When Blade Runner 2049 arrived in theaters, it didn’t merely show that a sci-fi follow-up could succeed—it remapped the genre as a whole. Under the direction of Denis Villeneuve, with Roger Deakins framing its images and a breathtakingly gorgeous vision of a future to come, it became the neo-noir dystopia template for the modern era. Since then, audiences have been in pursuit of that same combination of neon-drenched aesthetics, existential questions, and worlds that are at once dazzling and decimating. If that sounds like your vibe, you’re in luck. Here’s a countdown of 13 visually arresting sci-fi films that carry the same DNA as Blade Runner 2049—dark, thoughtful, and unforgettable.
13. Mute
Shot against a neon-drenched, shadowy futuristic Berlin, Mute tracks silent bartender Leo (Alexander Skarsgård) as he seeks his lost girlfriend. What results is a gritty cyberpunk thriller in which corruption is hiding behind every corner. Rain-slicked streets, neon-lit signage, and a foggy moral compass make this one stand out as decidedly Blade Runner-esque.
12. Logan Noir
Logan was gritty already, but Logan Noir takes it down another notch by filming the story in raw black and white. The effect? A stripped-to-the-bone, raw take on Wolverine’s goodbye that plays up its noir heritage. Shadows, barren landscapes, and a road-worn tone remind one of the moody blues of Villeneuve’s world.
11. The Platform
This Spanish dystopia pictures a prison in the vertical direction where food falls floor by floor—top people dine, bottom people go hungry. The harsh imagery and the stifling mood produce a coarse metaphor of inequality and survival. Its allegorical density and dark vision render it a natural companion to the bleakest visions of Blade Runner.
10. JUNG_E
In a post-climate collapse future, humanity tests consciousness cloning to fight wars. JUNG_E impresses with futuristic robotics and massive underground bunkers, but under the flash is an emotional mother-daughter tale. It combines action, sadness, and futurism into a compelling work of sci-fi noir.
9. I Am Mother
What if the apocalypse arrived with a “loving” AI guardian? I Am Mother probes that uncomfortable relationship in a teenage girl raised by a robot starts to question her existence. The clean, antiseptic environment is juxtaposed with intensely emotional plot turns, making this bunker-situated thriller a contemplative take on AI, ethics, and trust.
8. Oblivion
Tom Cruise plays a drone repairman cruising an empty world, incrementally discovering the reality of who he is. Majestic skies, giant ruins, and a thumping electronic soundtrack render Oblivion a sensory experience. Its queries regarding memory and identity squarely place it in Blade Runner’s territory.
7. Her
Not all neo-noirs need to be drenched in darkness. Her takes its more benevolent path, depicting a pastel-colored near future in which a solitary man falls in love with his AI operating system. Spike Jonze forgoes rain-soaked streets for sun-kissed, dreamy imagery—but the essential question is the same: what is it to love, and to be human?
6. Ex Machina
Alex Garland’s first feature is a claustrophobic, intellectual confrontation between a programmer, his idiosyncratic boss, and a chillingly realistic AI. Sleek design, glass walls, and monochromatic minimalism lend the movie its modernist noir look. Its tension-fraught mood and psychological cat-and-mouse recall the existential anxiety of Blade Runner 2049.
5. Ghost in the Shell
Well before cyberpunk was a buzzword, this anime classic established it. Ghost in the Shell delves into identity and consciousness in a world where man and machine are all but indistinguishable. Its neon cityscapes, rain-soaked backstreets, and eerie imagery feel like a spiritual cousin to Ridley Scott and Villeneuve’s worlds.
4. Akira
A motorcycle gang, government tests, and a decaying Neo-Tokyo: Akira is an iconic dystopian anime. With its hand-drawn animation that remains breathtaking today, its anarchy and majesty defined cyberpunk as we understand it. Its blend of paranoia, rebellion, and deterioration makes it the perfect companion piece for fans of Blade Runner.
3. Annihilation
Nature itself alienates in Alex Garland’s Annihilation. Within the enigmatic “Shimmer,” landscapes transform into kaleidoscopic horrors, striking a balance between beauty and terror. The hypnotic visuals of the film and plunge into madness make it one of the most unnerving but mesmerizing recent sci-fi odysseys.
2. Dark City
Few movies get the noir-sci-fi equation right like Dark City. John Murdoch awakens to face charges of murder in a city that never experiences light, controlled by otherworldly beings. Shadowy imagery, maze-like plots, and existential horror, all wrapped in a sci-fi package—a match made in heaven for Blade Runner fans.
1. Blade Runner 2049
At the very top, naturally, is Villeneuve’s masterpiece. Blade Runner 2049 is not simply a sequel—it’s a cinematic symphony of destroyed cities, neon-infused towers, and barren landscapes, all captured via Roger Deakins’ Oscar-winning eyes. The movie probes further into ageless issues of identity, recollection, and the purpose of the soul. It’s haunting, hypnotic, and each rewatch is something new.
If you’re starved for more rainy alleys, neon cityscapes, and midnight identity crises, these movies will have you walking down the same brooding hallways as Blade Runner 2049.