The 60 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time in UK [Updated List]

SR-Best-Sci-Fi-Movies-on-Netflix-in-uk (1)

Most sci-fi movies are close to reality. The storyline usually depicts what could be the future outcomes of what we do at present. Thus, this genre not only entertains us with fictional worlds but also highlights essential matters we must pay attention to. That’s why this these movies are categorized as the best movies to watch on Netflix. However, if you also want to enjoy and learn something from these futuristic movies, then you will definitely love our list of best sci-fi movies in UK you can watch on different OTTs, including Netflix.

Seconds (1966)

seconds

Director: John Frankenheimer

Writer: David Ely

Cast: Frank Campanella, Rock Hudson, John Randolph

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

IMDB Rating: 7.6/10

Runtime: 1h 46m

It’s a fantastic movie from the 60s to watch for today’s modern audience. The plot revolves around a middle-aged man with a banker’s job and a pretty decent life, yet he is not happy with it.

One fine day, he decides to do something unthinkable. He gets involved in a procedure that will help him fake his death and come out with a completely new identity and look. However, to get this, he has to pay a huge price. This movie is one of the best thriller movies on Netflix.

Metropolis (1927)

metropolis

Director: Fritz Lang

Writer: Thea von Harbou

Cast: Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm, Gustav Frohlich

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Runtime: 2h 33m

The movie is set in a futuristic city. The people living in the city are strictly categorized into city planners and the working class. Anyone from either community is not allowed to be involved with the other.

However, a lot of chaos comes into the lives of people when the city creator’s son falls for a working-class woman. Will their love remove all the differences between the two communities? Or is it the inception of something terrible? Watch the movie to know why it’s ranked among the drama movies on Netflix.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

2001 space_odyssey

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Writer: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke

Cast: William Sylvester, Gary Lockwood, Keir Dullea

Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Runtime: 2h 29m

We have ranked it in the list of best space sci-fi movies in UK. The Discovery One group detects a monolith near the lunar surface. The group moves further with its supercomputers on the mission to uncover the mystery of the monolith’s origin.

They find an artifact that is deeply buried under the lunar surface. Next, they send a spacecraft to the planet Jupiter to unravel all they can about their finding. The spacecraft is created by two men and H.A.L 9000, a smart supercomputer. We also have a large collection of best adventure movies on Netflix if you are looking to watch some more content from this genre.

Planet of the Apes (1968)

planet-of-the-apes

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

Writer: Michael Wilson

Cast: Roddy McDowall, Charlton Heston, Kim Hunter

Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 8.0/10

Runtime: 1h 52m

A spaceship crashes on a planet that was hidden and unknown to scientists till now. The astronaut George Taylor who was operating the spaceship got injured but managed to aid himself.

On the planet, he finds a whole community of apes; they are the citizens and rulers of the planet. To his surprise, he discovers they have more advanced technologies than humans on Earth. Watch the movie to see what happens when apes find out there’s a human on their planet.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

a clockwork orange

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Writer: Stanley Kubrick

Cast: Patrick Magee, Malcolm McDowell, Adrienne Corri

Genre: Crime, Drama

IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Runtime: 2h 16m

Check out this title from our best classic sci-fi movies list in UK. Alex has been serving his sentence period for a while now. He was found to be a psychopathic delinquent who murdered and raped innocent women.

He is desperate to get out of jail. For this, he decides to participate in experimental therapy as a volunteer and reduce the imprisonment period. The experiment is going to be executed by the government of the city. However, things get out of hand during the procedure.

Westworld (1973)

Westworld

Director: Michael Crichton

Writer: Michael Crichton

Cast: Richard Benjamin, Yul Brynner, James Brolin

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.9/10

Runtime: 1h 28m

This 70s movie is set around the fictional events that happen at a futuristic amusement park with a Western theme. The park is popular among countries for its excellent technological advances that give an impeccable experience to visitors.

But, when a malfunctioning robot starts to operate things, it creates terror and havoc in the park. Vacationers are terrified and confused about what is going to happen to them. You’ll see them fighting with the strong robots for their lives.

Silent Running (1972)

silent running

Director: Douglas Trumbull

Writer: Michael Cimino

Cast: Cliff Potts, Bruce Dern, Ron Rifkin

Genre: Drama, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.6/10

Runtime: 1h 29m

Earth is going through an irreversible crisis where the planet’s plant life is on the verge of extinction. The government tries to preserve specimens as much as it can in geodesic domes. These domes are connected to spaceships.

