Over the years, Netflix has expanded into a variety of genres with original content, but they never let go of being a go-to place for some of the best movies ever made. As the streaming wars continue and services like Disney+ and Apple TV+ continue to gain traction, Netflix is becoming less of the dominant go-to content hub that it used to be. That said, sci-fi fans can find great value in a Netflix subscription, thanks to the genre movies available on the platform.
Netflix broke out as a leader in the genre thanks to the original sci-fi series Stranger Things and that opened the floodgates to countless movies and streaming series for fans to enjoy. Much of its library consists of titles released in the past couple of decades, but there are a few classics on the streaming service for people who love all flavors of sci-fi. From big-budget action movies to more cerebral films about the dangers of technology, there is something on the service for everyone. For anyone looking for the best in sci-fi movies, Netflix remains a one-stop shop.
28
Spiderhead (2022)
Inmates Participate In A Drug Trial That Controls Emotions
Netflix released the original sci-fi movie Spiderhead in 2022, and it featured one of the biggest actors in the world today. MCU star Chris Hemsworth stars as a scientist who offers prisoners a chance to reduce their sentence time if they undergo experiments involving drug trials. These involve “love drugs” and other drugs that induce fear and psychological pain.
Opposite Hemsworth is Jeff (played by Miles Teller), a man who feels intense inner turmoil over killing his friend in a drinking and driving accident. He soon finds the scientist conducting the experiments is corrupt and unconcerned with the safety of the prisoners. The movie takes on some interesting sci-fi ideas and has a great cast, even if critics remarked the story didn’t hold up to the themes. Despite the bad reviews, the movie has a lot to offer fans of dystopian science fiction.
27
65 (2023)
A Pilot From Another World Crash Lands On Earth When It Was Ruled By Dinosaurs
65 stars Adam Driver as a man piloting a spacecraft that crash-lands on an alien planet where monsters attack. However, what makes this movie different is that the alien planet is Earth and this took place 65 million years ago and the monsters are dinosaurs. He and a young girl are the only survivors, and they have to find a way off the planet before an asteroid hits the Earth, ending the dinosaur age.
While 65 was a box office bomb and received lackluster reviews, it is also fun to see dinosaurs return to the screen to wreak havoc while also combining them with the fun sci-fi premise. What the movie likely did wrong was throwing out that these were dinosaurs in the promotional materials, rather than letting it come as a surprise. However, thanks to people discovering it on Netflix, the audience reception is much better, with a 65% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.
26
Advantageous (2015)
A Woman Undergoes A Procedure To Change Her Body
Advantageous takes place in the near future where living conditions are tough, and when cosmetics saleswoman Gwen (Jacqueline Kim) loses her job before she can get her daughter into an elite school, she agrees to undergo a medical procedure that will transfer her consciousness into a younger, racially ambiguous body to keep her job. However, the transfer does not go as expected.
Released exclusivel on Netflix, Advantageous delivers a thought-provoking approach in how it deals with gender roles and family dynamics in a wholly unique setup. The reception was tremendous for the film, with critics praising its story and themes, and awarding it a very high 86% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also an award winner, impressive for its lower budget. It won the Special Jury Prize at the VC FilmFest at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival while also winning for Best Director.
25
Mute (2018)
A Mute Man Investigates A Noir Mystery In The Future
After making his name with theatrical sci-fi releases Moon, Source Code, and Warcraft, Duncan Jones signed on to make the Netflix-exclusive sci-fi Mute. The film had a great cast, with comedy star Paul Rudd and Alexander Skarsgard in the lead roles. Skarsgard plays Leo, a man who became mute after an accident and when his mother refused to allow him to have surgery to help him.
As an adult, he works as a bartender and falls in love with a waitress who works with him, and this leads to him crossing an organized crime organization. WHen she disappears, he sets out to find her in the dystopian world of this universe. The Netflix sci-fi movie has amazing visuals and solid performances from the cast, but it was unfavorably compared to another great Earth-based sci-fi movie, Blade Runner 2049.
