Rotten Tomatoes’ best sci-fi movies of all time
Metropolis
Cue the theremin, summon some extraterrestrials, and insert that social commentary: It’s Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 best sci-fi movies of all time, ranked by adjusted Tomatometer from at least 40 reviews!
Adjusted Score: 80.187%
Critics Consensus: With Signs, Shyamalan proves once again an expert at building suspense and giving audiences the chills.
Synopsis: A thriller set in Bucks County, Pennsylvania focusing on the mysterious appearance of a five-hundred-foot design of circles and lines…[More]
Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan
Adjusted Score: 80.947%
Critics Consensus: Predator: Part sci-fi, part horror, part action — all muscle.
Synopsis: Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has a code of honor which he will not violate, even when his life depends on it…. [More]
Directed By: John McTiernan
Adjusted Score: 80.95%
Critics Consensus: It may sport more style than substance, but Pacific Rim is a solid modern creature feature bolstered by fantastical imagery and an irresistible sense of fun.
Synopsis: When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions… [More]
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro
Adjusted Score: 81.035%
Critics Consensus: Danny Boyle continues his descent into mind-twisting sci-fi madness, taking us along for the ride. Sunshine fulfills the dual requisite necessary to become classic sci-fi: dazzling visuals with intelligent action.
Synopsis: As the sun begins to dim along with humankind’s hope for the future, it’s up to a desperate crew of… [More]
Directed By: Danny Boyle
Adjusted Score: 81.868%
Critics Consensus: Visually audacious, disorienting, and just plain weird, Videodrome’s musings on technology, entertainment, and politics still feel fresh today.
Synopsis: In this David Cronenberg film, a strange television show called Videodrome, which shows uncut, unedited films of seemingly real human…[More]
Directed By: David Cronenberg
Adjusted Score: 82.001%
Critics Consensus: Though it may be short on dazzling special effects, The Search for Spock is still a strong Star Trek installment, thanks to affecting performances by its iconic cast.
Synopsis: Star Trek II ended with Spock presumed dead, but this film reveals that his consciousness survives within McCoy. Spock’s body… [More]
Directed By: Leonard Nimoy
Adjusted Score: 82.195%
Critics Consensus: Ridley Scott’s ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions, but it’s redeemed by its haunting visual grandeur and compelling performances — particularly Michael Fassbender as a fastidious android.
Synopsis: Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a… [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Adjusted Score: 82.271%
Critics Consensus: Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells’ classic novel while impressively updating the action and effects for modern audiences.
Synopsis: This is a contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells’ seminal sci-fi classic. The adventure/thriller reveals humankind’s extraordinary battle against an extra-terrestrial… [More]
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Adjusted Score: 82.537%
Critics Consensus: Jurassic World can’t match the original for sheer inventiveness and impact, but it works in its own right as an entertaining — and visually dazzling — popcorn thriller.
Synopsis: Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. Colin Trevorrow… [More]
Directed By: Colin Trevorrow
Adjusted Score: 82.973%
Critics Consensus: Fueled by bombastic violence and impressive special effects, rooted in self-satire and deadpan humor, Dredd 3D does a remarkable job of capturing its source material’s gritty spirit.
Synopsis: The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega… [More]
Directed By: Pete Travis
Adjusted Score: 83.741%
Critics Consensus: Interstellar represents more of the thrilling, thought-provoking, and visually resplendent filmmaking moviegoers have come to expect from writer-director Christopher Nolan, even if its intellectual reach somewhat exceeds its grasp.
Synopsis: With our time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human… [More]
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Adjusted Score: 84.371%
Critics Consensus: Beyond Thunderdome deepens the Mad Max character without sacrificing the amazing vehicle choreography and stunts that made the originals memorable.
Synopsis: About 15 years after the events of Mad Max 2, nuclear war has finally destroyed what little was left of… [More]
Adjusted Score: 83.368%
Critics Consensus: Alien: Covenant delivers another satisfying round of close-quarters deep-space terror, even if it doesn’t take the saga in any new directions.
Synopsis: Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise. The… [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Adjusted Score: 85.105%
Critics Consensus: Intelligent and scientifically provocative, Gattaca is an absorbing sci fi drama that poses important interesting ethical questions about the nature of science.
