No genre of film allows filmmakers to craft amazing worlds better than science fiction. It’s a genre that rewards ambition and lofty concepts, not to mention commentary on the world in which we live. And, each year, numerous artists come together to build these futuristic stories, these allegorical stories, these exciting journeys into a world in which the viewer will never set foot in real life. But, as with any genre, or any product line from any industry, results will vary. Each year has sci-fi movies that don’t stick the landing. But the ones we go through here? They’re treasures. They are the best of their respective year. And, while we could go back to the days of Metropolis in 1927, we’re keeping things in the 2000s.
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Here are the best sci-fi movies of each and every year, from 2000 and 2025. We did leave off superhero movies, though. That could be its own list.
26) 2000 — Pitch Black
2000 was the year of very costly sci-fi bombs. The 6th Day, the notoriously horrendous Battlefield Earth, Supernova, Titan A.E., What Planet Are You From?, they were all big investments that went over like a lead balloon. Then there’s Mission to Mars and Red Planet, which is basically like Deep Impact and Armageddon if nobody saw either one.
The only big-budget sci-fi movie that did well enough was Hollow Man, which was fun, but devolves into a slasher in the third act. Even for fans of that subgenre, it’s disappointing compared to the ambition and tension-building seen before that point. The easy victor was the lower-budgeted sci-fi horror movie Pitch Black, which introduced the audience to Richard B. Riddick by wisely making him what amounts to a supporting character.
Stream Pitch Black on Peacock.
25) 2001 — Donnie Darko
2001 was the year for “So Bad They’re Good” sci-fi movies. Evolution, Jurassic Park III, Jason X, Ghosts of Mars, they’re all a goofy good time as long as your brain is checked at the door, placed outside the door, and the door is closed.
But there were a few you could take seriously, even if not all of them stuck the landing. For instance, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Donnie Darko, and Vanilla Sky. Of those three, Donnie Darko was the one that stuck its landing, and it wins, even if the best sci-fi movie scene of the year belongs to Jason X‘s liquid nitrogen face smash (that may be the best scene of the decade, let’s be honest).
Stream Donnie Darko on Prime Video.
24) 2002 — Minority Report
28 Days Later has sci-fi elements, but it’s predominately horror. Equilibrium is entertaining, but that’s about it. The first two thirds of Signs are great, but then there’s the final act.
So, we’re left with something of a tie between Solaris and Minority Report and we’re giving the edge to the latter. It’s prescient, exciting, and features a standout cast and some lovely on-location scenes in Virginia.
Stream Minority Report on Starz.
23) 2003 — The Matrix Reloaded
This was a letdown year, with Timeline, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and Dreamcatcher all failing to meet expectations that weren’t all that high to begin with. The same applied to The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, but at least they had a shred of ambition to them.
They’re a massive step down from their predecessor, but they’re certainly better than the aforementioned competition and John Woo’s Paycheck. Maybe not better by a country mile, but better.
22) 2004 — Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Primer gave it a bit of a run for its money, but the best sci-fi movie of 2004 is definitely Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It’s a genre blender that nails them all, has wonderful chemistry between Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, and is perpetually bolstered by Charlie Kaufman’s ingenious script. There are plenty of people out there who would name it as one of their favorite films ever made, regardless of genre.
21) 2005 — Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Serenity, War of the Worlds, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy all have their fans, but 2005 was Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith‘s. The undisputed king of the prequel trilogy, this movie has some seriously devastating moments peppered with the best action ever seen in the galaxy far, far away. Say what you will about the two films that preceded it, but Revenge of the Sith made the prequel trilogy a worthy endeavor.
Stream Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on Disney+.
20) 2006 — A Scanner Darkly
2006 was a phenomenal year for sci-fi and thus a very difficult year to narrow down to one movie. First off, Children of Men has sci-fi elements, but it’s an action movie. If it were known more as a sci-fi movie than an actioner or a drama, it would win.
So that one was out, but Bong Joon-ho’s The Host, Mike Judge’s horrifyingly prescient Idiocracy, Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, and James Gunn’s Slither were all still fair game. But, in the end, we’re giving it to Richard Linklater’s visually stunning and intense A Scanner Darkly.
19) 2007 — Sunshine
I Am Legend and The Mist are fine popcorn films, but if we were giving the award out for movies that just manage to entertain and little else, we’d be handing it to the first Transformers. That was certainly the most successful of 2007’s sci-fi movies, but it wasn’t the best. Instead, that’s Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, even if the final half hour doesn’t quite stick the landing.
18) 2008 — WALL-E
2008 was the year of sci-fi movies that disappear from the memory as soon as the credits start to roll. The X-Files: I Want to Believe, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Mutant Chronicles, Jumper, Doomsday, Death Race, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Babylon A.D., they are all guilty of this. Then again, some are easily remembered, like Meet Dave and The Happening, which stick in the memory because of how much of a whiff they were.
