100+ Sci-Fi Movies That Should Definitely Be On Your Watchlist

Science fiction movies, most often known as sci-fi movies, have the incredible power to transport us beyond the realms of our wildest imagination. These films embody science fiction movies meaning’ taking us on voyages across space, time, and uncharted territories of the human mind. These movies are not just a form of entertainment; they are portals into visionary landscapes that unravel the mysteries of the universe.

Join us as we dive into the world where extraordinary becomes ordinary and each film sparks a sense of wonder, inspiration, and awe. Get ready to revel in the magic of the 100+ Best Sci-Fi Movies, where science meets the world of imagination.

List of Best Science Fiction Movies:

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1. 24 (I) (2016)

• Lead actors: Suriya, Samantha Ruth Prabhu
• Supporting Artists: Nithya Menen, Saranya Ponvannan
• Director: Vikram K. Kumar
• Release date: May 6, 2016
• Run Time: 2 hours and 44 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
• Revenue: Approximately $25 million worldwide
• Language: Tamil

Dr. Sethuraman, a scientist, invents a watch that can manipulate time. His evil twin, Athreya, kills him. Years later, the scientist’s son battles his uncle and aims to stop Athreya from misusing this extraordinary invention. This is one of the best science fiction movies that you should watch.

2. PK (2014)

• Lead actors: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma
• Supporting Artists: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjay Dutt
• Director: Rajkumar Hirani
• Release date: December 19, 2014
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 33 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
• Revenue: Over $100 million worldwide
• Language: Hindi

An innocent alien lands on Earth and loses his communication device. Throughout his journey, known simply as PK, he questions various religious practices and beliefs, leading to both humorous and thought-provoking situations.

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3. Enthiran (2010)

• Lead actors: Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
• Supporting Artists: Danny Denzongpa, Santhanam
• Director: S. Shankar
• Release date: October 1, 2010
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
• Revenue: Over $20 million worldwide
• Language: Tamil

Dr. Vaseegaran, a scientist, creates a unique robot named Chitti, who is modeled after his appearance and is designed to protect mankind and feel human emotions. Chitti falls in love with Dr. Vaseegaran’s girlfriend, Sana, and a problem arises when a rival scientist tampers with a robot to give it an evil personality. This is my all-time favorite science fiction movie.

4. Ra.One (2011)

• Lead actors: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan
• Supporting Artists: Arjun Rampal, Armaan Verma
• Director: Anubhav Sinha
• Release date: October 26, 2011
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 36 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 4.7/10
• Revenue: Over $24 million worldwide
• Language: Hindi

Shekhar Subramanium, a gaming programmer, creates an incredibly powerful villain for his latest video game, Ra.one. However, things take a drastic turn when the villain becomes sentient and escapes from the game into the real world after a malfunction.

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5. Krrish (2006)

• Lead actors: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra
• Supporting Artists: Naseeruddin Shah, Rekha
• Director: Rakesh Roshan
• Release date: June 23, 2006
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
• Revenue: Over $18 million worldwide
• Language: Hindi

Krishna Mehra, the son of Rohit and Nisha from the previous film, inherits superhuman abilities due to his father’s alien encounter. He falls in love with Priya and goes to Singapore to meet her. When he learns the shocking truth about his father’s death, he uses his powers and fights against evil forces.

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6. Mr. India (1987)

• Lead actors: Anil Kapoor, Sridevi
• Supporting Artists: Amrish Puri, Satish Kaushik
• Director: Shekhar Kapur
• Release date: May 25, 1987
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 59 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
• Revenue: Approximately $6 million worldwide
• Language: Hindi

Arun Verma, a kind-hearted man, runs an orphanage. He and his orphan children are harrassed by the villainous Mogambo, a powerful and eccentric crime lord with diabolical plans. After one of the children dies, he uses his scientist father’s invisibility device, granting him the ability to turn invisible when he wears the device.

