10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of 2025, Ranked

The 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of 2025, Ranked “Best of 2025” banner featuring four lead performances from sci-fi films: Emma Stone (Bugonia), Robert Pattinson (Mickey 17), Emma Stone (Bugonia), and Glen Powell (The Running Man)

“Best of 2025” banner featuring four lead performances from sci-fi films: Emma Stone (Bugonia), Robert Pattinson (Mickey 17), Emma Stone (Bugonia), and Glen Powell (The Running Man)

Image by Federico Napoli

By Ryan Heffernan Published 13 minutes ago Ryan Heffernan is a Senior Writer at Collider. Storytelling has been one of his interests since an early age, with his appreciation for film and television becoming a particular interest of his during his teenage years. This passion saw Ryan graduate from the University of Canberra in 2020 with an Honours Degree in Film Production. In the years since, he has found freelance work as a videographer and editor in the Canberra region while also becoming entrenched in the city's film-making community. In addition to cinema and writing, Ryan's other major interest is sport, with him having a particular love for Australian Rules football, Formula 1, and cricket. He also has casual interests in reading, gaming, and history. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Joyously, as we wind down towards the end of 2025, movie lovers the world over can look back and reflect on what has been a triumphant year for cinema. It treated audiences to compelling dramas, many of which will be major titles throughout the upcoming awards season, while also offering plenty of gems of genre cinema, with horror being in particularly fine form with films like Weapons, Sinners, and Bring Her Back all becoming critically acclaimed hits of the genre.

Another genre that has experienced something of a golden run throughout 2025, though, has been science fiction. Featuring everything from piercing dystopian dramas to modern perspectives of old classics, satirical sensations that lampoon politics, and even some blistering action gems, these 10 movies encompass the glory of sci-fi cinema over the course of the past calendar year.

10 'The Running Man'

Glen Powell in a red suit stares ahead intently with two men in uniforms behind in The Running Man.Image via Paramount Pictures

A pulsating marriage of science-fiction and scintillating action, The Running Man is a high-tempo bonanza of inventive action carnage and socially-skewering undertones that soars off the back of Glen Powell’s charismatic allure. He stars as Ben Richards, a working-class man in a dystopian near-future who, desperate to find quick cash to save his sick daughter, participates in ‘The Running Man,’ a brutal and bloodthirsty reality series where contestants must survive 30 days while being hunted by elite assassins.

Complementing its criticism of the exploitative nature of reality TV and, by extension, capitalist societies with a hit of high-octane hysteria, The Running Man thrives as a dazzling action spectacle that, despite softening Stephen King's source material’s venomous punch, still has plenty to say about audience ethics and the dehumanizing nature of the screen. Armed with Edgar Wright’s stylistic panache, The Running Man is one of 2025’s most intoxicating and indulgent action flicks as well as one of the year’s more noteworthy sci-fi spectacles.

9 'Predator: Killer of Killers'

A Predator fighting a samurai warrior in Predator: Killer of Killers - 2025.Image via Hulu

The Predator franchise had a sneakily sublime 2025. Predator: Badlands (more on that soon) is emerging as a late-year hit in the eyes of fans and critics alike, but back in June, the horror/sci-fi saga unearthed one of its most audacious releases in the form of Predator: Killer of Killers. An adult animated anthology film, it follows three stories of survival and ferocity, following the tales of a Viking, a samurai, and an American fighter pilot in WWII as they encounter the imposing might of predators.

Buoyed by its striking visual display and keen focus on the combative match-ups that make Predator movies so enthralling, Predator: Killer of Killers is an enrapturing triumph of sci-fi grit that merrily runs with an air of immersive action fun. An awesome spectacle for fans of the franchise, and an astonishing feat of animated cinema, it is an underappreciated glory of one of cinema’s most iconic franchises, a dazzling showpiece of combative brutality and alien warriors that invites viewers to indulge in every second of its ultra-violent sci-fi splendor.

8 'Companion'

Iris (Sophie Thatcher) smiling to someone off-camera in Companion.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

An early year release that has become something of an underrated gem of 2025 cinema, Companion uses the eternal sci-fi premise of exploring humanity through the experiences of androids to deliver a fiendishly ferocious thriller laced with twists aplenty and apt social commentary regarding misogyny and abuse in the modern world, as well as humanity's complex relationship with artificial intelligence going forward. It focuses on a weekend getaway between a group of friends that devolves into a frenzy and pandemonium, and panic when it is revealed that one of the guests—a subservient android designed for companionship—has had a programming malfunction and gone haywire.