Synopsis: In a futuristic society where commerce has overridden more humanistic concerns, the rich and successful, eager to obtain physical and…[More]
Directed By: Andrew Niccol
Adjusted Score: 86.215%
Critics Consensus: Following its own brand of logic, Paprika is an eye-opening mind trip that is difficult to follow but never fails to dazzle.
Synopsis: A machine allows therapists to enter patients’ dreams. When it’s stolen, all hell breaks loose, and only a woman therapist… [More]
Directed By: Satoshi Kon
Adjusted Score: 86.644%
Critics Consensus: Under Paul Verhoeven’s frenetic direction, Total Recall is a fast-paced rush of violence, gore, and humor that never slacks.
Synopsis: In Paul Verhoeven’s wild sci-fi action movie Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a 21st-century construction worker who discovers that his… [More]
Directed By: Paul Verhoeven
Adjusted Score: 86.872%
Critics Consensus: A politically subversive blend of horror and sci fi, They Live is an underrated genre film from John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A homeless drifter discovers a reason for the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor: a conspiracy by non-human… [More]
Directed By: John Carpenter
Adjusted Score: 86.995%
Critics Consensus: A remarkable technical achievement, Metropolis’ eye-popping visuals more than compensate for its relatively routine story.
Synopsis: Playing like a candy-colored hybrid of Fritz Lang’s film of the same name and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Osamu Tezuka’s… [More]
Directed By: Rintaro
Adjusted Score: 87.193%
Critics Consensus: Fun genre fare with uncommon intelligence, Predestination serves as a better-than-average sci-fi adventure — and offers a starmaking turn from Sarah Snook.
Synopsis: PREDESTINATION chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent (Ethan Hawke) sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to… [More]
Adjusted Score: 87.324%
Critics Consensus: Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter’s The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.
Synopsis: John Carpenter’s The Thing is both a remake of Howard Hawks’ 1951 film of the same name and a re-adaptation… [More]
Directed By: John Carpenter
Adjusted Score: 87.583%
Critics Consensus: The Undiscovered Country is a strong cinematic send-off for the original Trek crew, featuring some remarkable visuals and an intriguing, character-driven mystery plot.
Synopsis: In this last film centering on the original television series’ stars, an ecological disaster forces the Klingons to seek peace… [More]
Directed By: Nicholas Meyer
Adjusted Score: 87.896%
Critics Consensus: Filled with stunning imagery, The Man Who Fell to Earth is a calm, meditative film that profoundly explores our culture’s values and desires.
Synopsis: Space alien (Bowie) crash lands on Earth, seeking help for his drought-stricken planet. By securing patents to advanced technology, he…[More]
Directed By: Nicolas Roeg
Adjusted Score: 88.196%
Critics Consensus: Though failing to reach the cinematic heights of its predecessors, Return of the Jedi remains an entertaining sci-fi adventure and a fitting end to the classic trilogy.
Synopsis: In the epic conclusion of the saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star… [More]
Directed By: Richard Marquand
Adjusted Score: 88.448%
Critics Consensus: With Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas brings his second Star Wars trilogy to a suitably thrilling and often poignant — if still a bit uneven — conclusion.
Synopsis: George Lucas draws the Star Wars film series to a close with this dark sci-fi adventure which sets the stage… [More]
Directed By: George Lucas
Adjusted Score: 88.513%
Critics Consensus: Led by Rupert Wyatt’s stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathes unlikely new life into a long-running franchise.
Synopsis: A single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a war unlike any other — and to the Rise… [More]
Directed By: Rupert Wyatt
Adjusted Score: 88.732%
Critics Consensus: Snappy dialogue and goofy characters make this Wild Wild West soap opera in space fun and adventurous.
Synopsis: A band of renegades on the run in outer space get in more hot water than they anticipated in this… [More]
Directed By: Joss Whedon
Adjusted Score: 89.42%
Critics Consensus: Yul Brynner gives a memorable performance as a robotic cowboy in this amusing sci-fi/western hybrid.
Synopsis: Welcome to Westworld, where nothing can go wrong…go wrong…go wrong….Writer/director Michael Crichton has concocted a futuristic “Disneyland for adults”, a… [More]
Directed By: Michael Crichton
Adjusted Score: 89.545%
Critics Consensus: Timecrimes is a low-budget thriller that’s well-crafted and loaded with dark humor and bizarre twists.
