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Top 100 Science Fiction Movies

cc45980a-8522-805f.This page will look at our Top 100 Science Fiction Movies….statistically speaking.Ā  Since 2011 we have been collecting movie stats and ranking movies. For this page we researched 100s and 100s of science fiction movies from 1902 to 2016.

During that research we found box office grosses, critic reviews, audience voting and award recognition on 625 science fiction movies.Ā  The following table lists the Top 100 Science Fiction Movies that have the BEST COMBINATION OF BOX OFFICE, REVIEWS AND AWARDS.

Top 100 Science Fiction Movies rules: (1) Superhero, King Kong and Godzilla movies would not be included in the study…..why?Ā  To us they fall into the fantasy category versus the science fiction category. (2) To be included in the page the movie’s box office grosses needed to be known.Ā  (3) The movie needed to have played in North American theaters.Ā  To help find all of these movies two books were a big help: Chris Barsanti’s The Sci-Fi Movie Guide and Tom DeMichael’s Modern Sci-Fi Films FAQ.Ā  If your favorite science fiction movie did not make the Top 200 then there is a good chance you can find it on our massive 625 Science Fiction Movies page.

All eight of these movies made the Top 200 Science Fiction Movie table
All eight of these movies made the Top 200 Science Fiction Movie table

Top 100 Science Fiction Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table

