Ranked by real viewers
Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
From mind-bending realities to space epics — the science fiction films real viewers rate highest. See which ones your friends have already watched.
Science fiction is the genre that asks what comes next — for humanity, for technology, for consciousness itself. The films below are ranked by real viewer ratings across decades and sub-genres. With movienot, you can go further: see which of these your specific circle of friends has watched and marked as Must.
8.7Project Hail Mary
2026
8.5Interstellar
2014
8.4Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2018
8.4The Empire Strikes Back
1980
8.4Inception
2010
8.3Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2023
8.3Back to the Future
1985
8.3The Wild Robot
2024
8.3The Matrix
1999
8.2Avengers: Infinity War
2018
8.2Avengers: Endgame
2019
8.2The Prestige
2006
8.2Star Wars
1977
8.1Dune: Part Two
2024
8.1WALL-E
2008
Sci-Fi sub-genres — pick your flavour
Mind-Bending
Films that question reality. Inception, The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine, Arrival, Interstellar.
Space Epics
The vastness of the universe as a backdrop. Interstellar, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Dune: Part Two.
Action Sci-Fi
High stakes, future worlds, relentless pace. The Matrix, Terminator 2, Avengers: Infinity War.
Animated Sci-Fi
Genre-defining animation. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, WALL-E, The Wild Robot.
Why sci-fi recommendations from friends hit differently
Science fiction divides audiences more than almost any genre. Hard sci-fi fans and action sci-fi fans want completely different things. Someone who loves Interstellar's physics might find Avengers boring; someone who loves Avengers might find 2001: A Space Odyssey unwatchable. This is exactly why movienot's friend-based recommendations work so well for sci-fi — your friend's Must means something specific to you that a global average simply can't.
Common questions
Find your next sci-fi film — and see what your friends thought
Also see: Movies like Inception · Movies like Interstellar · Movies like The Matrix · Best thriller movies