Have you ever found yourself looking through all the movies on Netflix, only to find that actually choosing one to watch is very taxing? That’s not even mentioning all the Netflix shows to dig through. If you know you’re looking for a particular kind of movie, that can help, but even then, there can be too many movies to choose from. Luckily, we’ve been watching tons of great sci-fi movies, and have already determined which ones rise to the top of the pile on Netflix. So if you’re looking for the best sci-fi and fantasy movies on Netflix this year, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re looking for something that will keep you occupied for a whole weekend, you can also check out our list of the best sci-fi series on Netflix right now.
The Old Guard (2020)
125m
Genre
Action, Fantasy
Stars
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts
Directed by
Gina Prince-Bythewood
From the Netflix sci-fi collection of original movies, The Old Guard is an action movie on Netflix that’s definitely worth checking out. The story follows a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron) and her covert group of immortal mercenaries who have been protecting the mortal world for centuries.
What Happened to Monday (2017)
123m
Genre
Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama, Mystery
Stars
Noomi Rapace, Marwan Kenzari, Christian Rubeck
Directed by
Tommy Wirkola
Jumping forward to the future: What Happened to Monday is set in a society with a strict one-child policy that is enforced by an armed and dangerous federation army. A group of identical septuplets (Noomi Rapace) attempt to live a single life as one, all assigned to and named after a day of the week. When Monday suddenly goes missing, it’s up to the rest of the family to find her and stay alive.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
112m
Genre
Comedy, Action, Romance, Fantasy
Stars
Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong
Directed by
Edgar Wright
There aren’t many comedy movies on Netflix that also fit within the action and drama genre, but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World isn’t your average film. After discovering that he’s in love with someone new, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must face his new girlfriend’s seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle to win her heart. If you like witty sci-fi comedies with a dash of action, then the world of Scott Pilgrim is perfect for you.
The Manual streaming roundup
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
102m
Genre
Horror, Science Fiction, Action, Thriller
Stars
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Daniel Brühl, Chris O'Dowd
Directed by
Julius Onah
A strange addition to the Cloverfield film universe, The Cloverfield Paradox takes on a new setting when dimensions collide in Earth’s orbit. While a space station crew circling the planet searches for a new source of energy to prevent global war, they happen upon an alternate reality that begins to crudely overlap with their own. This film isn’t a must-see, but it is a fun twist that further adds to the lore of the Cloverfield films before its ending manages to tie all three movies together.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
114m
Genre
Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Science Fiction, Action
Stars
Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph
Directed by
Michael Rianda
If you’re looking for a fairly new family sci-fi movie on Netflix, The Mitchells vs. The Machines is the perfect place to start. The plot follows a quirky and dysfunctional family that have some trouble communicating with one another. When the father (Danny McBride) decides to take a road trip to reconnect with his daughter (Abbi Jacobson), they find themselves stuck in a car together as the only humans who can stop the sudden robot apocalypse. If you’re a fan of fairly manic animated series, this is a great film to enjoy with the whole family.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
101m
Genre
Comedy, Science Fiction, Adventure
Stars
Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman
Directed by
Dean Parisot
A Star Trek parody that also functions as a pretty good Star Trek movie, Galaxy Quest has no right to be either as good or as funny as it is. The movie follows the cast of a Star Trek-like show that are recruited by an alien race who needs their help. It’s a fairly high-concept conceit, but one that’s executed remarkably well in part thanks to strong central performances from Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman. Most people think Galaxy Quest is sneakily one of the best Star Trek movies, and after you watch it, you’ll probably agree.
Don't Look Up (2021)
138m
Genre
Comedy, Science Fiction
Stars
Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep
Directed by
Adam McKay
Adam McKay’s latest sprawling ensemble comedy is more like speculative fiction than hard sci-fi, but it nonetheless gets its point across. The film follows a pair of lowly astronomers who discover that a massive comet is on a collision course with Earth, and they have to convince anyone with real power to do something about it. The movie is about humanity’s inability to deal with an actual emergency and how willing we all seem to be to just let the world end. It also features one of the more insane casts ever assembled for a single film.
