Summer and science fiction have always been a natural pairing. The season is synonymous with blockbuster entertainment, and sci-fi continues to be one of the best genres for delivering larger-than-life action, ambitious storytelling, and unforgettable worlds. Whether you’re in the mood for futuristic adventures, mind-bending concepts, or spectacular visual effects, there’s no shortage of great options on Netflix.

The streaming service’s sci-fi library is constantly evolving, with a mix of modern hits, acclaimed originals, and crowd-pleasing adventures available to watch. If you’re looking for something exciting to stream during the hottest months of the year, these are the Netflix sci-fi movies worth adding to your watchlist.

The Creator (2023)

One of the most visually stunning sci-fi movies of the past few years, The Creator imagines a future where humanity is locked in a war against artificial intelligence. John David Washington stars as Joshua, a former special forces agent who is sent to track down a mysterious weapon that could end the conflict. His mission takes an unexpected turn when he discovers that the weapon is actually an AI child with the power to change the course of the war.

Director Gareth Edwards, best known for Rogue One and Godzilla, brings an impressive sense of scale to the film, creating a futuristic world that feels both immersive and believable. While The Creator explores familiar themes about artificial intelligence and humanity’s relationship with technology, its breathtaking visuals and ambitious world-building help it stand out from many of its sci-fi peers. If you’re looking for a big-screen sci-fi experience to kick off your summer streaming lineup, this is an easy place to start.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Few recent blockbusters have exceeded expectations the way Godzilla Minus One did. What could have been another effects-driven monster movie instead became a critically acclaimed hit thanks to its emotional storytelling, memorable characters, and stunning visual effects. Set in post-war Japan, the film follows a former kamikaze pilot whose personal struggles become intertwined with the arrival of Godzilla.

The film is a great return to form for the Godzilla franchise and takes viewers back to that epic Godzilla-destroys-a-city vibe that made the monster so popular to begin with. The MonsterVerse is great, but not everyone is a fan of the new kaiju-focused Hollow Earth plotline. The film serves as a reminder of why Godzilla became a global phenomenon in the first place. While recent entries have leaned into larger franchise storytelling, Godzilla Minus One keeps the focus on the monster’s destructive power and the people forced to survive in its wake. Combined with its Oscar-winning visual effects and emotional storytelling, the result is one of the strongest Godzilla movies in decades and an easy recommendation for sci-fi fans.

Atlas (2024)

Jennifer Lopez headlines Atlas, a sci-fi action movie that knows exactly what kind of entertainment it wants to be. The film follows Atlas Shepherd, a brilliant analyst who finds herself stranded on a hostile planet and forced to rely on a powerful AI-controlled mech suit to complete her mission. If giant robots, futuristic battles, and large-scale action sequences sound appealing, Atlas delivers plenty of all three.

While the movie leans heavily into familiar AI-versus-humanity territory, its fast pace and blockbuster-style action keep things moving. Between its mech combat, futuristic setting, and easy-to-follow story, Atlas is the kind of sci-fi adventure that’s perfect for a relaxed summer movie night when you’re looking for pure entertainment rather than something overly demanding.

Back to the Future (1985)

Back to the Future is a classic for a reason: It’s just so damn good. In the film, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) goes back to the year 1955 thanks to a time-traveling DeLorean invented by Emmet “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd). The movie is one of those family-friendly films that somehow didn’t feel childish or hokey, making it a nostalgic classic that many of us grew up with.

There’s also something oddly wholesome about it. While so many time travel stories involve dystopian hellscapes or the looming destruction of mankind, Back to the Future never feels melodramatic or depressing. Back to the Future Part II and Part III are also streaming on Netflix, so fans can dive further into the franchise if they want.

Don’t Look Up (2021)

Don’t Look Up‘s cast is an absolute who’s who of Hollywood and includes everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Jonah Hill, and Ariana Grande, to name just a few. The star-studded faces alone are enough to keep the movie interesting since a new star seems to pop up in every scene.

However, the film also has a story to tell. Inspired by America’s then political and cultural landscape, Don’t Look Up follows two scientists who discover that a rogue comet is hurling toward Earth and will kill everyone. However, the U.S. president (Streep) doesn’t seem to care about facts, and the American public is more interested in scandals than their impending doom. Don’t Look Up received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and is a great summer watch thanks to its brilliant dark humor and talented cast.

The YouTube-to-prestige-horror pipeline is looking very strong this weekend.

Taking the No. 1 spot at the box office is “Backrooms,” a feature film expansion of Kane Parsons’ series of YouTube videos featuring eerie found footage of a mysterious office space (drawn from a 4chan thread) that defies physics.

Directed by Parsons, “Backrooms” will bring in an estimated $81 million at the domestic box office this weekend alone. That’s the biggest opening by far for indie studio A24 — the previous record was held by “Civil War,” which made $25.7 in its first weekend of release.

The No. 2 film, “Obsession,” is pulling off something that’s arguably even more impressive. True, its estimated weekend total is a mere $26.4 million — but the movie (about a romantic wish gone nightmarishly wrong) already made more money in its second weekend than its first, and now its third weekend is set to grow another 10%.

For context, most wide release films normally fall between 50-70% in their second weekend; last year’s “Sinners” was considered an extraordinary word-of-mouth success because it fell less than 5%. Outside of Christmas releases (which have more staying power, thanks to the holidays), growing from weekend to weekend is unheard of — according to the Hollywood Reporter, “Obsession” is the first film since 1982 to grow on both its second and third weekends.

And like “Backrooms,” “Obsession” is a horror movie directed by someone who first made his name on YouTube — Curry Barker, whose YouTube filmmaking culminated (for now) in the hour-long found footage horror film “Milk & Serial” released in 2024. Barker has already shot his next film and is set to direct a remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

The two releases follow the surprise success of “Iron Lung,” a video game adaptation released earlier this year. Directed by Mark Fischbach — better known under his YouTube account name Markiplier — “Iron Lung” grossed nearly $41 million domestically.

In a New York Times article about the recent “YouTube-to-filmmaker boomlet,” Rutgers Cinema general manager Alex DelVecchio noted that “lots of YouTubers have tried to make the leap to mainstream movies and come up short.” What sets Parsons, Barker, and Fischbach apart? DelVecchio said that despite their youth (Parsons is 20, Barker is 26), they all have “longevity.”

“At this point, some of them have been making videos for a very long time, and that’s how you develop a loyal audience that will follow you,” he added.

Both films came in ahead of the first Star Wars film in seven years, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which is on track to gross $24 million this weekend.

By the way, while I haven’t seen “Backrooms” yet (fingers crossed for tomorrow), I have seen “Obsession.” So I can confirm that it absolutely does not disappoint — I watched most of the second half with my fingers over my eyes, and I may even have screamed a few times.

This post was first published on May 30. It has been updated with current box office numbers.