Top 10 Classic Sci-Fi Movies To Rewatch In 2025

Way back when, in some far-off place, space movies weren’t even a thing. Good thing that’s changed, ‘cause we’ve rounded up the 10 coolest ones for you.

Sci-fi’s given us some of the wildest, most epic rides in movie history. Sure, some folks brush it off as kid stuff, but it’s way more than that—it’s about peeking at other worlds and weird existences, making us see our own lives from a totally out-there angle.

Here’s our rundown of the 10 best sci-fi flicks, straight from the critics’ faves:

10. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

David Bowie crash-lands on Earth, and it’s a vibe. This flick, based on Walter Tevis’s book and directed by Nic Roeg, is peak British sci-fi—kinda moody and all about this alien (Bowie) trying to snag water for his dying planet. He ends up like a space version of Howard Hughes, messed up by cash, power, booze, and hookups. Roeg’s trippy, off-kilter style makes it a total spacey head-scratcher.

9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Picture this: a quiet little town gets taken over by creepy pod aliens that hijack people’s bodies while they’re snoozing. Don Siegel’s thriller is tight, spooky, and straight to the point—perfect for the ‘50s, with all that McCarthy “everyone’s a commie” paranoia. Siegel wanted it to end super dark, with Kevin McCarthy yelling “You’re next!” at us, but the studio was like, “Nah, let’s tack on some hope.”

8. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Cold War jitters meet sci-fi in this chill, thoughtful gem from Robert Wise. An alien dude named Klaatu (Michael Rennie) rolls up with his robot buddy Gort to tell Earth, “Cut the war crap or we’re wiping you out.” It’s all about peace, not pew-pew, and that line “Klaatu barada nikto” is still popping up everywhere.

7. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Steven Spielberg’s first sci-fi joint—and his best—is like a love letter to aliens. Richard Dreyfuss is just a regular guy who loses it over UFOs after spotting one, even making mashed-potato mountains to figure out Devils Tower is the spot. That ending with the giant mothership and those five funky notes? Pure movie magic.

6. Solaris (1972)

Andrei Tarkovsky’s Soviet take on 2001 is slow, deep, and hits you right in the feels—think memory, love, and stuff we’ll never get. A shrink (Donatas Banionis) heads to a space station near the weird planet Solaris, where the crew’s getting spooked by ghosts of their past—like his dead wife showing up for real. It’s trippy, heavy, and artsy as heck.

5. Star Wars (1977)

George Lucas grabbed those old-school Flash Gordon vibes and turned ‘em into a galaxy-smashing legend. Star Wars (aka A New Hope later) is a wild ride—princesses, smugglers, and a farm kid swinging lightsabers against Darth Vader’s evil crew. It’s got that “whoa” energy and killer effects that made it a total game-changer. The Force? Still kicking.

4. Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s neon-soaked future LA, ripped from Philip K. Dick’s book, is dark, gorgeous, and makes you think. Harrison Ford’s Deckard hunts “replicants”—fake humans—in this moody, rainy dystopia. It’s all about what makes us human, with Vangelis’s music adding that extra eerie kick.

3. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The second Star Wars flick—and the GOAT—takes it darker and deeper. Irvin Kershner’s behind the wheel as Luke trains with Yoda, Han gets stabbed in the back by Lando, and then that “I am your father” bomb drops. Hoth battles, carbonite freezes, and big feels make it the peak of the saga.

2. Alien (1979)

“In space, no one can hear you scream”—and man, does this one deliver. Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror mashup is tense as hell. The Nostromo crew (shoutout to Sigourney Weaver’s badass Ripley) checks out a weird signal and meets a freaky alien. H.R. Giger’s nightmare monster and that chestburster scene? Can’t unsee it.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick’s space jam is the sci-fi flick, hands down. It’s apes to spaceships, HAL 9000 going rogue, and that mind-bending “star gate” trip at the end. It’s huge, weird, and set to Strauss and Ligeti tunes—basically the ultimate sci-fi road trip through human history and beyond.

There you go—10 sci-fi bangers, served up casual-style! Which one’s your vibe?