On the other side of the coin, Cloverfield and WALL-E are both well-regarded members of the genre. And, going between those two frontrunners, it’s impossible not to give it to the tearjerking, visually and thematically gorgeous Pixar classic from Andrew Stanton.
Stream WALL-E on Disney+.
17) 2009 — Moon
Some would put Avatar here and others would put District 9 here, but we’re going Duncan Jones’ Moon. Splice is also quite good, but Moon just does so much with a limited budget that it’s hard not to admire it. Furthermore, the twist is so integral to the plot that it feels more like just the plot itself than it does something that will negatively impact rewatches. Avatar was the most visually impressive movie of the aughts, and District 9 was an Oscar darling, but Moon was and remains beloved by those who have seen it.
16) 2010 — Inception
The Book of Eli, Daybreakers, Hot Tub Time Machine, Predators, Repo Men, and Tron: Legacy are fun (and the latter is visually stunning to this day), but as far as sci-fi went, 2010 belonged to Christopher Nolan. Inception is somewhat divisive, and when it gets into people firing machine guns while riding on snowmobiles territory it gets a little forgettable, but many points go to the originality of the concept. However, it wasn’t the only great sci-fi film of the year, as there was also Monsters and Never Let Me Go.
Stream Inception on HBO Max.
15) 2011 — Attack the Block
For 2011, it came down to Source Code, The Adjustment Bureau, and Attack the Block. Battle: Los Angeles, Real Steel, Super 8, Cowboys & Aliens, and In Time were disappointing, Limitless and Paul were fun in theaters but don’t really need to be seen more than once, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes pales in comparison to the movie that followed it. Edge goes to Attack the Block for its energy and putting John Boyega on the map. This movie makes much better use of him than the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Stream Attack the Block for free with ads on Xumo Play.
14) 2012 — Looper
2012 was another tough one, but it wasn’t quite batting a thousand on the sci-fi movie front. Battleship was notoriously terrible, Cloud Atlas suffocates under the weight of its own ambition, and John Carter was a bland Star Wars rip-off (ironic, considering Star Wars was basically a rip-off of the Barsoom books upon which it’s based).
As for the more positive side of the coin, The Hunger Games was an admirable start to the franchise, but it would be topped, and Robot & Frank and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World are lovely indies. But it has to be Rian Johnson’s inventive, well-acted, and stylish Looper.
Stream Looper on Starz.
13) 2013 — Her
2012 was another tough one, but it wasn’t nearly as tough as 2013. Gravity, Her, and Snowpiercer are all considered classics by many (as for Gravity, perhaps fewer people say that now than said it a few years back, but it was undoubtedly amazing in IMAX). Furthermore, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was probably the best that franchise will ever be.
But it’s Her all the way. Even for those who can’t typically get on board with Spike Jonze or Joaquin Phoenix’s respective styles, it’s hard not to fall in love with this movie. It also had something to say about AI relationships that would eventually find itself within our reality.
12) 2014 — Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Remember how we mentioned Rise of the Planet of the Apes was topped? That would be Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which manages to be even better than the ’60s original. With amazing tracking shots, an intense tone, and a great villain in Koba, Dawn is a blockbuster that functions as an art film. It’s incredible, and one of the best studio movies of the 2010s. As great as Edge of Tomorrow is, as ambitious as Interstellar is, and as underrated and thought-provoking as Predestination is, this was an easy win for the Apes.
Stream Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on Hulu.
11) 2015 — Ex Machina
An early win for A24, and an important entry in terms of showing how they invest in filmmakers’ visions, Ex Machina is a cerebral masterpiece that will always stand as a highpoint in Alex Garland, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac’s careers. As for its competition, it wasn’t particularly light, either, as there was also The Martian, Jurassic World, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But it was still an easy win for Ex Machina.
Stream Ex Machina on HBO Max.
10) 2016 — Arrival
2016 was an impressively stocked one. 10 Cloverfield Lane, Colossal, Midnight Special, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Shin Godzilla, Star Trek Beyond, they all range from very good to great. But Arrival is widely considered one of sci-fi cinema’s great for good reason, and it’s going to stay that way. A layered script backed up by equally layered performances? It’s one of Denis Villeneuve’s masterpieces.
Stream Arrival on Paramount+.
9) 2017 — Blade Runner 2049
2017 was the home of a sci-fi movie that still hurts as the disappointment it is. Thankfully, it wasn’t Blade Runner 2049, at least not in the quality department, so that’s the upside. Instead, it was Alexander Payne’s high concept and star-studded Downsizing, which sounded so much better on paper than it played on screen.
This was a crowded year for sci-fi. Some of them worked (or worked well enough), like War for the Planet of the Apes, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (depends on who you ask), and Kong: Skull Island. Others were painfully average, e.g. What Happened to Monday, Ghost in the Shell, Alien: Covenant, and Life, even if the latter has gone on to do consistently well on streaming. Others were outright atrocious. In other words, there was Transformers: The Last Knight. But, as many big sci-fi movies as there were, none were as visually jaw-dropping or thematically rich as Blade Runner 2029. It would take the top spot for Roger Deakins’ cinematography alone.
