Sci-fi movies: 10 top-rated picks
Last updated October 24, 2026
Space, time, and machines. The top picks are Project Hail Mary, Interstellar, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The 10 films below rank highest on TMDB among titles with thousands of votes, so each one has a large audience behind its score. Streaming availability is for the US as of October 24, 2026.
| Title | Genres | Length | TMDB rating | US streaming (October 24, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Mary (2026) | Science Fiction, Adventure | 157 min | 8.6/10 | Prime Video, MGM Plus |
| Interstellar (2014) | Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction | 169 min | 8.5/10 | Prime Video, Paramount+ |
| Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) | Science Fiction, Action, Adventure | 145 min | 8.5/10 | Not on a US subscription service right now |
| Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) | Animation, Action, Adventure | 117 min | 8.4/10 | Netflix |
| The Empire Strikes Back (1980) | Adventure, Action, Science Fiction | 124 min | 8.4/10 | Disney+ |
| Inception (2010) | Action, Science Fiction, Crime | 148 min | 8.4/10 | Not on a US subscription service right now |
| Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) | Animation, Action, Adventure | 140 min | 8.3/10 | Disney+, FXNow, HBO Max |
| Back to the Future (1985) | Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction | 116 min | 8.3/10 | Not on a US subscription service right now |
| The Wild Robot (2024) | Family, Animation, Science Fiction | 102 min | 8.3/10 | Prime Video |
| The Matrix (1999) | Action, Science Fiction | 136 min | 8.3/10 | Not on a US subscription service right now |

Project Hail Mary
2026 · Science Fiction, Adventure · 157 min · TMDB 8.6/10
Rated 8.6/10 by 8,466 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.
US streaming: Prime Video, MGM Plus

Interstellar
2014 · Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction · 169 min · TMDB 8.5/10
Rated 8.5/10 by 41,603 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
US streaming: Prime Video, Paramount+

Spider-Man: Brand New Day
2026 · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure · 145 min · TMDB 8.5/10
Rated 8.5/10 by 6,010 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn't remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter Parker he may not have the power to control.
US streaming: not on a US subscription service as of October 24, 2026

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2018 · Animation, Action, Adventure · 117 min · TMDB 8.4/10
Rated 8.4/10 by 18,063 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Struggling to find his place in the world while juggling school and family, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales is unexpectedly bitten by a radioactive spider and develops unfathomable powers just like the one and only Spider-Man.
US streaming: Netflix

The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Adventure, Action, Science Fiction · 124 min · TMDB 8.4/10
Rated 8.4/10 by 19,022 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda.
US streaming: Disney+

Inception
2010 · Action, Science Fiction, Crime · 148 min · TMDB 8.4/10
Rated 8.4/10 by 40,528 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
US streaming: not on a US subscription service as of October 24, 2026

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2023 · Animation, Action, Adventure · 140 min · TMDB 8.3/10
Rated 8.3/10 by 9,445 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters the Spider Society, a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse's very existence.
US streaming: Disney+, FXNow, HBO Max

Back to the Future
1985 · Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction · 116 min · TMDB 8.3/10
Rated 8.3/10 by 22,633 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother's romantic interest.
US streaming: not on a US subscription service as of October 24, 2026

The Wild Robot
2024 · Family, Animation, Science Fiction · 102 min · TMDB 8.3/10
Rated 8.3/10 by 6,764 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island.
US streaming: Prime Video

The Matrix
1999 · Action, Science Fiction · 136 min · TMDB 8.3/10
Rated 8.3/10 by 29,034 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
US streaming: not on a US subscription service as of October 24, 2026
Questions
What are the best sci-fi movies?
By TMDB rating among well-voted films, the top three are Project Hail Mary, Interstellar, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
How was this ranked?
By TMDB average rating, only counting films with a large number of votes, so a handful of fans cannot push a title up.
Where can I watch them?
Each film's US subscription services are in the table. Some are only for rent or purchase.
Is the list current?
Streaming data is from October 24, 2026. Catalogs change often.
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Sources: TMDB for titles, ratings, runtimes and synopses. JustWatch (via TMDB) supplies streaming availability. Streaming lists change often. Check the service before you plan your night.