In terms of genres that bring out the limitless creative possibilities and craft of film, science fiction has stood as one of the best ways for filmmakers to express vastly creative and intelligent stories onto the big screen. From impactful blockbuster franchises like Star Wars to beloved critical classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, there are simply no limits to the number of sci-fi masterpieces that have graced the big screen over the years. This notion of masterful sci-fi filmmaking has even continued into the modern era of film, with the past 10 years releasing some truly special sci-fi experiences.
With film budgets being higher than ever before, there is no better time than the present to bring to life the fast concepts that the sci-fi genre provides. As a result, there have been many beautifully crafted sci-fi masterworks of the modern era that simply wouldn’t have been possible in previous eras of filmmaking, from fully realized adaptations of classic material to strikingly original new concepts. Each of these films has left its mark on sci-fi as a whole, as it’s easy to imagine them as defining classics that will inspire the next 10 years of science fiction.
10
‘The Substance’ (2024)
Of all the different perspectives and approaches that sci-fi horror has taken over the years, body horror has surprisingly stood the test of time as a great mixture of insightful themes, engrossing sci-fi concepts, and raw, painful visuals. In terms of modern-day body horror films, no other film comes close to the in-your-face madness of Coralie Fargeat‘s The Substance, a brilliant satire of female beauty standards and how society as a whole views age. Its themes are far from subtle, acting more like a sledgehammer to fully exemplify the weight of its message as a whole.
From the highly impressive practical effects and gore to the exceptional lead performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, the film consistently delivers on its core message and themes to become the defining body horror film of the modern era. It managed to receive so much praise and acclaim from critics and audiences alike that it became one of only a select few horror movies to be nominated for the highly coveted Academy Award for Best Picture.
9
‘Mars Express’ (2024)
A wildly underrated French animated film, Mars Express utilizes the most of what the medium of animation can provide in terms of a strikingly beautiful sci-fi world, as well as action scenes and visual concepts only possible in animation. The film follows a private investigator and her android partner being hired by a private businessman to track down a notorious hacker, unexpectedly finding themselves in a wild conspiracy that threatens the livelihood of every human and robot on Mars.
The worldbuilding stands out as one of the most effective aspects of the film, as each additional layer and creative addition adds more impact and weight to the overall story being told. It doesn’t shy away from various dark and dreary concepts in its world, showing a more bleak and realistic take on a modern, capitalistic society centuries into the future. Combined with a classic crime procedural mystery, the film has slowly grown to be a fan-favorite among the select few who have experienced its greatness.
8
‘Ad Astra’ (2019)
Easily standing as one of the more grounded and mellow approaches to a sci-fi film, Ad Astra‘s exceptional sense of tone and weighty story of familial struggles give it a distinct niche over many other modern sci-fi stories. It utilizes the scope and scale of an intergalactic journey across the cosmos more as a stepping stone for its larger story of self-discovery and determination, living up to the expectations of parents and facing the vast emptiness of both space and a lonely life itself.
While it certainly has its fair share of exciting and enthralling moments, such as a great dune buggy action scene on the moon’s surface, the film’s greatest strengths come from its characterization and philosophical quandaries. While the film initially had a disconnect with audiences who were expecting a more traditional, expansive sci-fi adventure, Ad Astra has grown more beloved and appreciated over the years, now being considered an underrated masterpiece of sci-fi.
7
‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)
The original Blade Runner was already one of the most widely celebrated and influential sci-fi films of all time, being a defining pillarstone classic of the genre that forever changed the way sci-fi stories were told in film. This placed a lot of anticipation and expectation upon the long-awaited sequel, Blade Runner 2049, to live up to the legacy of the original, yet Denis Villeneuve‘s reboot fully lives up to the grace and brilliance of the original. The film expands upon the themes and world of the original in a distinct yet effective way, translating its timeless themes and messages to modern tendencies and stylistic choices.
Blade Runner 2049’s visual style makes for one of the most invigorating and exceptional worlds in modern sci-fi, breathing new life into a classic world while adding its own signature flair and style into the dystopian future. It does a great job at standing tall as its own experience while also paying tribute to the legendary original film, never feeling like it’s repeating old material, but instead using it as a jumping-off point for something just as brilliant.
6
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)
Arguably standing as the most influential and important animated movie of the past 10 years, the way that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse revitalized 3D animation with its stylized approach to character animation and style has made it an instant classic of the modern era. The film seamlessly and brilliantly translates the 2D comic book style of its characters into 3D, feeling more fluid and thoughtful of the comic book source material than any previous comic book movie out there.
