10 Great Underrated Sci-Fi Movies On Netflix

As the world's most popular streaming service, Netflix is a great place to find some of the biggest and best sci-fi movies ever released. From major releases that were blockbusters at the box office to films that were in the conversation for Academy Awards and other huge accolades to smaller indie releases that make the best use of their budgets and are critically acclaimed, Netflix has an impressive catalog of sci-fi projects.

Netflix is home to Best Visual Effects winner Ex Machina, superhero fare like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Academy Award nominees like Bugonia, international standouts like Godzilla Minus One, blockbuster hits like Jurassic World: Rebirth, and '90s classics like The Fifth Element, just to name a few. However, with so many movies available, it's worth digging deeper into Netflix's catalog to find the hidden gems within the genre.

These are the films that were overlooked by subscribers when they were added to Netflix or didn't receive the box office success that they hoped for. Some are Netflix originals that get lost in the shuffle of so many releases, while others didn't get the best reviews, yet deserved better. Whatever the case may be, these are movies that should be better appreciated and are worth a watch on Netflix.

Spiderhead (2022)

Thanks to his incredible work on Top Gun: Maverick and F1, Joseph Kosinski is one of the most impressive directors currently working in Hollywood. In his filmography is an underrated sci-fi project that was actually released the same year as Top Gun: Maverick.

That movie is Spiderhead, which focuses on inmates at a luxurious prison who take part in experiments relating to mind-altering drugs. Reviews were certainly not up to Kosinski's best works, but the cast of Chris Hemsworth, Jurnee Smollett, and Miles Teller is captivating to watch.

ARQ (2016)

There is a long line of time loop movies released almost annually at this point. ARQ is another in that category and it pulls the concept off well despite not having a large budget to work with. It keeps the premise simple, yet executes it expertly.

ARQ focuses on an engineer (Robbie Amell) who gets stuck in a time loop where his home gets invaded. He and his former lover (Rachael Taylor) work together to try and escape the loop while also surviving, making for an intense sci-fi thriller set in one location.

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

The oldest movie on this list, Johnny Mnemonic is another entry into the realm of Keanu Reeves sci-fi films. The most famous of those in The Matrix, yet Johnny Mnemonic has a pretty strong following of its own as it has become something of a cult classic.

Set in a dystopian 2021 hampered by a tech-induced plague, the story sees the titular data courier get a brain implant designed to safely store confidential information, which leads to corporations and assassins coming after him. Although reviews weren't good, there's fun to be had with Johnny Mnemonic.

The Discovery (2017)

Released directly to Netflix before a time when they were putting out original content almost weekly, The Discovery has become a hidden gem on the platform. The film centers on a doctor whose scientific discovery proves that there is an afterlife.

That causes chaos, as some people take their own lives to experience it, while others try to decipher the meaning of it all. It raises some intriguing questions and the film benefits from a great cast that includes Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Jesse Plemons, and Riley Keough.

Project Power (2020)

Project Power is one of those films that was released at the height of the pandemic and with so many movies hitting streaming services around that time, it kind of got overlooked. That's a shame because there's a lot to like here in this sci-fi action flick that almost works like a superhero movie.

Project Power sees a drug dealer, a cop, and a former soldier team up to cut off the distribution of a pill that gives its takers superpowers for five minutes. The visuals are strong and the cast, led by Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback, is incredibly talented.

I Am Mother (2019)

Motherhood is an expected main theme of I Am Mother and it utilizes it well to tell a mesmerizing tale. The film is set on Earth following an extinction event and follows a teenage girl who is raised by a robot, only for their lives to be threatened when a stranger shows up on their doorstep.

Hilary Swank gives one of her most underrated performances, while Rose Byrne's voice work as the Mother robot is fantastic. It might not be well-known but I Am Mother holds an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is among the highest of any sci-fi project on Netflix.

What Happened To Monday (2017)

One of the best things about the sci-fi genre is getting to see all the cool and interesting concepts brought to life. What Happened ot Monday falls into that category, telling a story of identical septuplets who live in a world where each family is limited to just one child.

That means the septuplets must live in secret and only one goes out into public at a time, named after the day of the week they do so. When the titular Monday goes missing, they must work together to find out what happened. Boosted by Noomi Rapace's lead performance, this is a true hidden gem.

Stowaway (2021)

Joe Penna is one of many impressive directors who got started on YouTube. He's behind one of the most underrated films available on Netflix, regardless of the genre: Stowaway.

The premise of Stowaway is one that grabs a viewer, as it centers on a group of astronauts who are on a mission to Mars, only to learn that an engineer who was knocked unconscious is an accidental stowaway. That sets the table for some harsh conversations in a fight for survival. Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, and more make up a small but memorable cast.

The Creator (2023)

The Creator is a movie that sci-fi fans wished performed better. From the mind of Gareth Edwards, The Creator is set in 2070, over a decade after artificial intelligence set off a nuclear detonation in California, sparking a war between AI and humans.

The main story centers on a former special forces agent (John David Washington) who is tasked with taking down the titular creator, who has reportedly developed a weapon that could end the war. The Oscar-nominated visuals are outstanding in this unfortunate box office flop.

It's What's Inside (2024)

It's What's Inside is one of those movies that likely got overlooked upon release because it looks kind of wacky on the surface. Centering on a group of college friends who reunite after eight years and end up playing a party game doesn't sound too intriguing on its own.

What makes It's What's Inside work is the game they play, which allows them to swap bodies. From there, you get to watch as people lose their inhibitions in their new bodies, causing all sorts of turmoil. The film does a remarkable job of making sure you know who is in whose body, while also delivering a great twist that brings it all together.