Published Feb 10, 2026, 6:00 PM EST
Felipe Rangel is a Superheroes Lead Writer and Reviewer at ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021, with a focus on superhero projects. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Since the launch of the Superheroes vertical in 2023, he has focused his efforts on coming up with insightful analyses of Marvel and DC's projects.
Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."
A masterpiece Sci-Fi movie was not successful in theaters, but eight years later, it continues to be one of the genre's most exciting releases, and it is worth checking out for the first time in 2026. Sci-Fi is a genre that has grown exponentially since the start of the streaming age. Some of the best Sci-Fi TV shows of all time have been released recently.
On the big screen, the VFX are at the perfect spot, allowing major Sci-Fi movie franchises to feel as epic and high-stakes as they should. To that end, 2026's Sci-Fi movies offer many immersive worlds with alien races and death-defying action. However, this Sci-Fi masterpiece with a couple of stars goes for a more intimate approach, and it does wonders with it.
A Sci-Fi Masterpiece Was Quietly Released 8 Years Ago
High Life was released on November 7, 2018. The Sci-Fi movie was directed by Claire Denis, starring Robert Pattinson, Mia Goth, and more. Sadly, the film was not a major box office hit. High Life ended up premiering in France months before it would come to theaters in the United States. Nationwide, the Sci-Fi movie would only debut on April 5, 2019.
High Life would end up only playing in 146 theaters in the United States, which led to the movie's poor box office. The Sci-Fi thriller ended its worldwide run with a measly $2.8 million. Against a reported budget of €8 million, the Sci-Fi movie ended up losing a sizable sum. That said, it remains one of the most exciting genre releases in the last decade.
Why High Life Is Worth Watching
High Life is standing the test of time as one of the best Sci-Fi movies in recent memory. The film is available on Fandango at Home Free, as well as the biggest digital platforms, and will come to The Roku Channel on April 1st. High Life follows the story of a group of death-row criminals sent on a mission towards a black hole in search of alternative energy.
High Life has an 83% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
There are high stakes, as this is a dangerous mission, but it is the character-driven drama that makes the Sci-Fi movie truly pop. It is clear that these inmates are seen as disposable, and faced with the possible end of their lives, the loneliness of space, sexual urges, and more, the space vessel becomes fertile ground for the characters to slowly lose their minds and/or turn violent.
Pattinson takes center stage as Monte, an inmate who tries to be good and is left with something he did not expect: the difficulties of caring for a child in the ruthlessness of space. Pattinson delivers a magnetic performance, with Juliette Binoche making the scientist Dibs despicable, and Mia Goth's Boyse a tragic figure. High Life is a psychological thriller that makes for an unnerving and introspective Sci-Fi experience.
Release Date April 12, 2019
Runtime 113 minutes
Director Claire Denis
Writers Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau, Geoff Cox
Producers Andrew Lauren, Christoph Friedel, Claudia Steffen, Oliver Dungey, Laurence Clerc, Olivier Théry-Lapiney, Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, D.J. Gugenheim
English (US) ·