The 50 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 2010s

Critics Consensus: Z for Zachariah wrings compelling drama out of its simplistic premise -- albeit at a pace that may test the patience of less contemplative viewers.

Synopsis: Following a disaster that wipes out most of civilization, a scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a miner (Chris Pine) compete for the love of a woman... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine

Directed By: Craig Zobel

Critics Consensus: It may sport more style than substance, but Pacific Rim is a solid modern creature feature bolstered by fantastical imagery and an irresistible sense of fun.

Synopsis: Long ago, legions of monstrous creatures called Kaiju arose from the sea, bringing with them all-consuming war. To fight the Kaiju, mankind developed giant robots... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Diego Klattenhoff, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

Critics Consensus: Ridley Scott's ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions, but it's redeemed by its haunting visual grandeur and compelling performances -- particularly Michael Fassbender as a fastidious android.

Synopsis: The discovery of a clue to mankind's origins on Earth leads a team of explorers to the darkest parts of the universe. Two brilliant young... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Critics Consensus: Fueled by bombastic violence and impressive special effects, rooted in self-satire and deadpan humor, Dredd 3D does a remarkable job of capturing its source material's gritty spirit.

Synopsis: Mega City One is a vast, violent metropolis where felons rule the streets. The only law lies with cops called "judges," who act as judge,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris

Directed By: Pete Travis

Critics Consensus: Melancholia's dramatic tricks are more obvious than they should be, but this is otherwise a showcase for Kirsten Dunst's acting and for Lars von Trier's profound, visceral vision of depression and destruction.

Synopsis: As a planet hurtles toward a collision course with Earth, two sisters (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg) cope with the approaching doomsday in different ways.

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, Brady Corbet

Directed By: Lars von Trier

Critics Consensus: Interstellar represents more of the thrilling, thought-provoking, and visually resplendent filmmaking moviegoers have come to expect from writer-director Christopher Nolan, even if its intellectual reach somewhat exceeds its grasp.

Synopsis: In Earth's future, a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable. Professor Brand (Michael Caine), a brilliant NASA physicist,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Critics Consensus: Fun genre fare with uncommon intelligence, Predestination serves as a better-than-average sci-fi adventure -- and offers a starmaking turn from Sarah Snook.

Synopsis: A temporal agent (Ethan Hawke) embarks on a final time-traveling assignment to prevent an elusive criminal from launching an attack that kills thousands of people.

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, Christopher Kirby

Directed By: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

Critics Consensus: Hauntingly bleak and thrillingly ambitious, The Double offers Jesse Eisenberg a pair of compelling roles while reaffirming writer-director Richard Ayoade's remarkable talent.

Synopsis: An awkward office drone (Jesse Eisenberg) becomes increasingly unhinged after a charismatic and confident look-alike takes a job at his workplace and seduces the woman... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Rade Serbedzija

Directed By: Richard Ayoade

Critics Consensus: With just enough human drama to anchor the sweeping spectacle of giant monsters smashing everything in sight, Gareth Edwards' Godzilla satisfyingly restores the franchise's fire-breathing glory.

Synopsis: Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche

Directed By: Gareth Edwards

Critics Consensus: It may evoke memories of classic summer blockbusters a little too eagerly for some, but Super 8 has thrills, visual dazzle, and emotional depth to spare.

Synopsis: In 1979 Ohio, several youngsters (Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso) are making a zombie movie with a Super-8 camera. In the midst of filming,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Critics Consensus: Led by Rupert Wyatt's stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathes unlikely new life into a long-running franchise.

Synopsis: Will Rodman, a scientist in San Francisco, is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father's Alzheimer's disease. After his work is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox

Directed By: Rupert Wyatt

Critics Consensus: Led by a brilliant performance from star Frank Langella, Robot & Frank works as both a quirky indie drama and as a smart, thoughtful meditation on aging.

Synopsis: An aging, cantankerous ex-cat burglar finds his zest for life renewed when he trains his robotic caretaker to help him commit heists.

Starring: Frank Langella, Peter Sarsgaard, Susan Sarandon, Liv Tyler

Directed By: Jake Schreier

Critics Consensus: Ready Player One is a sweetly nostalgic thrill ride that neatly encapsulates Spielberg's strengths while adding another solidly engrossing adventure to his filmography.

Synopsis: In 2045, the creator of a virtual reality universe promises his fortune to the first person to discover a digital Easter egg. Soon, young Wade... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A case study in less-is-more filmmaking, Coherence serves as a compelling low-budget calling card for debuting writer-director James Ward Byrkit.

Synopsis: Eight friends at a dinner party experience a troubling chain of events due to the malevolent influence of a passing comet.

Starring: Hugo Armstrong, Emily Baldoni, Nicholas Brendon, Elizabeth Gracen

Directed By: James Ward Byrkit

Critics Consensus: Offering exhilarating eye candy, solid acting, and a fast-paced story, Kong: Skull Island earns its spot in the movie monster's mythos without ever matching up to the classic original.

