Netflix‘s sci-fi library is not the streamer’s strongest area. But at least Netflix tries to add new films every month in this category, which is more than we can say for the fantasy movies on Netflix. And if you’re really up for something challenging to sit through, the extended cuts of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon films are now on Netflix. Those movies are now superlong, and may require a few breaks.
Thankfully, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Back to the Future Part III, and Star Trek Beyond are all viable alternatives in August. T2 is particularly timely because Netflix has an anime series, Terminator Zero, debuting at the end of the month. In the meantime, you can catch all of our picks for the best sci-fi movies on Netflix below.
In need of a few more suggestions? We’ve curated guides to the best sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime Video and the best sci-fi movies on Hulu, too.
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Star Trek Beyond2016
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
75%
8.6/10To date, no Terminator sci-fi sequel has ever recaptured the pure excitement of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. While The Terminator was a hit in 1984, Terminator 2 was the summer blockbuster of 1991. It also successfully transformed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 from the villain of the first film to a heroic machine in nearly every film that came after it.
Roughly a decade after the events of the first film, an advanced T-1000 (Robert Patrick) has come back in time to finish off John Connor (Edward Furlong) and his mother, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Only the T-800 can protect them, but it’s Sarah who fully understands what this Terminator can do. With the Terminator’s help, the Connors may be able to prevent a war between humanity and the machines from ever happening.
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
55%
7.4/10To close out the trilogy, Back to the Future Part III sends Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) on a rescue mission to 1885 to rescue his friend, Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Marty’s actions are well-intended, but the level of technology they need to get home doesn’t exist in that time.
As the pair searches for a solution, Doc Brown becomes smitten with a schoolteacher, Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen). Meanwhile, Marty has made an enemy out of an outlaw, Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson). If Marty and Doc don’t find a way back to 1985 soon, there’s a grave waiting with Marty’s assumed name on it just a few days in their future.
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
68%
7.0/10Nearly a decade after Star Trek Beyond, another sequel with the reboot cast has yet to materialize. So until that finally happens, this is likely the farewell performance of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Karl Urban as Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy, respectively. This time, the crew of the Enterprise runs up against Krall (Idris Elba), an alien who seems all too familiar with the Federation.
With most of the crew captured or killed, Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg) makes a new ally named Jaylah (Sofia Boutella). With Jaylah’s help, Kirk and his friends may be able to turn the tide and discover Krall’s true identity.
Back to the Future (1985)
87%
8.5/10All three Back to the Future films are once again on Netflix, but as history has shown us, they won’t be around forever. We wouldn’t argue that the original Back to the Future is a perfect movie, but rarely has any film mixed comedy and sci-fi as well as this one. Michael J. Fox arrived as a movie star thanks to his turn as Marty McFly, a high school student from 1985 who finds himself stuck in 1955.
A younger version of Marty’s friend Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) might be able to fix Marty’s malfunctioning time machine. But only Marty can fix his greatest blunder. Because of his own mistakes, Marty’s parents — George McFly (Crispin Glover) and Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) — missed their first meeting and now barely know each other. And if Marty can’t get them to fall in love and restore his personal history, then he won’t even have a future to go home to.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
60%
7.0/10Matt Damon’s David Norris meets the woman of his dreams, Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt), in The Adjustment Bureau. The problem is that David was only supposed to see her once. By defying fate, David becomes aware of the Adjustment Bureau, an organization including people like Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) and Richardson (John Slattery) who have guided his life.
Are the members of the Adjustment Bureau divine or angels? David doesn’t really care. All he knows is that he wants to be with Elise, and he’s willing to fight back against the Adjustment Bureau’s plan even if it means sacrificing his own destiny.
Life (2017)
54%
6.6/10Life may not have gotten the best reviews, but it’s got a hell of a cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, and even Shogun’s Hiroyuki Sanada. This horror/sci-fi story takes place on the International Space Station as Rory Adams (Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Ryan Reynolds) and the rest of the crew examine “Calvin,” an apparent life form that was discovered on Mars and remotely sent to the station.
Calvin reacts badly to being poked and prodded, and soon escapes from the lab. Now, the crew is facing an unknown and hostile organism that’s picking them off one by one. And if Calvin manages to get to Earth, no one can predict what would happen next.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
81%
7.9/10Why is Godzilla Minus One so much better than the American MonsterVerse movies? There are two reasons. First, Godzilla has no redeeming qualities in Minus One. He is simply a monstrous force of nature. The second reason is that Minus One has a human story that resonates through Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki).
Shikishima should have died twice, first as a kamikaze pilot in the last days of World War II, and then during his initial encounter with Godzilla. Because he fails to act or give up his life, Shikishima views himself as a coward… and that’s a view shared by others. Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe), a woman who lives with Shikishima, sees him as the man he could be. She gives him something to live for, even if it means he may ultimately have to die.
Upgrade (2018)
67%
7.5/10The R rating for Upgrade doesn’t fully prepare you for just how brutal the fights in this movie can be once Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) becomes a lethal weapon of vengeance. It’s not what he wanted to become, of course. But without STEM (Simon Maiden), Grey would still be trapped inside his own paralyzed body following an attack that claimed the life of his wife.
Billionaire Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson) offered STEM to Grey to give him back his life. Yet instead of a dream, it’s becoming a nightmare as the AI STEM takes more and more control over Grey’s body.
Starship Troopers (1997)
51%
7.3/10There are plenty of unintentionally funny sci-fi movies, but Starship Troopers is well-aware that it’s a satire. Sometimes, it’s the audience of this movie that doesn’t realize director Paul Verhoeven is adding subversive humor to Robert A. Heinlein’s novel that might be flying over their heads.
