It would be nice if Netflix gave sci-fi movies the same kind of attention that romantic comedies, action films, and thrillers get on the streaming service. Instead, there are only a comparative handful of sci-fi titles at any given time, as Netflix relies on outside studios to shore up its sci-fi selection. It’s even worse if you’re looking for fantasy movies on Netflix. This month, Netflix only added three sci-fi films of note: Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Prometheus, and Real Steel.
Keep reading for our roundup of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix, and we’ll give you the top options that subscribers opt for when they want to vicariously visit another world.
In need of a few more suggestions? We’ve curated a guide to the best sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime Video and the best sci-fi movies on Hulu, too.
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Prometheus2012
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Real Steel2011
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) new
If fans didn’t get enough of the titular creature in 2014’s Godzilla, then they got their money’s worth in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. This time, classic monsters like Rodan and Mothra make their modern debuts, as Titans start awakening all over the world. But Godzilla’s reign as the king is threatened by an even more formidable three-headed beast called King Ghidorah.
Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) had some very extreme ideas about using the Titans to heal the Earth, and this mess with the reawakened Titans is largely her fault. That’s why Emma’s estranged husband, Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler), and their young daughter, Madison Russell (Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown), attempt to help Godzilla come out on top.
Prometheus (2012) new
The Alien universe begins in the prequel film, Prometheus. But you’ll be waiting a long time before the Xenomorphs show up. Instead, this film is about the search for the Engineers, the enigmatic creators of humanity. In the future, Weyland Corp sends the Prometheus on a trip into deep space after a star map is discovered on Earth.
Captain Janek (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty‘s Idris Elba), Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), and the rest of Prometheus’ crew are accompanied by David (The Killer‘s Michael Fassbender), an android who isn’t particularly fond of humanity. And David’s machinations unleash something that even he can’t control.
Real Steel (2011) new
Real Steel is the story of a father, Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), his son, Max (Dakota Goyo), and their boxing robot, Atom. In a future where boxers have been replaced by robots, Charlie finds that he has no purpose except to keep running fights with robot boxers. When Charlie’s ex-girlfriend dies, he temporarily assumes custody of Max.
Father and son bond when they find Atom in a junkyard, and the robot turns out to be a resilient fighter in the ring. But when the unexpected trio faces a major setback, Charlie will need to figure out what he really wants out of life.
Dune (2021)
The spice must flow in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Spice makes interstellar travel possible, and it can only be found on the planet Arrakis, which is also called Dune. Even before he steps foot on the planet, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) experiences visions of his future on Arrakis alongside a Fremen woman called Chani (Zendaya).
Before Paul can fulfill that destiny, his father Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) is betrayed by the Emperor to their greatest enemies, House Harkonnen. Overnight, Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), lose everything but the clothes on their backs. And Paul will have to make new alliances to reclaim what was theirs.
War of the Worlds (2005)
For his second collaboration with Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg took on H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. In this modern retelling, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a divorced father of two children, Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie Ferrier (Justin Chatwin). Shortly after his ex-wife, Mary Ann (Miranda Otto), drops the kids off, Ray witnesses the alien invasion of the Earth.
Because of Ray’s foresight, he and his children have the only working car in the city. But with the aliens’ relentless onslaught, that advantage doesn’t last long. Even if Ray can find his way back to Mary, he may not be able to protect his children from this hell on Earth.
Elysium (2013)
Neill Blomkamp’s second film, Elysium, envisions a future where the Earth is dying and the rich and powerful live in luxury on the orbital space station Elysium. Matt Damon stars as Max Da Costa, an ex-criminal-turned-day laborer on Earth who is exposed to a fatal level of radiation. Since the cure for his condition can only be found on Elysium, Max accepts a risky job to attack Armadyne Corp CRO John Carlyle (William Fichtner).
What Max doesn’t know is that the info he stole from Carlyle’s head is proof that Defense Secretary Jessica Delacourt (Jodie Foster) is attempting to pull off a coup and assume control of Elysium. That’s why she sent a psychotic killer, Agent M. Kruger (Sharlto Copley), to retrieve the info at any cost.
Dredd (2012)
The British comic book, Judge Dredd, was previously adapted as a movie in 1995 with Sylvester Stallone, but it failed to launch a franchise. The popular 2012 sci-fi remake, Dredd, was also far from a commercial blockbuster, but it’s a much better movie. Karl Urban absolutely owns the title role as Dredd, one of the leading Judges in Mega-City One. Olivia Thirlby co-stars as Cassandra Anderson, a rookie Judge with psi powers who is out on her training evaluation with Dredd.
In this dystopian future, Judges are the equivalent of the police and the courts, and they have the authority to dispense justice as they see fit. Unfortunately for Anderson and Dredd, they soon find themselves locked in an apartment high rise run by a crime lord, Madeline “Ma-Ma” Madrigal (Lena Headey). And she’ll do anything to see both Judges dead.
