Last updated March 2024
Looking for the cream of the Best Sci-Fi Movies 2016 crop? We assembled 30 marvelous, critic- and user-beloved Best Sci-Fi Movies 2016 available for your viewing enjoyment right now. With universal acclaim from IMDB and our knowledgeable user community, these world-class titles are as good as entertainment gets. Help fellow viewers uncover their next great find by voting for your personal favorites. We value your help spotlighting the finest titles out there!
24 (2016)
Plot Summary:
A scientist invents a time machine but his evil twin brother is after it and will go to any lengths to get the device in his hands
Duration: 164 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama, Musical, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: time travel, brother, time loop, brother brother relationship, time warp, fight for supremacy, revenge, fight, time machine, scientist, battles, brothers, time jump, dysfunctional family, rivalry, twin brother, relationship problems, family problems, time portal, showdown, time, genius, parallel world, twins, entertainment
Arrival (2016)
Plot Summary:
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 747000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: alien, first contact, female protagonist, linguist, ufo, time, science, alien race, alien contact, extraterrestrial, scientist, twists and turns, alien invasion, communication, spacecraft, alien creature, alien life-form, memory, language barrier, life & death, existentialism, creature, flash forward, space, husband wife relationship
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Plot Summary:
A rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring a new hope to the galaxy
Duration: 133 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 675000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: star wars, space opera, female protagonist, rebellion, robot, space travel, tough girl, spacecraft, rebel, self sacrifice, strong female lead, jedi, good versus evil, space, outer space, female fighter, blind man, alien, gunfight, rebel leader, evil empire, spaceship, wilhelm scream, space battle, behind enemy lines
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Plot Summary:
Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies
Duration: 147 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 835000
Genere: Action, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, comic book, heroes, disagreement, female agent, civil war, battles, vigilante, supernatural power, super powers, fight scenes, brainwashing, escape, chase, friendship between men, villain, crossover, superpower, tony stark character, multiverse, vengeance, giant, torture, on the run, teamwork
Doctor Strange (2016)
Plot Summary:
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under her wing and trains him to defend the world against evil
Duration: 115 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 789000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, magic, wizard, sorcerer, parallel universe, fantasy world, time, time loop, good versus evil, mentor, multiverse, training, alternate world, neurosurgeon, comic book, supernatural power, magician, alternate dimension, doctor, fight scenes, teleportation, time travel, levitation, one against many, martial arts
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Plot Summary:
After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack
Duration: 103 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 348000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: apocalypse, alien invasion, post apocalypse, alien, kidnapping, twists and turns, ufo, bunker, end of the world, strong female character, paranoia, survivalist, bomb shelter, conspiracy theory, captive, underground bunker, car accident, held captive, disposing of a dead body, farmhouse, murder, puzzle, car crash, strong female lead, survival
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition) (2016)
Plot Summary:
Duration: 182 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 67000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, villain, alien, revenge, amazon, billionaire, orphan, team, rivalry, reporter, vigilante, gotham city, superhero team, superheroine, mad scientist, masked superhero, flying superhero, adoptive father, alien superhero, lex luthor character, anti hero, jimmy olsen character, batman, wonder woman, superman
Gantz: O (2016)
Plot Summary:
Somewhere in Tokyo, there is a room. In that room is a black sphere. Periodically, people who should otherwise have died are transferred to the room. There, the sphere gives them special suits and weapons, and sends them out on a mission to kill aliens here on Earth. While these missions take place, the rest of the world is largely oblivious to them. These missions are lethal - few participants survive them. The sphere calls the shots, and it's not the slightest bit nice. Its name... Gantz
Duration: 95 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: good versus evil, monster, human versus monster, game, alien encounter, violence, giant monster, heroes, evil alien, katana, resurrection, teleportation, back from the dead, female monster, countdown, game of death, soldier, computer, alien monster, survival, superhero, teenager, alien, samurai, mutant
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Plot Summary:
The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test
Duration: 122 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 256000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, China
Plot tags: star trek, space opera, alien, space travel, outer space, alien race, space battle, mythology, good versus evil, alien planet, wilhelm scream, deep space, space, alien civilization, friendship, self sacrifice, interracial friendship, teleportation, creature, stranded, vengeance, fantasy world, chase, revenge, spaceship crash
Passengers (2016)
Plot Summary:
A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 436000
Genere: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Australia
Plot tags: space travel, outer space, isolation, survival, love story, space program, loneliness, trapped in space, space, space station, love, malfunction, spacecraft, destiny, spaceship, dating, stranded, dystopic future, robot, rescue, moral dilemma, redemption, self sacrifice, space shuttle, hibernation
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Plot Summary:
After the re-emergence of the world's first mutant, world-destroyer Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan
