19 Best Sci-Fi Movies Released in the Last 5 Years, Ranked

The top 20? Think indie hits sneaking up on the big boys, showing off smart scripts over flashy effects, those movies that came out of nowhere, armed with fresh faces and ideas that made us rethink what sci-fi can do. And, well, Nolan, of course. Can't really do sci-fi without Nolan, right?

19. Project Power (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 61%

In a near-future New Orleans, a pill that grants unpredictable superpowers for five minutes draws together a cop, a teenage dealer, and a former soldier to take down its creators – revealing personal stakes and a deeper conspiracy.

18. Tenet (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

A mind-bending espionage thriller where a CIA operative, known only as The Protagonist, embarks on a time-twisting mission to prevent World War III, navigating a world of 'inversion' alongside a mysterious organization called Tenet.

17. Space Sweepers (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 70%

Set in 2092, this Korean space opera follows the crew of a space junk collector ship who discover a humanoid robot child that's both a weapon and a target in a grand interstellar conspiracy, sparking an adventure across the cosmos.

16. Finch (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%

In a post-apocalyptic future, a lone inventor, Finch, creates a robot companion to ensure his dog has protection after he's gone, embarking on a journey that tests their understanding of life, love, and the essence of humanity.

15. Stowaway (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%

On a mission to Mars, a crew discovers an accidental stowaway shortly after launch, leading to moral dilemmas and life-threatening decisions as dwindling resources put all their lives at risk.

14. Greenland (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

A family fights for survival as a planet-killing comet races to Earth, facing societal collapse and unthinkable choices during a desperate scramble to secure passage on a last-ditch evacuation flight.

13. Archive (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

In 2038, a robotics engineer working in a remote facility aims to create a machine that exhibits true human emotions, a project driven by a personal desire to resurrect his deceased wife, blurring lines between technology and humanity.

12. Crimes of the Future (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

In a dystopian future where humans adapt to synthetic environments, causing new mutations, an artist turns his own body into a canvas for transformation, challenging societal norms and the limits of human evolution.

11. Next Exit (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

A road movie set in a world where the afterlife is scientifically proven, follows two strangers on a cross-country trip to reach a facility that records and confirms encounters with the dead, exploring themes of grief, redemption, and existential curiosity.

10. Meander (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

A woman wakes up in a series of strange tubes filled with deadly traps and must navigate the maze-like structure to survive, discovering along the way the twisted purpose behind her abduction.

9. Dune ( 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

In this epic adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel, Paul Atreides must navigate complex interstellar politics, ecological challenges, and ancient prophecies on the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the universe's most valuable substance.

8. Come True (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

A runaway teenager participates in a sleep study that becomes a nightmarish descent into the depths of her mind and a startling examination of the power of dreams and their connection to reality.

7. Save Yourselves! (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

A Brooklyn couple, disconnected from their phones on a remote cabin retreat, remain blissfully unaware of an alien invasion, leading to a comedic and existential journey of survival and self-discovery.

6. Oxygen (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

A woman wakes up in a cryogenic unit with no memory of who she is or how she got there, and must find a way out before her oxygen runs out, uncovering a complex web of truths along the way.

5. Something In The Dirt (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

When neighbors discover a mysterious, possibly supernatural force in their Los Angeles apartment building, they seize the chance to document their findings, spiraling into obsession, paranoia, and the bizarre.

4. After Yang (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

In a future where robotic children serve as live-in babysitters, a family must confront questions of love, connection, and loss when their android, Yang, malfunctions, leading them on an emotional journey into memories and identity.

3. Little Fish (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

A couple fights to hold their relationship together as a memory loss virus spreads and threatens to erase the history of their love and courtship, in a poignant exploration of love, memory, and loss.

2. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

A laundromat owner grappling with IRS audit becomes entangled in a bizarre multiversal adventure, where she must harness her newfound powers to fight bizarre dangers and save the multiverse, discovering her true identity along the way.

1. Dune Drifter (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

After a devastating space battle, a lone fighter pilot crash-lands on a desolate planet, facing not only the harsh environment but also the enemy pilot who landed there, in a gritty tale of survival and resilience.