Bookmark this page as we celebrate and list what are deemed to be the Top 30 Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix of all time.
Sci-fi films have a way of taking viewers out of their own reality and deep into the world that the filmmakers have created on screen. Some sci-fi films on Netflix have strong original stories that pulled at the heartstrings and gave viewers ideas of their own. Whether it be time travel, space exploration, or a futuristic society, the films on this list are the best sci-fi movies on Netflix. By using IMDb and its rating scale, the films below are listed from lowest to highest to give the most accurate score.
Top 30 Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix Of All Time
30. A World Without (2021)
Not being able to date when humans are meant to find their other half is an interesting concept in 2021. With rules being in place, there is a natural rebellion that comes from the community to seek out their own happiness.
Official Premise: In a country where dating is outlawed, three teenage girls in search of happiness decide to join a reclusive community led by a charismatic leader.
Cast: Amanda Rawles, Maizura, Asmara Abigail
IMDB Rating: 3.9
29. IO (2019)
Many have thought about the Earth dying and finding a way to save it. In IO you have two people choosing two different options, but they end up finding a connection within each other that makes the world slip away.
Official Premise: As a young scientist searches for a way to save a dying Earth, she finds a connection with a man who’s racing to catch the last shuttle of the planet.
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Anthony Mackie, Danny Huston
IMDB Rating: 4.7
28. Blasted (2022)
Setting a bachelor party in the midst of an alien invasion sounds entertaining because you have a group of men, who are intoxicated, trying to fend off aliens. The way they attack them makes them think about their teenage years, which is also a nice reflection for the occasion.
Official Premise: When a former childhood friend crashes Sebastian’s bachelor party and makes it all about himself, only an alien invasion can make them put aside their bad blood and reunite as the kick-ass laser-tag duo they once were.
Cast: Axel Boyum, Fredrik Skogsrud, Ingrid Bolso Berdal
IMDB Rating: 4.8
27. The Titan (2018)
Being tied to the military does have some interesting perks, and one family undergoes trials that will change the face of the world. The film asks viewers if they would go through with an experiment for the greater good of the world.
Official Premise: A military family takes part in a ground-breaking experiment of genetic evolution and space exploration.
Cast: Sam Worthington, Taylor Schilling, Tom Wilkinson
IMDB Rating: 4.8
26. Awake (2021)
In this day and age the thought of losing electronics and the power to interact with others globally is something many people fear. This film explores what happens when electronics die and people can’t sleep because of it.
Official Premise: After a devastating global event wiped out all electronics and eliminated people’s ability to sleep, a former soldier may have found a solution with her daughter.
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Ariana Greenblatt, Lucius Hoyos
IMDB Rating: 4.9
25. Rim of the World (2019)
Being at camp during an alien invasion at a young age can definitely be challenging. But these four campers help each other face their fears and help save the world with their different perspectives.
Official Premise: Four misfit campers must band together and conquer their fears in order to save the world during an alien invasion.
Cast: Jack Gore, Miya Cech, Benjamin Flores Jr.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
24. See You Yesterday (2019)
When there is a story about time travel, the guidelines of the world can change. There can be a strong story to go with it to make an impact and that’s what this film has. It’s emotional and powerful because of what these teenagers go through.
Official Premise: Two Brooklyn teenage prodigies, C.J. Walker and Sebastian Thomas, build makeshift time machines to save C.J.’s brother, Calvin, from being wrongfully killed by a police officer.
Cast: Eden Duncan-Smith, Dante Crichlow, Astro
IMDB Rating: 5.2
23. Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)
When anime is adapted, it can work one of two ways, and this adaptation isn’t the strongest, but it has an interesting story. The concept of being an alchemist is explained, and that’s the most intriguing aspect of this trilogy.
Official Premise: Two alchemist brothers go on a quest for the Philosopher’s Stone after an attempt to revive their dead mother goes horribly wrong.
Cast: Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Takeshi Miyamoto
IMDB Rating: 5.3
22. Fullmetal Alchemist: Revenge of Scar (2022)
In this sequel, Edward Elric goes through the superhero phase of being at his weakest, along with his brother. While they try to protect themselves, there are other alchemists that come from the shadows and attack them.
Official Premise: When a mysterious figure starts to target State Alchemists for their sins against God, Alchemist Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse are at their most vulnerable, meanwhile the homunculi begin to unveil themselves once again.