Duration: 144 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 455000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: comic book, superhero, mutant, superhero team, transformation, superpower, heroes, teleportation, technology, x men, good versus evil, psychic, disguise, justice, genetics, betrayal, female agent, fight, vigilante, fight scenes, professor, apocalypse, pyramid, telekinesis, super speed
Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
Plot Summary:
Robin is sent by Batman to work with the Teen Titans after his volatile behavior botches up a Justice League mission. The Titans must then step up to face Trigon after he possesses the League and threatens to conquer the world
Duration: 78 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, justice league, superhero team, comic book, heroes, villain, supernatural, friendship, justice, vengeance, transformation, superman, multiverse, battles, violence, showdown, mentor, rivalry, danger, exodus, epic battle, teen superhero, superpower, batman, werewolf
Shin Godzilla (2016)
Plot Summary:
From the mind behind Evangelion comes a hit larger than life. When a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and tears through the city, the government scrambles to save its citizens. A rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red tape to uncover the monster's weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side - the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes
Duration: 120 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 33000
Genere: Action, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Plot tags: godzilla, giant monster, kaiju, monster, destruction, creature feature, giant, creature, military, scientist, evolution, danger, radioactivity, tunnel, reporter, evacuation, biohazard, prime minister, missile, mutant, save the world, dinosaur, battles, end of the world, beast
Ghostbusters (2016)
Plot Summary:
Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat
Duration: 117 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 242000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Australia
Plot tags: ghost, women, supernatural, female protagonist, feminism, transformation, monster, chase, justice, stereotypes, female friendship, teamwork, suicide, creature, punched in the face, misandry, male objectification, battles, danger, four friends, paranormal investigator, fight, supernatural power, poltergeist, evil spirit
Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
Plot Summary:
Bruce Wayne is missing. Alfred covers for him while Nightwing and Robin patrol Gotham City in his stead. And a new player, Batwoman, investigates Batman's disappearance
Duration: 72 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Crime, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: batman, superhero, gunfight, justice, fantasy world, vigilante, adaptation, comic book, superpower, murder, chase, transformation, multiverse, criminal, good versus evil, hand to hand combat, mansion, rescue, disappearance, lgbt, heroes, villain, redheaded woman, motorcycle, nun
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016)
Plot Summary:
The magical kingdom of Lucis is home to the world’s last remaining Crystal, and the menacing empire of Niflheim is determined to steal it. King Regis of Lucis commands an elite force of soldiers called the Kingsglaive. Wielding their king’s magic, they fight to protect Lucis. As the overwhelming military might of the empire bears down, King Regis is faced with an impossible ultimatum – to marry his son, Prince Noctis to Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae, captive of Niflheim, and surrender his lands to Niflheim rule. Although the king concedes, it becomes clear that the empire will stop at nothing to achieve their devious goals, with only the Kingsglaive standing between them and world domination
Duration: 110 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan, USA
Plot tags: warrior, sword and sorcery, magic, heroes, medieval, king, magical, supernatural, magician, supernatural ability, imaginary, state affairs, imaginary kingdom, friendship, witchcraft, royal family, escapades, curses spells and rituals, superhero, dragon, video game, propaganda, misogynist, exodus, superpower
The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
Plot Summary:
In the future, a strange fungus has changed nearly everyone into a thoughtless, flesh-eating monster. When a scientist and a teacher find a girl who seems to be immune to the fungus, they all begin a journey to save humanity
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
IMDB Votes: 64000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: zombie, pandemic, post apocalypse, apocalypse, infection, zombie apocalypse, end of the world, military, zombie child, children, undead, virus, scientist, teacher, feral child, social commentary, distopia, experiment, post apocalyptic, gas mask, abandoned city, epidemic, living dead, disease, chase
Midnight Special (2016)
Plot Summary:
A father and son go on the run after the dad learns his child possesses special powers
Duration: 112 min
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
IMDB Votes: 83000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Greece
Plot tags: father son relationship, on the run, supernatural, chase, superhuman powers, alien, kidnapping, supernatural ability, fbi, goggles, survival, existentialism, hostage, parallel universe, woods, family relations, parents and children, danger, firefighter, swamp, imaginary, youth, motel, gas station, psychic power
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Plot Summary:
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before
Duration: 151 min
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB Votes: 744000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, batman, revenge, superhuman powers, comic book, heroes, superman, rivalry, justice, alien, vigilante, good versus evil, wonder woman, save the world, death, imaginary, dark hero, brutality, violence, betrayal, murder, redemption, transformation, super powers, danger
A Cure for Wellness (2016)
Plot Summary:
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps but soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem
Duration: 146 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 107000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Germany, Luxembourg, USA
Plot tags: cure, patient, therapist, hospital, dark secret, spa, capitalism, macabre, slut, experiment, torture, boobs, capitalist, nubile girl, sauna, doctor, lust, car crash, nurse, health, employee, water, blonde, swimming pool, boss
ARQ (2016)
Plot Summary:
