Science fiction has always been a part of the movies. Indeed, the motion picture itself was revered as a technological wonder when first invented, and now-mundane images of workers leaving a factory or trains arriving at a station could elicit gasps of awe. Former stage magician Georges Méliès realized the medium's capacity for the fantastic early on with early classics like A Trip to the Moon and The Impossible Voyage.

Today, the genre has produced more than its share of masterpieces, spread across the whole of cinematic history. Rotten Tomatoes recently compiled a list, ranked according to its aggregate score and including some surprises in the upper echelon. Breaking down the top 25 provides viewers with an apt collection of sci-fi's best movies of all time, with a few surprises to mix up the watch order for anyone looking to build their binge-sessions around some of the greatest science fiction films of all time.

Updated By David Giatras December 31, 2023: Hollywood has seen a plethora of sci-fi films over the years, giving viewers plenty of science-fiction movies to watch. As viewers debate the best science-fiction movie of all time, it only gets harder and harder as some of the best ever made range from popular sci-fi films, to contemporary as well as classic science-fiction movies.

30 Forbidden Planet Was One Of The Most Influential Science-Fiction Films

Forbidden Planet

A starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.

Release Date

June 13, 1958

Director

Fred M. Wilcox

Cast

Walter Pidgeon , Anne Francis , Leslie Nielsen

Rating

G

Runtime

1 Hour 38 Minutes

Main Genre

Science Fiction

Genres

Adventure

Writers

Cyril Hume , Irving Block , Allen Adler

Production Company

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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Forbidden Planet takes viewers to the 23rd century and follows a starship crew who goes to investigate a colony that has suspiciously gone silent. Upon arriving, they only find two survivors and a powerful robot named Robby. The crew finds that an unseen planetary power is at play and fights to return home to Earth.

The film is actually a science-fiction adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, one of the earliest science-fiction films adapted from one of his works. Forbidden Planet is considered one of the great science fiction films of the 1950s and was extremely influential on the genre as a whole.

29 12 Monkeys Earned Brad Pitt Several Awards And Nominations

12 Monkeys

Release Date

January 5, 1996

Director

Terry Gilliam

Cast

Bruce Willis , Brad Pitt , Madeleine Stowe , Joseph Melito

Rating

R

Runtime

129 minutes

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Genres

Sci-Fi , Mystery , Thriller

Studio

Universal Pictures

12 Monkeys stars Bruce Willis as James Cole, a prisoner in 2035 who is selected to be sent back in time to find the original virus that wiped out humanity in 1996. Cole unexpectedly arrives in 1990 and crosses paths with the mysterious Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), who may or may not have been involved in releasing the virus.

Pitt received unanimous praise for his performance as Goines, landing an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. The film is very memorable in the genre and considered an insightful look at how uncertain humanity's future is. A television series based on the film was released in 2015, running for 4 seasons on SyFy.

28 Jurassic Park Gave Steven Spielberg Yet Another Iconic Franchise

Jurassic Park

A pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.

Release Date

June 9, 1993

Director

Steven Spielberg

Cast

Laura Dern , Sam Neill , Jeff Goldblum , Richard Attenborough

Rating

PG-13

Runtime

2 hours 7 minutes

Main Genre

Science Fiction

Genres

Action , Adventure

Studio

Tagline

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park follows wealthy businessman John Hammond as he opens up Jurassic Park, a theme park made up of un-extinct dinosaurs. When a power failure causes the creatures to escape and run amok on the island, a group of survivors fight to protect themselves from the dinosaurs.

The film stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough in the lead roles. It was a massive success upon release and gave Spielberg another iconic franchise under his belt as a filmmaker. The success led to a profitable franchise that has spawned six films to date.

27 Primer Was Made On A Budget Of $7,000

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Primer follows two engineers, Aaron and Gabe, who work out of Aaron's garage on entrepreneurial projects to gain money. After they accidentally discover time travel, they grapple with the consequences of discovering it, which includes putting a strain on their friendship as well as their bodies.

The film only had a budget of $7,000 and was filmed with a skeleton crew of 5 people. Shane Carruth served as director, writer, producer, star, editor, music composer, and cinematographer to save costs on the film. It has since gained a cult following for its thoughtful take on the dangers of time travel.

26 Stalker Features Complex Themes That Keep Viewers Thinking

Stalker, directed by the great Andrei Tarkovsky, follows the "Stalker," who guides two men through a post-apocalyptic wasteland known as the Zone. The Stalker leads them to a location called "the Room," which supposedly grants the wishes of whoever enters.

Stalker is considered one of the greatest films ever made and has received praise for its complex themes of human consciousness that were blended with a science-fiction take on the story. It has been cited by several filmmakers as an influence on their work.

