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Sci-fi movies are a personal favorite of mine. The best sci-fi films offer the chance to explore distant galaxies, meet (or square off against) alien creatures, and typically boast some truly breathtaking visual effects. Few genres can provide an escape like a high-quality sci-fi.
If you also have an appreciation for all things sci-fi cinema, then you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve combed through Netflix’s movie library and picked out five of my current favorites. These range from the very best "Godzilla" movie of all time (tell me I'm wrong) to a thriller-action that is basically "John Wick" in a cyberpunk future, and that's just the start.
These are the best sci-fi movies on Netflix, and each is worthy of a place in your watchlist this weekend. If you need to escape from reality for a bit, these movies shouldn’t be missed.
Article continues below‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023)
“Godzilla Minus One” is the best Godzilla movie ever made, and that takes some doing, as there have been almost 40 of them over the years. What is so special about this epic kaiju film is that it offers more than just an oversized lizard leveling cities to the ground.
Alongside the monster mayhem is a genuinely impactful story about redemption with characters you will really care about. But that isn’t to say that when Godzilla emerges, things don’t get seriously intense either. “Minus One” really does offer the best of both worlds.
Opening during the dying embers of World War II, Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is a Japanese kamikaze pilot who pretends to have engine issues to escape his duty. When Godzilla attacks a base on Odo Island, he is lucky to escape with his life. He’s back home, trying to rebuild his life in a devastated Tokyo, when the skyscraper-sized creature returns. Kōichi sees this as an opportunity to earn his redemption and save the city from total ruin.
Watch "Godzilla Minus One" on Netflix now
Jurassic World (2015)
Stick with me here: I know the “Jurassic World” franchise doesn’t have a sparkling reputation in movie circles. And I’m not here to defend the entire series, the subsequent sequel range from poor to absolute garbage, but the 2015 original? Well, I think it’s a perfectly enjoyable slice of popcorn entertainment. It’s certainly no “Jurassic Park,” but there is real novelty to seeing a theme park full of genetically engineered dinosaurs open to the public this time.
I suppose the movie’s biggest crime is that, much like “The Force Awakens” was for “Star Wars,” it’s a little too comfortable just recycling the greatest hits of its iconic forebear. Still, the effects are slick, and Chris Pratt is an inoffensive lead for a movie of this scale. The story is predictable — no prizes for guessing the caged dinos break free and run amok — but the first “Jurassic World” is a movie that I can’t help but have an unexpected soft spot for, flaws and all.
Watch "Jurassic World" on Netflix now
‘Oxygen’ (2021)
Sci-fi movies are often grand in scale, but they don’t have to be sprawling adventures set among the stars. “Oxygen” is a claustrophobic thriller that gets great mileage out of a simple premise and a single cramped location. It’s sort of the sci-fi equivalent of 2011’s “Buried,” a very compelling thriller in which Ryan Reynolds is buried alive. Here it’s French actress Mélanie Laurent trapped in a nightmare situation, racing against the clock to find freedom before running out of oxygen.
The French-language movie hooks you instantly. It opens with a woman awaking locked inside a cryogenic pod. She has no memories and can’t even recall her own name or how she got in this terrifying situation. That’s distressing enough, but the situation gets a whole lot worse when the pod’s A.I. unit warns her that her oxygen levels are rapidly running out. With her air supply dwindling by the second, what follows is a desperate scramble for freedom and answers.
Watch "Oxygen" on Netflix now
‘The Creator’ (2023)
What “The Creator” lacks in narrative originality, it makes up for with impressive world-building. It might not offer characters you truly grow to care about, but even on its more modest budget compared to other blockbuster sci-fi movies, it manages to construct a vision of the future that feels almost tangible. There's no doubt, “The Creator’s” greatest strength is its stunning visuals, which are enough to hold your attention until the very end. Just don’t ask me to name a single character!
Directed by Gareth Edwards, who has extensive experience in sci-fi, having helmed “Star Wars: Rogue One” and the 2014 “Godzilla” reboot, “The Creator” portrays a particularly bleak future where humanity is at war with its own AI creation. Joshua (John David Washington) is an ex-special forces agent tasked with hunting down the in-hiding creator of this advanced artificial intelligence, who might hold the secrets to winning the war for good. But when Joshua learns the supposed “AI-ending weapon” is actually a young child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), his humanity and motivations are put to the ultimate test.
Watch "The Creator" on Netflix now
‘Upgrade’ (2018)
Looking for a sci-fi movie that doesn't skimp on the violence? Then you won’t want to miss “Upgrade.” Blending dark humour with some seriously violent action sequences, it’s a huge shot of adrenaline all set in a cyberpunk world that is richly detailed (and I would love to see more from). Plus, as it comes from director Leigh Whannell, famous for his work in the horror genre, you won’t be surprised to know that “Upgrade” contains some gruesome body horror that’ll have you wincing.
Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) is a mechanic in the year 2046, but is left paralyzed after a brutal attack, in which his wife was murdered. Given a second chance to walk again, he is implanted with a high-tech chip that gives him superhuman strength and agility. Back on his feet, Grey goes on a blood-soaked quest for revenge against those who wronged him. It’s kind of like “John Wick,” but with a science-fiction twist, and that’s a very strong elevator pitch.
Watch "Upgrade" on Netflix now
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