Synopsis: An ordinary guy takes an extraordinary step through time in this science fiction thriller. Hector (Karra Elejalde) is spending a… [More]
Directed By: Nacho Vigalondo
Adjusted Score: 89.772%
Critics Consensus: Extraordinarily daring for a Hollywood film, Altered States attacks the viewer with its inventive, aggressive mix of muddled sound effects and visual pyrotechnics.
Synopsis: In this 1980 sci-fi horror film, William Hurt plays Eddie Jessup, a scientist obsessed with discovering mankind’s true role in… [More]
Directed By: Ken Russell
Adjusted Score: 89.91%
Critics Consensus: A nostalgic ode to kids’ movies of yesteryear, Turbo Kid eyes the past through an entertaining — albeit surprisingly gory — postmodern lens.
Synopsis: Set in a post apocalyptic year of 1997, this retro-futuristic and nostalgic tribute to 80’s action-adventure films follows an orphaned… [More]
Adjusted Score: 90.045%
Critics Consensus: It may evoke memories of classic summer blockbusters a little too eagerly for some, but Super 8 has thrills, visual dazzle, and emotional depth to spare.
Synopsis: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while… [More]
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Adjusted Score: 90.404%
Critics Consensus: Akira is distractingly bloody and violent, but its phenomenal animation and sheer kinetic energy helped set the standard for modern anime.
Synopsis: One of the best-known examples of contemporary Japanese animation, this cyberpunk adventure takes place in the post-apocalyptic city of Neo-Tokyo…. [More]
Directed By: Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Adjusted Score: 90.505%
Critics Consensus: Featuring an atmospherically grimy futuristic metropolis, Escape from New York is a strange, entertaining jumble of thrilling action and oddball weirdness.
Synopsis: In this grim, cynical science fiction film, the island of New York City has been transformed into a gigantic prison… [More]
Directed By: John Carpenter
Adjusted Score: 90.71%
Critics Consensus: Midnight Special’s intriguing mysteries may not resolve themselves to every viewer’s liking, but the journey is ambitious, entertaining, and terrifically acted.
Synopsis: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, and Kirsten Dunst star in writer/director Jeff Nichols’ drama about a father and his eight-year-old son…[More]
Directed By: Jeff Nichols
Adjusted Score: 91.711%
Critics Consensus: The plot’s a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind-blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience.
Synopsis: An intense film about time travel, this sci-fi entry was directed by Terry Gilliam, a member of the comedy troupe… [More]
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Adjusted Score: 92.007%
Critics Consensus: The utterly gorgeous special effects frequently overshadow the fact that The Abyss is also a totally gripping, claustrophobic thriller, complete with an interesting crew of characters.
Synopsis: The crew of an experimental, high-tech submersible is called into action to investigate a mysterious nuclear submarine crash. A series… [More]
Directed By: James Cameron
Adjusted Score: 92.658%
Critics Consensus: Considered by many fans to be the best of the Star Trek movies, Khan features a strong plot, increased tension, and a sharp supporting performance from Ricardo Montalban.
Synopsis: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is fondly regarded as being the closest in spirit to the 1966-69 TV… [More]
Directed By: Nicholas Meyer
Adjusted Score: 92.68%
Critics Consensus: While over-the-top and gory, Robocop is also a surprisingly smart sci-fi flick that uses ultraviolence to disguise its satire of American culture.
Synopsis: In near-future Detroit, a murdered police officer is resurrected as an experimental crime-fighting cyborg named Robocop. Tormented by memories of… [More]
Directed By: Paul Verhoeven
Adjusted Score: 93.264%
Critics Consensus: It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron’s singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking.
Synopsis: “Avatar” is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic… [More]
Directed By: James Cameron
Adjusted Score: 93.299%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to the Wachowskis’ imaginative vision, The Matrix is a smartly crafted combination of spectacular action and groundbreaking special effects.
Synopsis: What if virtual reality wasn’t just for fun, but was being used to imprison you? That’s the dilemma that faces… [More]
Adjusted Score: 93.816%
Critics Consensus: Star Trek Beyond continues the franchise’s post-reboot hot streak with an epic sci-fi adventure that honors the series’ sci-fi roots without skimping on the blockbuster action.