25 Gattaca Explores Discrimination Through Eugenics

Gattaca

Release Date

October 24, 1997

Director

Andrew Niccol

Cast

Ethan Hawke , Uma Thurman , Jude Law , Gore Vidal

Rating

PG-13

Runtime

146 minutes

Main Genre

Drama

Genres

Drama , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Writers

Andrew Niccol

Gattaca takes place in the "not so distant" future where eugenics has dominated society. Ethan Hawke stars as Victor Freeman, a genetically inferior man who was born outside the eugenics program and takes the identity of a genetically superior man in order to fulfill his dream of space travel.

The film was directed by Andrew Nicol and costars Uma Thurman, Jude Law, and Alan Arkin in supporting roles. It explores and comments on reproductive technologies in society, as well as genetic discrimination. Nicol also directed In Time almost 30 years later, a similar dystopian story that trades eugenics for a time as he described it as a "bastard child of Gattaca."

24 Ghost In The Shell Was A Major Influence On Movies Such As The Matrix

Ghost in the Shell

A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.

Release Date

November 19, 1995

Director

Mamoru Oshii

Cast

Atsuko Tanaka , Akio Otsuka , Iemasa Kayumi

Rating

TV-MA

Runtime

1 Hour 23 Minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Genres

Sci-Fi , Action , Crime

Writers

Masamune Shirow , Kazunori Itô

Studio

Production I.G

Franchise

Ghost In The Shell

Production Company

Kôdansha, Bandai Visual Company, Manga Entertainment.

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Ghost in the Shell was an animated adaptation of the famous anime of the same name. Set in 2029, it follows a cyborg agent Major Motoko Kusanagi as she hunts the Puppet Master, a notorious hacker. She is aided by her partner Batu, with whom she has romantic feelings.

Ghost in the Shell is often considered one of the best science-fiction movies ever made and was highly influential in the genre. The Wachoskis, directors of The Matrix franchise, cited the film as a major influence over the franchise. A live-action adaptation, controversially starring Scarlett Johansson in the lead role, was heavily scrutinized and one of the biggest box office bombs of all time.

23 Brazil Is A Cult Classic With An Impressive Cast

Brazil

Release Date

December 18, 1985

Director

Terry Gilliam

Cast

Jonathan Pryce , Kim Greist , Robert De Niro , Katherine Helmond , Ian Holm , Bob Hoskins

Rating

R

Runtime

132 minutes

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Genres

Sci-Fi , Drama

Brazil tells the story of Sam Lowry, a bureaucrat in a dystopian society who tries to find the woman of his dreams. In the process, he becomes an enemy of the state and tries to get away from a society dominated by poorly maintained machines.

The film boasts an impressive cast including Jonathan Pryce, Kim Griest, Robert DeNiro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, and Bob Hoskins. By exploring dysfunction in the industrial world, director Terry Gilliam brought his usual satire to a dystopian movie, blending it with dark comedy. The film is considered one of the best British films ever made despite not performing well at the box office, making it a cult classic.

22 Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan Is Best-Remembered For A Heartbreaking Scene

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan

7 / 10

With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.

Release Date

June 4, 1982

Director

Nicholas Meyer

Cast

William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , Deforest Kelley , Nichelle Nichols , James Doohan , George Takei , Walter Koenig , Ricardo Montalban

Rating

PG

Runtime

1 hour 53 minutes

Genres

Action , Adventure , Science Fiction

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan continues the story of James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the USS Enterprise from the Star Trek series following Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This time, the crew goes up against Khan (Ricardo Montalbán), a dangerous tyrant who escapes a 15-year exile to exact revenge against Kirk and obtain Genesis, a terraforming device.

The Wrath of Khan is widely considered the best Star Trek film ever made and sparked a renewed interest in the franchise. It is best remembered for the heartbreaking death of fan-favorite character Spock (Leonard Nimoy) at the end of the film as well as his space funeral scene.

21 District 9 Takes Discrimination To Aliens Instead Of Humans

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District 9 was written and directed by Neil Blomkamp and was an instant sci-fi classic upon release. Sharlto Copley stars as Wikus van de Merwe, a bureaucrat at the MNU Department of Alien Affairs who is infected by an alien fluid. Racing against time, he turns to an unlikely ally in CJ, an alien living in the slums of District 9.

The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It was widely praised for its story and central themes, which took inspiration from the District Six in South Africa during the era of apartheid. Its exploration of discrimination against aliens can be interpreted as themes of racism and xenophobia in today's society. The ending of the film is one of the most heartbreaking in science fiction, and a long-rumored sequel has yet to be greenlit.

20 A Clockwork Orange Is An All-Time Classic Film

A Clockwork Orange

In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.