The really cool thing about this table is that it is ā€œuser-sortableā€. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort Top 100 Science Fiction movies by stars of the movie
  • Sort Top 100 Science Fiction movies by adjusted domestic box office using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Top 100 Science Fiction movies by domestic box office rank
  • Sort Top 100 Science Fiction movies by how they were received by critics and audiences.Ā  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
  • Sort Top 100 Science Fiction movies by how manyĀ OscarĀ® nominations and how many OscarĀ® wins each movie received.
  • Sort Top 100 Science Fiction movies by Ultimate Movie Ranking (UMR) Score.Ā  UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
R Movie (Year) UMR Co-Star Links Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) Review Oscar Nom / Win UMR Score
R Movie (Year) UMR Co-Star Links Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) B.O. Rank by Year Review Oscar Nom / Win UMR Score S
1 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
AA Best Picture Nom
Harrison Ford &
Alec Guinness
398.00 2,230.9 3,993.30 1 94 10 / 06 99.8
2 Gravity (2013)
AA Best Picture Nom
Sandra Bullock &
George Clooney
274.10 421.4 1,111.90 6 87 10 / 07 99.7
5 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
AA Best Picture Nom
Tom Hardy &
Charlize Theron
154.10 228.4 561.80 21 86 10 / 06 99.7
3 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
AA Best Picture Nom
Drew Barrymore &
Directed by Steven Spielberg
416.70 1,771.7 3,293.00 1 87 09 / 04 99.7
4 Inception (2010)
AA Best Picture Nom
Leonardo DiCaprio &
Michael Caine
292.60 463.5 1,307.90 6 86 08 / 04 99.6
7 Avatar (2009)
AA Best Picture Nom
Zoe Saldana &
Directed by James Cameron
748.80 1,247.9 4,627.00 1 85 09 / 03 99.6
6 Aliens (1986) Sigourney Weaver &
Michael Biehn
141.00 475.0 475.00 3 94 07 / 02 99.6
8 The Martian (2015)
AA Best Picture Nom
Matt Damon &
Jessica Chastain
228.40 338.7 934.40 8 88 07 / 00 99.5
10 Dune: Part Two (2024)
AA Best Picture Nom
TimothƩe Chalamet &
Zendaya
282.10 282.1 711.80 7 87 05 / 02 99.5
9 WALLĀ·E (2008) Fred Willard &
Jeff Garlin
223.80 389.6 907.60 5 93 06 / 01 99.5
10 Terminator 2 (1991) Arnold Schwarzenegger 204.80 608.2 1,543.50 2 89 06 / 04 99.4
11 Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Richard Dreyfuss &
Directed by Steven Spielberg
124.40 697.3 1,659.70 3 91 08 / 01 99.4
12 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Harrison Ford &
Carrie Fisher
255.30 1,227.3 2,419.10 1 92 03 / 02 99.3
13 A Clockwork Orange (1971)
AA Best Picture Nom
Malcolm McDowell &
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
51.50 390.3 390.30 5 88 04 / 00 99.3
14 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Directed by Stanley Kubrick 56.90 543.1 543.10 1 92 04 / 01 99.3
15 Back to the Future (1985) Michael J. Fox &
Christopher Lloyd
209.60 738.1 1,338.40 1 91 04 / 01 99.2
16 Alien (1979) Sigourney Weaver &
Directed by Ridley Scott
106.10 528.2 528.20 2 92 02 / 01 99.1
17 The Truman Show (1998) Jim Carrey &
Ed Harris
125.60 334.8 703.90 11 91 03 / 00 99.1
18 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Harrison Ford &
Daisy Ridley
910.70 1,350.3 3,028.20 1 90 05 / 00 99.0
20 The Matrix (1999) Keanu Reeves &
Laurence Fishburne
171.50 423.6 1,145.10 5 85 04 / 04 99.0
19 Star Trek (2009) Chris Pine &
Leonard Nimoy
257.70 429.6 642.80 7 89 04 / 01 99.0
21 District 9 (2009)
AA Best Picture Nom
Sharlto Copley 115.60 192.7 351.40 26 86 04 / 00 99.0
27 The Terminator (1984) Arnold Schwarzenegger &
Michael Biehn
53.10 197.6 346.40 13 91 00 / 00 98.8
21 Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Chris Pratt &
Bradley Cooper
335.20 512.8 1,186.20 2 88 02 / 00 98.7
22 Minority Report (2002) Tom Cruise &
Directed by Steven Spielberg