Once the entire plant life gets extinct, government and ecologists plan to maintain the preserved greenhouse at outer space stations. But, later, the government orders the ecologist group to destroy the greenhouse. What could be the reason?

Alien (1979)

Aliens

 

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: Ronald Shusett

Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright

Genre: Horror, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 8.5/10

Runtime: 1h 57m

Tug Nostromo, a commercial spacecraft, is all on the way to reach Earth. It has a crew of 7 people. However, the AI computer of the ship named Mother detects a transmission from the moon and alarms the crew.

Now, they must land at that location to see what’s happening. It is important as the company’s policy requires them to investigate any potential signs of distress around the planet. It has the potential to leave other movies behind in ranking high in the best sci-fi movies of all time in UK list.

Logan’s Run (1976)

Logan's run

Director: Michael Anderson

Writer: David Zelag

Cast: Jenny Agutter, Michael York, Richard Jordan

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.7/10

Runtime: 2h

In the year 2274, human civilization was completely transformed. People live in a closed city under the geodesic domes. The city runs under the management of a computer that controls every aspect of people’s lives, even reproduction.

In order to stop the city from overpopulating, people at the age of 30 have to go through a strange rite called Carrousel that kills them. A police officer gets to know about this and tries to save citizens.

The Black Hole (1979)

the black hole

Director: Gary Nelson

Writer: Gerry Day, Jeb Rosebrook

Cast: Anthony Perkins, Maximilian Schell

Robert Forster

Genre: Adventure, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 5.9/10

Runtime: 1h 38m

Kate McCrae is inside a research vessel. She finds a ship at the black hole’s edge that had been missing for a long time. The lost-and-found ship was operating under the command of a mysterious scientist at the time.

She knows the mysterious scientist was her father and strives to learn more about what happened. Now, she is on the quest to uncover the entire mystery behind the incident. Watch the full movie to know what makes it to be ranked with other best sci-fi movies in UK.

The Brood (1979)

The brood

Director: David Cronenberg

Writer: David Cronenberg

Cast: Samantha Eggar, Oliver Reed, Art Hindle

Genre: Sci-fi, Horror

IMDB Rating: 6.8/10

Runtime: 1h 32m

Hal Raglan is the owner of Somafree Institute. It is a clinic for mentally disturbed patients. He helps them take out their suppressed emotions by making them go through some physiological changes.

A patient named Nola is also under his treatment after getting into a severe mental breakdown. The reason was that she had a legal fight with her husband to get custody of her daughter’s custody. Her husband finds scratches and bruises on his daughter’s body after she meets with Raglan. This is a must-watch if you are really looking to watch one of the best horror movies on Netflix.

Stalker (1979)

Stalker

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Writer: Boris Strugatsky

Cast: Anatoly Solonitsyn, Alexander Kaidanovsky

Genre: Drama, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 8.1/10

Runtime: 2h 43m

A man works as a guide in an unknown location. He leads people to reach an area called the Zone. It’s a place where no Physics laws are applicable. The place indicates the existence of extra-extra-terrestrial activities in its ruins.

There is a spot in the area known as Room where people can ask for anything they want, which will be granted. However, nothing comes free of cost. It definitely comes among the best sci-fi movies in UK.

Looker (1981)

Looker

Director: Michael Crichton

Writer: Michael Crichton

Cast: Susan Dey, Albert Finney, Susan Dey

Genre: Thriller, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating:

Runtime: 1h 33m

A models’ group seeks a plastic surgeon who can make their face look perfect. However, after surgery, the models start to die under unexplainable circumstances. The news gets hot and cold reactions from the people of the country.

Dr. Larry Roberts, who was the lead surgeon for their cosmetic surgery, finds the incident to be strange. He investigates their backgrounds and finds that all the models belonged to the same ad research firm.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The empire Strikes Back

Director: Irvin Kershner

Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, Leigh Brackett

Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 8.7/10

Runtime: 2h 4m

The Death Star, under the guidance of Darth Vader, sends a probe to find all the rebel alliances of Princess Leia across the Galaxy. They even reach the planet Hoth’s base. Now Luke has to investigate the situation and locate probes to prevent any further disaster.

On the one side, Darth Vader wants Luke to join the dark force; on the other side, Master Yoda wants to make Luke a Jedi Knight. This movie has been continuously ranked among the best sci-fi as well as action movies on Netflix.