Release Date

February 2, 1972

Director

Stanley Kubrick

Cast

Malcolm McDowell , Patrick Magee , Michael Bates

Runtime

136 minutes

Genres

Crime

Production Company

Hawk Films, Polaris Productions

Stanley Kubrick's dystopian parable of free will and the necessity of evil ignited a firestorm when it was released. The film's extreme violence and troubling message sent censors into a frenzy, which ironically only made its points for it. Today, it's considered essential viewing, and the idea of softening its punch is almost sacrilegious.

A Clockwork Orange also benefits from Malcolm McDowell's hypnotic performance as Alex the Droog, a cheerful young sadist whose "reform" at the hands of the state becomes the movie's chief talking point. As unsettling as he can be, humanity might not survive without his ilk. Censors may have found that pill even harder to swallow than the violence.

19 RoboCop Is A Genre Classic

RoboCop

In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.

Release Date

July 17, 1987

Director

Paul Verhoeven

Cast

Nancy Allen , Peter Weller , Dan O'Herlihy

Rating

R

Runtime

1 Hour 42 Minutes

Main Genre

Action

Genres

Crime , Sci-Fi

Writers

Edward Neumeier

Production Company

Orion Pictures

Paul Verhoeven's dystopian RoboCop borders on flat-out satire in many ways. The giant corporations and criminal thugs running its future Detroit are almost cartoons, and their world is a fun-house distortion of both '80s society and consumer culture.

But there's nothing funny about Murphy, the good cop killed in the line of duty and resurrected as the cybernetic "future of law enforcement." Actor Peter Weller never lets the audience forget his hero's agonizing fate, grounding the slapstick and reminding the audience how close its farcical future is to actual reality. He turns RoboCop from a running joke into an indelible genre classic.

18 The Day The Earth Stood Still Has An Important Message

The Day The Earth Stood Still

An alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.

Release Date

September 20, 1951

Director

Robert Wise

Cast

Michael Rennie , Patricia Neal , Hugh Marlowe

Rating

G

Runtime

1 Hour 32 Minutes

Main Genre

Science Fiction

Genres

Drama , Action

Writers

Edmund H. North

Production Company

Twentieth Century Fox

Science fiction in the 1950s usually meant either invaders from outer space or giant bugs running amok. The Day the Earth Stood Still took an entirely different approach, as a benevolent alien arrives in Washington DC only to be treated with fear and suspicion.

That reversal holds a mirror up to the audience — as the best science fiction always does — and asks questions of them that more reactionary genre examples shied away from at the time. The film delivers its message amid the groundbreaking visual effects and now-classic sequences such as the robot Gort disintegrating tanks and guns with a blast of light. Though speaking directly to the era that created it, its message hasn't abated over time.

17 Akira Is An Exploration Of Free Will

Akira

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.

Release Date

July 16, 1988

Director

Katsuhiro Otomo

Cast

Mitsuo Iwata , Nozomu Sasaki , Mami Koyama

Rating

R

Runtime

2 hours 4 minutes

Main Genre

Anime

Genres

Anime , Drama , Action

Writers

Katsuhiro Otomo , Izô Hashimoto

Production Company

Akira Committee Company Ltd., Akira Studio, TMS Entertainment

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Animation frees the creators' imaginations more than any other medium, especially in the days when practical special effects limited what a movie could reveal. Akira took it one step further by affirming that animation wasn't just for kids. Its powerful story of a dystopic future in Tokyo shattered all preconceptions.

Beyond its visuals, the film endures thanks to its surprising exploration of free will, as psychic "espers" fight back against a government terrified of their existence. It's hardly new for the genre, but no film — animated or otherwise — ever realized it with the same singular vision.

16 Children Of Men Is A Tragic Film Filled With Hope

Children of Men

In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.

Release Date

January 5, 2007

Director

Alfonso Cuarón

Cast

Julianne Moore , Clare-Hope Ashitey , Clive Owen , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Michael Caine

Rating

R

Runtime

1 hour 49 minutes

Genres

Action , Drama , Science Fiction

Science fiction routinely meditates on the end of the world, but it normally involves a spectacular end. Children of Men shows humanity going out with a whimper rather than a bang, as a sudden loss of fertility leaves us slowly aging into oblivion. Yet we still play the same games — politics, racism, and revolution — even as the curtain comes down.

Director Alfonso Cuarón delivers his signature single-shot sequences to breathtaking effect, particularly the finale as Clive Owen's cynical protagonist brings a newborn baby through a throng of astonished soldiers. But it's the human tragedy that holds the viewers' attention, coupled with a reminder that hope — and heroes — come from the most surprising places.

15 The Terminator Changed The Genre Forever

The Terminator (1984)

A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.