Synopsis: Scientists, soldiers and adventurers unite to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. Cut off from everything they know, they venture into the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly

Directed By: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Critics Consensus: As technically brilliant as it is narratively abstract, Upstream Color represents experimental American cinema at its finest -- and reaffirms Shane Carruth as a talent to watch.

Synopsis: A woman (Amy Seimetz) unwittingly undergoes a series of bizarre experiments, then meets a kindred spirit (Shane Carruth) who may have experienced the same ordeal.

Starring: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins

Directed By: Shane Carruth

Critics Consensus: Midnight Special's intriguing mysteries may not resolve themselves to every viewer's liking, but the journey is ambitious, entertaining, and terrifically acted.

Synopsis: The government and a group of religious extremists pursue a man (Michael Shannon) and his son (Jaeden Lieberher), a young boy who possesses special powers.

Starring: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Jaeden Martell

Directed By: Jeff Nichols

Critics Consensus: High Life is as visually arresting as it is challenging, confounding, and ultimately rewarding - which is to say it's everything film fans expect from director Claire Denis.

Synopsis: Monte and his baby daughter are the last survivors of a damned and dangerous mission to the outer reaches of the solar system. They must... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth

Directed By: Claire Denis

Critics Consensus: Intimate in setting yet ambitious in scope, the beautifully acted Marjorie Prime poses thought-provoking questions about memory, humanity, and love.

Synopsis: Eighty-six-year-old Marjorie spends her final, ailing days with a computerized version of her deceased husband. With the intent to recount their life together, Marjorie's Prime... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Jon Hamm, Tim Robbins

Directed By: Michael Almereyda

Critics Consensus: Its message may prove elusive for some, but with absorbing imagery and a mesmerizing performance from Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin is a haunting viewing experience.

Synopsis: Disguising herself as a human female, an extraterrestrial (Scarlett Johansson) drives around Scotland and tries to lure unsuspecting men into her van.

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay, Dougie McConnell

Directed By: Jonathan Glazer

Critics Consensus: Like its augmented protagonist, Upgrade's old-fashioned innards get a high-tech boost -- one made even more powerful thanks to sharp humor and a solidly well-told story.

Synopsis: A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure -- an... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Christopher Kirby

Directed By: Leigh Whannell

Critics Consensus: Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it's not as fresh as its predecessor.

Synopsis: The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism within its own organization destroys most of Starfleet and what it represents,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldaña

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Critics Consensus: Effortlessly mixing scares, laughs, and social commentary, Attack the Block is a thrilling, briskly-paced sci-fi yarn with a distinctly British flavor.

Synopsis: South London teenagers (John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Leeon Jones) defend their neighborhood from malevolent extraterrestrials.

Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Leeon Jones

Directed By: Joe Cornish

Critics Consensus: Thrilling and superbly acted, The Hunger Games captures the dramatic violence, raw emotion, and ambitious scope of its source novel.

Synopsis: In what was once North America, the Capitol of Panem maintains its hold on its 12 districts by forcing them each to select a boy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson

Directed By: Gary Ross

Critics Consensus: As strange as it is thrillingly ambitious, The Lobster is definitely an acquired taste -- but for viewers with the fortitude to crack through Yorgos Lanthimos' offbeat sensibilities, it should prove a savory cinematic treat.

Synopsis: In a dystopian society, single people must find a mate within 45 days or be transformed into an animal of their choice.

Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman

Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos

Critics Consensus: Star Trek Beyond continues the franchise's post-reboot hot streak with an epic sci-fi adventure that honors the series' sci-fi roots without skimping on the blockbuster action.

Synopsis: A surprise attack in outer space forces the Enterprise to crash-land on a mysterious world. The assault came from Krall (Idris Elba), a lizard-like dictator... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldaña

Directed By: Justin Lin

Critics Consensus: Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually.

Synopsis: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Critics Consensus: Madcap and heartfelt, Edgar Wright's apocalypse comedy The World's End benefits from the typically hilarious Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, with a plethora of supporting players.

Synopsis: Gary King (Simon Pegg) is an immature 40-year-old who's dying to take another stab at an epic pub-crawl that he last attempted 20 years earlier.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Critics Consensus: Smart, smoothly directed, and enriched with a deeper exploration of the franchise's thought-provoking themes, Catching Fire proves a thoroughly compelling second installment in the Hunger Games series.

Synopsis: After arriving safely home from their unprecedented victory in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) discover that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson

Directed By: Francis Lawrence

Critics Consensus: Finding the human story amidst the action, director Duncan Jones and charming Jake Gyllenhaal craft a smart, satisfying sci-fi thriller.

Synopsis: Helicopter pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is part of a top-secret military operation that enables him to experience the last few minutes in the life... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright

Directed By: Duncan Jones

Critics Consensus: Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground -- and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.

Synopsis: Former scientist Galen Erso lives on a farm with his wife and young daughter, Jyn. His peaceful existence comes crashing down when the evil Orson... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen

Directed By: Gareth Edwards

Critics Consensus: Ad Astra takes a visually thrilling journey through the vast reaches of space while charting an ambitious course for the heart of the bond between parent and child.