24
Dune (1984)
David Lynch’s Original Movie Adaptation
The new Dune movies left Netflix for other streaming services, but fans of the franchise still have one version to watch on the streaming giant. David Lynch’s 1984 version of Dune is still there for people to enjoy, and possibly compare to the more critically beloved new versions of the story. The Lynch version stars Kyle MacLachlan and is, if nothing else, a curiosity for fans of the Frank Herbert novels.
The biggest complaint about Lynch’s Dune is that the studio tried to fit all the story into one movie, which is impossible. The studio interference got so great that Lynch just walked away, and he still washes his hands of the entire movie, refusing to even consider a director’s cut, even after he became a critically acclaimed filmmaker. Despite its shortcomings, Dune has become a cult favorite and has more and more fans discovering it as the years go on.
23
Spaceman (2024)
Adam Sandler Is Sent Into Far Space
Adam Sandler has been making more movies that have him stretching his dramatic acting talents. In 2024, he took the lead role in the sci-fi drama Spaceman, based on the novel Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfai. In the movie, Sandler is a Czech astronaut sent on a space mission to investigate a mysterious cloud of dust and particles spotted beyond Jupiter. He leaves his wife on Earth to do so and is dealing with loneliness as he is out there by himself.
Things get bad when a South Korean mission also arrives, and they attempt to sabotage his journey and strand him in space. However, the story takes a wild turn when he realizes he isn’t alone and finds an alien that looks like a spider-like creature who communicates with him telepathically. The film is a meditation on grief and loneliness and uses the empty expanse of space to make it even harder. The reviews were average, with praise going to Sandler’s performance.
22
The Midnight Sky (2020)
A Man Attempts To Warn A Spaceship In The Cosmos Not To Return To Earth
George Clooney went to Netflix to direct the sci-fi movie The Midnight Sky. Based on the novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lili Brooks-Dalton, the movie takes place in a future where a global catastrophe is starting at the same time that an interplanetary spacecraft is on its way back to the planet. Clooney also stars in the movie as an academic who lives in the Arctic Circle and remains behind when others leave for safety to warn the spacecraft not to come back to Earth.
The Midnight Sky, which released exclusively on Netflix, is an exploration of loneliness and regret, and George Clooney is on top form, both behind and in front of the camera. The movie received a limited theatrical release and picked up mixed to negative reviews. Despite this, the movie found its audience, and 72 million viewers watched it in the first week. It was also named to the top 10 movies of the year by the National Board of Review while picking up a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination.
21
Zathura (2005)
The Sequel To Jumanji Goes Sci-Fi
While it has almost nothing to do with the first movie in the franchise, Zathura: A Space Adventure is technically a sequel to Jumanji. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man) from a script by David Koepp (Jurassic Park), the movie follows two brothers who find a mysterious board game that transports their home into outer space. With their older sister and an astronaut (Dax Shepard), they have to find a way back home.
Two of the kids actually ended up having successful film careers coming out of this lesser-known sequel. One of the brothers was Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) and his older sister was played by Kristen Stewart (Twilight). The film picked up positive reviews (76% on Rotten Tomatoes), but was a box office bomb, making back its budget but losing money thanks to advertising costs. It also earned two Saturn Award nominations.
20
World War Z (2013)
A Scientist Seeks A Zombie Cure
There is one sect of fans who hated World War Z. The reason is that the book on which it is based (by Max Brooks) is so beloved, and the movie took great liberties with the source material. However, there is no way the book could have been made into a film in its format. The novel takes a zombie apocalypse and makes it sci-fi by telling different stories from scientists worldwide who are trying to find the source to figure out a cure.
The movie had to narrow the focus to create a hero, and it focused on one American investigator who sets out to find scientists to get information about the research into the source of the apocalypse. Brad Pitt stars as this investigator, and his appearance helped the movie become a huge success, making $540 million at the box office. Reviews were mixed to positive, and the film took a more cerebral book and turned it into more of a fun, action setpiece.
19
Project Power (2020)
People Achieve Temporary Superpowers From A New Drug
There are a lot of superhero movies in the world today, but one of the best sci-fi movies about superheroes on Netflix is an original not based on any comic book. Project Power stars Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a movie about a world where a pill exists that can give someone superpowers for five minutes. These pills are highly illegal and Foxx plays one of the first test subjects who can shoot heat waves while Gordon-Levitt is a detective with bulletproof skin.