8) 2018 — Bumblebee
Some would argue Alex Garland’s Annihilation deserves this spot, but it’s a bit of a letdown in the third act. The honor instead goes to Bumblebee, which actually managed to be a good Transformers movie. As big a compliment as that is, this is even bigger: it’s a good movie regardless of genre or IP. This is a heartfelt movie with a lovable chemistry between its leads, one flesh and blood and one, well, Autobot.
Other sci-fi movies from 2018 worth checking out include High Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth as well as Hotel Artemis, Wes Anderson’s lovely Isle of Dogs, and Overlord, which has its sci-fi elements. There were some major disappointments however, including The Predator and Pacific Rim Uprising. As for Solo: A Star Wars Story, let’s call that a minor disappointment, since expectations weren’t that high to begin with.
Stream Bumblebee on fuboTV.
7) 2019 — Alita: Battle Angel
With impressive visuals, a well-developed world, and an amazing lead performance by Rosa Salazar, Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel was a perfectly Hollywoodized adaptation of the manga source material. If there’s any movie on this entire list that needs a sequel, it’s this one.
Granted, there wasn’t a ton of sci-fi competition in 2019, with Ad Astra, Captive State, Gemini Man, Men in Black: International, and Replicas all failing to make much of an impact whatsoever. Not to mention, the less said about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the better.
Stream Alita: Battle Angel on fuboTV.
6) 2020 — Color Out of Space
If A Quiet Place Part II was more sci-fi than horror we’d be giving it the spot here. But it isn’t so we’re not. Instead, in this year that didn’t have much competition regardless of genre, we’re giving the top spot to Color Out of Space, starring Nicolas Cage.
Some like Tenet, but it honestly is pretty indecipherable, and Possessor is another case of it leaning horror over sci-fi. Love and Monsters is charming fun and it was nice seeing Bill & Ted again, but Color Out of Space deserves it for airtight pacing, Cage and Madeleine Arthur’s performances, and for serving as a return for Hardware‘s Richard Stanley.
Stream Color Out of Space on Hulu.
5) 2021 — Dune
It was tough not to give it to the apex of the Monsterverse, Godzilla vs. Kong, but the simple truth is that Dune was easily the best sci-fi movie of 2021. It was the epic The Tomorrow War wanted to be and was the great use of Rebecca Ferguson’s talent Reminiscence (underrated in its own right) tried to be. The Matrix Resurrections tried to bring its IP back with something different, but this had to go to the first part of what may end up being seen as the great Denis Villeneuve’s magnum opus.
Stream Dune on HBO Max.
4) 2022 — Prey
Yes, Everything Everywhere All at Once won the Academy Award for Best Picture. And, yes, it’s excellent. But Prey is better. The Adam Project, Avatar: The Way of Water, Crimes of the Future, Nope, they were all vying for third.
All due respect to Everything Everywhere and its display of Michelle Yeoh’s innumerable talents (and its bringing Ke Huy Quan back into the mainstream), but Prey is just too impressive a franchise reboot to not win. Like the next entry on this list, it took a long-running IP and succeeded greatly by focusing on character.
Stream Prey on Hulu.
3) 2023 — Godzilla Minus One
65 was underrated but not high art by any means, The Creator is swiftly forgotten, and M3GAN was a huge hit, but 2023 was an easy one to choose. Even if you’re not a G-Fan, Godzilla Minus One is just incredible.
It’s astonishing how, on a limited budget the title monster has never looked better, but even more importantly it’s the most character-focused entry in the franchise’s seventy-year history. No One Will Save You is another great display of Kaitlyn Dever’s formidable talent, but this was Minus One‘s all the way. Its sequel has big kaiju shoes to fill.
Stream Godzilla Minus One on Netflix.
2) 2024 — Dune: Part Two
2024 was a good one for big franchise sci-fi movies. Be it Alien: Romulus, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, A Quiet Place: Day One, they all ranged from fairly entertaining to very entertaining.
Some of the smaller sci-fi flicks were also quite enjoyable, e.g. Arcadian and Elevation. Borderlands was borderline unwatchable, but we did get two classics: The Substance and Dune: Part Two. The (slight) edge goes to Dune.
Stream Dune: Part Two on HBO Max.
1) 2025 — Companion
2025 was good for sci-fi horror, e.g. 28 Years Later and Ash just as it was solid for sci-fi black comedies, such as Mickey 17 and Bugonia. However, it wasn’t without its letdowns. Avatar: Fire and Ash was a little been there done that, The Electric State was far from electrifying, and Jurassic World Rebirth was a fun enough one-time viewing at best.
But in the end, it came down to Companion and Bugonia, and we’re giving the trophy to the former. That said, the year’s two Yautja movies, Predator: Killer of Killers and Predator: Badlands, weren’t far behind.
Stream Companion on HBO Max.
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