The ’90s saw a full flourishing of science fiction as a genre. As special effects continued to improve, and geek culture continued to make its way closer and closer to the center of our broader cultural understanding, science fiction became an important vehicle for understanding the world around us. Sci-fi in the ’90s took a wide array of different forms in this decade, but the movies on this list represent the best of what the decade had to offer. What’s more, they’re some of the very best sci-fi movies you’re likely to find on any streaming service, period.
The Matrix (1999)
Strange Days (1995)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Total Recall (1990)
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Perhaps the greates special effects feat on this entire list, Steven Spielberg’s island of reanimted dinosaurs is still one of the most thrilling films ever made 30 years after its release. Telling the story of a group of scientists who are brought to a deserted island and discovered that dinosaurs have been brought back to life there, Jurassic Park was proof that computer animation could be seamlessly integrated into the world of movies. Spielberg’s sharp direction and a dynamic screenplay certainly didn’t hurt, creating one of the most thrilling phenomena the moviegoing public had ever seen in the process.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Men in Black (1997)
Contact (1997)
The Iron Giant (1999)
Editors' Recommendations
- The best Steven Yeun movies and shows, ranked
- The best Quentin Tarantino movies, ranked – Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and more
- The 11 best superhero movies of all time
- Ranked: The 12 best Seth Rogen movies to watch now
- The 12 best sports movies of all time – From The Bad News Bears to Goon