Synopsis: Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise encounter an alien warrior race when marooned on a distant planet after… [More]
Directed By: Justin Lin
Adjusted Score: 94.234%
Critics Consensus: Thrilling and superbly acted, The Hunger Games captures the dramatic violence, raw emotion, and ambitious scope of its source novel.
Synopsis: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces… [More]
Directed By: Gary Ross
Adjusted Score: 94.421%
Critics Consensus: Effortlessly mixing scares, laughs, and social commentary, Attack the Block is a thrilling, brisky-paced sci-fi yarn with a distinctly British flavor.
Synopsis: From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city… [More]
Directed By: Joe Cornish
Adjusted Score: 94.438%
Critics Consensus: George Lucas’ feature debut presents a spare, bleak, dystopian future, and features evocatively minimal set design and creepy sound effects.
Synopsis: ‘THX 1138’ is a chilling look at a 25th-century totalitarian state where mankind is stripped of any individuality. People are… [More]
Directed By: George Lucas
Adjusted Score: 94.531%
Critics Consensus: Boosted by Sam Rockwell’s intense performance, Moon is a compelling work of science-fiction, and a promising debut from director Duncan Jones.
Synopsis: An astronaut miner extracting the precious moon gas that promises to reverse the Earth’s energy crisis nears the end of… [More]
Directed By: Duncan Jones
Adjusted Score: 94.963%
Critics Consensus: Intelligent and humorous satire with an excellent cast — no previous Trekkie knowledge needed to enjoy this one.
Synopsis: For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector donned their uniforms and set out on thrilling and often… [More]
Directed By: Dean Parisot
Adjusted Score: 94.992%
Critics Consensus: Planet of the Apes raises thought-provoking questions about our culture without letting social commentary get in the way of the drama and action.
Synopsis: Originally intended as a project for Blake Edwards, the film version of Pierre Boule’s semisatiric sci-fi novel came to the… [More]
Directed By: Franklin J. Schaffner
Adjusted Score: 95.228%
Critics Consensus: While Alphaville is by no means a conventional sci-fi film, Jean-Luc Godard creates a witty, noir-ish future all his own.
Synopsis: In Alphaville, Jean-Luc Godard fuses a hardboiled detective story with science fiction. Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine), a hero Godard borrowed… [More]
Directed By: Jean-Luc Godard
Adjusted Score: 95.246%
Critics Consensus: Staging the improbable car stunts and crashes to perfection, director George Miller succeeds completely in bringing the violent, post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max to visceral life.
Synopsis: This stunning, post-apocalyptic action thriller from director George Miller stars Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a policeman in the near… [More]
Directed By: George Miller
Adjusted Score: 95.556%
Critics Consensus: Disturbing and thought-provoking, A Clockwork Orange is a cold, dystopian nightmare with a very dark sense of humor.
Synopsis: Stanley Kubrick dissects the nature of violence in this darkly ironic, near-future satire, adapted from Anthony Burgess’s novel, complete with…[More]
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
Adjusted Score: 95.711%
Critics Consensus: While fans of the series will surely appreciate it, First Contact is exciting, engaging, and visually appealing enough to entertain Star Trek novices.
Synopsis: Capt. Picard and his crew pursue the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth from initiating first… [More]
Directed By: Jonathan Frakes
Adjusted Score: 95.821%
Critics Consensus: Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually.
Synopsis: Visionary filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight) writes and directs this psychological sci-fi action film about a thief who…[More]
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Adjusted Score: 95.975%
Critics Consensus: David Cronenberg combines his trademark affinity for gore and horror with strongly developed characters, making The Fly a surprisingly affecting tragedy.
Synopsis: Considered fairly gruesome in its day, the original 1958 The Fly looks like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood compared to this 1986… [More]
Directed By: David Cronenberg
Adjusted Score: 96.033%
Critics Consensus: Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it’s not as fresh as its predecessor.
Synopsis: In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes ‘Star Trek Into Darkness.’ When… [More]
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Adjusted Score: 96.757%
Critics Consensus: Thought-provoking and visceral, Steven Spielberg successfully combines high concept ideas and high octane action in this fast and febrile sci-fi thriller.
