… hmmm, there’s no genre beginning with Z. I should probably rethink this A-Z bit… You know what? I’m a bit embarrassed. Why don’t you read on. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can think of a way to finish this tortured gag.
15. The Platform
Netflix- Release date: November 8, 2019
- Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
- Cast: Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor
- Region: Worldwide
- How long is it? 1 hour 34 minutes
What it’s about: Set in a terrible, towering prison where inmates rely on a single platform for food and water, this film follows several inmates as they fight to survive by any means possible.
Why we like it: A dystopian nightmare that makes Squid Game look like a fun time, The Platform is as grim as sci-fi gets – and we love it for that. The film is a brutal, stomach-churning metaphor for class struggle, where the rich feast and the poor starve (literally). If you’ve ever had an existential crisis about wealth inequality, this will push you over the edge. And if you haven’t? Well, get ready.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
14. It’s What’s Inside
Netflix- Release date: October 4, 2024
- Director: Greg Jardin
- Cast: Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey
- Region: Worldwide
- How long is it? 1 hour 43 minutes
What it’s about: A group of old college friends reunites for a wedding and end up using classified technology to indulge in some good-natured body-swapping (who wouldn’t?). Predictably, the fun comes to an end however when the “friends” start to show their true colors.
Why we like it: Imagine a game of Werewolf, but instead of playful accusations, you get paranoia-fueled existential horror. It’s What’s Inside is a dinner party thriller where secrets fester and the sci-fi twists hit harder than your worst hangover. Brazen, bonkers, and wickedly sharp, this high-concept mind-bender keeps you guessing until the final reveal.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
13. About Time
Universal- Release date: November 1, 2013
- Director: Richard Curtis
- Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy
- Region: US
- How long is it? 2 hours 3 minutes
What it’s about: After Tim Lake discovers he can time travel at will, he tries to use his new powers to improve his love life.
Why we like it: About Time may not fit the narrow confines of your sci-fi box, but face the facts: it’s about a man who can travel back in time, and that’s classic science fiction. It also happens to be a humble masterpiece, one of the greatest rom-coms ever made, and the best movie Richard Curtis has ever directed. I don’t know anyone who’s watched it and hasn’t been reduced to a laughing, sobbing, and heart-torn mess by the end; “All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride.”
Words by Cameron Frew
12. Spaceman
Netflix- Release date: February 23, 2024
- Director: Johan Renck
- Cast: Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Kunal Nayyar
- Region: Worldwide
- How long is it? 1 hour 47 minutes
What it’s about: Six months into a space mission to investigate a mysterious phenomenon near Jupiter, an increasingly lonely astronaut named Jakub encounters a strange spider-like creature who wants to help him with his isolation.
Why we like it: Adam Sandler in a dramatic role, the director of Chernobyl, Paul Dano playing a Nutella-loving arachnid from deep within the cosmos; Spaceman should be an easy sell. It’s not as groundbreaking as Solaris, nor is it as affecting as Interstellar, but it charts a similarly poignant odyssey. This is a sweet, earnest, and quietly wondrous movie about a man who’s made himself unknowable, and how love is the only thing that can save him.
Words by Cameron Frew
11. Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
BBC- Release date: January 3, 2025
- Director: Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham
- Cast: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith
- Region: US
- How long is it? 1 hour 19 minutes
What it’s about: Wallace and his faithful pal Gromit start a new gardening business using their latest invention, a robotic garden gnome called Norbot. Unfortunately, their old enemy, Feather’s McGraw, plots his terrible revenge in the local zoo and he’s got plans for the gnome.
Why we like it: Sorry, but if you don’t like Wallace & Gromit, you need an exorcism. The claymation duo might not ever be able to top the greatest train chase scene of all time, but the return of Feathers McGraw comes in a very close second. Vengeance Most Fowl holds up to any of its predecessors, proving even in our irony-soaked world there’s still room for classic wordplay and silly slapstick. It’s also the reason I’ve been pronouncing “hoodlum” strangely since Christmas.