Two old friends living in a dystopic future become trapped in a mysterious time loop — one that may have something to do with an ongoing battle between an omnipotent corporation and a ragtag band of rebels
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Plot tags: time loop, time travel, twists and turns, survival, post apocalypse, life & death, distopia, creativity, memory, dystopia, parallel universe, post apocalyptic, apocalypse, catastrophe, technology, blonde, plot twist, time, puzzle, trapped, groundhog day, fistfight, hand to hand combat, outer space, epidemic
Spectral (2016)
Plot Summary:
A special-ops team is dispatched to fight supernatural being that have taken over a European city
Duration: 107 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 63000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Hungary
Plot tags: supernatural, danger, military, science, technology, chase, heroes, heroic mission, chaos and mayhem, escapades, survival, super soldier, distopia, violence, battles, fictional war, save the world, chaos, monster, alien, space and aliens, lone hero, robot, human experiment, last stand
Criminal (2016)
Plot Summary:
Bill Pope is a CIA agent on a mission in London tracking down a shadowy hacker nicknamed "The Dutchman." When he gets mysteriously ambushed and killed, an experimental procedure is used to transfer his memories into dangerous ex-convict Jericho Stewart. When he wakes up with the CIA agent's memories, his mission is to find The Dutchman and eliminate him before the hacker launches ICBM's and starts World War III. But complications soon arise and the mission turns personal
Duration: 113 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 69000
Genere: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Bulgaria
Plot tags: cia, prisoner, spy, cia agent, terrorism, espionage, swat team, female agent, violence, brutality, prison, death, husband wife relationship, convict, one against many, secret service, chase, surveillance, undercover, mission, manhunt, hitman, memory, criminal, terrorist
Colossal (2016)
Plot Summary:
A woman discovers that severe catastrophic events are somehow connected to the mental breakdown from which she's suffering
Duration: 109 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 68000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Spain, Canada, South Korea
Plot tags: giant monster, small town, creature, bullying, alcoholic, kaiju, moral dilemma, monster, drinking, alcoholism, childhood, giant robot, alternate reality, imagination, brutality, solitude, transformation, female protagonist, narcissist, female alcoholic, hometown, mental disorder, human monster, remote control, friends
Infinity Chamber (2016)
Plot Summary:
A man trapped in an automated prison must outsmart a computer in order to escape and try and find his way back to the outside world that may already be wiped out
Duration: 103 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: artificial intelligence, time paradox, escape attempt, subconscious, mind game, prisoner, father son relationship, man versus machine, prison escape, computer, mistaken identity, political prisoner, distopia, time travel, jail, trapped, confined space, robot, isolation, trapped in a room, dog, survival, time, time loop, puzzle
The Purge: Election Year (2016)
Plot Summary:
Two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police sergeant Leo Barnes has become head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge. On the night of what should be the final Purge, a betrayal from within the government forces Barnes and Roan out onto the street where they must fight to survive the night
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 6.0/10
IMDB Votes: 108000
Genere: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: murder, distopia, election, politics, survival, vigilante, revenge, social decay, class differences, fighting the system, gunfight, death, brutality, resistance, violence, political campaign, female politician, social injustice, church, showdown, experiment, supernatural, gory, dystopia, vengeance
Suicide Squad (2016)
Plot Summary:
From DC Comics comes the Suicide Squad, an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences
Duration: 123 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 713000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, villain, mission, super villain, dark hero, female warrior, comic book, fight scenes, villain turns good, villainess, creature, sarcasm, weapons, one against many, anti hero, mutant, tough girl, prisoner, secret mission, criminal heroes, prison escape, tattoo, batman, insanity, alter ego
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Plot Summary:
After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady, to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang
Duration: 112 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 99000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Hong Kong, China
Plot tags: ninja, turtle, martial arts, superhero, brother brother relationship, ninja turtle, mutant, heroes, transformation, fight scenes, monster, rat, comic book, sibling relationship, chase, vigilantism, justice, friendship, ninjitsu, one against many, superhero team, good versus evil, rhinoceros, talking animal, vigilante
The Void (2016)
Plot Summary:
In the middle of a routine patrol, officer Daniel Carter happens upon a blood-soaked figure limping down a deserted stretch of road. He rushes the young man to a nearby rural hospital staffed by a skeleton crew, only to discover that patients and personnel are transforming into something inhuman. As the horror intensifies, Carter leads the other survivors on a hellish voyage into the subterranean depths of the hospital in a desperate bid to end the nightmare before it's too late
Duration: 90 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada
Plot tags: body horror, monster, hospital, insanity, cosmic horror, another dimension, macabre, murder, mutation, human experiment, small town, isolation, gore, survival, violence, doctor, police officer, tentacle, blood, pregnant girl, brutality, nurse, supernatural, basement, mad doctor
Morgan (2016)
Plot Summary:
A corporate risk-management consultant must determine whether or not to terminate an artificial being's life that was made in a laboratory environment
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 5.8/10
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: twists and turns, cloning, moral dilemma, genetics, surveillance, violence, robot, death, artificial intelligence, chase, experiment, female robot, isolation, secret laboratory, humanoid, brutality, danger, escape, adaptation, storytelling, scientist, suicide, interrogation, lethal injection, fight