Release Date

October 26, 1984

Director

James Cameron

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Michael Biehn , Paul Winfield

Rating

R

Runtime

1 hour 47 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Genres

Sci-Fi , Thriller

Writers

James Cameron , Gale Anne Hurd , William Wisher

Studio

James Cameron became so well known for his massive budgets that watching him operate on a shoestring is a novelty in and of itself. The Terminator was made for less than $10 million, forcing Cameron to innovate and create a masterpiece in the process. The film's action scenes play very close to the bone, while its time-traveling killbot storyline struck a chord that launched an improbable franchise.

But at the end of the day, the film belongs to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who famously decided to play the film's villain instead of the hero Kyle Reese. His thick accent and championship physique were perfect for an emotionless robot. And his immortal dialogue just before demolishing an L.A. police station remains one of the most quotable movie lines of all time.

14 Edge Of Tomorrow Is A Sci-Fi Groundhog Day

Edge of Tomorrow took time to find its audience. But its Groundhog Day plot has aged like fine wine, as Tom Cruise's not particularly heroic soldier gets caught in an endless repeat of the same fatal day during a seemingly unstoppable alien invasion.

Video game fans will recognize the bare-bones gimmick, with the film's protagonist painfully aware of the "reset" button every time he's killed. But director Doug Liman uses it to give the action genuine emotional resonance. The results are an endlessly entertaining puzzle box that almost demands multiple viewings.

13 Aliens Tops Its Predecessor, Which Is No Easy Feat

Aliens

Release Date

July 18, 1986

Director

James Cameron

Cast

Sigourney Weaver , Michael Biehn , Carrie Henn , Paul Reiser , Lance Henriksen , Bill Paxton , William Hope , Jenette Goldstein

Rating

R

Runtime

137 minutes

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Genres

Sci-Fi , Action , Adventure

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Aliens served as proof of Cameron's creative vision. Faced with the daunting shadow of Ridley Scott's classic Alien, he turns the story into a rough parable of Vietnam. Sullen bureaucrats still run humanity when an alien nest is discovered on a distant colony, and their arrogance is on full display as they send a squad of overconfident Marines straight into the lion's den.

Cameron delivers another array of stunning action sequences and memorable supporting characters in the process. (Bill Paxton began his career-long habit of stealing the show here.) Sigourney Weaver earned her first Oscar nomination — and the cover of Time — as reborn heroine Ellen Ripley famously fighting for the life of a surrogate daughter. It was a watershed moment for representation, arriving in the middle of an already magnificent sequel.

12 Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back Is The Best Star Wars Film Ever Made

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

8 / 10

After the Rebels are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Release Date

June 18, 1980

Director

Irvin Kershner

Cast

Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , James Earl Jones , Peter Mayhew , Anthony Daniels , Billy Dee Williams , David Prowse

Rating

PG

Runtime

124 minutes

Main Genre

Science Fiction

Genres

Sci-Fi , Action , Adventure , Fantasy

Writers

Leigh Brackett , Lawrence Kasdan , George Lucas

Studio

20th Century Fox

Franchise

Star Wars

Before The Empire Strikes Back, sequels were a predominantly shabby affair, with a few exceptions such as The Godfather, Part II. George Lucas and director Irwin Kirshner destroyed that notion forever in the second chapter of what became one of the biggest franchises of all time. Their galaxy far, far away became bigger, wilder and more dangerous as the heroes of the Rebellion found themselves reeling from the Empire's counterpunch.

Empire also benefited from screenwriters Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, who had a far better handle on dialogue. The characters improved immeasurably as a result, as Han and Leia's romance blossomed and Luke Skywalker learned the limits of his abilities the hard way. A New Hope changed filmmaking, but The Empire Strikes Back changed Star Wars​​​​, opening the door for everything that's come since.

11 The Thing Has An Often-Debated Ending To This Day

The Thing (1982)

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Release Date

June 25, 1982

Director

John Carpenter

Cast

Kurt Russell , Keith David , wilford brimley , Richard Masur , T.K. Carter , David Clennon

Rating

R

Runtime

1 hour 49 minutes

Genres

Horror , Science Fiction , Mystery

John Carpenter's remake of The Thing is a cautionary example for any critic who believes they have the last word. Maligned upon release when E.T. The Extraterrestrial was the apple of everyone's eye, it rose from those ashes in spectacular fashion. Today it's regarded not only as one of Carpenter's best but often tops the Best Of lists for horror and science fiction alike.

And as befits the director, it stuck resolutely to business. The audience never knows why the titular creature arrived on Earth, nor what it wants. It spread like a virus, inducing a fog of paranoia and recrimination among the research team who stumble upon it. Rob Bottin's practical effects are as horrifyingly convincing today as they were in 1982.