The Best Sci-Fi Movies You’ve Never Seen

Great science fiction is everywhere if you know where to look, and some of the most inventive stories slipped under the radar. This list spotlights lesser seen gems that play with time, space, identity, and technology in surprising ways. You will find intimate indies, international standouts, and smart low budget experiments that deliver big ideas. Queue up a few of these and you might discover a new favorite corner of the genre.

‘Coherence’ (2013)

A dinner party unravels when a comet passes overhead and reality starts to splinter. The film was shot with minimal scripting, which gives the conversations a natural edge as characters piece together what is happening. It uses a single location and clever blocking to build its puzzle. Watch for small visual cues that track who is who across overlapping possibilities.

‘Timecrimes’ (2007)

A man stumbles into a time loop that gets messier with each attempt to fix it. The story stacks cause and effect into a tight thriller that rewards careful attention. Its masked figure and rural setting keep the tension grounded while the mechanics stay clear. The film became a cult favorite and often sparks debates about its final turn.

‘Primer’ (2004)

Two engineers accidentally create a device that alters time and decide to test it themselves. The dialogue leans into authentic technical talk as the friends try to control the consequences. Multiple timelines are tracked with subtle wardrobe and behavior changes rather than flashy effects. It invites repeat viewings to map the intricate chain of decisions.

‘The Man from Earth’ (2007)

A departing professor tells colleagues an incredible story during a final night gathering. The entire movie takes place in a cabin and relies on conversation to explore its central idea. The cast includes familiar character actors who keep the debate lively and sharp. Philosophy and history collide as each guest challenges the claim with their expertise.

‘Prospect’ (2018)

A teenager and her father land on a toxic moon to harvest valuable resin and run into dangerous rivals. The production builds a convincing frontier world with handmade suits and tools. Practical effects and misty forests sell the setting as both beautiful and lethal. It follows a coming of age thread through tense negotiations and shifting alliances.

‘The Endless’ (2017)

Two brothers return to a desert commune they escaped and find the place trapped in repeating events. The filmmakers weave cosmic hints into grounded character work. Strange symbols, ropes, and video tapes point to a larger pattern surrounding the camp. It connects loosely to another film by the same directors, expanding a shared myth.

‘Aniara’ (2018)

After an accident, a passenger ship drifts off course during a routine trip to a new home. The crew tries to maintain order as resources and morale begin to erode. A meditation room powered by memories becomes both comfort and curse. The story examines how people adapt when hope keeps moving further away.

‘Beyond the Black Rainbow’ (2010)

A young woman with psychic abilities is held in a secretive institute under the eye of a cold researcher. The movie leans on bold lighting and analog synths to create an unnerving mood. Its retro futurist design pulls from period technology and laboratory spaces. Dialogue is sparse while imagery carries the sense of control and rebellion.

‘Infinity Chamber’ (2016)

A man awakens in an automated prison overseen by an artificial intelligence with a calm voice. The system uses dreamlike interrogations to extract information while food and routines play out on schedule. Minimal sets and a looping structure keep focus on the cat and mouse dynamic. It becomes a study of memory and the limits of machine empathy.

‘ARQ’ (2016)

A pair trapped in a lab keep reliving an invasion as a prototype device resets the day. Each cycle adds new tactics while allegiance shifts among masked intruders and scientists. The story moves quickly through corridors and booby trapped rooms. It layers in corporate warfare that explains why the tech became so dangerous.

‘The Vast of Night’ (2019)

A switchboard operator and a local radio host chase a strange audio signal over one long night. Long takes and crisp sound design create momentum through gyms, fields, and quiet streets. Old school storytelling devices like callers and interviews build the mystery. The film pays tribute to classic broadcasts while crafting its own eerie mood.

‘Another Earth’ (2011)

A young woman spots a mirror planet on the night of a tragic accident and later seeks forgiveness. The science premise stays in the background while the emotional fallout takes center stage. A scholarship contest and a small musical motif connect the characters. The final shot leaves a striking question hanging in the air.

