As a Sci-Fi Fan, These Hidden Gems on Netflix Blew Me Away

10. The Discovery (2017)

Based on a world where a scientist has proven, once and for all, that there is an afterlife, this movie delves into the repercussions, which include a surge in self-destructive activity, as people attempt to “get there” as fast as possible. It's a very dark, provocative film.

9. Stowaway (2021)

This is the stuff of a "hard" sci-fi survival thriller. In this tale, there is an accidental passenger found on a mission to Mars, but there are only enough life support systems available on the craft for three. "Space opera" conventions are stripped away in favor of the math problems and harsh realities associated with the survival aspects of space.

8. Psychokinesis (2018)

This South Korean movie, directed by the same person who made Train to Busan, is another great entry in the genre. A Security Guard turns telekinetic after an accident and uses the ability to save the small businesses owned by his daughter from the malicious activities of a construction company.

7. Europa Report (2013)

Found-footage Sci-Fi, in which scientific accuracy is the main focus. It involves a private expedition to Jupiter's moon, Europa, in search of extraterrestrial life. It explores the claustrophobia and wonder of space travel, in which the discovery of alien life is nothing short of a scientific mystery.

6. Cargo (2017)

Set in the Australian Outback during a pandemic, Cargo is a "zombie" flick that is wholly sci-fi/survivalist. A father, infected and having only 48 hours to live, must somehow protect his baby daughter. It is a tragic tale of legacy and indigenous knowledge in a world that is dying.

5. Color Out of Space (2019)

Its premise, based on an H.P. Lovecraft tale, centers on a family being driven to madness as a consequence of a meteor crashing on their farm. Cosmic horror is explored in this series through a "color" that alters all it comes into contact with.

4. I Am Mother (2019)

Intricate, philosophical thriller about a young girl brought up by a robot "Mother" programmed to repopulate Earth. This movie explores utilitarian principles and AI self-determination, questioning whether it is possible for a machine to comprehend the value of an individual life versus salvation.

3. The Block Island Sound (2020)

This movie combines nautical mystery with sci-fi horror. What is happening out in the waters is affecting the local wildlife as well as the townsfolk, strangely. It’s a slow burn about an unknown influence and living a laboratory life in an enormous, cold test tube.

2. Oxygen (2021)

A woman finds herself in a cryopod with no memory and an oxygen supply rapidly running out. The movie is a masterclass in how to use one location to spin a huge planet-sized mystery through the characters’ exchange with the AI entity named MILO.

1. They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

A splendid combination of 1970s-style Blaxploitation cinema and retro-futuristic science fiction. An odd group of three discovers the enormous government conspiracy of social engineering and cloning in their very own community. It’s acute, laugh-out-loud funny, and one hell of an allegory.