35 Best Sci-Fi Movies Streaming [July 2024]

The beauty of science fiction is its versatility. Sci-fi movies can take the form of exciting action adventures, bizarre comedies, and haunting horror shows. From deep space to the far future, sci-fi has the power to create new worlds and explore the moral dilemmas of developing technology. There's really no other genre that can wear so many hats so successfully, and today, there's a wealth of sci-fi films available at the touch of a button. Streaming platforms have beloved classics, overlooked sleeper hits, and unique genre experimentations all ready to go for sci-fi fanatics needing a fix. Here are the best sci-fi movies available to stream today.

Updated on July 2, 2024: Much like the aliens who occasionally visit Earth — be it to befriend small children or invade the world — sci-fi movies come and go from streaming services all the time. So be sure to check back here each month, as we'll let you know where you can the very best that science fiction has to offer.

Though it's set in the same universe as 2008's "Cloverfield," the tension in "10 Cloverfield Lane" has very little to do with aliens. Michelle wakes up from a car accident in an underground bunker owned by Howard. Howard insists that the outside world has fallen to pieces, but Michelle and the bunker's other resident Emmett aren't so sure. With nowhere to go, Howard's paranoia and desire for control keeps increasing, and eventually, Michelle and Emmett are pushed to the brink of desperation.

• Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.
• Director: Dan Trachtenberg
• Year: 2016
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

When humanity discovers a mysterious black monolith on the moon that may be linked to the evolution of the species, they send out a deep space expedition to find the origin of the artifact. What gets discovered is beyond anyone's imagination. Based on the Arthur C. Clarke novel, "2001: A Space Odyssey" is a timeless sci-fi classic and one of the crowning achievements of director Stanley Kubrick's career. With its incredible practical effects, the film is a feast for the eyes that stands up to, and often exceeds, modern CGI. The story is a slow burn — spanning millions of years — but it's guaranteed to keep you thinking days after credits roll.

• Starring: Keir Dullea, Douglas Rain, Gary Lockwood
• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Year: 1968
• Runtime: 145 minutes
• Rating: G
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Leave it to James Cameron to pull off the impossible. "Aliens" is one of those rare sequels that not only lives up to the original but also, in some opinions, surpasses it. After surviving her ordeal on the Nostromo, Ellen Ripley has been in cryo-sleep for 57 years. She's woken by members of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, who inform Ripley that a human colony now exists near the alien-infested ship Ripley visited in the first movie. She agrees to go investigate the colony, intending to wipe out the creatures once and for all. "Aliens" isn't as terrifying as its predecessor, but it's every bit as good, leaning way harder into the action genre than horror this time.

• Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
• Director: James Cameron
• Year: 1986
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer, "Annihilation" is a near-perfect melding of sci-fi concepts and emotional inquiries. Lena and a group of scientific researchers are sent to investigate Area X, an ever-expanding region of coastline where evolution seems to be occurring rapidly and in ways that don't necessarily match up with the norms of Earth's ecology. Lena isn't just there for the research, though. She wants to discover what happened to her husband when he went into Area X — but she may not be prepared for the answers.

• Starring: Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh
• Director: Alex Garland
• Year: 2018
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

From stunning visuals to emotional performances to a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end, there's plenty to love about 2016's "Arrival." When large alien ships enter the Earth's atmosphere all over the planet, humanity is prepared for the worst. As a result, linguist Louise Banks and physicist Ian Donnelly are brought in to figure out how to communicate with the aliens, and their discovery goes much further than simply learning a new language. Adapted from Ted Chiang's 1998 "Story of Your Life," this is one of the most unique and beautiful sci-fi movies out there.

• Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Year: 2016
• Runtime: 116 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

We waited more than a decade for an "Avatar" sequel, and when James Cameron finally delivered, he didn't disappoint. "Avatar: The Way of Water" is a powerful return trip to Pandora. The movie catches up with Jake Sully and his family 16 years after the events of "Avatar." The Sullys got to enjoy a time of peace, but now the humans have returned, and they've brought along new threats and old enemies. To survive, the Sullys must make new friends — but no matter what they do, their story is really just beginning.

• Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver
• Director: James Cameron
• Year: 2022
• Runtime: 192 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
  

Some of the best sci-fi movies take a silly concept and run wild with it. For example, take "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." If Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan can't pass history class, they'll be forced to go to different schools, and their rock band will never get off the ground. That's a big deal to the people of Earth circa 2688, who've been led into a global utopia thanks to the band's music and philosophy. They send an emissary with a time machine back to the late '80s to help Bill and Ted travel through history, so they can piece together their final class presentation with firsthand knowledge. The result is a wild trip through time, with Bill and Ted meeting up with historical luminaries like Socrates, Beethoven, and Billy the Kid. And if you only know Keanu Reeves from "John Wick" and "The Matrix," watching him goof it up as Ted is an absolute blast.

• Starring: Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, George Carlin
• Director: Stephen Herek
• Year: 1989
• Runtime: 90 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" continues the story from Rupert Wyatt's 2011 movie. It's been 10 years since Caesar and the simian flu escaped into the wide world. Huge portions of humanity have died, and in their place, a species of sentient apes have risen up. Caesar is now leader of a tribe living just outside the remnants of San Francisco, and though survival hasn't been easy, running into a band of human survivors makes his job harder than ever.

• Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman
• Director: Matt Reeves
• Year: 2014
• Runtime: 131 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

David Lynch's "Dune" doesn't manage to accurately adapt its source material, and it's not nearly as entertaining as it might have been, but for any fan of the genre, it's 100% worth watching. "Dune" features some truly imaginative imagery, from its spaceships to its alien races to its exotic locales. The story is unwieldy and deeply goofy at times, but whether you're a major "Dune" fan interested in the franchise's history or simply looking to kick back and go for a wild ride through the universe, there's something for you to enjoy about this not-quite cult classic.

• Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Patrick Stewart
• Director: David Lynch
• Year: 1984
• Runtime: 136 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 44%

It's rare that a sequel to a great movie comes along and blows the first one out of the water ... but that's what happened with "Dune: Part Two." The first Denis Villeneuve movie features brilliant performances, staggering visuals, and a killer score — it's just that the second Villeneuve movie raises the bar even higher.

The movie immediately lets you know that you're in for something special with the sight of Harkonnens gracefully flying through the desert sky. It only gets better from there, with Paul Atreides racing on a massive worm and Feyd-Rautha slaughtering opponents in a black-and-white amphitheater. The veteran cast featuring names like Javier Bardem and Rebecca Ferguson give all-time performances alongside incredible young stars like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Austin Butler, who let us know why they're Hollywood's new A-listers. Villeneuve's direction is perhaps the best he's ever served up on screen, and the movie smartly plays with concepts like the "chosen one" and "white saviorism," resulting in a sci-fi movie that immediately enters the pantheon of classic films.

• Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler
• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Year: 2024
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 166 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

This mind-bending comedy made a huge splash when it debuted in March 2022, and it's been raking in awards ever since. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" takes disillusioned laundromat owner Evelyn Wang and her family on an interdimensional journey unlike any adventure through the multiverse you've ever seen before. Along the way, there's hot dog fingers, everything bagels, and Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan giving all-time performances. Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert created a masterpiece that is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming and manages to pack in some incredible martial arts set pieces to boot.

• Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu
• Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
• Year: 2022
• Runtime: 139 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Alex Garland's directorial debut, "Ex Machina" examines the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence and questions the line between man and machine. Nathan Bateman is a tech CEO who's invented an AI in a robot body that he calls Ava. Bateman invites programmer Caleb Smith to his remote estate to help him determine whether or not Ava is truly a thinking and feeling being. But soon, the three of them become involved in a cat-and-mouse game of manipulation that puts all of their lives in danger.

• Starring: Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson
• Director: Alex Garland
• Year: 2014
• Runtime: 108 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Cult-classic "Galaxy Quest" is one of the best sci-fi comedies ever made. The film follows a group of down-and-out actors who were once part of the biggest sci-fi series on television. The cast then gets abducted by real aliens who believe the actors are actually the heroes they once portrayed. The aliens desperately need help saving their home world, and the actors find themselves living out an episode of their old show. The astounding performances and pitch-perfect comedy in "Galaxy Quest" made it an instant classic, and fans have wondered for years why it never got a sequel.

• Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman
• Director: Dean Parisot
• Year: 1999
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Almost 70 years after he first terrorized Tokyo, Godzilla returned in 2023 with one of his greatest films — "Godzilla Minus One." An instant classic that nabbed the fire-breathing dino an Oscar win for visual effects, "Minus One" largely takes place in the aftermath of World War II, in a Japan that's been ravaged physically, psychologically, and economically. Main character Kōichi Shikishima is haunted by guilt and PTSD from serving as a failed kamikaze pilot. And now that he's got a chance to start life over with a new family, Godzilla has emerged from the sea, hellbent on destroying everything in his path. Struggling with concepts like honor, cowardice, and community, Kōichi joins a band of fellow citizens to try and stop Godzilla before he unleashes any more atomic horror. Perhaps the first Godzilla movie to so expertly blend the monster action with a compelling human story, "Godzilla Minus One" is second only to the 1954 original when it comes to cinematic greatness.

• Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Hidetaka Yoshioka
• Director: Takashi Yamazaki
• Year: 2023
• Runtime: 126 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

After battling Mechagodzilla in their last adventure, King Kong and Godzilla have gone their separate ways. The big lizard spends his time battling rogue Titans and sleeping in the Colosseum while the big ape roams through Hollow Earth, searching for his own kind. Unfortunately, he finds another massive monkey in the Skar King, a homicidal primate who's enslaved the rest of the apes and plans to unleash hell on the surface world.

Needless to say, Kong and Godzilla will have to join forces to defeat this new foe, and the movie features a ton of delightfully silly monster moments. Kong gets a cool, new metal glove, the titular kaiju wrestle among the Pyramids of Giza, and Skar King carries a massive whip made from a Titan's spinal cord. The movie dedicates a large chunk of time to wordless moments between the monsters, which is awesome, but on the human side of things, Dan Stevens steals the show as a laidback Titan veterinarian.

• Starring: Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Brian Tyree Henry
• Director: Adam Wingard
• Year: 2024
• Runtime: 115 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%

James Gunn returns to close out the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy with a final installment that's just as hilarious as fans have come to expect, but also more heartfelt than anything they've gotten before. The Guardians are in a rocky place after the events of "Avengers: Endgame," but their situation becomes dire when Rocket receives a near-fatal injury. Saving their friend means digging into Rocket's past and encountering some dark secrets, alongside the most dangerous enemy the Guardians have come up against.

• Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Bradley Cooper
• Director: James Gunn
• Year: 2023
• Runtime: 149 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

Just four years after "Inception," Christopher Nolan released another sci-fi epic, this time focusing on climate change, space travel, and the future of humanity. With Earth increasingly rocked by climate disasters, former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper is tapped to lead an expedition into deep space to find a new home for humans. The movie is powered by real scientific concepts and filled with the kind of epic space visuals that harken back to "2001: A Space Odyssey." While the film's final act received heavy criticism, as a whole, "Interstellar" is phenomenal and an absolute must for fans of space-centered sci-fi.

• Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Year: 2014
• Runtime: 169 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic really needs no introduction. A billionaire fascinated by dinosaurs decides to invest in resurrecting their genetics through cloning. He dreams of opening a theme park where people can see dinosaurs for themselves. Having accomplished this goal, he invites a small group of experts to tour the park — but not long after they arrive, the dinosaurs break free of their enclosures. As massive dinosaurs roam the park, everyone's lives become endangered. You're either a massive "Jurassic Park" fan, or you just haven't seen the movie yet. Either way, now's the perfect time to dive into it.

• Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 1993
• Runtime: 127 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Before Rian Johnson created the most divisive "Star Wars" movie of all time, he wrote and directed one of the best sci-fi films of the 2010s. "Looper" takes place in a world where time-travel technology is readily available to black market buyers with deep pockets. The mob now handles its executions by sending targets into the past to be killed where the evidence will never be discovered. Joe makes his living as mob hitman, but when his target turns out to be a future version of himself, his entire livelihood is upended. "Looper" executes its exciting premise masterfully and is a must-watch for sci-fi fans.

• Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt
• Director: Rian Johnson
• Year: 2012
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

"Mad Max: Fury Road" is technically a legacy sequel, and it's one of the best we've ever seen. Set in the same desert-covered post-apocalyptic world as the original "Mad Max" trilogy, "Fury Road" catches up with Max as he encounters a strange new society led by the murderously evil tyrant Immortan Joe. The movie takes you on a two hour-long, high-octane chase filled with some of the most outrageous practical stunts you'll ever see. "Fury Road" is arguably the best "Mad Max" movie, and it's definitely one of the very best action movies of the 2010s.

• Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
• Director: George Miller
• Year: 2015
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Computer hacker Neo believes that there's a deep secret in the world, and his search for the truth puts him in contact with underground figures Trinity and Morpheus. With their help, Neo steps through the looking glass, so to speak, and enters a world unlike anything that he could have possibly imagined, becoming involved in a war for the fate of humanity itself. Revolutionary filming techniques were developed to capture the film's unique action sequences, and the influence of "The Matrix" can still be felt in movies today. While the sequels are divisive, "The Matrix" is nothing short of a masterpiece.

• Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne
• Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
• Year: 1999
• Runtime: 136 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

"M3GAN" follows orphaned kid Cady, who's sent to live with her aunt Gemma, a talented roboticist. Gemma introduces Cady to M3GAN, an A.I.-powered toy that Gemma is developing for her company. Cady and M3GAN quickly become best friends — but M3GAN is willing to go to violent lengths to ensure Cady's happiness. "M3GAN" is a satisfying blend of horror and comedy, and streaming fans get to see the unrated cut of the movie that didn't make it into theaters.

• Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng
• Director: Gerard Johnstone
• Year: 2022
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Based on the tale from Philip K. Dick, "Minority Report" envisions a future where access to precognitive abilities has made it possible for police to capture criminals before they ever commit a crime. John Anderton doesn't question the morality of his work in the Precrime program –- that is, until his name comes up as a future murderer. John goes on the run, desperately trying to find a way to prove that he's innocent of a crime that hasn't yet occurred. With the legendary Steven Spielberg behind the camera, "Minority Report" is a fantastic exploration of a tantalizing premise.

• Starring: Tom Cruise, Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 2022
• Runtime: 145 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Arnold Schwarzenegger was already a sci-fi action star by the time "Predator" released in 1987. But here, instead of being an indestructible machine hellbent on killing, he's on the run from a relentless pursuer that's dead set on taking his skull as a trophy. Schwarzenegger stars as a mercenary named Dutch who's hired by the US government to rescue a group of politicians from Guatemala. When Dutch and his team arrive on the ground, they realize this is a mission like no other. Instead of simply fighting their way through armed baddies, they find themselves mercilessly hunted by an alien armed with dangerous abilities. Brutal and action-packed, "Predator" spawned an entire franchise, but no entry yet holds a candle to the original.

• Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall
• Director: John McTiernan
• Year: 1987
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

"Predator" has been a sci-fi staple since it debuted in 1987, but over the years, various installments in the franchise have failed to recreate the impact of the first film. Whether "Prey" surpasses the original is debatable, but director Dan Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison have absolutely reinvigorated the franchise. Powered by a stunning lead performance from Amber Midthunder, "Prey" tells the action-packed story of a Predator facing off against Comanche warriors on the Great Plains in the early 18th century. Seeing the Predator in a brand new environment is exciting, and watching an outmatched young hero take on the universe's greatest killer is exhilarating.

• Starring: Amber Midthunder, Dane DiLiegro, Dakota Beavers
• Director: Dan Trachtenberg
• Year: 2022
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

The '80s have a crowded field of great sci-fi action movies, but "RoboCop" stands out as one of the best. Set in a dystopian Detroit, the film follows beat cop Alex Murphy who gets transformed into a law enforcement cyborg after suffering a near-fatal injury on the job. "RoboCop" mixes a healthy serving of biting satire into its over-the-top violence to create an experience that will keep you laughing even while you're on the edge of your seat through the intense action set pieces.

• Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith
• Director: Paul Verhoeven
• Year: 1987
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Sure, there are some corners of the internet that like to pick apart seeming plot holes or criticize the film's ending, but you should ignore those people. "Signs" is not only one of M. Night Shyamalan's best movies, it's one of the best alien invasion films of all time. Accompanied by James Newton Howard's terrifying, Hitchcock-esque score, "Signs" focuses on the Hess family, who wake up one morning to find crop circles in their corn field. As they slowly come to realize that extraterrestrials might be descending upon their farm, the Hess family must come to grips with their shared trauma and crisis of faith while fighting for their own survival. Whether or not the ending works for you, you can't deny that "Signs" features some of the scariest scenes (the closet moment and the kitchen sequence) in sci-fi history. Plus, while it's pretty terrifying, it's also Shyamalan's funniest movie, so there are plenty of laughs between the scares.

• Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Abigail Breslin
• Director: M. Night Shyamalan
• Year: 2002
• Runtime: 117 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Many of the best sci-fi stories ever told use advanced technology to highlight humanity's enduring traits. "Source Code" puts special emphasis on empathy, as its characters use reality-bending tech to investigate a terrorist attack. Colter Stevens is trying to find the man who bombed a passenger train by having his consciousness transferred into one of the terrorist's victims. This way, Colter can experience the last eight minutes of the deceased's life. But he'll need to loop the experience over and over again to crack the case. "Source Code" is everything you want out of a speculative sci-fi adventure.

• Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga
• Director: Duncan Jones
• Year: 2011
• Runtime: 93 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

The sequel to the critically acclaimed "Into the Spider-Verse," "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" raises the bar even higher in terms of animated storytelling. In this sprawling superhero epic, Miles Morales finds himself journeying across the multiverse in an attempt to stop The Spot — a villain who can portal across time and space and who might be the biggest threat the universe has ever seen. Along the way, Miles will have to set his own path, defeat the destiny that's been mapped out for him, and find himself in a world where everyone's trying to tell him who he should be.

His storyline is bolstered by Gwen Stacy's, who gets her time to shine as a conflicted hero torn between family, duty, and love. With plenty of fun new Spider-People, tons of Easter eggs, a killer soundtrack, and multiple animation styles — ranging from water colors to LEGOs — "Across the Spider-Verse" is peak superhero cinema and one of the finest sci-fi movies that's ever swung across the screen.

• Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac
• Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers
• Year: 2023
• Runtime: 140 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

J.J. Abrams kicked off a rebooted "Star Trek" timeline with this thrilling 2009 adventure. The story follows James T. Kirk through the early days of his career aboard the USS Enterprise. The ship crosses paths with a Romulan named Neo, a ferocious military leader determined to take his rage out on humans and Vulcans alike. Kirk needs to work with his crew and grow into a proper leader to have any hope of defeating Neo before he rains destruction down on everyone Kirk cares about, resulting in one of the best "Star Trek" movies ever made.

• Starring: Chris Pine, Zoe Saldaña, Zachary Quinto
• Director: J.J. Abrams
• Year: 2009
• Runtime: 127 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% 

Based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein, "Starship Troopers" underperformed at the box office and divided viewers when it debuted in 1997. The story is set in the 23rd century and follows a group of young recruits working for the United Citizen Federation. They're sent into battle against a race of aliens called Arachnids and attempt to conquer the galaxy on behalf of humanity. The film's biting criticism of fascism was missed by plenty of first time viewers, but today, it's considered a cult classic and a razor-sharp satire that every sci-fi fan should check out.

• Starring: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards
• Director: Paul Verhoeven
• Year: 1997
• Runtime: 129 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%

Creating a sequel that could proudly stand beside the original "Terminator" was a near impossible task, but director James Cameron returned to do it with style. "Terminator 2" picks up more than a decade after the original film, and John Connor is now a young boy on the run with his mother. They're pursued by a new, shape-shifting Terminator sent from the future, but they also have a new friend. The rebels of the future managed to reprogram the T-800 to act as John's protector. The fate of humanity now rests in the Terminator's hands. The action scenes are electric, and Arnold Schwarzenegger gives perhaps the most iconic performance of his career as a murderous robot trying to learn how to be a little more human.

• Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong
• Director: James Cameron
• Year: 1991
• Runtime: 135 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Kevin Flynn owns a video game arcade after leaving behind his job as a software engineer for the somewhat sketchy tech company ENCOM. Kevin tries to hack into ENCOM's mainframe, but when he gets caught by the company's Master Control Program, he gets transported into a virtual world where programs have all the power. Back in 1982, "TRON" was a breathtaking visual experience, and though the effects don't quite hold up in the 21st century, the film still holds interest because of its compelling story and important place in the history of sci-fi cinema.

• Starring: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan
• Director: Steven Lisberger
• Year: 1982
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

This 2005 film is Steven Spielberg's reimagining of the classic H.G. Wells story, with Tom Cruise giving one of his best performances. The story follows an American family doing their best to stay together and survive as giant alien death machines begin ripping apart cities and capturing humans for some mysterious purpose. The story is gripping and the visualization of the alien creations earned an Oscar nomination. This one is a must-watch for alien invasion fans.

• Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 2005
• Runtime: 116 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Matthew Broderick stars in this Cold War era sci-fi classic about computer games, artificial intelligence, and thermonuclear warfare. Broderick's David Lightman is a high school student and amateur computer hacker who uses his skills to alter his grades and explore the early internet. When David accidentally makes contact with a U.S. military-developed artificial intelligence, his love for games might just cause World War III, and soon, it's up to David and his friends to find a way to save the world from a nuclear apocalypse.

• Starring: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, John Wood
• Director: John Badham
• Year: 1983
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%