There are an overwhelming number of movies on Netflix to choose from these days, and even more Netflix shows to dig through. Narrowing your search down by genre can only get you so far, and it can be hard to find exactly what you’re looking for. Luckily, we spend our time picking out the best possible sci-fi movies to stream so you don’t have to waste your time looking for them. So if you’re looking for the best sci-fi and fantasy movies on Netflix for 2021, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re looking for something longer than a movie, you can also check out our list of the best sci-fi series on Netflix right now.
Prospect (2018)
Full of suspense and desperation, Prospect is an original film that delves deep into the concepts of family, trust, and deception. When a father and daughter searching for mining work in space finally get a job, they must face unknown threats on an alien moon to mine for a very valuable material sought by many. This film is a bit slow and driven by character development, but when considering the limitations set by a relatively low budget (less than $4 million), respect for the acting and storyline must be paid.
Director(s): Christopher Caldwell, Zeek Earl
Main Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jay Duplass, Pedro Pascal
Runtime: 100 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.3
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Characteristic of Kubrick’s films, this is one that you may only want to watch once. Shocking and visceral, A Clockwork Orange details the happenings of a gang in the future who are led by a sociopathic madman. When the leader, Alex (Malcolm McDowell), gets imprisoned for one of his many terrible acts, he goes through experimental therapy to accelerate his release, What he doesn’t realize is how this method will affect him after the fact.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Main Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates
Runtime: 136 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.3
The Old Guard (2020)
From the Netflix sci-fi collection of original movies, The Old Guard is an action movie on Netflix worth streaming in 2021. The story follows a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron) and her covert group of immortal mercenaries who have been protecting the mortal world for centuries.
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Main Cast: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts
Runtime: 165 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Mad Max (1979)
In a dismal near-future, a small and broken police force in muscle cars is the only law, but they are challenged by a wandering biker gang of maniacs who think they own the world. With little semblance of society left at all, it’s up to these leather-clad stunt drivers to keep people in line, but evil runs amuck in a future with no system. This film is definitely one to catch if you like the apocalypse genre, beautifully encapsulating the battle between a desire for peace and the harsh reality of their world.
Director: George Miller
Main Cast: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Runtime: 88 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.9
What Happened to Monday (2017)
Jumping forward to the future: What Happened to Monday is set in a society with a strict one-child policy, which is enforced by an armed and dangerous federation army. A group of identical septuplets (Noomi Rapace) attempt to live a single life as one, all assigned to and named after a day of the week. When Monday suddenly goes missing, it’s up to the rest of the family to find her and stay alive.
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Main Cast: Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe
Runtime: 123 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.9
Snowpiercer (2013)
Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho is mostly known for his most recent film, Parasite, but his body of work expands beyond just that thriller film. Snowpiercer boasts a seriously unique premise: The entire film taking place on a train that holds the last of the world’s survivors after a failed climate-change experiment.
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Main cast: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton
Runtime: 126 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.1
I Am Legend (2007)
If any of the films on this list today will make you jump out of your seat, it’s this Sci-Fi thriller. Scientist Robert Neville (Will Smith), the lonely survivor of a viral outbreak caused by humans, wanders the deserted streets of NYC alone day after day trying to survive the creatures that humans have become. Since the predators are sensitive to sunlight, he must forage during the day and work on a cure during the night.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Main cast: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan
Runtime: 101 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.2
Doom (2005)
A tribute to the classic PC gaming series, Doom is the first live-action adaptation of the game that drew in so many gamers to its initial screening. When a group of space marines led by Sarge (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) is sent to Mars to investigate suspicious activity at the new facility, they find that scientists have been experimenting with some very dangerous ideas that could endanger life as they know it. This ode to Doom is a bit campy and ridiculous, but gives some great nods to the original gaming classic that we all know and love.
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Main Cast: Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Dwayne Johnson
Runtime: 105 minutes
IMDb Rating: 5.2
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Stranger Than Fiction is one of Will Ferrell‘s more serious roles, but it still works as a comedy. The story follows I.R.S. auditor Harold Crick as he goes about his life, only to be suddenly afflicted by narration only he can hear. Life only gets worse for him as the narration begins to affect his work, love life, and potential death.
Director: Marc Foster
Main Cast: Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman
Runtime: 113 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Total Recall (1990)
If you’re looking to watch more of the classics, this early ’90s film is a great place to start. The story follows Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who has been having a recurring dream in which he journeys to Mars. To find out more about this dream, he purchases a holiday at a corporation that deals with memory implants. Naturally, Quaid remembers that he is actually a secret agent and must take down the evil Mars administration. You can also take a look at our list of the best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies for more like this.
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside
Runtime: 113 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.5
No Game No Life: Zero (2017)
Based on the novel series of the same name, No Game, No Life: Zero tells the story of humanity’s struggle through the great war. Despite being the only race without magic, humans must use the true power of intellect to survive. This movie is actually the prequel to a popular anime series on Netflix.
Director: Atsuko Ishizuka
Main Cast: Alexandra Bedford, Jessica Boone, Ricardo Contreras
Runtime: 110 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Hardcore Henry (2015)
Hardcore Henry is one of the most intense and unique action movies you’ll ever experience. The plot is fairly straightforward, Henry is resurrected with no memory and he must save his wife from a telekinetic warlord. The movie is shot entirely in the first person, however. Meaning you get to see from the viewpoint of Henry throughout the film.
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Main Cast: Sharlto Copley, Tim Roth, Haley Bennett
Runtime: 96 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Short and sweet (if sweet were synonymous with creepy beyond all reason), Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a strange concept that somehow works out really well, and to the writer’s advantage. When a comet lands in the outskirts of a small town, some teenagers find that it was carrying alien life that looks very similar to that of circus clowns, who have everyone laughing in disbelief until they get ahold of you. Fair and probably obvious warning: If you’re scared of clowns, this will not help. Check out more classic horror movies for old hidden gems like this one.
Directors: Stephen Chiodo
Main Cast: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson
Runtime: 88 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.2
Midnight Special (2016)
Touching and full of twists, Midnight Special is a sci-fi story helmed by the creative mind of Jeff Nichols, meaning that it might not gain critical acclaim, but it will receive deserved appreciation from a keen crowd. A father (Michael Shannon) takes his young son on the run, as government officials and religious radicals take extreme interest in the young boy’s supernatural abilities. With an incredible performance from the under-appreciated Michael Shannon, this film has much more to give than just a reliable director with an inspiring story.
Director: Jeff Nichols
Main Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst
Runtime: 112 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.6
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
A strange addition to the Cloverfield film universe, The Cloverfield Paradox takes on a new setting when dimensions collide in a space station. When a space station circling Earth searches for a new source of energy to prevent global war, they happen upon an alternate reality that begins to crudely overlap with their own. This film isn’t a must-see by many standards but is a fun twist that further adds to the lore of the Cloverfield films before it, ending in a surprise that ties it all together.
Director: Julius Onah
Main Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Brühl
Runtime: 102 minutes
IMDb Rating: 5.5
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