In the relatively near future, Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) follows his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), into military service only to find disgrace. But just as Johnny is about to walk away, massive alien bugs attack Earth. This rallies Johnny and his fellow troops for an all-out war in space. Unfortunately for humanity, the bugs are intelligent and far more powerful than anyone initially believed.
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)
6.3/10It took Zack Snyder two movies to retell the story of The Magnificent Seven in space, which is essentially what Rebel Moon is. Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire introduced Kora (Sofia Boutella), and revealed her personal connection to Motherworld, the heart of the empire that dominates the known universe. It also established that Kora is the title character in the sequel, Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver.
Kora and her remaining allies triumphed in the first part of the film when they survived an Imperium trap. But now the real challenge begins, because the Imperium is marshaling its forces to conquer Veldt, Kora’s adopted home. And she’ll do anything to protect her people, even if it kills her.
Spaceman (2024)
56%
5.8/10Alien’s promo line infamously states that “in space, no one can hear you scream.” Spaceman isn’t a horror film, so there’s not much suspense about whether astronaut Jakub Procházka (Adam Sandler) will survive. But since Jakub is alone in deep space, no one can hear or see just how badly he is being consumed by his loneliness, his inner turmoil, and his failing marriage to Lenka Procházka (Carey Mulligan). No one except Hanuš (Paul Dano), an alien spider that Jakub encounters on his journey.
Hanuš sees and knows everything in Jakub’s mind, often to the detriment of Jakub himself. Reliving painful memories isn’t something Jakub wants, and yet he’s so desperate for any kind of companionship that the prospect of Hanuš leaving him behind is absolutely devastating to him.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
32%
8.6/10Zack Snyder’s space opera, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, should be familiar to fans of Star Wars and other sci-fi epics. It takes place in a universe that is ruled by Motherworld and its intergalactic army, the Imperium. Kora (Sofia Boutella), an ex-member of the Imperium, sought to redeem herself by starting a new life out of Motherworld’s reach on a moon called Veldt.
When the Imperium finally arrives on Veldt, Kora can’t run anymore. To defend her adopted homeworld, Kora recruits a former Imperium general, Titus (Djimon Hounsou), as well as Kai (Charlie Hunnam), Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), Tarak (Staz Nair), Nemesis (Doona Bae), and more. But even this assortment of warriors may not be enough to withstand a full assault by the Imperium.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
75%
6.7/10Very early on in They Cloned Tyrone, a drug dealer named Fontaine (John Boyega) is brutally murdered in front of one of his clients, Slick Charles (Foxx), and one of his Slick’s girls, Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris). But much to the surprise of Slick Charles and Yo-Yo, Fontaine shows up the next day without any memory of what happened to him.
While investigating the mystery of Fontaine’s apparent resurrection, the trio uncover a clone conspiracy that has very troubling implications for their lives and their future. And if they want to save themselves, Fontaine, Slick Charles, and Yo-Yo need to fight back.
65 (2023)
40%
5.4/1065 doesn’t try to hide its sci-fi premise. It’s about a pilot named Mills (Adam Driver), a man who accepts a long-term gig as a pilot to provide for his family. But when his starship crash lands on Earth 65 million years ago, Mills is left with no way to reunite with his wife, Nevine (Chloe Coleman), and their daughter, Alya (Nika King).
The only thing that gives Mills the will to live is Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), a young girl who is the only other survivor. When Mills discovers a potential escape from prehistoric Earth, he escorts Koa across a landscape that is filled with very ravenous and very dangerous dinosaurs.
Captain Nova (2021)
5.5/10Captain Nova (Anniek Pheifer) has come from the future to save the past in the Dutch sci-fi movie that shares her name. Unfortunately, for Nova, the trip back in time has also changed her into a 12-year-old child. And young Nova (Kika van de Vijver) soon realizes that her mission is now nearly impossible because of this unforeseen side effect.
With few other viable options, Nova teams up with a kid named Nas (Marouane Meftah) as she attempts to rewrite the future by taking on a greedy corporation. And if Nova fails, her future is destined to unfold in the same way that it did before.
Rim of the World (2019)
5.2/10McG’s Rim of the World takes its inspiration from the kid-centric sci-fi films that Steven Spielberg produced and directed in the 1980s. At the Rim of the World summer camp in California, Alex (Jack Gore) is a boy who is still grieving the loss of his father when he starts bonding with his fellow social rejects, ZhenZhen (Miya Cech), Dariush (Benjamin Flores Jr.), and Gabriel (Alessio Scalzotto).
Much to their collective surprise, Alex and his new friends discover that they are in the midst of an alien invasion. And they may be the only ones left who can deliver the key to victory to NASA … if they can live long enough to escape.
What Happened to Monday (2017)
47%Warriors of Future (2022)
Spiderhead (2022)
54%The Adam Project (2022)
55%
6.7/10Stowaway (2021)
63%
5.6/10Synchronic (2020)
64%
6.2/10
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
80%
7.7/10
The Swarm (2020)
5.3/10
Army of the Dead (2021)
57%
5.8/10
Oxygen (2021)
67%
6.5/10
Spectral (2016)
6.3/10
The Midnight Sky (2020)
58%
5.6/10
Outside the Wire (2021)
45%
5.4/10
The Discovery (2017)
54%
6.3/10
The Wandering Earth (2019)
57%
6.0/10
Mirage (2018)
7.4/10
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
61%
7.1/10
Advantageous (2015)
59%
6.2/10
Project Power (2020)
51%
6/10
Bird Box (2018)
51%
6.6/10See You Yesterday (2019)
74%
5.2/10
Beyond Skyline (2017)
46%
5.3/10
Okja (2017)
75%
7.3/10
I Am Mother (2019)
64%
6.7/10