132.10 284.6 772.40 17 88 01 / 00 98.6
24 Men in Black (1997) Will Smith &
Tommy Lee Jones
250.70 682.7 1,605.10 2 84 03 / 01 98.5
26 Planet of the Apes (1968) Charlton Heston 42.90 408.9 408.90 7 86 02 / 00 98.5
25 Jurassic Park (1993) Directed by Steven Spielberg 381.10 1,150.6 3,042.80 1 81 03 / 03 98.4
29 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) Kirk Douglas &
James Mason
22.90 621.1 621.10 3 82 03 / 02 98.4
33 War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017) Woody Harrelson 146.90 204.7 683.80 22 85 01 / 00 98.3
30 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) Woody Harrelson &
Elizabeth Banks
415.00 638.1 1,315.10 1 86 00 / 00 98.2
35 Arrival (2016)
AA Best Picture Nom
Amy Adams &
Jeremy Renner
100.50 145.3 293.90 30 90 08 / 01 98.2
31 Interstellar (2014) Matthew McConaughey &
Michael Caine
188.00 287.7 1,032.90 16 81 05 / 01 98.2
32 Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) Zoe Saldana &
Karl Urban
226.20 347.8 693.10 11 84 01 / 00 98.1
34 First Contact (1996) Patrick Stewart &
Jonathan Frakes
92.00 260.3 424.30 17 83 01 / 00 97.9
42 The Thing from Another World (1951) Howard Hawks 7.60 189.3 242.90 19 86 00 / 00 97.7
36 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) DeForest Kelly &
William Shatner
78.90 335.5 412.50 6 82 00 / 00 97.6
44 Super 8 (2011) Directed by J.J. Abrams 127.00 200.2 410.00 21 82 00 / 00 97.5
37 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Harrison Ford &
Mark Hamill
296.30 1,175.8 1,833.80 1 78 04 / 00 97.5
38 Star Trek: Beyond (2016) Simon Pegg &
Anton Yelchin
158.80 229.5 496.30 16 80 01 / 00 97.4
39 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Chris Pratt &
Kurt Russell
389.80 543.2 1,203.40 5 80 01 / 00 97.4
40 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Leonard Nimoy &
Walter Koenig
109.70 369.7 448.20 6 77 04 / 00 97.3
41 Rogue One (2016) Felecity Jones 522.20 754.6 1,511.60 1 78 02 / 00 97.1
51 Time Bandits (1981) Sean Connery &
Directed by Terry Gilliam
42.40 190.5 190.50 11 82 00 / 00 96.9
42 The Hunger Games (2012) Jennifer Lawrence &
Woody Harrelson
404.00 634.4 1,079.20 3 79 00 / 00 96.9
45 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) Natalie Portman &
Samuel L. Jackson
380.30 742.7 1,657.80 1 77 01 / 00 96.7
48 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) William Shatner &
George Takei
74.90 222.4 287.70 15 76 02 / 00 96.7
47 Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) James Franco 176.80 278.6 759.50 11 77 01 / 00 96.6
48 Cocoon (1985) Jessica Tandy &
Directed by Ron Howard
76.10 268.0 300.40 6 73 02 / 02 96.5
53 Dune (2021)
AA Best Picture Nom
TimothƩe Chalamet &
Dave Bautista
106.20 130.5 479.20 13 78 10 / 06 96.4
49 War of the Worlds (2005) Tom Cruise &
Directed by Steven Spielberg
234.30 457.6 1,155.80 4 73 03 / 00 96.3
50 Predator (1987) Arnold Schwarzenegger 75.90 242.7 365.80 7 74 01 / 00 96.0
57 Sleeper (1973) Woody Allen &
Diane Keaton
24.40 172.4 172.40 15 83 00 / 00 95.8
52 Total Recall (1990) Arnold Schwarzenegger 119.40 352.8 772.20 7 73 02 / 00 95.8
60 Twelve Monkeys (1995) Bruce Willis &
Brad Pitt
57.10 164.2 485.20 31 83 02 / 00 95.7
64 Ready Player One (2018) Directed by Steven Spielberg 135.80 185.3 791.10 24 78 01 / 00 95.7
59 Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Harrison Ford &
Ryan Gosling
92.10 128.3 361.30 34 90 05 / 02 95.6
67 Prometheus (2012) Charlize Theron &
Directed by Ridley Scott
126.50 198.6 633.40 24 74 01 / 00 95.6
54 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) Jennifer Lawrence &
Julianne Moore
332.10 508.2 1,148.00 3 73 00 / 00 95.5
55 On the Beach (1959) Gregory Peck &
Fred Astaire
13.60 284.2 460.40 17 71 02 / 00 95.5
70 The Abyss (1989) Michael Biehn &
Directed by James Cameron
54.20 170.7 282.60 24 78 04 / 01 95.2
56 Back to the Future Part II (1989) Michael J. Fox &
