Since the days of Stuart Paton's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Fritz Lang's Metropolis, filmmakers and moviegoers have been fascinated with science fiction. Aliens, dystopian societies, and robots from the future; the sci-fi genre is extensive and flexible, presenting creators with plenty of room to explore fantastical ideas based on science and technology.

As with pretty much any other genre, Netflix has a substantial selection of sci-fi films, including both all-time greats and smaller production that might have flown under the radar. For those subscribers looking for something futuristic to watch, here are the best sci-fi movies on Netflix.

Inception (2010)

Christopher Nolan regularly dips his toes into the sci-fi genre, with the most blatant example being Interstellar. While that film tends to be polarizing, the same cannot be said about Inception, which is a front-runner for the director's best movie. Although it has all the makings of a crowd-pleasing blockbuster, the 2010 film incorporates some fairly cerebral science-fiction ideas, and it takes them seriously rather than employing them as a plot device.

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Inception envisions a world that contains technology that allows people to enter somebody else's dreams, where they can implement ideas that will echo in the target's subconscious. Framed like a heist movie, Inception is packed to the brim with visually stimulating and creative set pieces, and they do not come at the expense of a gripping story or likable characters. The latter are brought to life by an all-star cast that includes the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, and Ken Watanabe.

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Star Trek's enduring popularity speaks for itself. Along with being responsible for some of sci-fi's greatest series and movies, the massive franchise also inspired arguably the genre's funniest parody: Galaxy Quest. Decades after the show went off the air, Galaxy Quest's cast mostly spend their time on the convention circuit. However, their lives take a turn for the weird when they are recruited by a naive alien race who take their low-budget adventurers are face value. Suddenly, these actors and actresses find themselves taking on an intergalactic threat that would challenge even the likes of Spock and Kirk.

Galaxy Quest is a loving tribute to all things classic Star Trek, one that pokes fun at the 1960s show while also highlighting its influence and importance. While familiarity with the parody's subject improves the experience, Galaxy Quest is still funny without that knowledge.

The Adam Project (2022)

Released on March 11, 2022 on Netflix, The Adam Project is an easy, if forgettable watch. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, and Zoe Saldana, the sci-fi comedy slips into the time-travel subgenre as it follows a pilot who must team up with his younger self to save the day.

The Adam Project is a pleasant movie that elevates its by-the-numbers plot by making good use of its charismatic cast. Although it is the type of film that has been done to death, there is still plenty of fun to be had with this outing.

Who Am I (2014)

Sci-fi might be a bit of a stretch when it comes to Who Am I, a hacker-themed thriller that maintains a sense of heightened realism throughout the majority of its narrative. The German film follows Benjamin, an isolated and self-conscious hacker who is recruited by a group of pros. He eventually tags along and becomes ensnared in a big case that involves conspiracy and murder.

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Who Am I is a fun ride with barely a dull second. While a relatively low-budget production, the movie makes very good use of real-life locations to enhance the story. It even presents a fun twist on the darknet, at least in terms of presentation.

Pitch Black (2000)

All three Riddick movies are on Netflix, and they make for a fun albeit inconsistent trilogy. Out of these flicks, Pitch Black is unquestionably the standout, and it holds up better than its sequels. Combining action and horror, the film follows Riddick as he tries to survive on and escape from an alien planet, a process that proves to be nothing if not wildly entertaining.

Even all these years later, Pitch Black still contains one of Vin Diesel's best performances. While somewhat reminiscent of other sci-fi classics like Predator, this 2000 sci-fi film has enough unique touches to stand on its own two feet.

Okja (2017)

Sci-fi loves stories about humans befriending creatures, be they aliens or gremlins. Okja is one of the more recent and better additions to this subgenre, although it is anything but a typical representation of this concept. The titular Okja is adorable, as is its friendship with Lucy; however, the man-made creature is also destined to be packaged as meat in the future.

Like most of Bong Joon Ho's projects, Okja is ambitious and thought-provoking, particularly in its exploration of corporate behavior and food consumption. The film has plenty of things to say and the confidence to execute them well, resulting in an experience that covers an incredibly wide range of emotions.

What Happened To Monday (2017)

In an alternate universe where Earth's resources have been depleted and families are restricted to one child, a single father with septuplets has to come up with a scheme to keep his daughters together. So, they essentially pretend to be a single person, each one getting a day of the week. When one of the sisters, Monday, goes missing, the rest have to figure out what happened to her.

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What Happened to Monday has a fun premise, some neat action sequences, and a game cast, with Noomi Rapace being especially fantastic as the seven siblings. Netflix's sci-fi film does not fully come together to create an all-time great experience, but it is an entertaining watch nevertheless.