Scanners (1981)

scanners

Director: David Cronenberg

Writer: David Cronenberg

Cast: Stephen Lack, Jennifer O’Neill, Patrick McGoohan

Genre: Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.7/10

Runtime: 1h 43m

The film plot shows a fight between two powerful scanners: Vale and Darryl Revok. They want to form their community and rule all over the world. Vale suffers from strange voices that manifest in his head.

Because of Vale’s telepathic powers, a woman gets a seizure. Due to this, a private military company captures him and takes him to Dr. Paul Ruth. There Vale discovers some hidden truths about himself.

TRON (1982)

TRON

Director: Steven Lisberger

Writer: Steven Lisberger

Cast: Bruce Boxleitner, Jeff Bridges

David Warner

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.7/10

Runtime: 1h 36m

Kevin is a software programmer who has been dragged into an era of virtual worlds. He has to fight with malevolent software. To win the fight, he asks for help from Tron, which is a security program.

Kevin runs a popular video game called Arcade. He tries to hack into the mainframe system of the company he has been working for. But, he is finding it challenging to break the company’s MCP (Master Control Program).

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

ET The extra terrestrial

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: Melissa Mathison

Cast: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote

Genre: Adventure, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 7.9/10

Runtime: 55m

An alien loses touch with his community and is left alone on Earth. Elliot finds the alien and helps him to stay hidden. On discovering the presence of an alien on the planet, forces emerge in forces to hunt him.

But Elliot and a few of his siblings don’t want anyone to find him as they now consider the alien as their friend. They come together and plan to keep their new friend safe. It has always been part of the best sci-fi movies of all time in UK list.

Blade Runner (1982)

blade-runner

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: David Peoples, Hampton Fancher

Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 8.1/10

Runtime: 1h 57m

A violent android group is terrorizing the place. Now, a former cop is on the mission to eliminate them from the area once and for all. But, as the plot moves further, he starts to question his reality.

The cop watches a video in which Holden, a Blade runner, is attending the Voight-Kampff test. The test is created to distinguish humans from replicants depending on their emotions. However, a yes subject shoots Holden during the test.

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Director: Richard Marquand

Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Michael Arndt

Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher

Genre: Adventure, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Runtime: 2h 12m

Luke tries to convince Jabba to release his friends from his trap in exchange for something grand. But Jabba throws Luke toward a killer beast who can eat humans alive.

But Luck succeeds in saving himself from the deadly situation and frees his friends as well with the help of a lightsaber. During the fights, Princess Leia arrives and uses her chain to kill Jabba. Later they destroy the area and run away. It undoubtedly ranks among the best adventure sci-fi movies in UK.

Firestarter (1984)

Firestarter

Director: Mark L. Lester

Writer: Stanley Mann

Cast: David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Freddie Jones

Genre: Horror, Action, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 6.0/10

Runtime: 1h 54m

A few college students took part in an experiment. They were given a low dose of LOT-6, which is a hallucinogen tablet. Other students started to get horrible side effects, but a couple gained telepathic abilities.

The girl was able to read people’s minds, while the guy got the ability to control others. They get married later and have a daughter of 8 years old. The couple finds out their daughter is not normal either. It is a must-watch among all the best sci-fi movies in UK.

Starman (1984)

Starman

Director: John Carpenter

Writer: Raynold Gideon

Cast: Karen Allen, Jeff Bridges, Charles Martin Smith

Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance

IMDB Rating: 7.0/10

Runtime: 1h 55m

Jenny is grieving her husband’s death. But she gets completely shocked when she sees a man who appears exactly like her dead husband. Later she finds out that the other man is an alien and has shape-shifted into a human.

She confronts him and finds that the alien has come to Earth for a very important mission. However, the government knows about his arrival and has left a full force of police officers to catch him. If you are looking to watch a sci-fi movie with a touch of romance, this movie is your way to go for a movie night.

Enemy Mine (1985)

Enemy mine

Director: Wolfgang Peterson

Writer: Edward Khamara

Cast: Louis Gossett Jr., Brion James, Dennis Quaid

Genre: Adventure, Action, Drama

IMDB Rating: 6.8/10

Runtime: 1h 48m

An interstellar battle starts between Dracs and humans. Dracs are bipedal reptilian humanoids who are a terror to human life. Willis E. Davidge is outraged towards Dracs and engages in a wild fight with Jareeba Sheegan, who belongs to Dracks.