Stowaway (2021)
117m
Genre
Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller, Adventure
Stars
Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim
Directed by
Joe Penna
Telling the story of a three-person manned space mission that is faced with a moral dilemma after a fourth person is discovered onboard, jeopardizing all of their lives. Although the set design is excellent here, what makes Stowaway so fun is the way it uses its high-concept, sci-fi trappings to tell a story that is basically just a series of conversations. There’s no other-worldly threat to be dealt with here, just four people trying to deal with the unexpected ramifications of a difficult, emotional situation.
Okja (2017)
122m
Genre
Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Stars
Tilda Swinton, Ahn Seo-hyun, Paul Dano
Directed by
Bong Joon-ho
Voted the movie most likely to commit anyone who watches it to veganism five-years running, Okja is the movie Bong Joon-ho directed before he made the Oscar-winning Parasite. The movie tells the story of a relationship between a young girl and the super-pig she has been charged with raising, and it’s really about the way that animal suffering on a mass scale is tolerated because of the human desire for cheap meat. It’s a heartbreaking movie, one that is likely to leave you indignant about all the ways that the real farming industrial complex abuses animals all over the world.
The Mist (2007)
126m
Genre
Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars
Thomas Jane, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones
Directed by
Frank Darabont
Based on a Stephen King novella of the same name, The Mist tells the story of an alien invasion in which creatures from another world slowly begin to attack the human population. Eventually, the humans realize that sacrifices are required to satisfy these creatures, and the moral dilemmas that hit our characters as a result are devastating. It wouldn’t be a King story without some sort of shocking twist as well, but we won’t spoil the exact details of that here.
The Platform (2019)
95m
Genre
Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars
Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor
Directed by
Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
A movie with one of the clearest metaphors ever created, The Platform is a Spanish-language sci-fi movie set in a prison with more than 100 different levels. There are two roommates on each level, and the catch is that a platform descends every day containing food. Those at the top eat first, and those at the bottom are left with what’s left. The movie executes this premise perfectly, reminding us that, if everyone simply ate their share, there would be more than enough food for everyone to get a meal.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
118m
Genre
Science Fiction, Drama
Stars
George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo
Directed by
George Clooney
A fairly small-scale sci-fi effort that both stars and was directed by George Clooney, The Midnight Sky follows a reclusive scientist living alone in the arctic in the near future in the wake of a cataclysmic disaster on Earth. The scientist becomes determined to warn a crewed mission currently in space about the situation on Earth, and eventually discovers a little girl living on the base with her. The movie is thrilling in spite of its relative smallness, and it’s also much more thoughtful and contemplative than your typical sci-fi movie.
The Adam Project (2022)
106m
Genre
Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars
Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by
Shawn Levy
A time travel saga about a man who has to team up with his 12-year-old self to save the world, The Adam Project is able to wring plenty of poignant emotion out of this conceit. Time travel stories can go a number of different ways, and Ryan Reynolds certainly knows how to deliver a solid joke. For every witty one-liner that The Adam Project has, though, there are also plenty of moments of genuine emotion. Thanks to a cast that also includes Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner, all of those moments work, and they make the movie around them stronger.
Awake (2021)
96m
Genre
Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars
Gina Rodriguez, Ariana Greenblatt, Lucius Hoyos
Directed by
Mark Raso
A Netflix original, Awake tells the story of a former soldier who discovers that her daughter may hold the cure for a pandemic of insomnia that is ravaging the planet. Gina Rodriguez stars as that mother figure, and Awake gives her plenty of time to shine as a caretaker who is trying to balance her daughter’s own needs with the implications for the wider world. Awake takes some smart twists and turns along the way, but it’s engaging from its opening moments because of its strong premise.
The Discovery (2017)
102m
Genre
Drama, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Mystery
Stars
Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Robert Redford
Directed by
Charlie McDowell
A bracingly smart, complicated movie, The Discovery is all about how the world would change if it was proved that an afterlife existed. That discovery has ramifications for the world and for the movie’s central characters, who are attempting to navigate their own relationship with death against a radically new understanding of what leaving this world might mean. Charlie McDowell’s direction is smart and assured, and the movie is tender, loving, and also devastating at times.
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