I Am Mother (2019)

Focusing on an unorthodox parent-child relationship, I Am Mother follows a robot with advanced AI that spends its time looking over embryos in a research facility. Simply known as Mother, the robot's core connection is with a young girl named Daughter, and this intriguing sci-fi flick dedicates a decent stretch of time to establishing these two's dynamic. In fact, I Am Mother keeps its cast to a minimum, with the only other major player being a human woman who serves as a rival to the AI.

I Am Mother presents fascinating ideas while touching upon classic science-fiction themes that are socially relevant in the present day. Despite its tiny cast and intimate setting, the film is quite story-driven, particularly during its second half.

Invader Zim: Enter The Florpus (2019)

After almost two decades, Invader Zim made a glorious comeback in the form of a Netflix movie salvaged from a dropped Nickelodeon project. Enter the Florpus expertly recaptures a lot of the original show's brilliance, be it the fantastic voice acting, the nihilistic themes, or the crude, absurdist art style. A few things have changed since the early 2000s though; for one, the movie is not quite as relentlessly dark as the TV series, even going as far as to give Dib a few "nice" moments. This might frustrate some long-time fans, but growth is not a bad thing, and Enter the Florpus explores these new dimensions well.

While it is one of the funniest science-fiction movies on Netflix, Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus is a difficult recommendation for newcomers to the franchise as a whole. That's not to say the uninitiated won't find anything to enjoy here, but a pre-existing familiarity with the characters and their history together elevates the experience significantly.

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022)

Childhood is a frequent theme in Richard Linklater's movies, and Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood is the most blatant example except for perhaps Boyhood. Technically, the 2022 movie qualifies as sci-fi since it involves a kid being recruited to go on a trip to the moon; however, this fantastical excursion is a fun distraction rather than the film's focus.

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Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood revolves around the space race, specifically the public reaction to the moment. While it does touch upon the moon landing's cultural importance, the film is presented like a scattershot collection of memories and emotions fueled by the event. The animated movie does not have much in the way of narrative drive, but it works well as a snapshot of a unique period in the history of the United States.

The Call (2020)

A South Korean thriller, The Call is intense, imaginative, and unpredictable. The sci-fi aspect comes in the form of a phone that allows two women from different decades to talk to each other. Through these discussions, both characters manage to improve their lives, although things are not quite as they seem.

The Call blends drama, horror, and sci-fi to create one of the best movies on Netflix. Both leads deliver stellar performances that lure audiences into their worlds and personas. Twists are a dime-a-dozen in the thriller genre, but The Call expertly sets up these moments so they always feel earned.

The Platform (2019)

Big concepts do not need big budgets, something that The Platform proves. This sci-fi horror film takes place in a unique prison called The Pit which is split into 30 floors. Every day, a platform is dropped containing food, with people on the lower levels having to settle for whatever has been left for them. Each month, the prisoners are shuffled between the floors, literally changing their social standing.

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The Platform presents a fascinating premise filled with the potential to inspire ethical discussions, and the film executes this idea pretty well. Although taking place largely in identical rooms, The Platform is ambitious in its themes and presentation.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End Of Evangelion (1997)

Neon Genesis Evangelion is available on Netflix, and any fans of the 1995 anime should make sure to check out The End of Evangelion as it is the proper conclusion to the series. Conversely, it is not recommended that people unfamiliar with the show watch the movie – they will struggle to follow the story and miss out on most of its emotional weight.

A mecha anime, NGE: The End of Evangelion is haunting, surreal, discomforting, and visually bewitching. Dealing with themes of human consciousness and exploring a number of philosophical and psychological theories, this movie is conceptually dense, all the while still delivering engrossing action sequences that are entertaining on a more basic level.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Adam McKay's Don't Look Up centers around a catastrophic crisis as a comet approaches Earth. Typically, this type of story would concentrate entirely on humanity's attempts to eradicate the ball of fire hurling toward the planet, but this plot line is only a small part of the 2021 film. Instead, Don't Look Up focuses on the political and media side of things, casting a humorous light while mocking the characters' indifference to the impending apocalypse.

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Don't Look Up uses its sci-fi premise as an allegory for climate change, and the movie is not subtle. At over two hours, McKay's film does threaten to overstay its welcome at points, but a fantastic cast and some sharp writing help keep things interesting.

The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (2021)

While a loving family, the Mitchells are prone to arguments due to the generation gap between Rick and his daughter Katie. As the latter will soon be heading to college, Rick decides to take the whole family on a road trip, something that not many members are excited about. As they try to bond and not kill each other, a robot revolt just happens to break out, forcing the Mitchells to work together to stop humanity's destruction.

The Mitchells Vs. The Machines has heart, humor, and creative action. The film blends a family comedy with a sci-fi epic to good effect, crafting an experience that works well as a representative of both genres. The animation is fantastic as well, arguably among the best on Netflix.

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