The Most Criminally Forgotten Sci-Fi Movies of All Time

The films on this list are great, but seem to have been forgotten or lost to history. Perhaps they were outshone by other great blockbusters or ahead of their time. Maybe later films borrowed a similar concept that audiences found decidedly better. Whatever the reason is, it's time to wake up and bring these 13 films back into the sci-fi conversation.

1 'Midnight Special' (2016)

One of the most incredible science fiction films you’ve absolutely been sleeping on is Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special. After taking him from the “Ranch,” Roy (Michael Shannon) and his friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) go on the run to protect his 8-year-old son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), who possesses extraordinary, supernatural powers. Pursued by federal agents and a religious cult, they travel by night to reach a mysterious destination. A low-key indie film that reads like a big-budget blockbuster, Midnight Special calls back to the heartfelt science films from Steven Spielberg.

An example of cinema of wonder, Midnight Special was a beautifully refreshing entry into the sci-fi world. There’s a grip on you as you embark on this mysterious story, only to discover its winning narrative is all about humanity and the love we provide. It’s a chase-centric film that keeps your heart racing because you’re intently invested in Alton and Roy. Shannon is phenomenal as the loving father. Even with the supernatural surrounding him, he’s grounded and rooted in rich emotion. The cast supporting him, which features Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, and Sam Shepard, plays well in this world. A modern lens on a nostalgic feel, Midnight Special deserves to be a newfound classic.

2 'Dreamscape' (1984)

Before there was Inception, there was Dreamscape. Directed by Joseph Ruben, Dreamscape tells the story of Alex Gardner (Dennis Quaid), a gifted psychic recruited by scientists to enter, explore, and manipulate patients' subconscious dreams. On his journey, Alex helps people overcome nightmares but uncovers a government plot by a corrupt agent, Bob Blair (Christopher Plummer), to use this technology to assassinate the President (Eddie Albert) in his dreams. Tackling the power of the subconscious, Dreamscape is a daring political thriller with a surrealistic '80s multigenre lens.

Though it may not effectively process dreams in a proper, logical manner, Dreamscape’s premise is what you come for. Even with some fun, cheesy dream sequences, the film makes up for it with the hero and villain's performances. While we know it’s a fever-dream version of Inception, Dreamscape also pre-dated A Nightmare on Elm Street, exploring how horror dreams can work in cinema. The truth is, Dreamscape is a film way ahead of its time. Many of the films we discuss today were indirectly influenced by this film. It’s time to wake up and accept the genius of the film’s premise.

3 'Cube' (1997)

If you’re seeking a Kafkaesque nightmare, look no further than the intricately surreal Cube. Directed by Vincenzo Natali, the film follows seven strangers trapped in a shifting, booby-trapped, cubic maze with no memory of how they arrived. There's onetime cop Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), scientist Holloway (Nicky Guadagni), young math genius Leaven (Nicole de Boer), master of escapes Rennes (Wayne Robson), autistic savant Kazan (Andrew Miller), and architect Worth (David Hewlett), who might have more information on the maze than he lets on. A psychological thriller that taps into the individuals’ descent into paranoia through survival and teamwork, the mission is to escape the cube alive.

A genuine cult classic, the sci-fi horror-thriller is a high-concept, high-tension mystery that maximizes suspense. Saw before that franchise was a thing, Cube features excessive gore on a low budget. If that’s your thing, Cube is a beauty. The film thrives on the unknown, keeping both the trapped and the audience on their toes. With endless questions, Cube thrives on the concept of extensional dread. A sincerely twisted morality game, Cube is rightly a cult classic. If you’re a math whiz, this is certainly a favorite. The film spawned a franchise, but nothing beats the original.

4 'Cloud Atlas' (2012)

With the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer in the directors’ seats, it was inevitable that Cloud Atlas would be a massive epic. A multi-era spanning story, Cloud Atlas explores themes of reincarnation, the immortality of the soul, and interconnectedness. From the 19th-century Pacific to a post-apocalyptic future, the film questions whether souls travel through time and if human nature remains constant. With a unique narrative approach that punctuates the story, Cloud Atlas reaches a climactic peak that defines humanity's dangerous thirst for power.

If you love cinema, Cloud Atlas delivers. Through masterful, rapid-fire editing, stunning visuals, and period-accurate production design, Cloud Atlas continues to be a slept-on masterpiece. Featuring an ensemble cast consisting of Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, and Susan Sarandon, who all play an assortment of roles in each era, Cloud Atlas ensures the film’s theme is evident — the soul continues on its journey through time. With its expert genre-blending, the elements of romance, action, mystery, and dystopian sci-fi complement each other. Cloud Atlas will forever be overshadowed by The Matrix, which is a shame; it’s a remarkable work of art.

5 'Chronicle' (2012)

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in cinema, it is to be kind to those with telekinetic powers. A new approach to the superhero genre, Chronicle tells the story about three Seattle high school seniors — socially isolated Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), his cousin Matt Garetty (Alex Russell), and popular Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan) — who gain telekinetic powers after encountering a mysterious, glowing underground object. They bond and use their abilities for fun, but as Andrew’s abusive home life and bullying intensify, his growing power leads to a dark, destructive, and dangerous downward spiral. A brilliant and gritty found-footage-style film, Chronicle is a dark exploration of isolation and the power within.

What makes Chronicle a sensational film is the character-driven narrative and the performances from the primary trio. A truly high-impact story with exceptional world-building, Chronicle subverted the blockbuster approach to superhero films without compromising its mission. Rather than focusing solely on action, the film delves into the profound psychological and emotional consequences of power, particularly on a troubled, bullied teenager, and DeHaan gives the best performance of his career. An ambitious and innovative action thriller, Chronicle serves as a reminder that low-budget films can fly just as high as the blockbusters.

