Here are the best A24 sci-fi movies including my favourites, award winners, critically acclaimed and cult favourites.
WYALAN star rating explained:
- 5 stars – Highly enjoyed and would highly recommend as a must watch
- 4 stars – Enjoyed and would watch again in the future
- 3 stars – Glad I watched it once, but I’ll probably never watch it again
- 2 stars – Watched to the end, but I wouldn’t watch it again
- 1 star – DNF (did not finish)
Award-Winning
Ex Machina (2015) – [Sci-Fi/Thriller/Philosophical]
For fans of: Her, Blade Runner 2049, Annihilation
Alex Garland’s directorial debut won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and earned a BAFTA for Outstanding British Film. Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander explore the boundaries of consciousness and control in a sleek AI chamber piece. The tension builds through dialogue, design, and dread.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) – [Sci-Fi/Action/Multiverse]
For fans of: Eternal Sunshine, The Matrix, Scott Pilgrim
Michelle Yeoh stars in Daniels’ genre-bending epic, which won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress. Beneath the chaos lies a tender love story between Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan’s characters, spanning timelines and regrets. The film redefined sci-fi storytelling with heart and invention. WYALAN Rating – 4.5/5
The Zone of Interest (2023) – [Sci-Fi/Formalist/Historical]
For fans of: Son of Saul, The White Ribbon, Come and See
Jonathan Glazer’s Cannes Grand Prix winner depicts the domestic life of a Nazi commandant living beside Auschwitz. The horror is ambient, the perspective chillingly detached. Though not traditional sci-fi, its formal detachment and sonic design evoke speculative unease.
More best A24 lists:
Best A24 Films ~ Best A24 Shows ~ Best A24 Horror Movies ~ Best A24 Romance Movies ~ Best A24 Documentaries ~ Best A24 Comedy Movies ~ Best A24 Thriller Movies ~ A24 Drama Movies
Critically Acclaimed
Under the Skin (2014) – [Sci-Fi/Horror/Experimental]
For fans of: Stalker, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Eraserhead
Scarlett Johansson plays an alien seductress harvesting men in Glasgow in Jonathan Glazer’s haunting adaptation of Michel Faber’s novel. The film’s eerie score and vérité visuals create a hypnotic atmosphere. Critics praised its ambiguity and emotional alienation.
High Life (2019) – [Sci-Fi/Drama/Philosophical]
For fans of: Solaris, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Possession
Claire Denis directs Robert Pattinson in a bleak space odyssey about isolation, reproduction, and entropy. Juliette Binoche co-stars in a story that unfolds like a fever dream. The film premiered at TIFF and earned acclaim for its sensual nihilism.
After Yang (2022) – [Sci-Fi/Drama/Family]
For fans of: Columbus, Never Let Me Go, Her
Kogonada’s meditative sci-fi stars Colin Farrell as a father grieving the loss of a robotic companion. The film explores memory, identity, and connection in a near-future domestic setting. Premiered at Cannes and praised for its quiet beauty.
Enemy (2014) – [Sci-Fi/Psychological/Surreal]
For fans of: Mulholland Drive, The Double, Solaris
Denis Villeneuve directs Jake Gyllenhaal in a dual role that spirals into identity confusion and spider symbolism. TIFF-premiered and widely praised for its atmosphere and ambiguity. The ending still sparks debate. WYALAN Rating – 3/5
The Lobster (2016) – [Sci-Fi/Dystopian/Absurdist]
For fans of: Eternal Sunshine, Dogtooth, Being John Malkovich
Yorgos Lanthimos directs Colin Farrell in a world where singles must find a partner or be turned into animals. Cannes Jury Prize winner and BAFTA-nominated, the film blends deadpan humour with existential dread. Rachel Weisz adds romantic tension to the surreal premise. WYALAN Rating – 4.5/5
Civil War (2024) – [Sci-Fi/Thriller/Political]
For fans of: Children of Men, Zero Dark Thirty, The Road
Alex Garland’s speculative epic follows journalists navigating a fractured America in the midst of internal conflict. Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Cailee Spaeny lead a cast praised for intensity and restraint. The film premiered at SXSW and sparked political debate. WYALAN Rating – 3/5
I Saw the TV Glow (2024) – [Sci-Fi/Horror/Coming-of-Age]
For fans of: Donnie Darko, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Eternal Sunshine
Jane Schoenbrun’s sophomore feature explores queer identity and dissociation through the lens of a mysterious late-night TV show. Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine star in this Sundance-premiered emotional odyssey. The visuals are hypnotic, the feelings subterranean. WYALAN Rating – 2.5/5
Dream Scenario (2023) – [Sci-Fi/Comedy/Surreal]
For fans of: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, The Truman Show
Nicolas Cage plays a professor who inexplicably begins appearing in people’s dreams, triggering fame and backlash. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), the film premiered at TIFF and earned acclaim for its originality. The satire is sharp, the surrealism grounded. WYALAN Rating – 3.5/5
Cult Favourites
Men (2022) – [Sci-Fi/Horror/Allegorical]
For fans of: Mother!, The Wicker Man, Possession
Alex Garland’s folk-horror descent stars Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear in a village of uncanny menace. Visually bold and thematically divisive, it premiered at Cannes and sparked intense debate. The final act is unforgettable.
False Positive (2021) – [Sci-Fi/Horror/Psychological]
For fans of: Rosemary’s Baby, The Invitation, Swallow
Ilana Glazer co-wrote and stars in this stylised pregnancy thriller with Pierce Brosnan as a sinister fertility doctor. Premiered at Tribeca and praised for its feminist horror lens. The tone is glossy, the paranoia sharp.
Under the Silver Lake (2019) – [Sci-Fi/Neo-Noir/Conspiracy]
For fans of: Inherent Vice, Mulholland Drive, The Big Lebowski
Andrew Garfield wanders Los Angeles in search of a missing woman and a hidden code beneath pop culture. David Robert Mitchell’s divisive follow-up to It Follows premiered at Cannes and built a cult following. The rabbit holes are endless.
Woodshock (2017) – [Sci-Fi/Experimental/Psychological]
For fans of: Upstream Color, Antichrist, The Beach
Kirsten Dunst stars in this dreamlike descent into grief and altered perception, directed by fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy. The visuals are hazy, the narrative elliptical. Critics were split, but its aesthetic remains singular.
Equals (2016) – [Sci-Fi/Romance/Dystopian]
For fans of: Gattaca, THX 1138, Never Let Me Go
Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult fall in love in a society where emotion is outlawed. Directed by Drake Doremus, the film is visually sleek and emotionally restrained. The romance simmers beneath sterile surfaces.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2018) – [Sci-Fi/Romance/Punk]
For fans of: Scott Pilgrim, Velvet Goldmine, Submarine
Elle Fanning and Alex Sharp star in this punk-infused alien romance based on Neil Gaiman’s short story. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), the film is quirky, colourful, and defiantly weird. Critics were divided, but its cult appeal endures.
The Green Knight (2021) – [Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Surreal]
For fans of: The Fall, The Fountain, The Witch
Dev Patel stars in David Lowery’s adaptation of the Arthurian legend, blending surreal visuals with existential dread. The film premiered at SXSW and was praised for its ambition and atmosphere. Honour, fear, and fate intertwine in a haunting journey.