Sci-fi can be a fascinating, but difficult, type of movie—especially if you don't like the terrifying elements inherent to the genre, find yourself freaked out by technology, or aren't into dystopian stories. However, science fiction movies are incredibly expansive: It can deal with big ideas and heady drama, but it can also have comedy and romance as integral parts of the storytelling. There's no need to avoid sci-fi films entirely because they might seem too cerebral or feature one too many explosions; plenty of these movies are simply engaging and entertaining.
We rounded up the best, genre-defying sci-fi movies, from '80s classics to films set in space to even ones with rom-com elements. Below, are the best movies to watch if you want to try sci-fi for the first time.
'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)
The sci-fi movie to end all sci-fi movies, this Stanley Kubrick film is relatively light on gore but heavy on suspense. It benefits from multiple viewings to figure out what exactly is going on, but the general thrust of the story—astronauts headed to Jupiter to investigate a possible alien structure—is quite enough to carry you through a first watch.
'About Time' (2013)
If you haven't had the pleasure of watching a good sci-fi romance movie yet, let this be your first. A man (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers the men in his family can time travel, so he uses it to—naturally—improve his love life. Enter Rachel McAdams as a love interest.
'The Andromeda Strain' (1971)
Based on a novel by Michael Crichton (who also wrote Jurassic Park), The Andromeda Strain is a scary-as-hell premise: a satellite falls to Earth, bringing an alien virus that immediately kills everyone who comes in contact with it. Scientists in a secret facility desperately try to stop it.
'Another Earth' (2011)
This is an extremely cerebral sci-fi film, so if you like "heady" movies, this one should be up your alley. A drunk driving accident ruins a bright future for Rhoda (played by Brit Marling); separately, a second planet—Earth 2—appears in the sky. It's a rumination on loss and possibility, with some cool ideas.
'Arrival' (2016)
Denis Villeneuve created an utterly beautiful masterpiece with Arrival, an alien invasion movie that is about so much more than that. Amy Adams stars as a linguist who races to converse with an alien race as they descend on Earth to figure out why they've come to our planet.
'Back to the Future' (1985)
Michael J. Fox is one of the greatest sci-fi heroes of all time as Marty McFly, in part because he really doesn't understand science very well and is just careening between different decades trying not to screw up the past.
'Being John Malkovich' (1999)
There's a portal that leads to John Malkovich's brain! And that's just the start of this strange movie (which also stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, all giving it 100 percent). You have to trust filmmaker Spike Jonze here because the payoff is substantial.
'Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure' (1989)
This is a highly goofy movie, with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter playing slacker high school bandmates who must travel through time to pass their history class. George Carlin as Rufus, their guide throughout all this, is particularly high note; this is sci-fi at its most light-hearted.
'Blade Runner' (1982)
This classic Ridley Scott film redefined sci-fi as we know it, but (by modern standards) it's pretty slow-paced and melancholy. It is not without violence—compared to others on this list, things get a little gnarly—but it's also beautiful.
'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977)
Steven Spielberg's other extra-terrestrial film (which he made before E.T.) was considered significant enough to be preserved in the National Film Registry. There is a scary scene involving a child under threat, but this is a pretty sweet film.
'Contact' (1997)
While this is far from a perfect movie, it tackles some big ideas about extraterrestrials, our place in the world, and our life beyond trauma. It's also got Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey talking about space philosophy and getting romantic, so there's more than aliens.
'The Day the Earth Stood Still' (1951)
By today's standards, old sci-fi movies look a bit hokey (which might not be bad if you don't like modern sci-fi). But this one has been preserved as historically significant, and it's got a ton to say about the human condition.
'Donnie Darko' (2001)
Lots of young moviegoers hailed Donnie Darko as genius sci-fi, and—with the benefit of hindsight—it's still a pretty compelling premise. A big scary bunny comes to Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) to inform him that the world is going to end in 28 days. No biggie!
'Edge of Tomorrow' (2014)
If you like the Groundhog Day concept of reliving the same day, Edge of Tomorrow is the sci-fi version. Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is stuck trying to defeat an alien race from taking over the rest of the planet, with the help of a very cool Emily Blunt.
'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' (1982)
If you like crying, watch this classic tearjerker! While this Steven Spielberg movie is sweet and tender, it's also a devastating portrayal of an alien who gets stuck on Earth and befriends a little boy in an attempt to get back home. If, for whatever reason, you've never gotten a chance to watch E.T., it's a masterpiece.