7. Koi…Mil Gaya (2003)

• Lead actors: Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta
• Supporting Artists: Rekha, Rajat Bedi
• Director: Rakesh Roshan
• Release date: August 8, 2003
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 51 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
• Revenue: Over $10 million worldwide
• Language: Hindi

Rohit, a mentally challenged young man’s life takes a transformative turn when he encounters an alien named Jaadoo, whose spaceship crash-lands near his town. However, complications arise when an evil scientist, Dr. Siddharth Arya, becomes interested in Jadoo’s powers and seeks to exploit them for his own gain.

8. Taarzan: The Wonder Car (2004)

• Lead actors: Vatsal Sheth, Ayesha Takia
• Supporting Artists: Ajay Devgn, Farida Jalal
• Director: Abbas-Mustan
• Release date: August 6, 2004
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 43 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 4.3/10
• Revenue: Approximately $2.5 million worldwide
• Language: Hindi

Raj Chaudhary, a car enthusiast, revamps his father’s old car. The car comes alive and is possessed by his father’s spirit, who died in an accident caused by a ruthless businessman named Deven Chaudhary. As Raj and Taarzan bond, the car becomes his ally in seeking revenge against those responsible for his family’s suffering.

9. Mr. X In Bombay (1964)

• Lead actors: Kishore Kumar, Kumkum
• Supporting Artist: Madan Puri, Mukri
• Director: Shantilal Soni
• Release date: May 1, 1964
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 28 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
• Revenue: N/A
• Language: Hindi

Mr. X, a scientist, invents a formula that grants invisibility. However, a gang of criminals steals this formula for their selfish gains. In a series of events, the professor is killed, but his son, Shyam, inherits the invisibility formula and decides to avenge his father’s death.

10. Ad Astra (2019)

• Lead actors: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
• Supporting Artist: Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland
• Director: James Gray
• Release date: September 20, 2019
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 3 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
• Revenue: Approximately $132 million worldwide
• Language: English

Roy McBride, an astronaut, embarks on a space mission to uncover the truth about his missing father and his previous expedition, which holds the ability to threaten the stability of the solar system. This is one of the good sci-fi movies to watch.

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11. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

• Lead actors: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
• Supporting Artists: Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing
• Director: George Lucas
• Release date: May 25, 1977
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 1 minute
• IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
• Revenue: Over $775 million worldwide (initial release)
• Language: English

Luke Skywalker is a young farm boy who discovers his destiny as a Jedi Knight. When Princess Leia gets abducted by the insidious Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker teams up with a Jedi Knight, a pilot, and two droids to free her and save the galaxy from the violent Galactic Empire.

12. 12 Monkeys (1995)

• Lead actors: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt
• Supporting Artist: Christopher Plummer, David Morse
• Director: Terry Gilliam
• Release date: December 29, 1995
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 9 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
• Revenue: Approximately $168 million worldwide
• Language: English

If you ask, what are some of the good sci-fi movies to watch? Then I’ll recommend this movie. James Cole, a prisoner from a post-apocalyptic future, is promised freedom if he agrees to go back in time and gather information about a deadly virus that wiped out a significant portion of humanity and forced survivors to live underground.

13. Dark City (1998)

• Lead actors: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly
• Supporting Artists: William Hurt, Richard O’Brien
• Director: Alex Proyas
• Release date: February 27, 1998
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
• Revenue: Approximately $27 million worldwide
• Language: English

John Murdoch is a man who wakes up in a hotel room with no memory and learns that he’s being pursued by mysterious figures. While seeking answers, he realizes that a group of otherworldly beings known as the Strangers manipulates the city and its inhabitants, altering their memories and identities every night at midnight. This is one of the best sci-fi movies to watch. Don’t forget to check out these great sci-fi film.

14. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

• Lead actors: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron
• Supporting Artists: Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne
• Director: George Miller
• Release date: May 15, 2015 (Cannes); May 14, 2015 (Australia)
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours
• IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
• Revenue: Approximately $375 million worldwide
• Language: English

Max Rockatansky, a drifter haunted by his past, gets entangled with Imperator Furiosa, who is a warrior seeking redemption. Furiosa escapes in a heavily armored truck with his enslaved concubines after betraying Immortan Joe, the despotic ruler. Reluctantly, Max joins them in their quest for freedom.

