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The Best Sci Fi Thriller Movies, Ranked

Updated June 2, 2020 12.2k votes 1.4k voters 52.8k views90 items

List RulesVote up your favorite thrillers set in a science fiction universe.

This list contains information on the best sci-fi thriller movies, ranked from best to worst by user votes. The best sci-fi thriller films come in many forms. Some good sci-fi thriller films take place in outer-space while other good science-fiction thriller movies feature multiple dimensions. Many of the best sci-fi thriller films have won awards.

What films will you find on this top sci-fi thriller movies list? The Thing has to be at the top. John Carpenters 1982 remake of this classic science-fiction tale is one of the most suspenseful films to ever hit the silver screen. Kurt Russell leads an all-star cast who face off against an ever-evolving extraterrestrial foe in the film. Futuristic crime-solving techniques prove to be untrustworthy in 2002 thriller, Minority Report. Other great sci-fi suspense films featured on this list include Alien, Children of Men and Total Recall.

Do you have a favorite sci fi thriller? Give the best movies a thumbs up and share some of your favorite scenes in the comments section.

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Alien
Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt
Released: 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott. The crew of the... more on Wikipedia
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The Matrix
Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving
Released: 1999
Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
The Matrix is a 1999 American-Australian science fiction action film written and directed by... more on Wikipedia
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Edge of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Released: 2014
Directed by: Doug Liman
Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 American military science fiction thriller film directed by Doug... more on Wikipedia
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197
114
The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton
Released: 1984
Directed by: James Cameron
The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction/horror action film directed by James... more on Wikipedia
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Aliens
Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton
Released: 1986
Directed by: James Cameron
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Interstellar
Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey
Released: 2014
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Interstellar is a British-American 2014 science fiction epic film directed by Christopher... more on Wikipedia
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong
Released: 1991
Directed by: James Cameron
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action thriller film written,... more on Wikipedia
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The Thing
Kurt Russell, Keith David
Released: 1982
Directed by: John Carpenter
The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written... more on Wikipedia
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Blade Runner
Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah
Released: 1982
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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Inception
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
Released: 2010
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Inception is a 2010 science fiction thriller film written, produced, and directed by... more on Wikipedia
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71
12 Monkeys
Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis
Released: 1995
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
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Ex Machina
Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander
Released: 2015
Directed by: Alex Garland
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Arrival
Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner
Released: 2016
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
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Total Recall
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone
Released: 1990
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
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15
156
109
Minority Report
Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise
Released: 2002
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Looper
Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt
Released: 2012
Directed by: Rian Johnson
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154
110
Prometheus
Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender
Released: 2012
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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137
98
District 9
Sharlto Copley, Jed Brophy
Released: 2009
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
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Predestination
Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor
Released: 2014
Directed by: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
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Annihilation
Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Released: 2018
Directed by: Alex Garland
The Greatest Science Fiction Thriller

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Blade Runner 2049
Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
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96
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Oblivion
Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman
Released: 2013
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
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Source Code
Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan
Released: 2011
Directed by: Duncan Jones
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Back to the Future
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1985
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur C. Clarke, Leonard Rossiter
Released: 1968
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley... more on Wikipedia