Synopsis: Based on a short story by the late Philip K. Dick, this science fiction-thriller reflects the writer’s familiar preoccupation with… [More]
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Adjusted Score: 97.132%
Critics Consensus: Madcap and heartfelt, Edgar Wright’s apocalypse comedy The World’s End benefits from the typically hilarious Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, with a plethora of supporting players.
Synopsis: The third installment of director Edgar Wright’s trilogy of comedies starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, following the successes “Shaun… [More]
Directed By: Edgar Wright
Adjusted Score: 97.231%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a smart script, spectacular set pieces, and charismatic performances from its leads, Men in Black is an entirely satisfying summer blockbuster hit.
Synopsis: For his fifth effort as a feature-film director, one-time cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld brought his cartoonish visual style and darkly humorous… [More]
Directed By: Barry Sonnenfeld
Adjusted Score: 98.23%
Critics Consensus: A stunning feat of modern animation, Ghost in the Shell offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the genre.
Synopsis: In the year 2029, the world has become interconnected by a vast electronic network that permeates every aspect of life…. [More]
Directed By: Mamoru Oshii
Adjusted Score: 98.6%
Critics Consensus: T2 features thrilling action sequences and eye-popping visual effects, but what takes this sci-fi/ action landmark to the next level is the depth of the human (and cyborg) characters.
Synopsis: A sequel to the sci-fi action thriller that made him and star Arnold Schwarzenegger A-list Hollywood names, writer/director James Cameron…[More]
Directed By: James Cameron
Adjusted Score: 98.785%
Critics Consensus: Smart, smoothly directed, and enriched with a deeper exploration of the franchise’s thought-provoking themes, Catching Fire proves a thoroughly compelling second installment in the Hunger Games series.
Synopsis: THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games… [More]
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Adjusted Score: 98.861%
Critics Consensus: Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground — and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.
Synopsis: From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new epic… [More]
Directed By: Gareth Edwards (V)
Adjusted Score: 101.721%
Critics Consensus: Visually stunning and narratively satisfying, Blade Runner 2049 deepens and expands its predecessor’s story while standing as an impressive filmmaking achievement in its own right.
Synopsis: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a… [More]
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
Adjusted Score: 99.181%
Critics Consensus: Finding the human story amidst the action, director Duncan Jones and charming Jake Gyllenhaal craft a smart, satisfying sci-fi thriller.
Synopsis: When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s… [More]
Directed By: Duncan Jones
Adjusted Score: 99.402%
Critics Consensus: Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic.
Synopsis: Director Neill Blomkamp teams with producer Peter Jackson for this tale of extraterrestrial refugees stuck in contemporary South Africa. It’s…[More]
Directed By: Neill Blomkamp
Adjusted Score: 99.479%
Critics Consensus: Employing gritty camerawork and evocative sound effects, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a powerful remake that expands upon themes and ideas only lightly explored in the original.
Synopsis: In this elaborate remake of the 1956 horror classic, health inspector Donald Sutherland is dispatched to investigate the curious behavior… [More]
Directed By: Philip Kaufman
Adjusted Score: 100.01%
Critics Consensus: Children of Men works on every level: as a violent chase thriller, a fantastical cautionary tale, and a sophisticated human drama about societies struggling to live.
Synopsis: A futuristic society faces extinction when the human race loses the ability to reproduce. England has descended into chaos, until… [More]
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
Adjusted Score: 100.871%
Critics Consensus: Misunderstood when it first hit theaters, the influence of Ridley Scott’s mysterious, neo-noir Blade Runner has deepened with time. A visually remarkable, achingly human sci-fi masterpiece.
Synopsis: A blend of science fiction and noir detective fiction, Blade Runner (1982) was a box office and critical bust upon… [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Adjusted Score: 100.921%
Critics Consensus: Ex Machina leans heavier on ideas than effects, but it’s still a visually polished piece of work — and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature.
Synopsis: Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller, EX… [More]
Directed By: Alex Garland
Adjusted Score: 101.278%
Critics Consensus: Brazil, Terry Gilliam’s visionary Orwellian fantasy, is an audacious dark comedy, filled with strange, imaginative visuals.
Synopsis: Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film is a surrealist nightmare of a low-level bureaucrat in a dismal world of the near future…. [More]
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Adjusted Score: 101.315%
Critics Consensus: With intelligence and emotional resonance to match its stunning special effects, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes expands on its predecessor with an exciting and ambitious burst of sci-fi achievement.