Cast: Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka
IMDB Rating: 5.3
21. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Final Alchemy (2022)
In this final installment, the brothers are faced with this supernatural creature that threatens the entire world as they know it. They take what they’ve learned on their journey and about each other in order to defeat it.
Official Premise: The Elric brothers’ long and winding journey comes to a close in this epic finale, where they must face off against an unworldly, nationwide threat.
Cast: Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka
IMDB Rating: 5.3
20. Freaks: You’re One of Us (2020)
What is so great about this film is that there’s normalcy and it then becomes otherworldly. Many can relate to the working class and the fact that she gets superpowers in her everyday life is entertaining to watch.
Official Premise: Tipped by a mysterious tramp, a meek fry cook discovers she has superpowers – and uncovers an unsavory, vast conspiracy.
Cast: Cornelia Groschel, Tim Oliver Schultz, Wotan Wilke Mohring
IMDB Rating: 5.4
19. Spiderhead (2022)
Apart from this cast working wonderfully together, the concept itself derives from a short story. It’s difficult to adapt such a detailed concept to screen but Spiderhead does it quite well and offers an interesting conclusion to handling one’s emotions.
Official Premise: In the near future, convicts are offered the chance to volunteer as medical subjects to shorten their sentences. One such subject for a new drug capable of generating feelings of love begins questioning the reality of his emotions.
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett
IMDB Rating: 5.4
18. The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
This is more on the horror side of sci-fi and explores a dark alternate reality that can be entirely plausible. Films that present something realistic and that could happen in our future, tend to stick out the most with viewers.
Official Premise: Orbiting a planet on the brink of war, scientists test a device to solve an energy crisis, and end up face-to-face with a dark alternate reality.
Cast: Gugu Mbatha-raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Bruhl
IMDB Rating: 5.5
17. The Midnight Sky (2020)
This sci-fi film is the reverse of what we’ve seen in past films. Instead of getting out of the disaster zone, an astronaut has to stop his colleagues from re-entering, which is tougher than it sounds.
Official Premise: This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.
Cast: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo
IMDB Rating: 5.6
16. Tau (2018)
This film also taps into those horror elements as one woman tries to escape an AI. She is stuck at every corner, and it becomes a psychological game that taunts her because it is just technology, but there’s so much control.
Official Premise: A woman is held captive by a scientist in a futuristic smart house, and hopes to escape by reasoning with the Artificial Intelligence that controls the house.
Cast: Maika Monroe, Ed Skrein, Gary Oldman
IMDB Rating: 5.8
15. Extinction (2018)
All it takes is one night for the world to change, and that’s exactly what happens to a father who has a fear of his losing his family. When the planet is invaded, he tries everything to protect his family from harm.
Official Premise: A father has a recurring dream of losing his family. His nightmare turns into a reality when the planet is invaded by a force bent on destruction. Fighting for their lives, he comes to realize an unknown strength to keep them safe from harm.
Cast: Michael Pena, Lizzy Caplan, Amelia Crouch
IMDB Rating: 5.8
14. iBoy (2017)
The concept of iBoy is interesting because of the connection to technology. A young boy discovers that he has superpowers after being shot because the fragments from his phone went into his body, altering his DNA.
Official Premise: After being shot, Tom awakens from a coma to discover that fragments of his smart phone have been embedded in his head and he develops a strange set of superpowers.
Cast: Bil Milner, Maisie Williams, Miranda Richardson
IMDB Rating: 5.9
13. Project Power (2020)
Original concepts can go a long way and in this case, taking a pill to get different superpowers is fun to watch. The story does get a bit confusing, but the more you stay with these characters the more you understand how they operate.
Official Premise: When a pill that gives its users unpredictable superpowers for five minutes hits the streets of New Orleans, a teenage dealer and a local cop must team up with an ex-solider to take down the group responsible for its creation.
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
IMDB Rating: 6
12. Anon (2018)
It would be nice to live in a world with no one knowing who you are and there are no crime’s being committed, but once someone sneaks by, they cause chaos.
Official Premise: In a world without any anonymity or crime, a detective meets a woman who threatens their security.
Cast: Clive Owen, Afiya Bennett, Morgan Allen
IMDB Rating: 6.1
11. The Discovery (2017)
In this intriguing exploration of the afterlife and reflecting on one’s past mistakes, the characters come together to find that life is worth living if you approach it from a different perspective.
Official Premise: Two years after the afterlife is scientifically proven, a man attempts to help a young woman break away from her dark past.
