The Absolute Best Sci-Fi Movies To Watch On Netflix In 2023

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It’s a bit generic in terms of aesthetics, but Jung_E is a compelling sci-fi film focusing on AI and class warfare. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the creator of the acclaimed 2016 zombie flick Train to Busan, Jung_E doesn’t quite reach those dizzying heights, but it’s still worth watching.

20th century fox

I may be alone (or in the minority) but Minority Report is – for me – one of the best sci-fi films of the century. Beyond its precise and clever universe-building, Minority Report is also a high-octane mystery thriller unlike anything we’ve seen before or since. If you haven’t watched it already – you probably have – get there ASAP.

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There’s a reason this Norwegian film has been stuck in Netflix’s Top 10 for a while. A ragtag group must gather in the mountain ranges to stop an ancient giant troll from wreaking havoc. A solid monster movie with awesome special effects.

Screenshot Warner Bros. Pictures Espana/YouTube

This Spanish time travel gem should be on your radar. A mother discovers a connection to the past, which she uses for good, but the consequences for her present are catastrophic. Mirage takes unexpected paths away from the familiar aspects of this setup, creating a satisfying climax with an emotional boost.

Universal

Before Tom Cruise and Joseph Kosinski teamed up on Top Gun: Maverick, there was Oblivion.

Oblivion is an underrated, and now mostly forgotten, post-apocalyptic sci-fi film where all is not quite as it seems. It’s ambitious and incredibly beautiful. You may have missed Oblivion in theaters, but there’s never been a better time to give it a chance.

MGM

The mist is awesome. A sci-fi horror film based on a story by Stephen King that contains brilliantly executed horror elements. Just be aware that it has an end that will suck oxygen out of your lungs. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

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Spiderhead is the latest film from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, and also stars Miles Teller, who stars in that same film.

Spiderhead isn’t quite on the same level as the superlative Top Gun: Maverick, but it’s still worth watching. Based on a dystopian short story published in The New Yorker, Spiderhead is set in a state-of-the-art prison, where drug-induced experiments take place with inmates.

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The Platform is a Spanish sci-fi horror film with a macabre concept. Prisoners in a correctional facility are fed in a very unique way: people on the top floor get a ridiculous amount of food, people downstairs get leftovers. Chaos ensues.

It’s not perfect, but it’s still worth watching.

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I just watched The Colony recently. It’s surprisingly good!

It follows a very familiar trope: wealthy people return to Earth years after abandoning it, only to find it overrun with new, unknown threats. However, The Colony reverses some of these clichés and has some surprisingly powerful things to say about how we dehumanize each other. Worth giving a chance.

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Men in Black is currently on Netflix. You know this movie, everyone has seen this movie. It’s good. You should watch this.

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An Australian-made sci-fi thriller starring Hilary Swank and Rose Byrne, I Am Mother tells the post-apocalyptic story of Daughter, a character raised by Mother, a robot tasked with helping repopulate the Earth. Very tense, very strange, very good.

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The Mitchells vs. The Machines is one of the smartest and most accessible children’s films of recent years. It’s the kind of movie kids and parents can watch together and both have fun.

I should know, my kids have made me watch this…eight times so far? Soft.

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The Adam Project is not a perfect film, but it East perfect for those looking for an easy watch for family movie night. Ryan Reynolds does his Ryan Reynolds thing as a time-traveling pilot working with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future.

Look, it’s a crowd pleaser!

Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET

Is it science fiction? I think it’s science fiction.

It’s science fiction. End of the conversation.

Don’t Look Up is far from being a perfect film. It stinks of fake Hollywood activism and it’s too long and way too much on the nose. But it still seems important and also… kinda funny?

I think whatever its flaws, Don’t Look Up is a film that had a net positive on the world and is well worth watching.

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Apollo 11 1/2 is loosely based on director Richard Linklater’s childhood. An animated tale set in the time of the Apollo moon landing, it stars Glen Powell, Jack Black, Zachary Levi and Josh Wiggins and features a beautiful animated aesthetic.

It’s a beautifully made film that you can’t afford to miss.