The movie is a fun action thriller that makes good use of the temporary powers of the characters, winning two honors from the Visual Effect Society Awards. The organization awarded it for its Outstanding Effects Simulations and Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Feature. It also received average to positive reviews, with critics offering up a 61% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes thanks to it mixing the superhero tropes with a more real-world atmosphere.
18
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
The Rebooted Star Trek Sequel
Star Trek Beyond continues J.J. Abrams’ rebooted timeline with the third movie in the series (and 13th overall). However, it is the first one that Abrams didn’t direct. Justin Lin (F9) directed the movie based on a script co-written by Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), who also plays Scotty in the franchise. The cast returned, with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, and more, for another deep space adventure.
Star Trek Beyond sees the crew of the Enterprise sent on a rescue mission to save an escape pod, only to get attacked by a swarm of ships that tear the Enterprise apart. Critics praised the film, awarding it an 86% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a rebound after the criticism from the previous movie in the franchise. It was a box office success, making $343 million on a $185 million budget. The film also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
17
Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Neo Is Trapped In The Matrix Again
The first Matrix was critically lauded and remains one of the most beloved sci-fi movies of all time. However, none of its sequels gained as big of a following. Each of the movies had positive moments, but they all also had detractors, making them polarizing, beloved by some and hated by others. The 2021 sequel, The Matrix Resurrections, kept up that trend, as it had just as many detractors as supporters.
Lana Wachowski directed this one by herself, and she created the movie she wanted, showing her distaste in people telling filmmakers what they demand to see in the movies. The bad guys here are the fans who try to take control as Neo is now working for a video game company that wants him to create the Matrix in their version. When he meets Trinity again, it is time to fight for their freedom to be who they are supposed to be. The movie was a box office flop, but all the reviews were mixed.
16
Upgrade (2018)
A Man Gets A Superhuman Upgrade To Walk Again
Upgrade is a movie that mostly came and went from theaters without much fanfare in 2018. The film is about a man in a dystopian future who ends up in a car accident when his self-driving car loses control and crashes. Some people show up at the accident, murder his wife, and shoot him, paralyzing him from the waist down. However, a wealthy scientist offers him a way to get his life back.
The movie then turns into a weird cyberpunk action movie. The scientist places a chip in the man’s body, which can sometimes take over and control his muscles and movements. It allows him to walk again but at the cost of losing control to the chip’s whims at times. The movie was a success, thanks to its low $3 million budget. Its 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes ensured that it picked up a new life when it hit streaming.
15
The Flash (2022)
Flash & Batman In A Live-Action Flashpoint Adaptation
The Flash was not a critical hit when it arrived in theaters, but it was really no fault of its own. Fans knew that the movie was not part of the future DCU, and much like the last Aquaman movie, most people felt that if it wasn’t connected, they didn’t want to see it. The movie also wasn’t helped when critics blasted some of the CGI, some of which was meant to look silly to go with the tone of the scenes. As a result, the movie was not a success critically or financially.
In reality, The Flash has a lot to love. Michael Keaton returned as Batman, and he helped steal almost every scene he appeared in. Sasha Calle was fantastic as Supergirl, and it was fun to see Michael Shannon back as General Zod. The story was also solid, with Barry Allen learning the dangers of using time travel for selfish reasons. The film has a chance to be reevaluated now that it is on Netflix.
14
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
A Trio Of Unlikely Allies Investigate A Conspiracy
It is always interesting to see sci-fi movies that are able to blend in comedic elements while still maintaining the genre story. They Cloned Tyrone succeeds in balancing a lot of different flavors, mixing pulpy mystery with blaxploitation along with some wacky characters and a lot of laughs. The movie follows an unexpected trio of allies who come together to uncover a mystery that hints at a secret cloning operation under their noses.
John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx make for a great and hilarious team in the They Cloned Tyrone cast, while the Netflix sci-fi movie embraces the fun of its genre-bending yet still manages to tell a captivating story. Critics loved the movie, with it holding an extremely high 95% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a high 82% Popcornmeter score from the audience members. It also earned an impressive nine NAACP Image Award nominations.