Christopher Lloyd
159.10 501.0 1,173.20 3 71 01 / 00 95.1
58 The Matrix ReLoaded (2003) Keanu Reeves &
Laurence Fishburne
281.60 583.7 1,538.40 4 71 00 / 00 95.0
61 I Am Legend (2007) Will Smith 256.40 465.8 1,063.50 6 71 00 / 00 94.9
63 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) William Shatner &
Christopher Lloyd
76.50 284.5 323.90 9 71 00 / 00 94.8
62 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) Woody Harrelson &
Donald Sutherland
281.70 417.7 968.90 7 71 00 / 00 94.8
65 Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Woody Harrelson &
Directed by Ron Howard
213.80 291.7 536.20 12 69 01 / 00 94.6
66 Jurassic World (2015) Chris Pratt 666.20 987.8 2,499.40 2 70 00 / 00 94.6
68 Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Adam Driver &
Mark Hamill
515.20 703.1 1,465.80 3 67 03 / 00 94.5
69 Signs (2002) Mel Gibson 228.00 491.3 879.80 6 69 00 / 00 94.4
80 RoboCop (1987) Peter Weller 53.40 170.8 170.80 16 77 02 / 00 94.4
82 Galaxy Quest (1999) Tim Allen &
Sigourney Weaver
71.60 176.8 224.00 29 76 00 / 00 94.3
85 The Andromeda Strain (1971) Arthur Hill 25.30 191.7 191.70 13 70 02 / 00 94.3
82 Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Tom Cruise &
Emily Blunt
100.20 153.3 566.90 34 84 00 / 00 94.3
71 Men in Black 3 (2012) Will Smith &
Tommy Lee Jones
179.00 281.1 979.90 14 69 00 / 00 94.2
72 Contact (1997) Jodie Foster &
Matthew McConaughey
100.90 274.8 466.00 15 68 01 / 00 94.1
73 Back to the Future Part III (1990) Michael J. Fox &
Christopher Lloyd
108.00 319.0 782.40 9 68 00 / 00 94.0
74 The X Files (1998) David Duchovny &
Gillian Anderson
83.90 223.6 504.20 22 68 00 / 00 94.0
75 Transformers (2007) Shia LaBeouf 319.20 580.0 1,289.40 3 66 03 / 00 94.0
87 The Fly (1958) Vincent Price 8.60 178.6 178.60 24 74 00 / 00 93.8
88 Lucy (2014) Scarlett Johansson &
Morgan Freeman
126.70 193.8 708.90 25 69 00 / 00 93.8
76 Independence Day (1996) Will Smith &
Jeff Goldblum
306.20 865.9 2,311.70 1 64 02 / 01 93.8
86 Blade Runner (1982) Harrison Ford &
Directed by Ridley Scott
27.60 117.3 154.70 27 91 02 / 00 93.6
77 Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) Reese Witherspoon &
Paul Rudd
198.40 330.6 635.80 11 66 00 / 00 93.5
78 Robots (2005) Robin Williams &
Mel Brooks
128.20 250.4 509.20 15 66 00 / 00 93.5
79 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Natalie Portman &
Ewan McGregor
308.20 664.2 1,394.80 3 65 01 / 00 93.4
90 A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) Haley Joel Osment &
Directed by Steven Spielberg
78.60 173.9 522.00 28 72 02 / 00 93.3
83 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) Rick Moranis 130.70 411.6 411.60 6 65 00 / 00 93.2
84 I, Robot (2004) Will Smith 144.80 291.5 698.90 12 65 01 / 00 93.2
91 Fantastic Voyage (1966) Stephen Boyd 13.80 156.2 156.20 22 72 05 / 02 92.9
94 Outbreak (1995) Dustin Hoffman &
Morgan Freeman
67.70 194.4 545.60 24 66 00 / 00 92.6
89 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) Liam Neeson &
Ewan McGregor
457.10 1,129.2 2,494.00 1 61 03 / 00 92.5
92 The Fly (1986) Jeff Goldblum &
Geena Davis
40.50 136.3 204.30 25 81 01 / 01 92.4
95 Westworld (1973) Yul Brynner 21.20 149.8 149.80 17 79 00 / 00 92.4
93 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Donald Sutherland 24.70 132.2 132.20 26 85 00 / 00 92.3
100 Forbidden Planet (1956) Walter Pidgeon 6.00 136.4 216.60 44 82 01 / 00 92.1
102 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Kevin McCarthy 6.00 136.4 136.40 47 82 00 / 00 91.8
102 The Fifth Element (1997) Bruce Willis &
Milla Jovovich
63.80 173.8 718.70 24 68 01 / 00 91.7
103 Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) Ty Burrell 111.50 170.6 421.80 29 71 00 / 00 91.6
105 Pacific Rim (2013) Idris Elba 101.80 156.5 631.90 34 75 00 / 00 91.3
Harrison Ford has 7 movies in the Top 200
Harrison Ford has 7 movies in the Top 200