6 'Upgrade' (2018)

One of the latest prominent voices in the horror realm is Leigh Whannell. As the writer behind many of the Saw and Insidious films, he’s recently broken out to work behind the camera as well as in front of it. To kick off his strong run was 2018’s Upgrade. The film follows pseudo-everyman Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), whose body and wife, Asha (Melanie Vallejo), are destroyed by upwardly mobile cyborgs with a God complex during a brutal mugging. Soon after, a billionaire inventor offers Grey a cure — an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that enhances his body. Now with the ability to walk, Grey finds that it also comes with superhuman strength and agility — skills he uses to seek revenge against the individuals who destroyed his life. Upgrade is a whip-smart thriller that blends cyberpunk and body horror with a wickedly dark and twisted sensibility.

With highly choreographed fight sequences set against a gritty story, Upgrade forces us to think about our growing reliance on technology and artificial intelligence as we ponder the fear of losing our autonomy. Marshall-Green goes out of his way to deliver a robust performance, engaging in that battle of mind, body, and AI. Upgrade is a tightly paced thriller that doesn’t fill time with worthless frills. If this is our near future, things are about to be quite grim.

We’ve seen many space films centered on astronauts on a specific mission, but Ad Astra is one like you’ve never seen, as this mission is personal. Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer solar system to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones). His father's lost mission is causing deadly electrical surges threatening Earth, forcing Roy to confront his past and the nature of human existence. A save-the-solar-system story that’s bigger than just one man, Ad Astra explores themes of isolation, the emotional toll of professional detachment, and the existential question about humanity's place in the universe.

Directed by James Gray, Ad Astra is stunning, immersive, and scientifically grounded, with a beautifully introspective performance from Pitt. Through a rich exploration of the questions space expeditions raise, Ad Astra pushes us to ponder what humanity’s future in space might be and the dangers curiosity might bring. Further, from a more micro perspective, the film highlights the importance of human connection. The atmospheric vibes brought to the film by Max Richter’s eerie and orchestral score set the tone effortlessly. Ad Astra is not a high-speed action film. Instead, it’s an intellectual masterpiece that, within, is a celebration of the bond between parent and child.

8 'A Scanner Darkly' (2006)

Let’s start by saying that A Scanner Darkly is a masterpiece. It falls on this list simply because we’ve stopped discussing it as much as we should be. Directed by Richard Linklater, based on the 1977 novel by Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly is about Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves), an undercover cop in a near-future, drug-addled California who becomes addicted to "Substance D," a drug that causes split personalities. As he investigates the source, his own brain deteriorates, causing him to spy on himself unknowingly. A brilliant dissertation on surveillance, paranoia, the loss of identity, and the devastating consequences of addiction, A Scanner Darkly is a perfect Dick adaptation.

Obviously, the most daring part of this film is the rotoscoping. Giving the film a brilliant graphic novel aesthetic, A Scanner Darkly’s unique technique is not just stylistic; it is integral to the plot, enabling the representation of the scramble suit. It might feel disorienting, even psychedelic, but it’s instrumental to the film’s narrative. Style aside, the cast, including Reeves, Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder, don’t let it hinder their performances. In fact, they’re enhanced. A Scanner Darkly was ahead of its time. It’s a deeply immersive film that traps you into questioning personal identity crises through the war on drugs and the dangers of surveillance.

9 'Looper' (2012)

You might know Rian Johnson by his Knives Out trilogy, but before he brought Benoit Blanc to life, he masterfully gave us a time-travel thriller. Looper is about Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a 2044 "looper" who kills targets sent back in time by future syndicates. When his older self (Bruce Willis) is sent back to be killed, he escapes, causing young Joe to hunt his future self, who is trying to kill a child destined to become a crime boss. A unique spin on the time-travel concept, Johnson’s ability to treat the mechanic not as a magical plot device, but as a dirty, illegal method used by future mobsters for disposal, creates high-stakes tension.

What could be an incredibly difficult narrative to navigate, Looper navigates the potential paradoxes by focusing first on the characters' emotional arcs. Like many time-travel-based stories, the script tackles the morality and ethics of attempting to change timelines and the potential consequences that accompany them. Johnson directly tackles the theme while still ensuring enough action to remind you that you’re not just engaged in a high-concept thinker. The intellectual elements help to enhance the thrills. If you’ve come to adore Johnson’s work, race to see this film. The Rotten Tomatoes score supports its brilliance.

10 'They Cloned Tyrone' (2023)

Not all science fiction films have to be terrifying thrillers. Infusing some comedy into the mystery can be the draw right there! Such is the case for Juel Taylor's They Cloned Tyrone. The Netflix science fiction mystery comedy tells the story of an unlikely trio comprised of a drug dealer, a pimp, and a sex worker, who stumble upon a vast government conspiracy to clone Black people in their neighborhood for social control. After Fontaine (John Boyega) is shot, only to wake up the following morning seemingly unharmed, he teams up with Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) and Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris) to uncover the conspiracy that the government uses specific items, like fried chicken and grape juice, to control the population to assimilate them into a more "desirable" suburban class system.

Smartly marrying blaxploitation nostalgia with sci-fi, comedy, and horror, Taylor’s film evokes a stylish, thought-provoking satire that is non-stop entertainment. Through a commentary on systematic racism and the historical exploration of Black communities, They Cloned Tyrone's dark humor is eerie and deliberate. Visually, the retro-futuristic aesthetic is a brilliant touch. A truly sharp, slow-burning film, They Cloned Tyrone is an underrated gem.