10 Best Sci-Fi Thrillers, Ranked

Science fiction and thriller are two genres that get along beautifully. Sci-fi’s potential for endlessly imaginative and exciting stories, mixed with thrillers’ focus on keeping audiences on the edge of their seats with neverending suspense, makes for a killer combination. Space battles, deadly gadgets, and bent rules of physics all allow great filmmakers to achieve an air of tension that’s as fun as it is electrifying.

Some of the best sci-fi movies in history also happen to be thrillers. From modern cult classics like the great Satoshi Kon‘s surrealist masterpiece Paprika to seminal works that broke new ground in the genre, like Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner, these sci-fi thrillers prove that these two styles of stories go together perfectly. They can be explosive or philosophical, mysterious or exciting, but they are always an awful lot of fun.

10 ‘Inception’ (2010)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Well over a decade after its release, Inception is still praised by many as Christopher Nolan‘s most ambitious and mind-blowing work to date. One of movie fans’ favorite mind-bending thrillers, it’s the story of a thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. When he’s given the task of instead placing an idea in the mind of a wealthy businessman, his tragic past starts to interfere with the mission.

This complex and fun premise provides nearly 2-and-a-half hours of pure action-packed fun with a healthy dose of emotion. Thanks to Nolan’s dedication to stunning practical effects, an elegant script that captures the premise’s full potential beautifully, and one of Hans Zimmer‘s best scores enhanced by superb sound design, Inception is a nail-biting burst of sci-fi creativity and really effective thrills.

9 ’12 Monkeys’ (1995)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Best known for his work as part of the Monty Python comedy troupe, Terry Gilliam has also directed some of the most head-scratchingly weird surrealist films of modern times. One such movie is 12 Monkeys, about a convict from a future dystopia ravaged by disease who’s sent back in time to gather information on the man-made virus that wiped out most of humanity.

Embellished with Gilliam’s amusing idiosyncrasies and starring a never-better Bruce Willis, 12 Monkeys‘s weirdness only adds to its charm, and it’s surprisingly easy to follow for a Gilliam film. Its mysterious and suspenseful narrative keeps viewers’ eyes glued to the screen throughout the entire runtime, constantly subverting expectations with twists facilitated by the script’s skillful mastery of the time travel trope. 12 Monkeys is a classic sci-fi, offering a twisting plot without forgetting the fast-paced action.

8 ‘Brazil’ (1985)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Another underrated Terry Gilliam gem, the beloved sci-fi cult classicBrazil is a thoughtful yet hilarious critique of bureaucracy. In it, a low-level civil servant living in a dystopic society escapes the monotony of his life by pursuing the woman of his dreams and becoming an enemy of the state in the process. Though it’s full of Gilliam’s typical absurdist humor, the script is probably the most intelligent of his entire filmography.

Throughout its story, Brazil is an examination and a celebration of individuals’ struggle for freedom and self-determination in repressive societies. It’s as inventive and amusing as it is frightening, fearlessly dealing with themes that are just as timely today as they were nearly thirty years ago. The sci-fi elements let Gilliam dive deep into some really creative world-building, while the thriller elements make the story gripping from the get-go, culminating in an ending that packs a massive punch.

7 ‘Paprika’ (2006)

Directed by Satoshi Kon

Although the late genius Satoshi Kon only made four films throughout his short-lived career, each is a masterwork of anime filmmaking like no other. Of his four works, the most influential is perhaps Paprika, whose connections to Inception are undeniable. In it, all hell breaks loose when a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients’ dreams is stolen. Only a young therapist named Paprika can stop the mayhem.

Kon’s understanding of how to cinematically represent dream logic is unparalleled. The dream sequences in Paprika are impenetrably bizarre yet fascinating, leaving plenty of room for the director’s limitless imagination to run wild. The result is delightful but deceitfully challenging, provoking the audience without overwhelming it. Paprika is one of the most creative sci-fi films ever made, with plenty of suspense permeating its narrative to keep the story engaging.

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6 ‘The Prestige’ (2006)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

When he does sci-fi, Christopher Nolan is usually at his most creative. Even in a film as subtle with its sci-fi elements as The Prestige, the director goes all-out in terms of originality and dedication. In this incredible mystery film, two stage magicians from 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.