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15. Total Recall (1990)

• Lead actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone
• Supporting Artists: Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox
• Director: Paul Verhoeven
• Release date: June 1, 1990
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 53 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
• Revenue: Approximately $261 million worldwide
• Language: English

This is one of the most intriguing sci-fi movies to watch. Douglas Quaid, an ordinary construction worker, begins to experience recurring dreams about a trip to Mars, despite never having been there. As Quaid tries to uncover his true identity, he soon learns that a false memory has been planted in his brain, and the people responsible for this want him dead. Don’t forget to check out these great sci-fi movies.

16. Moon (2009)

• Lead actors: Sam Rockwell
• Supporting Artist: Kevin Spacey (voice)
• Director: Duncan Jones
• Release date: June 12, 2009 (UK)
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 37 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
• Revenue: Approximately $10 million worldwide
• Language: English

Sam Bell, working for Lunar Industries, is isolated and disconnected from the Earth. He soon finds his companion in an AI assistant named GERTY. As Sam nears the completion of his mission, he encounters an accident while exploring the lunar surface. This is one of the best science fiction movies of all time.

17. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

• Lead actors: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet
• Supporting Artist: Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo
• Director: Michel Gondry
• Release date: March 19, 2004
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 48 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
• Revenue: Approximately $72 million worldwide
• Language: English

Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynski, a couple, undergo a clinical procedure to erase memories of their relationship after a painful breakup. The story unfolds as Joel realizes he still loves her deeply while his memories are systematically erased.

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18. The Prestige (2006)

• Lead actors: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale
• Supporting Artists: Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Release date: October 20, 2006
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
• Revenue: Approximately $109 million worldwide
• Language: English

Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, two magicians, start as friends but become bitter rivals after a tragic accident during a performance. They make sacrifices that bring them fame, but with terrible consequences.

19. District 9 (2009)

• Lead actors: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope
• Supporting Artists: Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike
• Director: Neill Blomkamp
• Release date: August 14, 2009
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
• Revenue: Approximately $210 million worldwide
• Language: English, isiZulu, Afrikaans, Nigerian Pidgin

Wikus van de Merwe, a bureaucrat, is tasked with overseeing the relocation of the aliens to a new camp. However, he ends up becoming the target of a nationwide manhunt after a small mishap. This is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time.

20. Annihilation (I) (2018)

• Lead actors: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh
• Supporting Artists: Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson
• Director: Alex Garland
• Release date: February 23, 2018 (Netflix)
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
• Revenue: N/A
• Language: English

Lena, a biologist and former soldier, joins a team of scientists and enters an anomalous zone ‘The Shimmer’ formed when a meteor hits Earth. Inside the Shimmer, the laws of nature are distorted, and the team encounters bizarre and dangerous mutations of flora and fauna.

21. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

• Lead actors: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford
• Supporting Artists: Ana de Armas, Jared Leto
• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Release date: October 6, 2017
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 44 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
• Revenue: Approximately $260 million worldwide
• Language: English

K, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, makes a significant discovery that has the potential to change the course of history—a revelation linked to former Blade Runner Rick Deckard. He embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery.

22. Donnie Darko (2001)

• Lead actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone
• Supporting Artists: Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze
• Director: Richard Kelly
• Release date: October 26, 2001
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 53 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
• Revenue: Approximately $7.5 million worldwide
• Language: English

Donnie Darko, a troubled teenager, befriends Frank, a man in a creepy rabbit costume that he can only see. Frank warns him of the impending apocalypse, telling him that the world will end in 28 days.

23. Interstellar (2014)

• Lead actors: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway
• Supporting Artists: Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Release date: November 5, 2014
• Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 49 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
• Revenue: Approximately $677 million worldwide
• Language: English

This film’s story follows a team of astronauts led by John Cooper on a daring mission through a newly discovered wormhole near Saturn. Their goal is to find a habitable planet to ensure humanity’s survival as Earth becomes increasingly inhospitable.