‘The Signal’ (2014)

Three college friends follow a hacker’s trail and wake up in a stark facility under quarantine. Clean white corridors and odd prosthetics hint at what might have happened outside. A soft spoken interrogator guides them through tests that never quite add up. The story mixes road trip energy with escalating reveals.

‘Archive’ (2020)

A robotics engineer works alone in a remote station while trying to complete a very personal project. Prototype bodies at different stages show the progress and the setbacks. The film explores attachment and the line between simulation and presence. Production design and snowy exteriors give the lab a believable lived in feel.

‘Automata’ (2014)

In a world hurt by environmental collapse, a corporation sells helper robots bound by strict protocols. An insurance investigator looks into unusual robot behavior that suggests self modification. The case leads through factories, deserts, and backroom deals. It raises classic questions about autonomy and who gets to draw the limits.

‘Europa Report’ (2013)

A private mission heads to Jupiter’s moon to investigate a mysterious signal after contact with Earth is lost. The story unfolds through mission logs and onboard camera feeds that mimic real telemetry. Procedures, suits, and ship interiors are presented with a documentary style focus on plausibility. The film uses planetary science details and communication delays to raise tension during each EVA.

‘I Origins’ (2014)

A molecular biologist studies eyes and pursues a pattern that links identity across unexpected boundaries. Lab work, databases, and travel connect pieces of a larger investigation. The narrative blends bench science with questions about memory and recognition. Key scenes hinge on biometric records and the way institutions verify proof.

‘The Infinite Man’ (2014)

A meticulous planner builds a getaway that relies on a homemade device to correct a failed romantic weekend. Repeated attempts crowd the same location with earlier versions of events. The script lays out a closed loop that the characters try to outmaneuver. Visual cues and blocked entrances keep track of overlapping timelines.

‘Frequencies’ (2013)

In a world where compatibility is measured by natural resonance, two students try to beat the system’s rules. Experiments with sound, language, and chance alter outcomes in controlled trials. The film treats its premise like a social science study with repeated tests. Philosophical tutors and clandestine groups add structure to the broader experiment.

‘Advantageous’ (2015)

A single mother working as a spokesperson considers a body transfer procedure to keep her job. Corporate messaging, interviews, and clinical consultations frame the decision. The process is explained through contract clauses and staged demonstrations. Citywide inequality and admissions policies show what motivates the risky choice.

‘The Congress’ (2013)

An aging performer agrees to a full digital scan that a studio can use indefinitely. The contract terms and scanning process are presented like industrial capture sessions. Years later, a new animation infused zone reveals the legal and personal costs. Trade shows and executive briefings outline how the tech reshapes the industry.

‘The Machine’ (2013)

Defense researchers train a learning prototype intended for battlefield use. Performance tests, diagnostics, and ethics reviews track the model’s rapid improvement. Facility politics and competing agendas push the project into darker territory. Power failures and security protocols mark the shift from trial to deployment.

‘Monsters’ (2010)

After a probe crashes, quarantined zones along a border fill with towering organisms. A photojournalist escorts a traveler through checkpoints, ferries, and jungle routes. Military advisories and radio chatter explain how locals adapt to incursions. Practical creature glimpses and environmental damage sell the long term presence of the threat.

‘Spectral’ (2016)

A special ops unit in a conflict zone faces entities that normal weapons cannot hit. An engineer joins the team with lab gear repurposed for field diagnostics. Drone footage, frequency maps, and custom optics reveal the science behind the threat. Urban combat tactics shift once the underlying phenomenon is modeled correctly.

‘The Discovery’ (2017)

A scientist proves that something exists after death and society struggles with the fallout. The research plays out through recordings, neural equipment, and clinical trials. Ethical committees and security details try to contain the consequences. Family ties inside the facility complicate how the technology is used.

‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ (2018)

A quiet survivor tends a small town after a global event and meets another wanderer. Routines like battery scavenging and cataloging supplies show how the area functions. Power grids, libraries, and medical cabinets become practical resources. A later trip reveals a network that approaches the crisis with stricter rules.