A riveting drama about the destructive power of ambition, competition, and revenge, The Prestige is considered by many to be one of Nolan’s most underappreciated works. Its mystery and thriller elements work perfectly in conjunction to create one of the most gripping suspense-driven stories in the director’s filmography, one with twists so explosive that their aftermath is felt long after the credits roll. More impressively, Nolan also toys with fantasy here, pulling off a complicated balance of genres that few directors could.

5 ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

2017 was probably the best year ever for movie sequels; the legacy sequel Blade Runner 2049, which came out a whopping 35 years after the original, proves it. Here, a young Blade Runner named K discovers a long-buried secret that leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who has been missing for thirty years.

Though it brought back one of the most iconic characters of 1980s cinema and features many of the same themes as the original, Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel that isn’t preoccupied with pandering to its audience with cheap nostalgia. Instead, Denis Villeneuve offers a fresh, creative story of mystery and suspense that feels entirely new and yet comfortingly familiar. Philosophically profound and visually striking, Blade Runner 2049 is everything anyone could have ever hoped for a Blade Runner sequel to be.

4 ‘Aliens’ (1986)

Directed by James Cameron

While Ridley Scott’s Alien is often lauded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, a list of the greatest action movies of all time is never complete without the sequel: James Cameron‘s revolutionary sci-fi action thriller Aliens. Taking place decades after the incident of the original, it sends Ripley on a mission to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony, where she has to face off against the Alien Queen and her offspring.

Aliens is technically masterful, but it also offers a story just as exciting as Ridley Scott’s original. The narrative’s aura of tension is so large it’s almost palpable, stemming from the knowledge that no character is ever safe from the horrors of space. Aliens also features some of the most striking creature designs in modern cinema, greatly influencing the genre for decades to come. Even though it is only Cameron’s third feature film as a director, it’s a testament to his terrific skills as a genre filmmaker.

3 ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)

Directed by James Cameron

James Cameron’s exceptional directorial sophomore effort, The Terminator, was an instant hit, praised for its terrifying suspense and fresh sci-fi story. As such, there was a lot of pressure on its sequel’s shoulders. Alas, Terminator 2: Judgment Day passed the test with flying colors, quite commonly being celebrated as one of the few sequels that are better than their predecessor. It follows John Connor, Sarah’s now-teenage son, as he receives protection from a cyborg identical to the one that failed to kill Sarah years prior.

The touching relationship between John, Sarah, and the T-800 is the movie’s beating heart, anchoring the plot in a genuinely humane and heartwarming story. However, its booming action sequences and terrifying villain are not to go unrecognized, offering some of the most exciting thrills of James Cameron’s body of work. T2 is by far one of the best sci-fi movies of the 1990s and better than all other films in its franchise in every sense that matters.

2 ‘Children of Men’ (2006)

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón has tried his hand at multiple genres over the years, from children’s fantasy to erotic dramedy—he’s excelled in all of them. However, the 2006 dystopian sci-fi thriller Children of Men is probably Cuarón’s best work. Set in a chaotic 2027 where women have somehow become infertile, the film follows a former activist who agrees to safely transport a mysteriously pregnant woman to a sanctuary.

As bleak, gritty, and hopeless as it may seem, Children of Men is truly a celebration of hope in the face of hardship. Cuarón never lets its sci-fi elements interfere with the narrative’s emotional power, and he never allows the dark scenes of suspense to become the movie’s sole focus. Instead, these two elements serve to bolster Children of Men‘s core, which is full of lively and vibrant humanity. The film is also technically masterful, with an ever-present sense of dread that keeps things tight and exhilarating.

1 ‘Blade Runner’ (1982)

Directed by Ridley Scott

The sci-fi thriller par excellence, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is about a lawman who must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a spaceship and have come to Earth to find their creator. Harrison Ford is stellar in the lead role, shining in each of the movie’s highly distinctive and infamously numerous alternative versions.

Though initially far from a critical and commercial success, it grew a cult following over the years. Today, Blade Runner is remembered as one of the most groundbreaking films in the genre. Philosophically profound and narratively nuanced, it features the perfect mix of action, science fiction, thriller, and drama. Blade Runner proves that when done right, sci-fi thrillers can go down in history as some of the most memorable, impactful, and rewatchable movies ever made.

NEXT:The Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time, Ranked