This is all on top of the film’s highly entertaining and engaging multiverse plotline, seeing various fun and goofy spider-people from across the multiverse coming together for a hectic brawl and a poignant story of how anyone can be Spider-Man. It’s an absolute love letter to all things Spider-Man and comic books as a whole, making for a deeply entertaining experience that fully understands the importance and appeal of Spider-Man as a character.
5
‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023)
The Godzilla franchise has had numerous ups and downs throughout its now over 70 years of filmmaking history, yet Godzilla Minus One miraculously stands out as one of the most impactful and powerful evolutions of the character yet. It brings together the best attributes of the character’s history and importance altogether to tell a striking story of post-WWII grief and pain in Japan, doing the seemingly impossible in having a modern Godzilla film with actually compelling and well-written human characters.
The film expertly utilizes a gargantuan sense of scale and terror inherent to Godzilla; however, it never simplifies the character to only being that of physical destruction, heavily emphasizing the emotional pain and impact of the character as a symbolic tool. It’s the type of generational reboot that completely revitalizes all interest and excitement surrounding the character, blowing the comparatively brainless and simple-minded American Godzilla films of recent memory out of the water.
4
‘Arrival’ (2016)
There has always been and will always continue to be an inherent fascination with extra-terrestrial life and the impact that their existence has on humanity as a whole, with Arrival showing exactly the tension-fueled race to understand such creatures when they arrive. However, the film is much more than a sci-fi drama tailored around finding a way to communicate and understand an alien language, as it soon delves into a larger story about destiny, the expansive nature of life itself, and many more underlying themes.
Centralized around a brilliantly powerful lead performance from Amy Adams, Arrival is about as brilliant and poignant as one could ask of a high-budget sci-fi drama. Through several brilliantly enacted twists and turns, the film circumvents many of the expectations placed upon its story and narrative, creating a palpable emotional impact with one of the best movie endings of the 21st century. It’s one of many sci-fi masterpieces from Denis Villeneuve as he continues to prove himself as the defining sci-fi visionary of recent memory.
3
‘Poor Things’ (2023)
A wildly absurd and visually enthralling black comedy take on a classic, Frankenstein-esque story, Poor Things proves to be one of the strangest yet emotionally compelling films of the modern era. It proves to completely circumvent the notions of genre as a whole, blending comedy, drama, romance, and a wide array of other tonal styles with a distinct sci-fi setup to create a cacophony of creative concepts and brilliance from Yorgos Lanthimos. He fully adopts his own style and strengths to the novel it is based on, transforming it into its own manic experience of brilliance.
While its initial premise of a young woman being brought back to life and living as an adult with the mental acuity of a child seems disturbing at first, the film goes to great lengths to maximize the comedic absurdity and dark humor of its premise. It also rarely ever feels one-note with its comedy or messaging, with the character of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) greatly evolving and growing over the course of the film and becoming a self-reliant woman in her own special way.
2
‘Dune: Part Two’ (2024)
Denis Villeneuve’s original Dune adaptation was already one of the most exciting and entertaining sci-fi blockbusters that the 2020s have had to offer, yet Dune: Part Two upped the ante and improved upon the previous film in every possible way. The visuals are more captivating, the central themes and messaging are more palpable and emotionally impactful, and the film brilliantly builds upon the setup and strengths of the original to create a deeply satisfying payoff.
A lot of the inherent strengths of the original film are also present within Dune: Part Two, yet it doesn’t have the downside of setting the stage for a later film, able to stand on its own as the complete finality of Frank Herbert‘s original sci-fi masterpiece. There’s a lot to love about the film that has helped it become the modern icon of sci-fi blockbusters, from the awe-inspiring visuals and set pieces to a wide array of exceptional performances across the board.
1
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)
The first and so far only sci-fi film to have taken home the award for Best Picture, Everything Everywhere All at Once is the type of once-in-a-generation sci-fi experience that completely reshapes and redefines the genre for audiences worldwide. It’s a film whose seemingly limitless creativity fuels its brilliance to create highly engaging action sequences, wildly absurd comedic moments, and some of the most brilliantly written characters of recent memory.
The film quickly rose through the ranks to be the defining fan-favorite original sci-fi film of the era, with it aptly being compared to films like The Matrix and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with its instant impact and classic status on the genre as a whole. While this style of multiverse storytelling and quippy action comedy had certainly been tackled before this point, Everything Everywhere All at Once executes this formula to a point of perfection, not letting its silly comedy get in the way of a genuinely impactful emotional core. More than any other sci-fi film of the past 10 years, Everything Everywhere All at Once will be the defining original sci-fi experience that people associate with this period of time.