Cerebral, sinister, and loaded with feminist themes, Companion wields a hefty dramatic punch, but debut director Drew Goddard shows astute judgment with how he explores those themes without compromising on the innate fun and wickedness of the premise. It makes Companion an infectiously vibrant gem of modern sci-fi cinema, a defining glory of the genre’s exploits in 2025, and a thought-provoking yet thoroughly enjoyable delve into its serious subject matter.

7 'Superman'

David Corenswet as Superman in Superman 2025 Image via Warner Bros

Superhero cinema often flirts with sci-fi spectacle without embracing it in earnest, with 2025 presenting genre gems like Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World as noteworthy examples of this. However, marking a pivotal turning point for a prospective DC Comics cinematic universe, Superman embraced its sci-fi undertones with delightful abandon while presenting what is regarded by many as one of the greatest and purist superhero movies of all time.

With David Corensweat’s portrayal of the character marrying divinely with James Gunn’s vision, Superman balances spectacle with humanity and heart as it depicts Lex Luthor’s (Nicolas Hoult) character assassination of Superman and the titular hero’s resolve to stay true to his values even as the world turns against him. It’s hopeful, humane, and heroic, showing conviction in real-world issues at a time when most superhero blockbusters prefer to be sanitized and safe, and excelling as a rich mixture of superhero sensationalism and sci-fi intrigue that will be remembered for many years to come.

6 'Predator: Badlands'

Elle Fanning as Thia, riding on Dek's (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) back in Predator: Badlands.Image via 20th Century Studios

Returning to the illustrious Predator franchise, which stands as such a defining pillar of sci-fi cinema, Predator: Badlands is gradually accumulating a healthy box office figure as it entertains long-standing series fans and wins over new converts en masse. It follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a predator warrior exiled from his clan, who finds himself on a hostile and remote planet where he finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged android, and sets out to hunt the ultimate apex predator, a ferocious beast known as a Kalisk.

A triumphant return from Dan Trachtenberg—who experienced huge success in the franchise with 2022’s Prey—Predator: Badlands excels as it allows fans to cheer for the Predator, turning one of cinema’s most formidable and fearsome foes into one of the best heroes of 2025. It is bold, refreshing, and tons of fun, making for a rollicking sci-fi action-adventure with surprisingly strong characterization and a brilliant penchant for delirious and dazzling action.

5 'The Assessment'

Elizbeth Olsen as Mia sitting on the couch next to Himesh Patel as Aaryan in The AssessmentImage via Magnolia Pictures

Biting as a critique on governmental control in society, The Assessment delivers a piercing story of high-concept dystopia and richly explored themes of parenthood and individuality, all while being anchored by two outstanding performances from Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel. They star as a successful couple in a near-future world where, due to scarce resources, aspiring parents need approval from the government before they can reproduce. As Mia and Aaryan undergo their seven-day assessment process under the eye of Virginia (Alicia Vikander), they find that what they hoped would be a routine process becomes a twisted psychological nightmare.

Achieving profound depth with its weighted examination of government interference in the lives of citizens, the turmoil and terror first-time parents experience, and even skewering notions of class, success, and the integration of technology with human intimacy, The Assessment is a hidden gem of science fiction wrath. Unfortunately, The Assessment was never granted a widespread cinematic release, and Amazon Prime Studios—which acquired international distribution rights to it—has been woefully inept in marketing what is effectively one of the most profoundly considered and intriguing sci-fi movies in recent years.

4 'Bugonia'

Emma Stone in Bugonia touching her bald head

Emma Stone in BugoniaImage via Focus Features

The latest film from the ever-bewildering yet irresistibly enchanting Yorgos Lanthimos—which is set to be his last for a while—Bugonia is both a bleakly hilarious skewering of modern society’s air of hysteria and a thought-provoking sci-fi about such complex and confronting themes as systemic misogyny, corporate greed, and existential dread. Powered by impeccable performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, it follows two erratic conspiracy theorists who abduct the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, suspecting her of being an alien.