Synopsis: Thirty years ago, Clifford McBride led a voyage into deep space, but the ship and crew were never heard from again. Now his son --... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland

Directed By: James Gray

Critics Consensus: Annihilation backs up its sci-fi visual wonders and visceral genre thrills with an impressively ambitious -- and surprisingly strange -- exploration of challenging themes that should leave audiences pondering long after the end credits roll.

Synopsis: Lena, a biologist and former soldier, joins a mission to uncover what happened to her husband inside Area X -- a sinister and mysterious phenomenon... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson

Directed By: Alex Garland

Critics Consensus: Smart, solidly crafted, and palpably tense, 10 Cloverfield Lane makes the most of its confined setting and outstanding cast -- and suggests a new frontier for franchise filmmaking.

Synopsis: After surviving a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up to find herself in an underground bunker with two men. Howard (John Goodman) tells... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin

Directed By: Dan Trachtenberg

Critics Consensus: Bumblebee proves it's possible to bring fun and a sense of wonder back to a bloated blockbuster franchise -- and sets up its own slate of sequels in the bargain.

Synopsis: On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg, John Ortiz

Directed By: Travis Knight

Critics Consensus: Ex Machina leans heavier on ideas than effects, but it's still a visually polished piece of work -- and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature.

Synopsis: Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) a programmer at a huge Internet company, wins a contest that enables him to spend a week at the private estate... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno

Directed By: Alex Garland

Critics Consensus: Gripping, well-acted, funny, and clever, Edge of Tomorrow offers entertaining proof that Tom Cruise is still more than capable of shouldering the weight of a blockbuster action thriller.

Synopsis: When Earth falls under attack from invincible aliens, no military unit in the world is able to beat them. Maj. William Cage (Tom Cruise), an... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton

Directed By: Doug Liman

Critics Consensus: As thought-provoking as it is thrilling, Looper delivers an uncommonly smart, bravely original blend of futuristic sci-fi and good old-fashioned action.

Synopsis: In a future society, time-travel exists, but it's only available to those with the means to pay for it on the black market. When the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano

Directed By: Rian Johnson

Critics Consensus: With intelligence and emotional resonance to match its stunning special effects, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes expands on its predecessor with an exciting and ambitious burst of sci-fi achievement.

Synopsis: Ten years after simian flu wiped out much of the world's Homo sapiens, genetically enhanced chimpanzee Caesar and his ever-growing band of followers has established... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell

Directed By: Matt Reeves

Critics Consensus: Sweet, soulful, and smart, Spike Jonze's Her uses its just-barely-sci-fi scenario to impart wryly funny wisdom about the state of modern human relationships.

Synopsis: A sensitive and soulful man earns a living by writing personal letters for other people. Left heartbroken after his marriage ends, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) becomes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara

Directed By: Spike Jonze

Critics Consensus: Snowpiercer offers an audaciously ambitious action spectacular for filmgoers numb to effects-driven blockbusters.

Synopsis: A post-apocalyptic ice age forces humanity's last survivors aboard a globe-spanning supertrain. One man will risk everything to lead a revolt for control of the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

Critics Consensus: Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.

Synopsis: When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney, presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Critics Consensus: Visually stunning and narratively satisfying, Blade Runner 2049 deepens and expands its predecessor's story while standing as an impressive filmmaking achievement in its own right.

Synopsis: Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks

Directed By: Denis Villeneuve

Critics Consensus: Fearlessly ambitious, scathingly funny, and thoroughly original, Sorry to Bother You loudly heralds the arrival of a fresh filmmaking talent in writer-director Boots Riley.

Synopsis: In an alternate reality of present-day Oakland, Calif., telemarketer Cassius Green finds himself in a macabre universe after he discovers a magical key that leads... View Full Synopsis

Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick

Directed By: Boots Riley

Critics Consensus: War for the Planet of the Apes combines breathtaking special effects and a powerful, poignant narrative to conclude this rebooted trilogy on a powerful -- and truly blockbuster -- note.

Synopsis: Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval

Directed By: Matt Reeves

Critics Consensus: Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity is an eerie, tense sci-fi thriller that's masterfully directed and visually stunning.

Synopsis: Dr. Ryan Stone is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission. Her commander is veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky, helming his last flight before retirement.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen

Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón

Critics Consensus: Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series' former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.

Synopsis: Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Critics Consensus: Arrival delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person's sci-fi that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a terrific performance from Amy Adams.

Synopsis: Linguistics professor Louise Banks leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg

Directed By: Denis Villeneuve

Critics Consensus: Star Wars: The Last Jedi honors the saga's rich legacy while adding some surprising twists -- and delivering all the emotion-rich action fans could hope for.

Synopsis: Luke Skywalker's peaceful and solitary existence gets upended when he encounters Rey, a young woman who shows strong signs of the Force. Her desire to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley

Directed By: Rian Johnson

Critics Consensus: With exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft, Mad Max: Fury Road brings George Miller's post-apocalyptic franchise roaring vigorously back to life.

Synopsis: Years after the collapse of civilization, the tyrannical Immortan Joe enslaves apocalypse survivors inside the desert fortress the Citadel. When the warrior Imperator Furiosa leads... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne

Directed By: George Miller