Didn’t see your favorite science fiction movie?Ā  Want more science fiction movie stats? Then our 640 Science Fiction Movie Page is just for you.

(Visited 9,623 times)

41 thoughts on “Top 100 Science Fiction Movies”

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  1. SteinHoF16 says:
    August 20, 2016 at 8:28 am

    Wonderful page. I appreciate all the hard work you put into this page. Glad to see Star Wars doing so well. I was also glad to see Moon sneaking into the list.

    Reply
    1. Cogerson says:
      August 20, 2016 at 10:37 pm

      Hey Stein….thanks of the nice words about the page….I was glad that Moon got into the Top 200 too…..thinking I will be updating this page yearly….and it will probably get kicked out of the Top 200 soon….but for now it is there. Star Wars is the Godfather of Science Fiction movies…not thinking it will ever get bumped from the top spot.

      Reply
  2. Steve Lensman says:
    August 20, 2016 at 7:23 am

    The Top 200 eh… and I’ve seen 1,2,3… all of them, all 200. I must be a sci-fi fan, gosh. šŸ™‚

    Sci-fi has always been my favorite movie genre and I used to read a lot of sci-fi too, Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Van Vogt. My username Lensman was taken from a series of sci-fi novels by E.E. Doc Smith the ‘father of space opera’. I wrote an article about him at Hubpages.

    Bruce, just noticed… there’s classic sci-fi missing from the list [cue gasps] and it’s missing from the 625 too, one of my favorites – http://hubpages.com/entertainment/A-Trip-to-Metaluna-This-Island-Earth-1955

    No worries, it wasn’t a box office success and the critics weren’t impressed by it but to the true sci-fi fan it’s one of the all time classics.

    Great to see one of my top favorites topping the UMR and box office charts – Star Wars 1977, my favorite from that series. And the Empire Strikes Back tops the critics chart, I don’t know why but you have Wall-E topping the critics chart on the previous page.

    Kubrick’s 2001 down to no.8 on the critics chart, and beaten by a Pixar cartoon, oh how the mighty have fallen. šŸ˜‰

    The Mask of Fu Manchu features a laser weapon but I’m still not sure it qualifies as sci-fi. Forever Young sci-fi or fantasy? Flatliners sci-fi or horror?

    I enjoyed Star Trek Beyond but it hasn’t been a big hit. I hope they make more.

    Excellent work Bruce. Horror next? [Bruce groans] Voted Up!

    Reply
    1. Cogerson says:
      August 20, 2016 at 10:35 pm

      Hey Steve….congrats on 100%….I am not too far behind you….as I am at 196. Laurent is also pretty close…as he is at 149….I think it is safe to say we are all sci-fi fans. Thanks for the behind the scenes information on your internet name. Although I have to admit…I am not to aware of E.E. Doc Smith…though I do remember your HubPage on him…but I need to go back and get a refresher.

      I have included This Island Earth…..it got close to the Top 200…..but not close enough….it can now be found on the “now” 626 Science Fiction Movie Page. Thanks for the headsup on that movie.

      I fixed the Wall-E issue on the other page…needless to say….getting that massive table lined up was a pain for sure.

      As for Mask of Fu Manchu and Forever Young….they are questionable ones….but in the end they made the cut.

      I agree with you about Star Trek Beyond….how it was not a bigger hit makes no sense to me either.

      As always…thanks for your input and thoughts on these science fiction movie.

      Reply
  3. Laurent says:
    August 20, 2016 at 4:44 am

    Hello Bruce,

    Wow great job. I love SF movies. In this list there are many great, cult and masterpiece movies. Terminator, Inception, Star Wars, Back To the Futur, Soylent Green, 12 Monkeys, Metropolis, Blade Runner, Alien, Oblivion etc, etc.
    I’ve seen 149 movies listed in this table. Only few I didn’t like.

    I send you my file for the 1950’s movies. Did you received it ?

    Reply
    1. Cogerson says:
      August 20, 2016 at 10:23 pm

      Hey Laurent. Thanks for the nice words about our Top 200. You have seen almost 75% of these movies…..Steve is at 200….while I am at 194. You have listed some great movies as your favorites. I got your latest figures….though Debbie has not put them into the Laurnet file in our database…..thanks for sending that information and for commenting.

      Reply
  4. Katie says:
    August 19, 2016 at 11:53 pm

    I’ve seen lots of these movies! I was surprised at some of the titles included, like Jurassic Park, but I guess that does qualify as science fiction. Great list! I like the links to stars’ pages!

    Reply
    1. Cogerson says:
      August 20, 2016 at 9:51 pm

      Wow a Katie sighting…I am impressed. Glad you liked the page and even gladder you checked out the page of your own free will.

      Reply
  5. Helakoski says:
    August 19, 2016 at 11:45 pm

    Really like the Top 50. I do have a question is The Truman Show a science fiction movie? A wonderful list.

    Reply
    1. Cogerson says:
      August 20, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      Hey Helakoski…..originally The Truman Show did not make the cut…..but when I was looking at some of the other lists out there…it was listed on almost all the lists….so I included it here too. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

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