The Top 25 Must-See Quintessential Sci-Fi Movies

Ranker Film
Updated September 19, 2024 26.0K views 25 items
Ranked By
29.3K votes
2.2K voters
Voting Rules
Vote up the sci-fi movies that define the genre and should be required viewing for beginners in an Intro to Science Fiction class.

While sometimes thought of as a fringe genre unappealing to a mass audience, there is actually plenty of science fiction everyone should see. Sci-fi is a genre that, via allegory and metaphor, explores contemporary issues and longstanding human conflicts, often with a sharp satirical edge or poignant moral lesson. Science fiction allows us to view the world as we hope it will one day be - or, conversely, see its destruction via humanity's own mistakes. Because science fiction covers so much ground - from time travel to cloning to alternate universes - there are thousands of amazing films to choose from throughout the genre. If you're looking for an intro to science fiction movies, you've come to the right place. 

These essential science fiction movies make up many of the most popular and famous movies in the genre. If you want to delve into the world of sci-fi, this list will definitely help you figure out what to watch first. These must-see science fiction movies will be a crash course in the genre that brought us unforgettable works from Stanley Kubrick, George Lucas, and Ridley Scott. Consider this sci-fi for beginners! 

Vote up the films below that you feel are most quintessential to the sci-fi genre! 

Most divisive: Children of Men
Over 2.2K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Quintessential Science Fiction
Ranked by