Ranking the Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All-Time
HM. MARVEL/GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
There are so many superhero movies that could be on this list somewhere but we've already covered a lot of them here on this page and sort of belong to their own category or genre. It would also take away from the original pictures that changed cinema forever. However, if I were to pick a comic book movie I'd pick the one that explores the fictional cosmos and immerses you in a world full of bizarre and distinctive lands, and that would be the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
25. A NEW HOPE
Gear up for a good grip on Star Wars, as you'll be seeing a another one here shortly. It just felt appropriate to begin with the film that started a behemoth of a franchise. There have been so many parodies, rip-offs, and pop culture references made since this film started it all. Rightfully so, because it's still great almost 50 years later. George Lucas created a galaxy far, far away that fans still wish they could be a part of and invented just as many classic characters to explore those locations. It would be criminal to keep this off this all-time list, but it's still not Star Wars at its best due to the generally acting and poor first lightsaber "battle."
24. READY PLAYER ONE
As mentioned above, the hefty amount of Star Wars references in pop culture is still commonplace everywhere today and that's no different here. Ready Player One is a love letter by Stephen Spielberg to cinema that consists of the most Easter Eggs in any film. Therefore, it's one of the best movies to rewatch so that you catch a new one or two with every following viewing. Of course, the effects are top-tier even if most of the human characters and plot aren't anything special. However, it's just meant to be a fun futuristic experience and it absolutely delivers in that regard.
23. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
#23 cracks the ranking early as the oldest film to get a spot here and that shouldn't be anything to scoff at considering the technological achievements that have been happening annually since 1968. Yet somehow, 2001: A Space Odyssey is remarkably ahead of its time with both its technical prowess and commentary. Stanley Kubrick explores AI technology (more on that with #17) and the evolution of the human race through a scientific adventure for the ages.
22. AVATAR: WAY OF WATER
The 2023 Best-Picture nominee and box office beast advanced technology even further than the original while also having a much better storyline to go with it. Whereas the first Avatar was a super run-of-the-mill, fish-out-of-water type story, The Way of Water we get plenty of fantastic subplots and character development that the previous one didn't. The special effects are legitimately incredible and almost validate yet another 3-hour runtime. There's even a little heartbreak near the end that it needed to reach new heights with added stakes and emotionality.
21. ALIEN
Ridley Scott’s Alien is a staple of sci-fi history thanks to its innovative genre bending of a slow burn thriller, science fiction, and horror. Its sequels are hit or miss but this one stands the test of time. alien could make this list by the the sheer presence of the classic gut-buster scene. It is so terrifying and out of left field which makes it so effective yet oddly rewatchable. Scott also uniquely created one of the most memorable monsters in the Xenomorph that you can;’t forget once you’ve seen it. My minimal complaints are that besides Ripley there isn’t much characterization and the fact that the slow burn I spoke of was REAL slow.
20. CHRONICLE
Okay, I may be cheating with this one, considering the main trio of characters develop telekinetic powers. Gimme a break though, it's still an original, non-comic book movie in a realistic world without other superheroes. It also features a little twist to these types of movies in that it's filmed in a found footage technique and it allows for different shots to be used cleverly here. Chronicle's story is also anchored by the three central performances from Michael B. Jordan, Alex Russell, and a scene-stealing Dane Dehaan. The runtime is super short too so it doesn't overstay its welcome like many comic book movies do while also applying a darker tone which keeps it even fresher.
19. MAZE RUNNER
Based on the highly successful book series, the Maze Runner franchise is one of the better YA adaptations to reach our screens. In particular, the first one is heads and shoulders above the others in terms of quality. That would be due to the fact that the premise of this movie sells it alone and anything else that is done well just adds the cherry on top. Luckily, our heroes are extremely well-casted (besides Teresa) and share great chemistry, the action sequences are enough to make you hold your breath, and it offers a surprising amount of mystery to keep you suckered in.
18. HARRY POTTER and the PRISONER OF AZKABAN
Continuing on with movies aimed towards young adults, we get the first mature film of the Harry Potter series. The movies in this franchise grew with its audience and The Prisoner of Azkaban as the third installment marked the time for a change to a more serious tone. From start to finish, this is a scary film thanks to the ever-frightening presence of the Dementors. The main actors also take a step forward after some iffy performances in the first two and deliver performances that live up to the grown-up mood of the film. It's the best film of the Wizarding World franchise and is Harry Potter at its most Sci-Fi with all of the time travel twists that are so well-crafted.