Snowpiercer (2013)
Before director Bong Joon-ho won his Oscars for Parasite, he helmed Snowpiercer, a Korean film that adapts the comic book by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette. In the dark future established in this film, scientists have accidentally triggered a second ice age, and the last survivors of humanity are all joined together on a train that is constantly moving. However, class warfare is alive and well, and the poor people live in squalor in the rear of the train.
When Curtis Everett (Chris Evans) has enough of the abuse, he leads an uprising against the front cars alongside Namgoong Minsoo (Song Kang-ho). But they face fierce resistance from Minister Mason (Tilda Swinton), as the battle for the future of humanity begins.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
Very early on in They Cloned Tyrone, a drug dealer named Fontaine (John Boyega) is brutally murdered in front of one of his clients, Slick Charles (Foxx), and one of his Slick’s girls, Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris). But much to the surprise of Slick Charles and Yo-Yo, Fontaine shows up the next day without any memory of what happened to him.
While investigating the mystery of Fontaine’s apparent resurrection, the trio uncover a clone conspiracy that has very troubling implications for their lives and their future. And if they want to save themselves, Fontaine, Slick Charles, and Yo-Yo need to fight back.
The One (2001)
Jet Li’s Gabe Law is the title character of The One … or is it Gabriel Yulaw? As a member of the Multiverse Authority, Gabriel had the bright idea of killing all of his other counterparts in the multiverse in the hope that this would give him god-like powers. Gabriel betrayed two of his colleagues, Evan Funsch (Jason Statham) and Harry Rodecker (Delroy Lindo), in pursuit of his mad plan. Now, Gabriel’s ambitions are close to being realized.
As the last living variant of Gabriel, Gabe is also gifted with extraordinary powers. And when Gabriel arrives in his universe to kill him, Gabe is the only one who can stand up to him.
65 (2023)
65 doesn’t try to hide its sci-fi premise. It’s about a pilot named Mills (Adam Driver), a man who accepts a long-term gig as a pilot to provide for his family. But when his starship crash lands on Earth 65 million years ago, Mills is left with no way to reunite with his wife, Nevine (Chloe Coleman), and their daughter, Alya (Nika King).
The only thing that gives Mills the will to live is Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), a young girl who is the only other survivor. When Mills discovers a potential escape from prehistoric Earth, he escorts Koa across a landscape that is filled with very ravenous and very dangerous dinosaurs.
Captain Nova (2021)
Captain Nova (Anniek Pheifer) has come from the future to save the past in the Dutch sci-fi movie that shares her name. Unfortunately, for Nova, the trip back in time has also changed her into a 12-year-old child. And young Nova (Kika van de Vijver) soon realizes that her mission is now nearly impossible because of this unforeseen side effect.
With few other viable options, Nova teams up with a kid named Nas (Marouane Meftah) as she attempts to rewrite the future by taking on a greedy corporation. And if Nova fails, her future is destined to unfold in the same way that it did before.
Astro Boy (2009)
Casual fans may not recall that Astro Boy was one of the first anime series that broke out in the U.S. during the 1960s. But none of that background info is necessary for the 2009 feature film that updates Astro Boy’s origin. Freddie Highmore headlines the cast as Toby Tenma, the son of a prominent inventor, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage).
When Toby is accidentally killed, Tenma is able to recreate Toby’s personality in the body of a robot that eventually takes the name Astro. And while Astro is not truly Toby, his innate goodness leads him to become a hero to his fellow robots, as well as the protector that Metro City desperately needs.
Rim of the World (2019)
McG’s Rim of the World takes its inspiration from the kid-centric sci-fi films that Steven Spielberg produced and directed in the 1980s. At the Rim of the World summer camp in California, Alex (Jack Gore) is a boy who is still grieving the loss of his father when he starts bonding with his fellow social rejects, ZhenZhen (Miya Cech), Dariush (Benjamin Flores Jr.), and Gabriel (Alessio Scalzotto).
Much to their collective surprise, Alex and his new friends discover that they are in the midst of an alien invasion. And they may be the only ones left who can deliver the key to victory to NASA … if they can live long enough to escape.
What Happened to Monday (2017)
Warriors of Future (2022)
Spiderhead (2022)
Morbius (2022)
The Adam Project (2022)
Stowaway (2021)
Synchronic (2020)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
The Swarm (2020)
Army of the Dead (2021)
Oxygen (2021)
Spectral (2016)
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Outside the Wire (2021)
The Discovery (2017)
The Wandering Earth (2019)
Mirage (2018)
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Advantageous (2015)
Project Power (2020)
Bird Box (2018)
See You Yesterday (2019)
Beyond Skyline (2017)
Okja (2017)
I Am Mother (2019)
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