The sci-fi genre has been one of the biggest and most consistent in cinema for generations. The genre’s decades of unflinching popularity speak for themselves and evidence the way science fiction continues to capture the collective imaginations of audiences around the world. Each decade seems to boast a distinct flavor of sci-fi, with the evolution of the genre over time being fairly evident in these changes. Many of the best sci-fi movies of the 2010s are seen as some of the genre’s most interesting titles, with many thought-provoking and mind-bending entries into the genre released within that particular ten-year span.
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For all the incredibly popular sci-fi movies released in the 2010s, there are others that have largely been forgotten. This has seen some titles from the decade join the ranks of great recent sci-fi movies nobody talks about, with some truly exceptional movies slipping through the cracks of the decade’s many high-profile releases. While these movies definitely don’t get enough love, it doesn’t make them any less excellent, but rather makes them feel like underrated gems from a decade positively packed with great sci-fi.
5) Midnight Special (2016)
2016’s Midnight Special is a sci-fi movie that has been all but forgotten less than a decade after its release. It stars Michael Shannon and Jaeden Martell as a father and son who are hunted by both the government and members of a religious cult due to the son possessing remarkable powers. Alongside Shannon and Martell, Midnight Special features Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, and Adam Driver, rounding out a truly exceptional cast of talented actors.
Midnight Special‘s execution of its interesting premise is truly excellent. Unfortunately, it’s remembered as a great sci-fi movie that nobody saw, and went down in history as a massive box office flop. However, the many twists and turns of its tense story are punctuated by exceptional moments of thematic exploration, marking it as one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade. Though it failed to reach a wide audience upon release, Midnight Special is one of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the 2010s.
4) Predestination (2014)
2014’s Predestination is sometimes considered one of those sci-fi movies that nobody understands, but it’s also one of the most underappreciated releases of the 2010s. An adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s short story All You Zombies, Predestination stars Ethan Hawke as an undercover agent working as a bartender whose life takes an unexpected turn when meeting an enigmatic customer and hearing their life story. Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor make up the rest of Predestination‘s tight main cast.
Despite critical acclaim, Predestination wasn’t able to earn a place among the most popular sci-fi releases of the 2010s. This is likely due to the complex nature of its narrative, which makes use of one of the best sci-fi movie twists of all time, as the mind-bending nature of its narrative proved off-putting for some. Predestination is cerebral sci-fi at its best, and a great cinematic adaptation of one of the best short stories of a master of the genre, even if it doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves.
3) Monsters (2010)
2010 sci-fi horror film Monsters might not be one of the most terrifying sci-fi movies of all time, but it is one of the 2010s’ most underrated entries into the genre. It follows an American journalist, played by Scoot McNairy, tasked with accompanying his employer’s daughter to the US, passing through a part of Mexico full of tentacled monsters that appeared as the result of a NASA probe crash. Shot on a modest budget of $500,000, Monsters has become known as one of the best low-budget sci-fi movies of the 21st century.
Upon release, Monsters earned considerable critical praise, with various aspects of the film praised. Its visuals in particular stand out as impressive, as the movie’s small budget was clearly used creatively. It’s an exciting, compelling sci-fi adventure that taps into various genre tropes while also exploring its own unique identity, and even as one of the earliest sci-fi movies of the 2010s, it stands out as one of the decade’s most underrated movies in the genre.
2) Attack the Block (2011)
Another early 2010s alien invasion movie that simply doesn’t get the attention it deserves is Attack the Block. The 2011 movie stars John Boyega as the leader of a gang of London street teens who find themselves attempting to survive an alien invasion while also falling afoul of local criminals. Alongside Boyega, Attack the Block stars Jodie Whittaker and Nick Frost, making for a talented British cast.
Attack the Block effortlessly blends sci-fi, horror, action, and comedy. It’s a movie that manages to tap into established tropes while always feeling distinctly unique, with great visuals and well-written characters. Despite its quality, it’s simply not mentioned enough, even though it’s one of the most enjoyable sci-fi movies of the 2010s.
1) Coherence (2013)
2013’s Coherence is one of those sci-fi movies that is frustratingly overlooked within the genre. It follows a group of friends who are gathered at a dinner party on a night when a comet is passing close to the Earth, resulting in mind-bending effects on them all and their relationships. Its ensemble cast is used brilliantly, and the movie’s writing makes Coherence a rare example of gripping and cerebral sci-fi that truly deserves more attention.
Considered by some as a sci-fi movie you need to rewatch to understand, Coherence‘s mind-bending narrative impressed critics and perfectly blended its sci-fi ideas with the atmosphere of a psychological thriller. More than a decade after its release, it stands out as one of the best sci-fi movies of the 2010s that simply doesn’t get talked about enough.
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