17. EX MACHINA
Ex Machina is everyone's nightmare coming true: AI technology advancing so far that it ends up outsmarting us and taking over. It's a take on how people should approach scientific discoveries in that we should tread lightly and treat it all with respect rather than what occurred here. In a film with only four characters, we get to see many toxic, manipulative relationships front and center all because of technology. While things originally look normal on the surface, these dynamics evolve for the worse as characters reveal their true intentions without care for others. This is exactly what director Alex Gardlan predicts will hapen due to the selfish human nature and makes it a wild ride to observe.
16. LOOPER
Rian Johnson gets a bad rep for “ruining Star Wars” with The Last Jedi (which this writer actually appreciates) and that leads to some of his great work going under the radar. These folks must not know that he directed the highly imdm tv episode of ALL-TIME in “Ozymandias” from Breaking Bad AND the knives out movies. Alright, now that’s out of the way so I can also talk up the movie on this list. Looper is full of time-travel and moral dilemmas while a younger Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is hired to kill his older self. It’s a fascinating premise with a wild ending that makes sense thematically.
15. E.T.
Speaking of emotionality, man E.T. really knew how to pull on the heartstrings throughout its duration. It's one of Stephen Spielberg's best films (and that's saying something) due to its blend of so many elements such as its humor and the childlike joy that's incorporated, among other things. It can also be thrilling as hell at times, partly thanks to its Academy Award-winning Score and Sound giving the scenes extra effect. This heartwarming family tale really has everything nailed and should still be considered one of the greatest films of all time.
14. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
With now ten Planet of the Apes movies and more to come, it was challenging to pick just one of them to include on this ranking considering they're all great -- minus 2001's failed reboot. I landed on the second of the recent trilogy because of the brilliant special effects and motion capture work with the Apes who look fantastic in this movie compared to the weird monkey suits of the OG trilogy. While the 1968 classic has one of the craziest twists in cinema history, it doesn't match the 2014 sequel everywhere else. The civil war between the apes is a neat twist in its own right and is expertly executed with a vicious villain in Koba that the original series didn't have. We also have an all-star cast here, with Andy Serkis bringing life to the amazing character that is Caesar.
13. HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
At #13, we have the most popular and best-reviewed YA film series of the bunch, the Hunger Games franchise. Specifically, I'm talking about Catching Fire. Mockingjay and the original can become a bit of a bore, but Catching Fire keeps you invested with innovative ideas and juicy political commentary. The whole cornucopia being a clock of disasters is such an ingenious idea from Suzanne Collins that comes alive on screen thanks to Francis Lawrence's directing and set design.
12. DONNIE DARKO
Donnie Darko fits the mold of almost any genre. It can be viewed as a rom-com, a coming of-age, a mystery, and more. Yet, at its core, it is a science fiction film. This is a personal favorite of this writer's that gets better with every viewing. As always is the case with time-travel movies, it can be a very complex and confusing viewing the first time (and a few times after). Its ability to create several questions both for the audience and its characters is what makes it such a rewarding watch. Some of these questions remain unanswered or up for your interpretation at the end which allows for peak entertainment every time you see it.
11. EDGE OF TOMORROW
Another day, another groundhog day movie. It could genuinely be its own subgenre by now but luckily there are a few that execute it well. While yes, another generic Tom Cruise action movie probably didn't sound like a fun time, this movie was charmingly great. Emily Blunt steals the whole show from the supporting crew who we surprisingly grow to care about as well through cheeky humor scattered throughout the movie. That only makes the thrilling action that much better against an alien race that is terrifyingly mobile and vicious, making for a worthy adversary for Cruise and co.
10. THE TRUMAN SHOW
Once again, we have a movie that's not your typical science fiction film. This writer enjoys science fiction pictures disguised as other genres because it offers more than just a straightforward CGI mess most of the time. The Truman Show is a satirical psychological dramedy of reality tv and is considered a science fiction film due to the technology needed to construct the fake world (dome) that Truman lives his "life" in. Jim Carrey kills it in one of his more serious roles and brings warmth to a character that just found out that his entire existence was manipulated. It's very thought-provoking that criticizes its audience in the best way possible.
9. INCEPTION
There was no way I was gonna leave Christopher Nolan off of this page. The man behind the upcoming Oppenheimer experience is the man responsible for the mind-bending time that Inception is. Its dream sequences lead to some innovative shots and set pieces from Nolan that make it so memorable. Beyond that, the complex nature of the premise cause it to be confusing, but the good kind if you know what I'm saying. If you manage to follow everything coherently, then you'll get to the awesomely ambiguous ending that's still debated to this day. These factors make it one of the best science fiction movies of the 21st century.
