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The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time 

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Originally by Ranker Community
Updated June 2, 2020 579.7k votes 22.3k voters 447.6k views 573 items

List Rules Which science fiction films are the best? Vote up your favorites and add any that aren't already on the list.

What are the greatest sci-fi movies of all time? Science fiction films are among the most popular movies in cinematic history, with films like Star Wars and Aliens keeping audiences on the edge of their collective seats for decades. This list includes these classics, and many more, but it is by no means complete. Feel free to add your favorite sci-fi movies if they aren't listed, and vote for your favorites.

Want to see more of the best Sci-Fi? Here are the Best Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time. 

Great sci-fi films include stories of extraterrestrial life, time travel, space travel, robots and more. Some of these amazing science fiction movies are more fantasy-oriented, while others are a bit closer to reality. Either way, sci-fi films keep audiences rapt with tales of science and technology, combined, at times with the supernatural.

Some sci-fi films are based on classic novels or short stories by such heavyweight authors as H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man) or Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Minority Report).

What are the best sci-fi movies of all time? This list of the best sci-fi films is also crowd ranked, meaning you can rerank your own greatest sci-fi movies. Your reranks can change the overall order of the films on the list! Also, if you love sci-fi, check out this list of the best new sci-fi shows of the last few years. 

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1
Star Wars Episode V: The... is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill

Released: 1980

Directed by: Irvin Kershner

The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay, with George Lucas writing the film's story ...more

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2
Alien is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian Holm

Released: 1979

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott. The crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo encounter the eponymous Alien, a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial set ...more

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3
Aliens is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn

Released: 1986

Directed by: James Cameron

Aliens is a 1986 American science-fiction action horror film written and directed by James Cameron, produced by his then-wife Gale Anne Hurd, and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael ...more

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The Best 'Aliens' Quotes #20 of 571 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Rankedlisted on Every Oscar Winning Film Ever

4
Blade Runner is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young

Released: 1982

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Blade Runner is a 1982 American neo-noir dystopian science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. The screenplay, ...more

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5
The Terminator is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton, Linda Hamilton

Released: 1984

Directed by: James Cameron

The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction/horror action film directed by James Cameron, written by Cameron and the film's producer Gale Anne Hurd. Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a ...more

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6
The Matrix is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Anne Moss

Released: 1999

Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

The Matrix is a 1999 American-Australian science fiction action film written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe ...more

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7
Star Wars is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill

Released: 1977

Directed by: George Lucas

Star Wars is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. The first release in the Star Wars franchise, it stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter ...more

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8
Predator is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers

Released: 1987

Directed by: John McTiernan

Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill ...more

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Somehow, Making Predator Was WAY More Insane Than The Actual Movie #25 of 571 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked #160 of 624 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies

9
Star Wars: Episode VI –R... is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill

Released: 1983

Directed by: Richard Marquand

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand, and the third and final film in the original Star Wars trilogy. After a daring ...more

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#3 of 11 Every Star Wars Movie, Ranked Best to Worst #10 of 571 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked #13 of 163 The Best Science Fiction Action Movies

10
Guardians of the Galaxy ... is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
AndrewGreen added Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista

Released: 2014

Directed by: James Gunn

Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 American superhero film directed by James Gunn, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) forms a group of intergalactic "bad ...more

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11
Terminator 2: Judgment D... is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong, Linda Hamilton

Released: 1991

Directed by: James Cameron

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action thriller film written, produced and directed by James Cameron. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert ...more

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#6 of 163 The Best Science Fiction Action Movies #178 of 349 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetimelisted on Every Oscar Winning Film Ever

12
Jurassic Park is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

Released: 1993

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the first installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. It is based on the 1990 novel of the ...more

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13
Alita: Battle Angel is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
AloysiusDM added Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly

Released: 2019

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Alita: Battle Angel is a 2019 American science fiction action film directed by Robert Rodriguez, based on the manga by Yukito Kishiro. After being revived by Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz), ...more

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14
Men in Black is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
but chickens double d added Will Smith, Sylvester Stallone, Steven Spielberg

Released: 1997

Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld

Did you love this Will Smith movie?

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15
The Fifth Element is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Milla Jovovich, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman

Released: 1997

Directed by: Luc Besson

The Fifth Element is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film directed and co-written by Luc Besson. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich. Mostly set in the ...more

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16
Star Trek II: The Wrath ... is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Kirstie Alley, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy

Released: 1982

Directed by: Nicholas Meyer

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 sci-fi film written by Jack B. Sowards and Nicholas Meyer adn directed by Nicholas Meyer.

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#137 of 571 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked #31 of 163 The Best Science Fiction Action Movies #148 of 349 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime

17
2001: A Space Odyssey is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Arthur C. Clarke, Leonard Rossiter, Ed Bishop

Released: 1968

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay was written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, and was partially inspired by ...more

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18
Total Recall is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside

Released: 1990

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven

Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. In 2084, a construction worker, Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), suddenly finds himself embroiled in ...more

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19
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Kurt Russell, James Spader, Djimon Hounsou

Released: 1994

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Stargate is a 1994 French-American adventure science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first ...more

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20
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Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd

Released: 1984

Directed by: Ivan Reitman

Ghostbusters is a 1984 American sci-fi-fantasy comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as ...more

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21
The Thing is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Kurt Russell, Keith David, John Carpenter

Released: 1982

Directed by: John Carpenter

The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a ...more

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22
Planet of the Apes is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Charlton Heston, Linda Harrison, James Whitmore

Released: 1968

Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner

Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston. Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, and James ...more

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23
Edge of Tomorrow is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
PascalWaitek added Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton

Released: 2014

Directed by: Doug Liman

Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 American military science fiction thriller film starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Doug Liman directed the film. The film takes place in a future where Earth is ...more

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24
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Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin, Nathan Fillion

Released: 2005

Directed by: Joss Whedon

Serenity is a 2005 American space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of Whedon's short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly and stars the ...more

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25
Independence Day is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox

Released: 1996

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Independence Day is a 1996 American science fiction disaster film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. The film stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, ...more

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