13
The Adam Project (2022)
A Soldier From The Future Goes Into The Past And Seeks Help From His Younger Self
The Adam Project brought Ryan Reynolds back to Netflix for this original sci-fi movie about a man from a dystopian future who travels back in time to save his wife, only to crash-land in 2022. It is here that Adam meets his younger self and the two of them have to work together by traveling back to their dead father to prevent the terrible future from happening.
As with most time travel movies, things here get a little strange at times, but Reynolds and young actor Walker Scobell have great chemistry and the film was a hit with critics and audiences. Like many of Reynolds’ movies, The Adam Project attempts to strike a chord of nostalgia with this movie going for a cross between Back to the Future and Big. Young Walker Scobell used this as a launching point for his career, as he has since moved on to star in Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.
12
I Am Mother (2019)
A Young Girl Is Raised By A Robot
The Netflix original film I Am Mother is one of the streaming service’s more successful attempts at original science fiction. The film follows a young girl named Daughter who is raised by a robot named Mother in an underground, post-apocalyptic world. However, when a survivor (Hilary Swank) finds them, the relationship between the human child and the robot mother is threatened. The film then takes a hard look at paranoia and co-dependency.
The film is definitely ambitious and aims high, which has sunk sci-fi films in the past. However, the end result is smart, thrilling, and satisfying, and should be high on any sci-fi fan’s list. Critics praised the story and gave it a rather high 89% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also earned honors at the AACTA Awards in Australia, where it received nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Hilary Swank) and Best Visual Effects or Animation.
11
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Two Scientists Attempt To Warn The World About An Impending Disaster
In 2021, Adam McKay directed the political satire Don’t Look Up and Netflix released it during awards season, hoping for the best. What resulted was a lot of awards nominations, including four at the Oscars, including Best Picture. The movie was about two astronomers who learn a comet is heading toward Earth and when it hits, it will destroy human civilization. However, no one seems to care, and by the end, the astronomers realize why the wealthy and powerful want to keep it under wraps.
A sci-fi movie that could have been like Armageddon or Deep Impact ended up as a dark comedy about a world that was too busy paying attention to celebrity news and political controversy. The movie received some backlash when it came out because it seemed to be too heavily invested in the satire, but that is what ended up making it a success. It earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Screenplay at the WGA Awards.
10
Okja (2017)
A Young Girl Attempts To Save Her Superpig Pet
Years before he won an Oscar for directing Parasite, Bong Joon-ho directed the sci-fi fantasy movie Okja. The movie takes place in a world where a company has been breeding super pigs, and 26 of them were sent to farmers around the world to raise. When a young girl in South Korea develops a close relationship with her dad’s super pig, she does everything she can to save his life. It also has a recognizable cast, with Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The movie premiered at Cannes and was in competition for the Palme d’Or. It is one of the higher quality sci-fi movies on Netflix, with a quite high 86% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an equally high 81% Popcornmeter rating from the audience score. While it received a theatrical release in South Korea, it was considered a TV release in America and was nominated for Best Television Presentation at the Saturn Awards in 2018.
9
Oxygen (2021)
A Woman’s Cryo-Chamber Begins Running Out Of Oxygen
The Netflix original sci-fi movie Oxygen can be seen as a similar achievement to Gravity as it focuses almost solely on one character and their plight in space. In 2021’s Oxygen movie, Liz (Melanie Laurent) wakes up and finds herself in a medical cryogenic unit where she learns that the oxygen levels are falling. She tries to escape but needs a code to get out. She is able to contact the AI running the unit and also is able to dial out and try to find help.
However, she soon learns her plight is more dire than just dropping oxygen levels. Melanie Laurent is in the lead with Alexandre Aja as the director, and they created a minor masterpiece. Critics praised the claustrophobic setting and acting and rewarded it with an 89% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Todd McCarthy of Deadline praised the movie thanks to “Mélanie Laurent’s resourceful performance as a woman who has no idea why she’s become trapped in a tiny cryogenic pod.”