During their fight, they accidentally land on the Fyrine IV. It is a planet with no habitat to survive. Basically, it was a big isolated volcanic wasteland. After trying to kill each other, they realize they have to work together to survive.

Dreamscape (1984)

dreamscape

Director: Joseph Ruben

Writer: Joseph Ruben

Cast: Max von Sydow, Dennis Quaid, Christopher Plummer

Genre: Adventure, Action, Horror

IMDB Rating: 6.3/10

Runtime: 1h 39m

A government agency forces a psychic kid to help them fulfill specific assignments. He is a 19 years old guy named Alex and is now the main subject of government-led scientific research to explore the potential of his abilities.

But in the middle of the study research, he manages to escape from them. He runs into local thugs who take him with them. They tell him they work for an academic institution. This 80s film is still topped among the best sci-fi movies in UK.

2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)

2010 the year we make contact

Director: Peter Hyams

Writer: Peter Hyams

Cast: John Lithgow, Roy Scheider, Helen Mirren

Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 6.7/10

Runtime: 1h 56m

It has been 9 years since Discovery One failed in its mission to investigate Jupiter. The researchers plan to assemble a new crew of astronauts to find out the mystery that Discovery One couldn’t and to uncover what went wrong earlier.

However, the new mission started a dispute between the Soviet Union and the United States. Now, both countries are in the race to send spacecraft to Jupiter and find out the real reason for Discovery One’s non-success.

The Dead Zone (1983)

The dead zone

Director: David Cronenberg

Writer: Stephen King

Cast: Brooke Adams, Christopher Walken, Tom Skerritt

Genre: Horror, Drama, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10

Runtime: 1h 43m

The movie starts with a teacher waking up from a coma. He later finds out he has developed psychic powers. He decides to meet Greg Stillson, a politician and tries to stop him from becoming the future president.

He also attempts to revisit his life pre-coma, where he discovers he has been unconscious for the past 5 years. His lover, Sarah, at the time, has also been married to some other guy. The amazing plot makes it rank among the best sci-fi movies of all time in UK.

Dune (1984)

Dune

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Writer: Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaiths

Cast: Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson

Genre: Adventure, Action, Drama

IMDB Rating: 8.0/10

Run Time: 2h 35m

A new emperor is ruling the universe in a futuristic setting. The empire owns a unique substance called melange. It has the power to extend people’s lives and boost consciousness. Melange also helps them to travel in space conveniently and quickly.

However, a conspiracy against the substance started to spread that could halt its production in the future. The emperor takes the matter in his hand and announces that he has transferred control and power of Arrakis, a planet that is the sole source of melange.

Inception (2010)

inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Writer: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Elliot Page

Genre: Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 8.8/10

Runtime: 2h 28m

Inception is a movie that might make you feel confused at first, but as the story unfolds, you will understand the storyline better. A character named Cobb uses his mind power to enter his target’s dream and steal all the necessary information.

However, due to Cobb’s criminal history, he isn’t able to meet his family, who is no longer with him. Saito offers Cobb to remove all his crime list if he agrees to perform an inception on the son of his rival.

Back to the Future (1985)

back-to-the-future-II

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writer: Robert Zemeckis

Cast: Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson

Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 8.5/10

Runtime: 1h 56m

Marty is a high-school goer who has been living with his alcoholic and depressed mother and older siblings. His father, too, remains stressed due to the bullying he faces at the workplace. One day Marty finds a time machine and goes back in time.

He travels to the time when his parents were of his age. He tries to make them fall for each other but finds it challenging. If he fails to do it, he won’t be able to go back to the present.

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Maximum overdrive

Director: Stephen King

Writer: Stephen King

Cast: Pat Hingle, Emilio Estevez, Laura Harrington

Genre: Comedy, Action, Horror

IMDB Rating: 5.4/10

Runtime: 1h 38m

A comet’s tail passes near the Earth. Due to this, all types of machines on Earth have started to come to life. These machines quickly become homicidal, making it hard for humans to live peacefully.

An ATM machine begins to insult its customers as well as a bascule bridge suddenly rises while there is heavy traffic flow on it. You will see people fighting with these living machines to survive.

Predator (1987)

Predator

Director:John McTiernan

Writer: Jim Thomas

Cast: Carl Weathers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Peter Hall

Genre: Adventure, Action, Horror

IMDB Rating: 7.8/10

Runtime: 1h 47m

A spacecraft lands on the planet Earth, controlled by an alien community. Dutch, a veteran major, along with his team, is assigned to save a cabinet minister from a foreign country.

