2024 was not merely a powerful year for science fiction – rather, it felt like a buffet, and we were spoiled for variety. Sci-fi goes from mega franchise blockbusters to passion projects with almost no budget, from silent cartoons to French arthouse mind-trips; the years’ picks were as diverse as an innumerable number of worlds of the universe. If you missed some, don’t worry. Here is a ranking of the top 15 best sci-fi films of 2024, with the first ones being the least exciting and the last one being the most surprising, going up to number 1.
15. The Wild Robot (dir. Chris Sanders)
This cartoon adventure is half survival epic and half heartwarming awakening. Roz, a stranded robot on a desert island, discovers what it is to care, bond, and lead. It’s bright enough to enchant children, but introspective enough to strike adults right in the emotions.
14. Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (dir. Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham)
Wallace’s technology obsession goes to absurd—and strangely apt—extremes in this biting satire. When Gromit’s garden is devastated by a soulless landscaping robot, the movie presents an impassioned argument for the aesthetic of imperfection in art and life.
13. Transformers One (dir. Josh Cooley)
An animated origin story with surprising emotional heft. Even if you’ve never cared about Cybertron politics, this Magneto/Professor X-style rivalry between Optimus and Megatron is engaging, layered, and beautifully staged.
12. Robot Dreams (dir. Pablo Berger)
A wordless masterpiece about a robot and his dog friend riding through the ups and downs of companionship. With a deathly “September” needle drop and Wizard of Oz-inspired dream sequences, it tells its story through tone without a word.
11. ME (dir. Don Hertzfeldt)
In a mere 22 minutes, this stick-figure film is a jaw-dropping meditation on narcissism and isolation brought about by technology. No words, only dreamlike imagery and a melancholic jazz-classical soundtrack that resists re-watching.
10. Flow (dir. Gints Zilbalodis)
Set entirely in Blender, this almost wordless tale tracks a community of animals as they struggle through a coming ecological breakdown. It’s beautifully rendered, optimistically oriented, and exciting without ever crossing into trauma for fussy viewers.
9. The Becomers (dir. Zach Clark)
A witty spin on the body-snatcher genre—this time from the aliens’ point of view. Retro sci-fi sound effects and an emotionally sympathetic approach to the outsider make it a rare indie that manages to feel both new and eternal.
8. Omni Loop (dir. Bernardo Britto)
Time travel, mortality, and missed chances collide in this intimate, witty drama. Zoya’s journey—helped along by her millennial friend Paula—blends feminist ideas, emotional honesty, and just the right dose of existential dread.
7. The Beast (dir. Bertrand Bonello)
Léa Seydoux anchors this cerebral French film about AI’s intrusion into human memory and emotion. Less about apocalyptic robots, more about the quiet ways technology erodes our ability to feel.
6. Mars Express (dir. Jérémie Périn)
A cyberpunk-thumping French animated noir. Beneath its detective narrative is a biting exploration of identity, AI, and the unsettling border between man and machine.
5. A Quiet Place: Day One (dir. Michael Sarnoski)
Rather than yet another survival list, we have an elegiac story about Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) and her cat Frodo, who aren’t struggling to live forever—they’re deciding how they’ll spend their final days. It’s suspenseful, emotional, and unforgettable.
4. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (dir. Wes Ball)
Leaping centuries ahead, this installment brings A-list ape drama, a primate family that loves falconry, and an ethically complex human-ape bond. Perhaps the most ambitious installment yet.
3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (dir. George Miller)
A bit less untainted adrenaline than Fury Road, more mythic narrative—but still jam-packed with eye-popping action. Anya Taylor-Joy is captivating, while Chris Hemsworth’s Dementor is unbalanced villainy at its finest.
2. Alien: Romulus (dir. Fede Álvarez)
A claustrophobic return to Alien horror with stunning visuals, a found-family crew that’s believable, and facehugger scenes that left viewers gasping. Nostalgic but not stale.
1. Badland Hunters (dir. Heo Myeong-haeng)
Evidence that creativity can better budgeting. Endless action, creative set pieces, and a liberally approached approach to sci-fi spectacle make it the most thrilling ride of the year.
From introspective French dramas to explosive alien hunts, 2024 proved that science fiction can be as limitless as the worlds it imagines. Whether you’re in it for philosophical puzzles, gorgeous animation, or old-fashioned creature terror, this list covers every corner of the galaxy.