Synopsis: A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the… [More]
Directed By: Matt Reeves
Adjusted Score: 101.553%
Critics Consensus: Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg’s best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws.
Synopsis: Steven Spielberg’s phenomenally successful sci-fi adventure thriller is graced by state-of-the-art special effects from the team of Stan Winston, Phil… [More]
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Adjusted Score: 101.599%
Critics Consensus: Close Encounters of the Third Kind is deeply humane sci-fi exploring male obsession, cosmic mysticism, and music.
Synopsis: Steven Spielberg followed Jaws (1975), his first major box-office success, with this epic science fiction adventure about a disparate group…[More]
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Adjusted Score: 101.66%
Critics Consensus: The Road Warrior is everything a bigger-budgeted Mad Max sequel with should be: bigger, faster, louder, but definitely not dumber.
Synopsis: Director George Miller’s follow-up to his own 1979 hit Mad Max is proof that not all sequels are inferior to… [More]
Directed By: George Miller
Adjusted Score: 101.771%
Critics Consensus: Solaris is a haunting, meditative film that uses sci-fi to raise complex questions about humanity and existence.
Synopsis: Based on a novel by Stanislaw Lem, Solaris centers on widowed psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donata Banionis), who is sent to… [More]
Directed By: Andrei Tarkovsky
Adjusted Score: 101.767%
Critics Consensus: More than straight monster-movie fare, Gojira offers potent, sobering postwar commentary.
Synopsis: (1954) When a Japanese steamer sinks in flames after the sea seems to erupt, survivors talk of a legendary monster…Godzilla!… [More]
Directed By: Ishir Honda
Adjusted Score: 101.929%
Critics Consensus: As thought-provoking as it is thrilling, Looper delivers an uncommonly smart, bravely original blend of futuristic sci-fi and good old-fashioned action.
Synopsis: In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available… [More]
Directed By: Rian Johnson
Adjusted Score: 101.939%
Critics Consensus: The endearing Iron Giant tackles ambitious topics and complex human relationships with a steady hand and beautifully animated direction from Brad Bird.
Synopsis: “Iron Giant” is based upon the 1968 story,’Iron Man,’ by the British poet laureate Ted Hughes. The film is about… [More]
Directed By: Brad Bird
Adjusted Score: 102.161%
Critics Consensus: Inventive, funny, and breathlessly constructed, Back to the Future is rousing a time-travel adventure with an unforgettable spirit.
Synopsis: Contemporary high schooler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) doesn’t have the most pleasant of lives. Browbeaten by his principal at… [More]
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Adjusted Score: 102.282%
Critics Consensus: One of the most influential of all sci-fi films — and one of the most controversial — Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 is a delicate, poetic meditation on the ingenuity — and folly — of mankind.
Synopsis: A mind-bending sci-fi symphony, Stanley Kubrick’s landmark 1968 epic pushed the limits of narrative and special effects toward a meditation…[More]
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
Adjusted Score: 102.506%
Critics Consensus: Socially minded yet entertaining, The Day the Earth Stood Still imparts its moral of peace and understanding without didacticism.
Synopsis: All of Washington, D.C., is thrown into a panic when an extraterrestrial spacecraft lands near the White House. Out steps… [More]
Directed By: Robert Wise
Adjusted Score: 102.618%
Critics Consensus: Gripping, well-acted, funny, and clever, Edge of Tomorrow offers entertaining proof that Tom Cruise is still more than capable of shouldering the weight of a blockbuster action thriller.
Synopsis: The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the… [More]
Directed By: Doug Liman
Adjusted Score: 102.86%
Critics Consensus: Shakespeare gets the deluxe space treatment in Forbidden Planet, an adaptation of The Tempest with impressive sets and seamless special effects.
Synopsis: Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” is transformed in this landmark science-fiction film with groundbreaking special effects. Space men travel to a planet… [More]
Adjusted Score: 102.999%
Critics Consensus: Dark, sinister, but ultimately even more involving than A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back defies viewer expectations and takes the series to heightened emotional levels.
Synopsis: The second entry in George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy finds Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the green-as-grass hero from the first… [More]
Directed By: Irvin Kershner
Adjusted Score: 103.124%
Critics Consensus: Sweet, soulful, and smart, Spike Jonze’s Her uses its just-barely-sci-fi scenario to impart wryly funny wisdom about the state of modern human relationships.