Words by Jasmine Valentine
10. Upgrade
Universal Pictures- Release date: June 1, 2018
- Director: Leigh Whannell
- Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson
- Region: US
- How long is it? 1 hour 10 minutes
What it’s about: After Grey Trace is left paralyzed in a brutal attack, he’s given a new lease on life when tech genius Eron Keen offers him an implant that will restore his mobility. However, when Grey decides to track down those who hurt him and his family, he realizes that his upgrade was anything but free.
Why we like it: John Wick’s influence on mainstream movie action has been enormous, but Leigh Whannel created a singular and brutal visual language with Upgrade that makes every punch and blood-splattering gunshot feel like a bolt of lightning. On this occasion, “robotic” is very much a compliment. It’s the ultimate descendant of RoboCop; a teeth-clinchingly violent, prescient techno-thriller that gets better every year.
Words by Cameron Frew
9. Okja
Netflix- Release date: June 28, 2017
- Director: Bong Joon-ho
- Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Ahn Seo-hyun
- Region: Worldwide
- How long is it? 2 hours
What it’s about: A young girl named Mija fights to free her super pig (just roll with it), Okja, from the slaughterhouse and breaks everyone’s heart along the way.
Why we like it: Our Features Editor had to force me to write this entry (Features Editor: It’s true) because, honestly, Okja has left me emotionally scarred. Bong Joon-ho brutally stabbed me in the heart before Parasite was even a thing, all thanks to a creature that isn’t quite an elephant, hippo, or manatee (look at its face). Tilda Swinton plays the kind of exceptional villain you love to hate, and everything we despise about today’s society is confronted. You will absolutely cry and never want to eat meat again. If anything, thank me for the health kick.
Written by Jasmine Valentine
8. They Cloned Tyrone
Netflix- Release date: July 21, 2023
- Director: Juel Taylor
- Cast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx
- Region: Worldwide
- How long is it? 1 hour 59 minutes
What it’s about: After a drug deal turns deadly, a group of criminals accidentally uncovers a dark government conspiracy involving cloning, mind control, and fried chicken…
Why we like it: A wild sci-fi conspiracy wrapped in Blaxploitation aesthetics, They Cloned Tyrone is Get Out meets The Truman Show with a splash of Black Dynamite thrown in for good measure. Boyega, Parris, and Foxx are a dream team, delivering hilarious, razor-sharp performances as they uncover a sinister experiment in their neighborhood. Packed with social commentary, 70s-style funk, and enough WTF moments to keep you glued, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the real world is weirder than (science) fiction.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
7. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Netflix- Release date: April 30, 2021
- Director: Mike Rianda
- Cast: Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric André, Olivia Colman
- Region: Worldwide
- How long is it? 1 hour 49 minutes
What it’s about: When the Mitchells set off on a cross-country road trip, they have more than family arguments to worry about – they have to contend with a robotic uprising!
Why we like it: Gorgeously animated and spectacularly heartfelt, The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a whip-smart sci-fi comedy about the importance of family in the face of a growing reliance on technology. Don’t worry; it’s not all thoughtful pondering on humanity’s relationships with robots; there are plenty of jokes. In fact, the film machine guns you with quips, gags, and one-liners like a demented Terminator desperate to make you laugh and best of all, unlike the T-800, it succeeds in its mission.
Words by Tom Percival
6. Dune: Part Two
Warner Bros.- Release date: March 1, 2024
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin
- Region: US
- How long is it? 2 hours 46 minutes
What it’s about: Following the events of Dune: Part One, Paul Atreides and his new Fremen allies take the fight to the Haarkonen, who have conquered the planet Arrakis and taken control of the planet’s Spice.
Why we like it: On a technical level, Dune Part 2 is an undeniable marvel on the same level as the Lord of the Rings movies; it looks incredible and possibly sounds even better. Honestly, it’s remarkable how Villeneuve has managed to conjure Arrakis from the deserts of Jordan and made the wider ‘Duniverse’ feel like a real, living, breathing place – familiar yet alien at the same time. Beyond the production design, Dune 2’s also an exciting film full of spectacular set pieces and cathartic confrontations between mortal enemies. Yet for all the bombast and despite the heat of Arrakis’ sun, there’s a coldness to this film that means it’s easy to admire but hard to love.