Later an old friend of the Dutch, named AL Dillion, joined their team despite the Dutch not wanting that to happen. In their path, they encounter skinned corpses and a wrecked helicopter. However, they still move ahead to complete the given task. It’s listed among the best alien sci-fi movies in UK.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Mad Max beyond thunderdome

Director: George Miller

Writer: George Miller

Cast: Tina Turner, Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence

Genre: Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 6.2/10

Runtime: 1h 47m

The movie is set in Australia; after an apocalypse, a man named Max is on a bike and tries to cross the desert. He takes the help of camels to pull the bike. But, his bike gets stolen by two bandits.

He follows them to get his vehicle back and reaches Bartertown, which is a trading post. After being blocked at the entry, he does something that impresses the officials who him in.

Explorers (1985)

explorers

Director: Joe Dante

Writer: Eric Luke

Cast: River Phoenix, Ethan Hawke, Bobby Fite

Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Family

IMDB Rating: 6.4/10

Runtime: 1h 49m

Ben is an intelligent teenage boy who has an interest in science and technology. He starts to dream about strange things, such as him flying over the clouds and a vast town that looks like a circuit board.

Ben and Wolfgang make a circuit board. Their invention helps them to travel into space, across the atmosphere of the Earth, and even explore alien lives. Watch the movie to see what he does next.

Innerspace (1987)

Innerspace

Director: Joe Dante

Writer: Jeffrey Boam

Cast: Martin Short, Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Action

IMDB Rating: 6.8/10

Runtime: 2h

A Navy aviator volunteers to carry out a secret experiment to miniaturize his body. He does so to get a high commission. His miniature body is then kept inside a pod that is submersible and is shrunk to a size that can be seen only through a microscope.

But, out of nowhere, a gang from a rival organization attacks the lab. They try to steal the formula of the entire experiment of miniaturization.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Director: Stephen Herek

Writer: Chris Matheson

Cast: Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, George Carlin

Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Music

IMDB Rating: 6.9/10

Runtime: 1h 30m

A man from the future helps two school teenagers complete their school assignments. They asked for his identity, revealing that he was not from their present world. Rufus, the man who traveled from the future, was on a mission given by his leaders.

However, the history gets altered when Ted’s dad decides to send Ted to Alaska, where he can attend a military school. It also ends the friendship between Ted and Bill.

Aliens (1986)

alien

Director: James Cameron

Writer: David Giler, James Cameron

Cast: Michael Biehn, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure

IMDB Rating: 8.4/10

Run Time: 2h 17m

Ellen Ripley and a few crew members were sent to investigate alien lives on outer planets. However, they get brutally attacked by the aliens, and all other members die except Ellen. She somehow manages to return back to Earth.

Years later, she is again approached to go back to the same planet and try to build a communication line with the alien colony. She agrees, and along with her, a colonial marines unit also lands on the other planet to start the investigation.

Akira (1988)

Akira

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo

Writer: Katsuhiro Otomo

Cast: Mami Koyama, Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki

Genre: Action, Drama, Animation

IMDB Rating: 8.0/10

Runtime: 2h 4m

It’s a must-watch title among the best fantasy sci-fi movies in UK. Kaneda is a biker who is on the way to help Tetsua, who is his only friend. Tetsuo is involved in a government project that has been kept top secret.

However, Kaneda wasn’t aware of a lot of things that were happening behind his back in this secret project. The real twist in the movie comes when Tetsuo exposes his supernatural abilities in front of everyone.

They Live (1988)

They live

Director: John Carpenter

Writer: Ray Nelson

Cast: Keith David, Roddy Piper, Meg Foster

Genre: Horror, Action, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10

Runtime: 1h 34m

Nada travels to Los Angeles to look for a decent job. While he was walking down the street, he overhears a preacher telling people that someone has hired powerful and rich people to control the entire humanity.

After a few days, Nada gets the job at a construction site. There he befriends his co-worker. After living there and observing things for a while, he realizes that the preacher was actually telling the truth.

Flatliners (1990)

The_abyss

Director: Joel Schumacher

Writer: Peter Filardi

Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts

Genre: Horror, Drama, Sci-Fi

IMDB Rating: 6.5/10

Runtime: 1h 55m

A group of medical students attempts an experiment to explore the afterlife. But, their experiment leaves them in a dangerous situation.

One member among them dies for a minute and experiences strange happenings in the afterlife. He visions a boy he bullied when young. After coming back to life, he is a changed person. He could not describe the experience to his friends, and they followed the same.