8. THE MATRIX
The Matrix is one of the most influential films to hit the big screen in the last 25 years. For example, they mastered the slow-motion action scenes known as the "bullet-time technique" that is commonplace everywhere now. As great science fiction films do, they set a new bar for what these pictures could do with visual effects. That's not all it has going for it. It's one of the more philosophical movies to date, which is something you rarely see in features like this. Something this stimulating is generally rare in Sci-Fi which makes it one of the more well-rounded in the genre. Obviously, the characters, design/fashion, and world-building are also top-tier to back up that claim.
7. DUNE: PART TWO
The original Dune has to spend SO much of its runtime building and explaining how the world of Arrakis works that it is somewhat of a bore. That feat is definitely not true here. Dune: Part Two is an all-timer in the making and likely to be up for a myriad of awards in a few months for its production and set design, impeccable score, cinematography, and the pitch perfect performances from the cast (minus Christopher Walken). There are loads of classic scenes like the Feed Rautha black and white area fight and his following knife battle against Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet). It is very loaded with action but also has moments of humor thanks to Javier Bardem’s hilarious devoted follower Stilgar. One thing you could throw against dune is its similarities to star wars but the books were actually written before then so hop off.
6. THE MARTIAN
It's pretty funky that Matt Damon plays an astronaut in two films within 3 years and they both managed to be among the best science fiction movies we've ever seen. Rather than playing a villain like in Interstellar, this is Damon at his most charming, heroic self. In order for this to work that was definitely necessary considering it's pretty much his show for most of the runtime. His ability to keep things light in such a dire circumstance makes him a fun underdog to root for. The witty screenplay and the supporting cast also help to make an emotional reunion for its finale.
5. BACK TO THE FUTURE
Many of the films on this list are part of a trilogy or larger franchise, but not many come close to touching the Back to the Future series in terms of consistency. The first two are genuinely great and while the third lacks the same spark, it still closes up the trilogy well. Nonetheless, we're talking about the first one that gave us pop culture icons for the ages, Marty McFly and Dr (Doc) Emmett Brown. Michale J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd bring life to them through their amazing chemistry that leads to funny, quotable lines after another. The DeLorean is also one of the most famous cinematic vehicles of all time That Robert Zemeckis gifted us with in this 1985 classic. It cracks the top 5 here easily thanks to the roller coaster of a journey that never takes itself too seriously, allowing for rewatch after rewatch for all ages.
4. INTERSTELLAR
Interstellar is an absolutely gorgeous film worthy of consideration for the greatest Sci-Fi movie ever made. It's scientifically accurate even when it gets a little outlandish and that only adds to the drama surrounding the haunting idea that one hour on a certain planet is one year on earth. The familial integration is also done perfectly to elicit tears from its audience trying to put themselves in the shoes of its protagonists sacrificing so much for the greater good. Lastly, the heel turn from Matt Damon is genuinely shocking for someone who almost always plays the good guys. How fitting for yet another Christopher Nolan film to have twist after twist to keep the people guessing.
3. JURASSIC PARK
The Jurassic movies tend to stink up the joint. Fortunately, there is one diamond in the rough with the one that started it all. Jurassic Park is obviously a classic in all rights and shouldn't even be in the same conversation as the sequels are spawned. The park itself is full of beautiful creatures with the effects being ahead of their time so that it still looks great by today's standards. It also gives you unforgettable characters including the scene-stealing, sleazy, smart, but heroic Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). Not to mention there are plenty of great anxiety-inducing sequences, with the T-Rex escape and attack as the standout scene. Spielberg really knows how to do his science fiction, doesn't he? MENTION THE SCORE.
2. ANNIHLATION
This could easily be the most controversial or criticized placing on this ranking, but just because something isn't considered iconic or an instant classic right away, doesn't mean its quality is below something that came before it. Annihilation didn't perform at the box office due to its inability to understand how to market the psychological horror that is in this picture. So, why is this #2? Well, the visuals in "The Shimmer" are probably the trippiest thing you're gonna see in a movie that isn't in 3D and it's gorgeous. It has a lot of clever, somewhat confusing ideas as well about self-destruction that take place. Annihlation's also incredibly suspenseful given the unpredictable and unknowing nature of everything in this area mutating into new creatures or life. Please watch this if you enjoy a little reefer.
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
I was wrestling with the #1 spot for a while considering the collection of masterworks I had to sort through but in the end, I just kept it simple with really the movie that defines the genre and is the first thing you probably think of when you see hear science fiction. Often regarded as one of, if not the best sequel of all time, we have the Empire Strikes Back. You'd be hard-pressed to find something bad about this movie (okay ignore THAT kiss) and is iconic from start to finish through its beautiful planets such as Hoth, Cloud City, or the Dagobah System. The special and practical effects are pretty solid for its time and hold up, the John Williams score is at its best, and the old trio is on top form once again here. This is all without mentioning that it carries the greatest movie quote of all time. Therefore, #1.