Words by Tom Percival
5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures- Release date: June 2, 2023
- Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson
- Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Vélez
- Region: US
- How long is it? 2 hours 20 minutes
What it’s about: Miles takes another trip across the multiverse, encountering an entire Spider-Society and some old friends while also learning that with great power sometimes comes great sacrifice.
Why we like it: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse might have been peak superhero animation, but Across is an entirely worthy follow-up. This sequel ups the ante and introduces a whole new bunch of Spideys, each just as capable of stealing the show. Plus, it puts a new and genuinely exciting spin on the multiverse-hopping trend, and in this day and age of superhero movies, that’s very hard to do.
Words by Jessica Cullen
4. Annihilation
Netflix- Release date: February 23, 2018
- Director: Alex Garland
- Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson
- Region: Worldwide
- How long is it? 1 hour 55 minutes
What it’s about: When a meteor strikes Florida, it releases a strange radiation, creating a zone known as the Shimmer, where mutated creatures and plants run rampant. Desperate to stop the growing Shimmer, a group of scientists is dispatched to stop the phenomenon before it consumes the entire planet.
Why we like it: I have a soft spot for sci-fi horror and few films have frightened me as much as Annihilation. As anyone who’s ever read Lovecraft (or walked around a dark room) can tell you, there’s nothing more frightening than the unknown and the Shimmer and the mystifying threat it presents are terrifying concepts – although not quite as terrifying as the chimeras lurking in the iridescent glow of what was once Florida.
Words by Tom Percival
3. Godzilla Minus One
Toho- Release date: January 26, 2024
- Director: Takashi Yamazaki
- Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki
- Region: US
- How long is it? 2 hours 5 minutes
What it’s about: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. After a nuclear weapon is detonated in the Pacific, a gargantuan creature emerges from the depths to inflict its wrath on the people of post-war Japan.
Why we like it: Godzilla: Minus One is far and away the greatest Godzilla movie ever made and one of the best films of the decade. This is devastating, awe-inspiring stuff, a testament to the enduring (and evolving) legacy of cinema’s most iconic monster (sorry, King Kong) and the directorial prowess of Takashi Yamazaki. Hollywood and its goofy MonsterVerse should be embarrassed; I’m not sure Godzilla will ever be better than this.
Words by Cameron Frew
2. Mad Max Fury Road
Warner Bros. Pictures- Release date: May 15, 2015
- Director: George Miller
- Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
- Region: US
- How long is it? 2 hours
What it’s about: After being captured by the warlord Immortan Joe and used as a human blood bag, Max teams up with Imperator Furiosa to escape his insane captor and find the legendary Green Place.
Why we like it: Mad Max is one of those movies that doesn’t feel like it should be classified as a sci-fi. It’s too gritty, too dirty, and far too… well, earthy. But this apocalyptic reboot of the George Miller action movie is so otherworldly and bizarre, it’s operating on another level entirely. From the non-stop action sequences to the razor-sharp characters, Fury Road is a wild ride from start to finish.
Words by Jessica Cullen
1. Interstellar
Warner Bros. Pictures- Release date: November 7, 2014
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
- Region: US
- How long is it? 2 hours 49 minutes
What it’s about: As the Earth slowly dies, humanity turns to former NASA test pilot Joseph Cooper to pilot an experimental ship through a newly discovered wormhole in the hopes of finding a new home for humanity.
Why we like it: I’m going to throw this out there – Interstellar might be the best modern film about space in the infinite history of films about space (except 2001, obviously). It’s a Christopher Nolan special, so exquisite visuals, a well-crafted three-act story that’s as satisfying as it gets for movie nerds, and lead chemistry that will have your heart on the floor are all given. Our team loves it so much this is probably the 178947th time we’ve written about it, and we’ll never stop. NEVER. Even when Earth is uninhabitable, there’s beauty everywhere we look.
Written by Jasmine Valentine
Did you enjoy our list? I certainly did, and I’m sorry I couldn’t think of a neat way to finish that A-Z joke from earlier, so as a way of making it up to you, I’ve got something better: more lists. Yes, we’ve got an article breaking down the best Netflix thrillers, and the best Netflix shows for you to read next.
