Best Science Fiction Movies of 2021, Ranked by Tomatometer

Critics Consensus: Eye-catching and energetic, The Mitchells vs. the Machines delivers a funny, feel-good story that the whole family can enjoy.

Synopsis: Young Katie Mitchell embarks on a road trip with her proud parents, younger brother and beloved dog to start her first year at film school.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Michael Rianda

Directed By: Michael Rianda

Critics Consensus: A nerve-wracking continuation of its predecessor, A Quiet Place Part II expands the terrifying world of the franchise without losing track of its heart.

Synopsis: Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

Directed By: John Krasinski

Critics Consensus: Tough but stirring, Little Fish uses one couple's pandemic love story to illustrate the strength of human connection in trying times.

Synopsis: Little Fish, the fourth feature film from director Chad Hartigan, is a romance set in a near-future Seattle teetering on the brink of calamity. Starring... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Olivia Cooke, Jack O'Connell, Soko, Raúl Castillo

Directed By: Chad Hartigan

Critics Consensus: Enlivened by writer-director James Gunn's singularly skewed vision, The Suicide Squad marks a funny, fast-paced rebound that plays to the source material's violent, anarchic strengths.

Synopsis: Welcome to hell--a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis

Directed By: James Gunn

Critics Consensus: Oxygen gets the white-knuckle maximum out of its claustrophobic setting, with director Alexandre Aja and star Mélanie Laurent making this a must-watch thriller for sci-fi fans.

Synopsis: Oxygen is a French survival thriller directed by Alexandre Aja. The film tells the story of a young woman (Mélanie Laurent, 6 Underground, Inglourious Basterds),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi, Marc Saez

Directed By: Alexandre Aja

Critics Consensus: Combining a clever concept, sweet, self-aware humor, and a charming cast, Free Guy is frivolous fun.

Synopsis: In "Free Guy," a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery

Directed By: Shawn Levy

Critics Consensus: In the Earth's bleak kaleidoscope of horror is a hallucinogenic meditation on the residual pandemic fears that haunt humanity.

Synopsis: As the world searches for a cure to a disastrous virus, a scientist and park scout venture deep in the forest for a routine equipment... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joel Fry, Reece Shearsmith, Hayley Squires, Ellora Torchia

Directed By: Ben Wheatley

Critics Consensus: A bizarrely memorable sci-fi/comedy hybrid, Fried Barry may be an acquired taste, but it certainly isn't chicken.

Synopsis: Aliens take over the body of a drug addict and take it for a joyride through Cape Town.

Starring: Gary Green, Chanelle De Jager, Brett Williams, Joey Cramer

Directed By: Ryan Kruger

Critics Consensus: Black Widow's deeper themes are drowned out in all the action, but it remains a solidly entertaining standalone adventure that's rounded out by a stellar supporting cast.

Synopsis: In Marvel Studios' action-packed spy thriller "Black Widow," Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz

Directed By: Cate Shortland

Critics Consensus: Its characters' time-loop journey is a little bumpy and fairly familiar, but heartfelt charm and likeable leads make A Map of Tiny Perfect Things worth following.

Synopsis: The film tells the story of quick-witted teen Mark, contentedly living the same day in an endless loop whose world is turned upside-down when he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kathryn Newton, Kyle Allen, Jermaine Harris, Anna Mikami

Directed By: Ian Samuels

Critics Consensus: Delivering squarely on its title, Godzilla vs. Kong swats away character development and human drama to deliver all the spectacle you'd expect from giant monsters slugging it out.

Synopsis: Legends collide in "Godzilla vs. Kong" as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry

Directed By: Adam Wingard

Critics Consensus: Pacing problems prevent Stowaway from fully engaging, but it's distinguished by its thoughtful, well-acted approach to a story built on an excruciating moral dilemma.

Synopsis: On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship's life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Toni Collette, Shamier Anderson

Directed By: Joe Penna

Critics Consensus: With its characteristic boldness, Evangelion:3.0+1.01 more than thricely rewards fans with a cathartic finale to the 26-year-old iconic anime tale.

Synopsis: From legendary director Hideaki Anno, EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME is the fourth and final installment of the REBUILD OF EVANGELION films, bringing an epic... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Megumi Ogata, Kotono Mitsuishi, Yuko Miyamura, Akira Ishida

Directed By: Hideaki Anno, Mahiro Maeda, Katsuichi Nakayama, Kazuya Tsurumaki

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: An eccentric general and a young filmmaker take refuge in a ravaged bunker after a catastrophic global war.

Starring: Nick Young, Alexandra Slade, Michael C. Burgess, Kathryn Schott

Directed By: Brian Patrick Butler

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: After getting a car ride from an unknown man, Lisa wakes up in a tube. On her arm is strapped a bracelet with a countdown.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gaia Weiss, Peter Franzén, Romane Libert, Frédéric Franchitti

Directed By: Mathieu Turi

Critics Consensus: Boss Level powers up the increasingly crowded time-loop genre with a gleefully over-the-top sci-fi action thriller that revels in its own excess.

Synopsis: Trapped in a time loop that constantly repeats the day of his murder, former special forces agent Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) uncovers clues about a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Frank Grillo, Naomi Watts, Mel Gibson, Annabelle Wallis

Directed By: Joe Carnahan

Critics Consensus: As a story, Space Sweepers isn't as adventurous as its star-navigating protagonists -- but relatable characters and impressive effects keep it from drifting out of orbit.

Synopsis: After snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, Spaceship Victory's crew members find a 7-year-old girl inside. They realize that she's the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu, Yoo Hae-jin

Directed By: Jo Sung-hee