Cast: Robert Redford, Mary Steenburgen, Brian McCarthy
IMDB Rating: 6.2
10. In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
When trying to track someone who is incredibly skilled in laying low, police offers can often struggle with finding the right locations. The killer constantly surprises the cop with his methods and it eventually becomes an obsession.
Official Premise: A Philadelphia police officer struggles with a lifelong obsession to track down a mysterious serial killer whose crimes defy explanation.
Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman, Bokeem Woodbine
IMDB Rating: 6.2
9. Spectral (2016)
Supernatural beings are no joke and can terrorize an entire community. They have different power sets that are explored in this film. And the special-ops team realizes how tough it actually is, so they have to use alternate methods.
Official Premise: A sci-fi/thriller story centered on a special-ops team that is dispatched to fight supernatural beings.
Cast: James Badge Dale, Emily Mortimer, Bruce Greenwood
IMDB Rating: 6.3
8. Bubble (2022)
In this endearing sci-fi anime, the group of adolescence must regroup and learn to live without their families. Sure, they are safe in their little bubble, but what happens when things get difficult?
Official Premise: After bubbles takt broke the laws of gravity rained down upon the world. Cut off from the outside world, Tokyo has become a playground for a group of young people who have lost their families.
Cast: Jun Shison, riria, Mamoru Miyano
IMDB Rating: 6.3
7. Altered Carbon: Resleeved (2020)
A lot happens in this film that can be hard to follow at times but the character of Takeshi Kovacs does guide the viewer through the story. Once it gets to the middle, everything picks up and the two stories are combined to make the third act intriguing.
Official Premise: On the planet Latimer, reawakened Takeshi Kovacs must protect a teenage tattooist named Holly while investigating the death of a yakuza boss alongside Gina, a strangely familiar no-nonsense CTAC agent.
Cast: Ray Chase, Doug Stone, Kaiji Tang
IMDB Rating: 6.5
6. Oxygen (2021)
The concept of this film is enough to fuel anyone’s nightmares, especially if you’re claustrophobic. What starts as a physical game, slowly turns into a psychological one which alters the panic within the body.
Official Premise: A woman walks in a cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got there. As she’s running out of oxygen, she must rebuild her memory to find a way out of her nightmare.
Cast: Melanie Laurent, Mathieru Amalric, Malik Zidi
IMDB Rating: 6.5
5. Bird Box (2018)
After A Quiet Place was released, the new concept of covering one’s senses to journey through an apocalyptic world became a phase. In this case, Bird Box chose to omit eyesight in order for a family to reach safety.
Official Premise: Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich
IMDB Rating: 6.6
4. Blame! (2017)
After living a certain way for a long time, the hopefulness to find something to change it slowly fizzles. But, there is always one person that comes along that can change the world and wipe out the destruction that has been wreaking havoc for years.
Official Premise: In the distant future, humans are declared “illegal residents” and hunted to near extinction by murderous robots. One day, a group of human scavengers comes across a strange man named Killy, who may be the key to humanity’s survival.
Cast: Takahiro Sakuri. Kana Hanazawa, Sora Amamiya
IMDB Rating: 6.6
3. I Am Mother (2019)
Growing up in a completely different family dynamic can always be tough, but when you’re being raised by a robot problems can definitely arise. Technology can only work until a certain point, and that’s what is explored in this film.
Official Premise: In the wake of humanity’s extinction, a teenage girl is raised by a robot designed to repopulate the Earth. But their unique bond is threatened when an inexplicable stranger arrives with alarming news.
Cast: Luke Hawler, Rose Byrne, Maddie Lenton
IMDB Rating: 6.7
2. Space Sweepers (2021)
Morals do come into play when there is money on the line and this crew struggles with making the right decision. Knowing that the robot they come across is actually a weapon of mass destruction, should have influenced them to not make the deal, but they pushed forward.
Official Premise: Set in the year 2092 and follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory. When they discover a humanoid robot named Dorothy that’s known to be a weapon of mass destruction, they get involved in a risky business deal.
Cast: Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu
IMDB Rating: 6.5
1. The Adam Project (2022)
This is one of the most under-appreciated films sci-fi films on Netflix. The story is so well-written because it reflects upon one’s childhood years as they look directly into the face of their younger self. The cast is wonderful and they work together extremely well. The time travel guidelines make sense to the world they’ve created, and it is a lot of fun to watch.
Official Premise: After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future.
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Mark Ruffalo
IMDB Rating: 6.7
And that completes our Top 30 Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix of All Time list. What’s your favorite Sci-Fi movie on Netflix? Comment below.