Back to the Future II (1989)

Back to the future

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writer: Robert Zemeckis

Cast: Lea Thompson, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy

IMDB Rating: 7.8/10

Runtime: 1h 48m

This is one more story on time travel that fans have been loving for decades. The storyline shows how Marty Macfly, who has been imprisoned for severe crimes, tries to alter his future.

He contacts Dr. Emmett Brown to help him do the task. He plans to pose as his son in order to save himself from going to jail. But, things take a different turn as his future influences his present.

The Abyss (1989)

Director: James Cameron

Writer: James Cameron

Cast: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn

Genre: Drama, Adventure, Mystery

IMDB Rating: 7.5/10

Runtime: 2h 20m

The SEAL Team was created to dive deep into the sea to find out about a nuclear submarine that was lost a while ago. They will have to face many deadly dangers, including unknown aquatic species.

They have to reach a platform at the bottom of the sea. Dr. Lindsey Brigman insists on going with the SEAL team, which is actually the creator of the platform. Her husband is the foreman.

Total Recall (1990)

Total recall

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Writer: Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett,

Cast: Rachel Ticotin, Arnold, Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone

Genre: Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 7.5/10

Runtime: 1h 53m

A man named Douglas Quaid keeps seeing dreams about an unknown woman and Mars. He tries to find the reason behind it. On his quest to know what’s happening with him, he learns about Rekall.

Rekall is a company that can remove anyone’s memory and replace it with false experiences. He confronts the company, but they delete all the records of him visiting the company and send him back to his home.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic park

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: David Koepp, Michael Crichton

Cast: Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 8.2/10

Runtime: 2h 7m

An entrepreneur runs a wildlife amusement park that has synthetic dinosaurs. The park is located at Isla Nublar Island, near Costa Rica. Hundreds of people visit the place almost every day.

But, one day, when someone causes the breakdown of the security system of the park, all the creatures get out of their cell and create uncontrollable chaos. Now, a genetic scientist team has to do something soon.

Waterworld (1995)

Waterworld

Director: Kevin Reynolds

Writer: Peter Rader, David Twohy

Cast: Dennis Hopper, Kevin Costner, Jeanne Tripplehorn

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.2/10

Runtime: 2h 15m

In the year 2500, due to the rising sea levels above 7600 meters, all the nations went underwater. Human civilization is now surviving over floating homes. People have forgotten about the existence of land and consider it a myth.

A mutated mariner finds a young girl and a woman in desperate need of dry land. He helps them in their journey and takes them to their destination. Watch the full movie to see their struggles.

Independence Day (1996)

independence_day

Director: Roland Emmerich

Writer: Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich

Cast: Bill Pullman, Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 7/10

Runtime: 2h 25m

A humongous alien mothership comes to the orbit of the Earth. It deploys a number of saucers at a distance of 15 miles from each other. They cover major cities across the globe.

They started to destroy the cities using their advanced weapons. To save the planet, a pilot, a geek, the president of the USA, and a few ragtag survivors come together. They work their forces to stop the annihilation.

Open Your Eyes (1997)

Open your eyes

Director: Alejandro Amenábar

Writer: Mateo Gil

Cast: Penélope Cruz, Eduardo Noriega, Chete Lera

Genre: Sci-fi, Drama

IMDB Rating: 7.7/10

Runtime: 1h 59 m

A good-looking guy wakes up from sleep after hearing a female voice. After that, he finds himself driving to a hostile city. Suddenly he wakes up again, beside a woman lying in his bed.

He gets frustrated and decides to kill himself. The guy is convinced that there is no other way to get rid of this situation. However, the cycle never ends as again; he encounters a woman on a black screen telling him to wake up. This one is counted among the best horror sci-fi movies in UK to stream.

Starship Troopers (1997)

starship troopers

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Writer: Edward Neumeier

Cast: Dina Meyer Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards

Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Adventure

IMDB Rating: 7.3/10

Runtime: 2h 9m

Johnny Rico, a bright student, just completed his graduation. He decides to enter the Mobile Infantry to serve his country. However, he soon starts to face unexpected events.

He encounters a bunch of mysterious bugs that start to attack life on Earth. They destroy plants and kill animals and humans. Now, Johnny has to find a way to stop these nightmares from continuing further. What can he possibly do all alone?