24. Unbreakable (2000)

• Lead actors: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson
• Supporting Artists: Robin Wright, Spencer Treat Clark
• Director: M. Night Shyamalan
• Release date: November 22, 2000
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 46 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
• Revenue: Approximately $248 million worldwide
• Language: English

David Dunn, a security guard, miraculously survives a train crash without any injuries. He was tracked down by Elijah Price, who suspects David might possess superhuman abilities. Elijah becomes obsessed with proving David’s superhero-like nature, leading to a tense and unexpected revelation.

25. They Live (1988)

• Lead actors: Roddy Piper, Keith David
• Supporting Artists: Meg Foster, George ‘Buck’ Flower
• Director: John Carpenter
• Release date: November 4, 1988
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 34 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
• Revenue: Approximately $13 million worldwide
• Language: English

John Nada, a drifter, discovers a pair of sunglasses that reveal a hidden reality. Through these glasses, Nada sees advertisements and billboards conveying commands like “Obey,” “Consume,” and “Submit,” revealing the aliens’ control over humanity.

26. Primer (2004)

• Lead actors: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan
• Supporting Artists: Casey Gooden, Anand Upadhyaya
• Director: Shane Carruth
• Release date: October 8, 2004
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 17 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
• Revenue: Approximately $841,000 worldwide
• Language: English

Aaron and Abe, a group of engineers, accidentally discover a way to build a time machine in their garage while working on a side project. Their experimentation leads to unforeseen consequences and moral dilemmas.

27. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

• Lead actors: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman
• Supporting Artist: John Gallagher Jr.
• Director: Dan Trachtenberg
• Release date: March 11, 2016
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 43 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
• Revenue: Approximately $110 million worldwide
• Language: English

Michelle, a woman, wakes up in an underground bunker after a car accident. However, Howard, a stranger, claims that a catastrophic event has rendered the outside world uninhabitable. Don’t forget to check out these great sci-fi film.

28. Upgrade (2018)

• Lead actors: Logan Marshall-Green
• Supporting Artists: Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson
• Director: Leigh Whannell
• Release date: June 1, 2018
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
• Revenue: Approximately $17 million worldwide
• Language: English

Grey Trace, a technophobe, becomes paralyzed and loses his wife during a brutal attack. When a billionaire hands him a chip in his body called STEM, which imbues him with extraordinary physical abilities beyond human limitations, he seeks out revenge.

29. Children of Men (2006)

• Lead actors: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore
• Supporting Artists: Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor
• Director: Alfonso Cuarón
• Release date: September 22, 2006
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 49 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
• Revenue: Approximately $70 million worldwide
• Language: English

The story depicts a world that is plunged into chaos and despair as the youngest person on Earth has died and no child has been born for nearly two decades. Amidst this crisis, Theo Faron encounters his former lover Julian, who leads a rebel group known as the Fishes.

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30. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

• Lead actors: James Franco, Andy Serkis
• Supporting Artists: Freida Pinto, John Lithgow
• Director: Rupert Wyatt
• Release date: August 5, 2011
• Run Time: Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
• Revenue: Approximately $481 million worldwide
• Language: English

Will Rodman, a scientist, is working on a revolutionary drug to cure Alzheimer’s disease. He conducts experiments on apes, leading to the birth of Caesar, an exceptionally intelligent chimpanzee exposed to the experimental drug. When Caesar finds himself subjected to injustice, he decides to revolt.

FAQ – 

Q: What is meant by sci-fi film?

Ans: It refers to a genre of films that explore imaginative and speculative concepts grounded in scientific principles, hypothetical technology, futuristic settings, or extraterrestrial life.

Q: What are some of the biggest sci-fi Movies?

Ans: Star Wars series, Blade Runner, etc.

Q: Why are sci-fi Movies popular?

Ans: They offer imagination and escapism, exploration of the unknown, visual spectacle, etc.

Q: Is sci-fi a genre?

Ans: Yes.

Q: Is Harry Potter A sci-fi?

Ans: No, it falls into the fantasy genre.