Bugonia maintains Lanthimos’ penchant for outlandish spectacle and perplexing entertainment, but it undercuts this appeal with an air of sadness, a lingering sense of hopelessness for humanity that contorts the picture into something dark and dour when it takes hold. It makes for one of the more confounding viewing experiences the director has presented, even if it isn’t necessarily his most extravagantly deranged nor his sharpest thematic exercise.

3 'Mickey 17'

Robert Pattinson as two Mickeys standing in the snow surrounded by aliens in Mickey 17.Image via Warner Bros.

Marking Bong Joon Ho’s long-awaited and much-anticipated release six years after his Parasite became an international sensation and an instant classic, Mickey 17 released as something of a polarizing picture, an odd jumbling of capitalist criticism, oddball comedy, and intense sci-fi storytelling. However, coasting off the divine marriage of Joon Ho’s trademark genre-blending brilliance and Robert Pattinson’s inspired offbeat charisma (and impressive range across two very different characters), Mickey 17 is sure to be celebrated as a triumph in no time.

Mickey Barnes is an “expendable,” a clone designed to partake in dangerous and even suicidal tasks who, when thought to be killed while exploring a hostile ice planet, returns to his colony’s base to find another clone has already been made. Through the ensuing story of unlikely romance, political ineptitude, corporate greed, and environmentalism, Mickey 17 strikes a satirical bite that takes aim at social issues while grounding itself as an exploration of individualism, identity, and the human condition. Running with both depth and delightful irreverence, it thrives as one of the more tonally unique sci-fi movies audiences have ever seen, and a discarded gem of 2025 cinema that will hopefully garner more admirers in the coming years.

2 'Resurrection'

A man in a white shirt stands before a large opening, holding his hands up as he is basked in warm and dim light in 'Resurrection' (2025).Image via Hauce Pictures

An imaginative, elaborate wonder of dystopian ideals and sci-fi’s thematic punch, Resurrection is a fascinating tale exploring the essence of humanity. Transpiring in a world where mankind has sacrificed its ability to dream in order to achieve immortality, it casts a monumental story of time-warping and war as it examines the most basic and profound human endeavors: the ability to imagine and create.

Dismantling traditional notions of storytelling, Resurrection is a richly impressionable and non-linear marvel of, and celebrating, cinematic expression. The Chinese film acknowledges the humanity ingrained in the desire for eternal life, but it also argues that what makes life—and all its wonders—so extraordinary is that it can’t be everlasting. It is poignant, powerful, and complex, running almost more as defiant poetry than as narrative drama, and it culminates in one of the most profound immersions in the beauty of humanity. Resurrection presents sci-fi storytelling at its most extreme, a boundary-breaking picture of unrestrained creativity that eschews comprehensive storytelling in favor of the divinity of unfiltered experience. It won't be to everyone's tastes, but those who enjoy a more experimental approach will surely be entranced by Resurrection's daring story as well as its enchanted visual display.

1 'Frankenstein'

Jacob Elordi as the Creature examines a moss-covered skull in the woods in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025; Netflix)Image via Netflix

Not only is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein an ageless icon of horror, but it is also one of the great pioneers of science-fiction drama as we know it today, a rich marriage of Gothic allure and unnatural terror that explores the idea of what it means to be human in agonizing detail. A modern maestro of Gothic horror, Guillermo del Toro unsurprisingly brings her story to the screen with an air of macabre majesty, following both Victor Frankenstein’s (Oscar Isaac) efforts to defy death and his inventions, The Creature’s (Jacob Elordi), pained existence as an abandoned being resorting to violence as his creator betrays him, then hunts him down.

Enriched by a breathtaking visual display and an outstanding performance of profound humanity from Elordi, Frankenstein is a true marvel of modern cinema, an enrapturing horror/sci-fi experience that illuminates the decadence and divinity of the medium at large. Not only the defining triumph of genre filmmaking for the year, but Frankenstein is also perhaps the year’s finest picture, an instant classic of 2020s cinema, and one of the greatest highlights of del Toro’s career thus far.

Like Follow Followed Frankenstein R Drama Horror Science Fiction 7 10 Release Date October 17, 2025 Runtime 149 Minutes Director Guillermo del Toro Writers Guillermo del Toro, Mary Shelley