7 Great Sci-Fi Movies You May Have Missed
Time travel, alien encounters, trips to a galaxy far, far away—science fiction is nothing if not exciting. It makes us think: Could that really happen? If you’re a fan, you might be surprised to discover a few films that somehow escaped your attention.
Swipe through to get recommendations for your next movie night.
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The Fifth Element
Set in the 23rd century, The Fifth Element’s plot surrounds the saving of the Earth via four mystical stones that will help defend against an alien invasion. Upon its release, the movie received many positive reviews, though some critics disliked it. It was directed by Luc Besson and starred Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich.
Enemy Mine
Dennis Quaid and Louis Gosset Jr. play a human soldier and an alien soldier stranded together on an inhospitable planet. The two are forced to get along for the sake of survival. While not a huge success in the United States, the film was popular in the Soviet Union, where it became the first Western sci-fi film shown in theaters.
Cube
A cult favorite, Cube was shot on a single set and debuted in 1998. The film featured no big name actors and was directed by Vincenzo Natali. Six people, each with a special skill, are kidnapped and trapped in a giant series of connected cube rooms, some of which are booby-trapped. The trapped people must work together to find a way out of the cube.
Tenet
Christopher Nolan’s 2020 sci-fi thriller stars John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki and Robert Pattinson. As part of a secret organization called “Tenet,” a CIA agent must travel the globe, mastering the bending of time, in order to prevent an attack from the future.
Galaxy Quest
This 1999 classic is a cult favorite; its plot revolves around a group of actors starring in a sci-fi TV show that get pulled into a real interstellar conflict. Starring Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver and directed by Dean Parisot, the film is a fun parody of sci-fi shows such as Star Trek.
Solaris
This oldie is beloved by many as a true sci-fi classic. Released in 1972, Andrei Tarkovsky directed the film to ensure that the plot focuses more on the emotional state of its three protagonists, and less on high-tech, whiz-bang action. It’s slower and more contemplative than many sci-fi movies, but definitely worth a watch if you're a fan of the genre.
High Life
In this 2018 film directed by Claire Denis, a collection of criminals sentenced to death are sent into space to extract alternative energy from a black hole. Along the way, the prisoners are experimented on. Robert Pattinson stars as one of the bad guys and Juliette Binoche stars as a scientist who also does bad things.