Science fiction has long been a realm of strong ideas, iconic imagery, and thought-provoking concepts. Landmark films such as Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey are often the ones leading the discussion, but there exists an entire universe of lesser-known sci-fi classics that deserve consideration. These movies might lack box office budgets or international fame, but they’re notable for their inventiveness, narration, and risky subjects. Here are ten lesser-known sci-fi films that need to be on every fan’s list.
1. Upgrade (2018)
Written and directed by Leigh Whannell (best known for creating Saw and Insidious), Upgrade is a smooth, cyberpunk revenge thriller that’s a throwback to gritty ’80s sci-fi with a contemporary twist. It follows Grey Trace, a mechanic left paralyzed after a brutal mugging. When given a second life through an experimental AI implant, he goes on a gory quest for the truth. With innovative cinematography and an off-the-charts physical performance from Logan Marshall-Green, Upgrade is a sleazy, tech-noir ride that needs more love.
2. Coherence (2013)
Evidence that a compelling sci-fi idea doesn’t need a huge budget, Coherence unfolds entirely, almost, during a dinner party. As the guests open their wine bottles under a passing comet, reality starts to disintegrate, and they find themselves trapped in a trap of various parallel universes. Made in one location with an improvised script and a few effects, Coherence depends on clever script and building tension. It’s a brainy, puzzle-box thriller that’s intimate and terrifying.
3. Another Earth (2011)
This subdued, introspective indie employs its science fiction setup as a background for an intensely personal narrative. On the evening of the arrival of a second Earth in the heavens, a fatal accident derails the life of a young woman, Rhoda. Once released from prison, she tries to find redemption in an involved relationship with the victimized man. Co-written by and featuring Brit Marling, Another Earth is more concerned with second chances than it is with science, guilt, and recovery.
4. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Directed by Richard Linklater and based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly is a visually distinctive inquiry into identity, addiction, and surveillance. Employing rotoscoped animation to provide a dreamworld environment, the film features Keanu Reeves as an undercover cop whose grasp on reality begins to slip as he investigates a deadly drug epidemic. With Winona Ryder and Robert Downey Jr. in its supporting cast, this film is a haunting, humorous, and intellectual experience altogether.
5. High Life (2018)
Claire Denis’s High Life is a slow-burn meditation on isolation and survival in deep space. Robert Pattinson leads as a convict aboard a spacecraft on a doomed mission, where the line between human experimentation and existential reflection blurs. Moody and atmospheric, the film is full of haunting imagery and uncomfortable truths, offering a philosophical take on life at the edge of the universe.
6. Predestination (2014)
Time travel has been executed in countless ways, but Predestination succeeds at pushingthe genre into unexpectedly emotional and intelligent places. Ethan Hawke stars as a time-traveling operative pursuing acryptic terroristthroughout decades. What begins as a typical sci-fi thriller becomes a mind-bending, twisty adventure that explores identity and destiny in exciting ways.
7. Under the Skin (2013)
Scarlett Johansson delivers a hypnotic performance as an alien roaming Scotland’s streets, hunting for innocent men. Under the Skin, written and directed by Jonathan Glazer, blends art-house austerity with sci-fi to produce something hypnotic and disturbing. The utilization of secret cameras and improv-style interactions adds an uncanny realism to the alien viewpoint, forcing us to rethink our concepts of empathy, humanity, and bonding.
8. Robot & Frank (2012)
This soft and frequently humorous sci-fi comedy-drama considers aging, memory, and friendship in a future where robot caregivers are standard. Frank, an ex-burglar, befriends his robot aide unexpectedly and enlists his help in pulling off a heist. Frank Langella gives an emotionally moving performance in a movie that’s equal parts human connection and futuristic gadgetry.
9. Okja (2017)
Bong Joon-ho’s Okja combines action, satire, and heart in a tale of a girl and her genetically modified super-pig. When her pet is requisitioned by a multinational conglomerate, Mija embarks on a worldwide rescue mission. The movie addresses animal rights, corporate greed, and environmental ethics while toeing the line between absurd humor and emotionally charged scenes.
10. The Endless (2017)
Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson bring cosmic horror into sharp relief with The Endless, one of the most mind-bending, surreal, and chilling stories in years about two brothers who revisit the UFO cult from which they fled years ago. What begins as a trip for closure becomes a descent into unhinged horror as they discover the cult’s terrible truths—and reality itself starts to fall apart. Ominous and textured, The Endless serves up psychological frights in indie style.
Bonus: ’90s Sci-Fi Hidden Gems
The 1990s provided a wealth of underappreciated sci-fi classics. Gattaca (1997) mapped out genetic engineering and human potential with chilling accuracy. Cube (1997) took a basic concept—strangers stuck in a fatal maze—and ran with it, and produced a tense existential thriller. Dark City (1998) mixed noir with dystopia to dazzling effect, while Strange Days (1995) plunged headfirst into virtual reality and pre-millennium angst. Movies such as The Thirteenth Floor (1999), eXistenZ (1999), Screamers (1995), and Hardware (1990) all confronted giant questions in style, although they may not have hit the top of the box office.
Although these titles lack the popularity and marketing of high-profile sci-fi blockbusters, they provide something far more precious—new ideas, new risks, and emotional depth. For anyone willing to look beyond the suspects, these movies serve as evidence that the future of science fiction has always been hiding in plain sight.