Synopsis: Spike Jonze takes the helm for this comedy about a withdrawn writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his… [More]
Directed By: Spike Jonze
Adjusted Score: 103.575%
Critics Consensus: Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.
Synopsis: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left… [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Adjusted Score: 103.593%
Critics Consensus: Snowpiercer offers an audaciously ambitious action spectacular for filmgoers numb to effects-driven blockbusters.
Synopsis: In this sci-fi epic from director Bong Joon Ho (The Host, Mother), a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life… [More]
Directed By: Bong Joon Ho
Adjusted Score: 103.814%
Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.
Synopsis: Big-budget special effects, swiftly paced action, and a distinct feminist subtext from writer/director James Cameron turned what should have been… [More]
Directed By: James Cameron
Adjusted Score: 104.116%
Critics Consensus: One of the best political allegories of the 1950s, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an efficient, chilling blend of sci-fi and horror.
Synopsis: Director Don Siegel’s thinly-veiled examination of McCarthy-era hysteria stars Kevin McCarthy (no relation) as Miles Bennell, a California doctor who… [More]
Directed By: Don Siegel
Adjusted Score: 104.156%
Critics Consensus: A legendarily expansive and ambitious start to the sci-fi saga, George Lucas opened our eyes to the possibilities of blockbuster filmmaking and things have never been the same.
Synopsis: Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when… [More]
Directed By: George Lucas
Adjusted Score: 104.429%
Critics Consensus: With its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it’s clear why The Terminator continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks.
Synopsis: A Cyborg has been sent from the future on a deadly mission, it has been programmed to kill a young… [More]
Directed By: James Cameron
Adjusted Score: 104.68%
Critics Consensus: Star Trek reignites a classic franchise with action, humor, a strong story, and brilliant visuals, and will please traditional Trekkies and new fans alike.
Synopsis: Mission: Impossible III director and Alias creator J.J. Abrams resurrects the classic science fiction franchise created by Gene Roddenberry with… [More]
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Adjusted Score: 105.104%
Critics Consensus: Wall-E’s stellar visuals testify once again to Pixar’s ingenuity, while its charming star will captivate younger viewers — and its timely story offers thought-provoking subtext.
Synopsis: After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class)… [More]
Directed By: Andrew Stanton
Adjusted Score: 105.571%
Critics Consensus: War for the Planet of the Apes combines breathtaking special effects and a powerful, poignant narrative to conclude this rebooted trilogy on a powerful — and truly blockbuster — note.
Synopsis: In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his… [More]
Directed By: Matt Reeves
Adjusted Score: 106.829%
Critics Consensus: Arrival delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person’s sci-fi that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a terrific performance from Amy Adams.
Synopsis: When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team–lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams)–are brought together… [More]
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
Adjusted Score: 107.011%
Critics Consensus: A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
Synopsis: “In space, no one can hear you scream.” A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when… [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Adjusted Score: 107.526%
Critics Consensus: Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series’ former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.
Synopsis: The Star Wars saga continues with this seventh entry — the first under the Walt Disney Co. umbrella. The film… [More]
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Adjusted Score: 108.057%
Critics Consensus: Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is an eerie, tense sci-fi thriller that’s masterfully directed and visually stunning.
Synopsis: Gravity stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm… [More]
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
Adjusted Score: 109.87%
Critics Consensus: Playing as both an exciting sci-fi adventure and a remarkable portrait of childhood, Steven Spielberg’s touching tale of a homesick alien remains a piece of movie magic for young and old.
Synopsis: Both a classic movie for kids and a remarkable portrait of childhood, E.T. is a sci-fi adventure that captures that… [More]
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Adjusted Score: 110.295%
Critics Consensus: A visually awe-inspiring science fiction classic from the silent era.
Synopsis: In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city’s mastermind… [More]
Directed By: Fritz Lang
Adjusted Score: 111.401%
Critics Consensus: With exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft, Mad Max: Fury Road brings George Miller’s post-apocalyptic franchise roaring vigorously back to life.
Synopsis: Filmmaker George Miller gears up for another post-apocalyptic action adventure with Fury Road, the fourth outing in the Mad Max… [More]
Directed By: George Miller
