If you are browsing through Netflix, you may realize that there’s plenty of stuff on the streaming service. When you actually do you’re browsing, though, you’re likely to discover that you don’t know which things are worth your time.
If you’re looking in the sci-fi vein, Netflix has plenty of titles to choose from. And, to make your life easier, we’ve pulled together five of the best sci-fi movies available on the streaming service that you can stream this fall. From rom-coms to action movies, this list should have something no matter what you’re looking for.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Oblivion (2013)
Oblivion is set in the year 2077 and stars Tom Cruise as a security repairman living on an Earth that has been ravaged and abandoned by a war with aliens. With just two weeks left on his assignment, he begins to experience an identity crisis after he recognizes a woman he sees on the Earth’s surface.
The film’s plot spirals from there but Cruise remains at its sturdy center, and Oblivion will surprise you with its various twists and turns. It’s not a perfect movie, but Oblivion was underseen upon its release and deserves more attention than it got.
You can watch Oblivion on Netflix.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
You might not think that a prequel to the original Godzilla would be worth checking out, especially if it came out decades after the original. Godzilla Minus One exists to prove us wrong, though. The movie follows a World War II veteran who returns to a decimated Japan and finds himself face-to-face with Godzilla.
In addition to riveting action from front to back, Godzilla Minus One has a remarkably sturdy emotional core. It’s the story of men who feel betrayed by their country and decide to take their fates into their own hands by battling on behalf of the people they love.
You can watch Godzilla Minus One on Netflix.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
A brilliant, funny sci-fi comedy featuring a trio of terrific performances, They Cloned Tyrone is not at all what you’d expect it to be, and is all the better for it. Starring Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris, the film focuses on three people who find themselves unexpectedly hot on the heels of a government conspiracy.
Featuring bold, bracing direction from Juel Taylor, They Cloned Tyrone is the kind of project Netflix should make more of, and one that’s definitely worth checking out.
You can watch They Cloned Tyrone on Netflix.
Upgrade (2018)
A sci-fi horror movie about the perils of artificial intelligence, Upgrade follows a man who loses his wife and finds himself confined to a wheelchair in the aftermath of a catastrophic and random crime. When he discovers a kind of artificial intelligence that will allow him to enact revenge on the people who attacked him, he decides to use it to its fullest advantage.
Featuring plenty of style, some thrilling action sequences, and a few surprising twists, Upgrade is everything you might want this kind of movie to be, and it features an excellent central performance from Logan Marshall Green.
You can watch Upgrade on Netflix.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
A sci-fi classic that’s worth watching whether it’s your first time or your hundredth, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is undoubtedly the most mind-bending movie on this list. It tells the story of a couple who break up, and decide to erase each other from their brains in the aftermath of that breakup.
As we journey through their minds, we discover how they came together, what tore them apart, and why they might find themselves falling back in love even as they begin to realize that they’ve been down this road before.
You can watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Netflix.