'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)
This is sci-fi romance at its very best, with the "science" completely integral to the story. If you could "delete" an ex from your brain, would you? Joel (Jim Carrey) finds out his ex (Kate Winslet) had the procedure done, so he decides to do it too—then immediately regrets it.
'Everything Everywhere All at Once'
There's a good reason the Academy loved this blockbuster so much and awarded it Best Picture in 2023. The movie is a comedy-drama-absurdist satire centering around Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and her place in the multiverse. Once you buy into the admittedly bizarre premise—which begins with Evelyn trying to do her taxes—it's a heck of a ride.
'Gattaca'
In this dystopian future, society is run based on eugenics: If your parents didn't use technology specifically geared towards giving you the best hereditary traits possible, you're considered an "invalid" and shunned from society. Ethan Hawke is Vincent, one such invalid who pushes back against his fate. This has a ton of ideas and is exceptionally stylish.
'Ghostbusters' (1984)
Ghostbusters is a comedy classic for a reason. If you haven't seen it, it follows four guys who kind of, sort of know what they're doing and start a ghost-catching business. There's ectoplasm but not a ton of blood, which is a plus.
'Her' (2014)
Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, who falls in love with his AI operating system called Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The film has to go to some improbable places with that premise, but the journey is pretty spectacular.
'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (2005)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy can be confusing if you're unfamiliar with the books that inspired it. But give it a go: The whole thing is a satire of sci-fi and doesn't take itself as seriously as some of the genre does. It's also cult-loved for a reason.
'The Iron Giant' (1999)
This Brad Bird film packs a huge emotional punch—but it's also a sweet and simple animated film, so it's missing some of the intensity you normally find with sci-fi. A little boy and an alien robot become friends, trying to evade governmental agents who try to destroy him.
'The One I Love'
It's probably better to know as little as possible about this movie going in: An estranged couple (Elisabeth Moss and Jay Duplass) takes a vacation at a secluded house, and then weird stuff starts to happen. The film does a little too much over-explaining, but the ending is as perfectly confusing and jaw-dropping as you'd hope.
'Pleasantville' (1998)
This movie is beautiful, plain and simple. Two teens (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) get trapped in an idealized black-and-white 1950s show. But as the two start to "infect" the town with radical ideas (sex and art, for example), it starts bringing literal color to the world and its characters.
'Real Genius' (1985)
If you're not familiar with the work of a young Val Kilmer, let this be your entry point. In this comedy, he plays a genius college student, whose recruitment to work on a government project is secretly for nefarious purposes (using a giant laser in outer space to assassinate people). In other words, it's very light sci-fi.
'Solaris' (1972)
This 1972 Soviet film was designed to bring emotional heft to the sci-fi genre. It delivers on every level. Solaris is a moody, soulful examination of human nature, but it's also a creepy look at an old space station experiencing extremely odd phenomena.
'Spaceballs' (1987)
Sci-fi lends itself well to comedy. Mel Brooks' parody of the genre—specifically, Star Wars and Star Trek—is filled with a ton of inside jokes for people who also love sci-fi movies. Whether you catch the references or not is beside the point, though, this movie is truly hysterical.
'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' (1986)
Some Star Trek movies are better than others (the first film is not, FYI), but the second and fourth ones are particularly riveting. You might be a little confused about the characters if you don't consider yourself a Trekkie, but it's still worth the watch and includes a timeless environmentalist message.
'Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope' (1977)
The original Star Wars trilogy is classic, genre-defining sci-fi. But if it always seemed like it wasn't your "thing," you might be surprised. Episodes 4–6 are thoughtful and slower-paced than more modern iterations, and the romance is great.
'TRON' (1982)
This 1982 movie has some hilariously dated special effects, as well as a strange conception of technology, but the video game world that Flynn (Jeff Bridges) enters is incredibly daring and audacious. The film became a cult classic and spawned video games and movies.
'The Truman Show' (1998)
It's every anxious person's worst nightmare: Your life is just a set populated by actors, being watched over by millions of viewers—and you have no idea. So it is the case for Truman (Jim Carrey), who starts to suspect that something in his life is very wrong.
'WALL-E' (2008)
Largely considered one of the best Pixar films ever made (and one of the best films ever made, period), this romance sci-fi film is centered around two robots. Despite that wild setup, it works—and has a profound environmentalist message in there for good measure.
