The Best Science Fiction Action Movies

Updated January 15, 2021 135.0k votes 8.2k voters 120.7k views167 items

List RulesVote up the best movies that get you thinking about an action-packed future.

In space, no one can hear you scream... but everyone else in the movie theater can. If you're searching for a gasp-worthy flick for movie night, look no further. These are the best science fiction action movies, featuring humans battling each other and struggling for survival against alien forces. These top sci fi action movies include titles ranging from Blade Runner to Planet of the Apes to Waterworld.

What films will you find on this list of the best sci fi action movies? In the exciting 1979 film Alien, the crew of the Nostromo spacecraft fights a seemingly unstoppable extraterrestrial being that is both deadly and terrifying. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) used every resource available to survive the voyage. Mad Max: Fury Road is another acclaimed action science fiction film that focuses on earthbound monsters instead. Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg teamed up for the 2005 remake of War of the Worlds. Other good movies featured on this list include The Matrix, The Last Man on Earth, and 12 Monkeys.

Which film deserves the top spot on this list? Vote up your favorites and check back for new action sci-fi movies as they are added to the list.

Photo:

...more

1
2,665
903
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Released: 1980
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
More Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
20 Subtle Details You Likely Missed When Watching 'Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'#1 of 54 The Best Movies Where the Bad Guy Wins
2
2,831
982
Star Wars
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Released: 1977
Directed by: George Lucas
More Star Wars
The Most Hated Star Wars Villains#36 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever
3
2,250
795
The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton
Released: 1984
Directed by: James Cameron
More The Terminator
12 Terminator Fan Theories That Are Just Crazy Enough To Be True#10 of 522 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
4
1,446
431
Back to the Future
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1985
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
More Back to the Future
Surprising Facts You Didn't Know About Back to the Future#1 of 151 The Most Rewatchable Comedy Movies
5
2,631
1,068
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong
Released: 1991
Directed by: James Cameron
More Terminator 2: Judgment Day
#11 of 50 The 50 Highest Grossing '90s Movies, Ranked#3 of 154 The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made
6
1,610
577
Jurassic Park
Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum
Released: 1993
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
More Jurassic Park
20 Things You Didn't Know About the Jurassic Park Franchise#14 of 14 Movies That Threw Book Endings Out The Window Completely
7
2,618
1,087
Aliens
Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton
Released: 1986
Directed by: James Cameron
More Aliens
#1 of 105 The Best Horror Movie Sequels#27 of 206 The Best Adventure Movies
8
2,362
898
Alien
Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt
Released: 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
More Alien
50 Surprising Facts You Didn't Know About AlienSmall But Terrifying Details From 'Alien' That Remind Us Why It's So Legendary
9
1,342
455
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Released: 1983
Directed by: Richard Marquand
More Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
17 Subtle Details You Missed In 'Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'#4 of 136 The Best Third Films In A Movie Series
10
2,945
1,366
The Matrix
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne
Released: 1999
Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
More The Matrix
33 Things You Didn't Know About 'The Matrix' Trilogy#1 of 93 The 35+ Greatest Dystopian Action Movies
11
2,151
938
Predator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura
Released: 1987
Directed by: John McTiernan
More Predator
Somehow, Making Predator Was WAY More Insane Than The Actual Movie#161 of 246 The Best Rainy Day Movies
12
2,047
1,029
Blade Runner
Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah
Released: 1982
Directed by: Ridley Scott
More Blade Runner
25 'Blade Runner' Fan Theories That'll Have You Dreaming Of Electric Sheep#2 of 12 Movies Where The Cast And Crew Disagreed About Its Meaning
13
2,132
1,024
The Fifth Element
Milla Jovovich, Bruce Willis
Released: 1997
Directed by: Luc Besson
More The Fifth Element
Things You Still Don't Know About 'The Fifth Element,' Even After Watching It 500 Times On Cable#2 of 112 Movies That Need Sequels

14
521
230
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Kirstie Alley, William Shatner
Released: 1982
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
More Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
#8 of 18 18 Awesome Sci-Fi Movies That Got Away Without Explaining Major Things#5 of 117 The Best Movies Based on TV Shows
15
1,559
773
Total Recall
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone
Released: 1990
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
More Total Recall
Every Warning Sci-Fi Writer Philip K. Dick Gave Us About Technology That Is Coming True#109 of 369 The Best Movies Based On Books
16
1,538
867
Independence Day
Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum
Released: 1996
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
More Independence Day
13 Things That Prove Pacific Rim And Independence Day Are The Exact Same Movie#10 of 49 The Very Best Movies About Hackers
17
1,361
689
Men in Black
Will Smith, Sylvester Stallone
Released: 1997
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
More Men in Black
14 Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'Men in Black'#568 of 661 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
18
1,084
588
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Felicity Jones, Diego Luna
Released: 2016
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
More Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Small But Impressive Details In 'Rogue One' That Prove Its Underrated#3 of 136 The Very Best Movies of 2016, Ranked
19
1,231
730
Stargate
Kurt Russell, James Spader
Released: 1994
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
More Stargate
#11 of 57 The Best Science Fiction Franchises of All Time#28 of 63 Movies You Wish You Could Still Watch for the First Time
20
1,437
867
Inception
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
Released: 2010
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
More Inception
10 'Inception' Fan Theories That Left Us More Confused Than We Already Were#1 of 19 The Best Movies Coming to Netflix in February 2021
21
1,311
770
RoboCop
Alex Van Halen, Peter Weller
Released: 1987
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
More RoboCop
#77 of 372 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime#70 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies
22
1,204
722
Edge of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Released: 2014
Directed by: Doug Liman
More Edge of Tomorrow
#163 of 374 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked#48 of 177 The Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time
23
734
313
The Thing
Kurt Russell, Keith David
Released: 1982
Directed by: John Carpenter
More The Thing
#55 of 230 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#4 of 136 The Scariest Animal Horror Movies Ever Made

24
828
533
Interstellar
Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey
Released: 2014
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
More Interstellar
#6 of 14 Sci-Fi Movies People Only Pretend To Understand#33 of 128 The Most Confusing Movies Ever Made
25
460
238
Back to the Future Part II
Clint Eastwood, Michael J. Fox
Released: 1989
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
More Back to the Future Part II
When ‘Back To The Future II’ Recreated Crispin Glover’s Face, He Took The Studio To Court#27 of 305 The Funniest '80s Movies