Lost in Space (1998)

Lost in space

Director: Stephen Hopkins

Writer: Akiva Goldsman

Cast: Mimi Rogers, Lacey Chabert

Genre: Family, Adventure

IMDB Rating: 5.2/10

Runtime: 2h 10m

In a future setting, this movie shows the year 2058 to be the end of human civilization on Earth. The planet becomes uninhabitable due to increased ozone depletion and pollution.

You will see a family of Robinsons who is traveling into space to find a chance for survival. There they struggle to keep themselves alive until they reach their destination. It consistently ranks among the best sci-fi movies of all time in UK.

The Matrix (1999)

The matrix

Director: Lilly Wachowski

Writer: Lana Wachowski

Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Keanu Reeves

Genre: Sci-fi, Action

IMDB Rating: 8.7/10

Runtime: 2h 16m

The Matrix is about a world of powerful computers that have taken over humanity. These computers work on an advanced level of Artificial Intelligence and Machines Learning technologies. Now, someone has to come forward to stop these machines from ruling the world.

A computer programmer named Thomas Anderson decides to put all his efforts into reversing the situation. He is all set to start an underground battle against the computers. This film has the potential to become the best-animated sci-fi movie in UK as well.

The Astronaut’s Wife (1999)

The Astronauts Wife

Director: Rand Ravich

Writer: Rand Ravich

Cast: Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Clea DuVall

Genre: Thriller, Drama, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 5.4/10

Runtime: 1h 49m

NASA astronauts named Spencer Armacost and Alex Streck are on a space mission. But unfortunately, an explosion takes place, cutting out their communication to the command center on the Earth.

Now the two astronauts have to deal with the aftermath of this explosion in outer space. They try to repair a shuttle. Somehow they managed to return back alive. But, in later years, they start to develop strange character changes within themselves.

Unbreakable (2000)

unbreakable

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Writer: M. Night Shyamalan

Cast: Robin Wright, Bruce Willis, Charlayne Woodard

Genre: Drama, Sci-fi, Mystery

IMDB Rating: 7.3/10

Runtime: 1h 46m

A regular security guard named David is traveling on the train. But, all of a sudden, the train gets into a fatal accident. Many people die, but David survives without getting any serious injury.

He discovers that he has developed some supernatural powers. However, he is being tracked down by Elijah Price, who makes him feel like he is being watched all the time. Watch this one of the top-listed best sci-fi movies on Netflix.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko

Director: Richard Kelly

Writer: Richard Kelly

Cast: Holmes Osborne, Daveigh Chase, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Genre: Drama, Sci-fi, Mystery

IMDB Rating: 8/10

Runtime: 1h 53m

Donnie Darko is a school-going teenager. He is emotionally troubled and has a habit of sleepwalking. In an instant, he was about to meet an accident during his sleepwalk.

After that incident, he starts to see visions of a boy named Frank, who always wears a bunny costume. They become friends, and Frank tells him that Earth will get destroyed within 28 days. Frank further manipulates Donnie Darko to commit crimes.

Minority Report (2002)

minority report

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: Jon Cohen, Philip K. Dick

Cast: Max von Sydow, Patrick Kilpatrick, Tom Cruise

Genre: Crime, Action. Mystery

IMDB Rating: 7.7/10

Runtime: 2h 25m

The Precrime prototype is a police program that the government has implemented for the last 6 years in the start of Washington, D.C.

The program helps police to visualize future crimes with the help of clairvoyant humans.

They arrest would-be criminals and put them into a VR state. With this approach, police have saved many murders and other crimes. However, they still fail to stop the Red Ball killings as they get very less time to do some action.

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Vanilla sky

Director: Cameron Crowe

Writer: Alejandro Amenábar, Cameron Crowe

Cast: Penélope Cruz, Kurt Russell, Cameron Diaz

Genre: Romance, Mystery, Fantasy

IMDB Rating: 6.9/10

Runtime: 2h 16m

David Aames used to be the owner of a big publishing firm which was established by his father. He gets into a car crash which badly scars his face. He started to wear a prosthetic mask.

After the incident, he feels something has changed within him. These changes compel him to explore the reality of his life. He tells his story and feelings to a psychologist named Dr. Curtis McCabe.

Cypher (2002)

Cypher

Director: Vincenzo Natali

Writer: Brian King

Cast: Nigel Bennett, Lucy Liu, Jeremy Northam

Genre: Thriller, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.7/10

Runtime: 1h 35m

An unemployed accountant named Morgan is bored with his regular life. His wife pressures him to take the position at her dad’s company. However, he doesn’t like the idea.

He applies for a position of a spy with the aim of making his life a little lively. He meets a strange woman that compels him to suffer from things he didn’t ever want in the first place. How will he be able to get out of this situation?

Existenz (1999)

Existenz

Director: David Cronenberg

Writer: David Cronenberg

Cast: Ian Holm, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.8/10

Runtime: 1h 37m

The emergence of biotechnological VR gaming consoles called Game Pods is rapidly taking the place of old electronic consoles. The players need to insert bio-ports into their spines surgically in order to enjoy the gaming.

People started to enjoy the new world of games, and even sportspersons and superstars started to enter the games organically whenever they wanted. However, two gaming companies began a rival being the top service provider, which later cost their customers.

The Fifth Element (1997)

the fifth element

Director: Luc Besson

Writer: Robert Mark Kamen

Cast: Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker

Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure

IMDB Rating: 7.6/10

Runtime: 2h 6m

A cab driver has the responsibility to protect 4 magical stones along with a fifth element that has the power to kill evil forces forever.

The driver falls in love with a woman who gets to know this secret and comes with him to save the world. They both combine the divine power of stones and attempt to destroy evil. The Fifth element comes among the best sci-fi thriller movies in UK.

Pi (1998)

Pi

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Writer: Sean Gullette, Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Ben Shenkman, Sean Gullette

Genre: Mystery, drama, horror

IMDB Rating: 7.3/10

Runtime: 1h 24m

Max Cohen is unemployed but is skilled in number theory. He has a strong belief that everything is understandable with the help of numbers.

However, he has a number of diseases, including hallucinations, cluster headaches, schizoid personality disorder, and an extreme level of paranoia. Aside from this, he doesn’t like to interact with people. He is in search of a world where he can embrace his capabilities of number plays.

Sphere (1998)

sphere

Director: Barry Levinson

Writer: Paul Attanasio

Cast: Peter Coyote, Dustin Hoffman

Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Mystery

IMDB Rating: 6.1/10

Runtime: 2h 14m

A 300-year-old spacecraft is detected under the Pacific Ocean. It is lying on the floor of the sea. Experts assume it to be related to some alien species. So they are eager to learn more about it.

However, an expert team goes to the ocean floor to find the truth. They examine the spacecraft, but one by one, they start to encounter some of the worst fears they have ever shared with anyone.

Cube (1997)

Cube

Director: Vincenzo Natali

Writer: Graeme Manson

Cast: David Hewlett, Maurice Dean Wint

Genre: Horror, mystery

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10

Runtime: 1h 30m

The early scene shows a man named Alderson dying in a very strange manner, and his body is lying in a room which is cube-shaped.

In the last plot, you’ll see a group of people who don’t know each other confined together in a huge cube. Every person has been given some special skill, and they need to team up to rescue themselves from the strange setting of death.

The Cell (2000)

the cell

Director: Tarsem Singh

Writer: Mark Protosevich

Cast: Dylan Baker, Vince Vaughn

Genre: Thriller, Sci-fi

IMDB Rating: 6.4/10

Runtime: 1h 37m

A lady psychotherapist named Catherine Deane has been hired by the officials to interrogate a serial killer in her way. She tries to study the mind of the killer to save his future victims.

She conducts a VR treatment on the killer using advanced technologies. It allows her to understand the intent and emotions of the killer. It’ll be interesting to see whether she finds any helpful clues during the experiment.

Conclusion

If you love science fiction films and you haven’t seen the films on this list, it’s time to start making your way through them. If you face any geo-restriction errors while trying to watch any of these movies, you can use the best VPNs for Netflix to get out of this blog. Sure, there are plenty of bad sci-fi movies out there that deserve our scorn. But these movies? These movies will entertain, inspire, and wow you for years to come. That is why we have added them to the best sci-fi movies in UK recommendation.

Chris Mack

Chris Mack

Meet Chris Mack, your go-to expert for the best of BBC iPlayer with a twist—he's also a cybersecurity enthusiast. Whether you're into British entertainment classics or searching for hidden gems, Chris has you covered, always with an eye for secure streaming practices. Beyond the screen, Chris blends his love for reading and exploring the outdoors with a passion for staying ahead in the world of cybersecurity, ensuring a safe viewing experience. If you're looking for top British TV picks or tips on keeping your digital viewing secure, Chris is your guide. Dive into the drama of British TV with Chris!


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