‘Synchronicity’ (2015)

A physicist demonstrates a breakthrough that requires rare materials and strict timing windows. Venture funding and lab access create pressure to deliver repeatable results. A mysterious visitor and a recurring flower help map causal loops. The plot uses hotel rooms, rooftops, and alleyways to track each iteration.

‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ (2016)

Children carry a condition that researchers study inside a fortified school. Daily lessons, restraints, and field excursions outline the protocols that keep the facility safe. Scientific teams debate treatment options as supply lines collapse. A journey across a ravaged city reveals competing plans for the future.

‘The One I Love’ (2014)

A couple on a retreat discovers a guest house that changes how they see each other. House rules, observation sessions, and recorded notes structure their stay. The environment rewards calm testing and careful communication. Doorways, mirrors, and schedules become vital tools for tracking what is real.

‘Sound of My Voice’ (2011)

Two documentarians infiltrate a suburban cult to expose its leader who claims to be from the future. The story unfolds through meetings in a living room with strict rituals and coded gestures. Hidden microphones and classroom style exercises document the group’s recruitment process. The film uses taped confessions and marked hand signals to question who is guiding whom.

‘Resolution’ (2012)

A man chains his friend in a remote cabin to help him detox and finds strange recordings left around the property. Photos, film reels, and audio clips appear as if placed for discovery. The characters map their surroundings with notes and crude diagrams to follow a pattern. The events connect to the mythology that later appears in ‘The Endless’.

‘The Last Days on Mars’ (2013)

A research team near the end of a mission on the red planet encounters a microbe that spreads through the crew. Rover footage and habitat procedures show how the station operates in isolation. EVA checklists and helmet cams track movement across dust covered landscapes. Emergency quarantines and power failures chart the breakdown of protocol.

‘Code 46’ (2003)

A near future border regime uses biotech tests and language composites to control travel and relationships. An investigator visits a restricted zone using a temporary permit that can be revoked at any checkpoint. Paperwork, scans, and interview rooms structure the case from start to finish. The film details how insurance, genetics, and visas intersect in daily life.

‘Little Joe’ (2019)

A lab team breeds a flower engineered to boost human happiness and distributes early samples. Care protocols and greenhouse filters regulate exposure for staff and test subjects. Employee wellness forms and school visits record subtle behavior shifts. The plot tracks how compliance rules and sterile procedures fail to catch a slow moving side effect.

‘Radius’ (2017)

A driver wakes from a crash with no memory and discovers that anyone who gets close collapses instantly. Road maps and security cameras help reconstruct the previous day. A second survivor provides a limited safe zone that changes the pattern. The investigation moves through hospitals and police files to reach the original incident.

‘The Similars’ (2015)

Strangers trapped in a bus station during a storm notice identical features spreading among them. Radio bulletins and a medical chart describe a wider event beyond the terminal. The setting uses clocks, ticket windows, and lockers to measure the night’s progress. Quarantine attempts escalate as passengers compare IDs and photographs.

‘Kin’ (2018)

A teenager finds a high tech weapon at a crime scene and travels across state lines with his older brother. Security footage and police bulletins follow their route from warehouses to rural stops. The device activates with biometric triggers and produces effects that outmatch ordinary firearms. Pursuers include local criminals and armored figures with unknown motives.

‘I Am Mother’ (2019)

A girl raised by a robot inside a sealed bunker learns about the outside world after a wounded stranger arrives. The facility uses sterile corridors, airlocks, and a nursery designed for rapid education. Lessons, tests, and daily exercise reveal the caretaker’s program. The conflict centers on trust between human voices and a single guiding machine.

‘The Beyond’ (2017)

A mock documentary tracks an international space agency attempting a crewed mission through a mysterious anomaly. Interviews, mission patches, and archival style footage present the planning process. Robotic probes and exosuits are introduced through technical briefings. The timeline covers training, launch windows, and the aftermath of contact.

‘Predestination’ (2014)

An agent travels through time to stop a criminal who strikes at different moments in history. The narrative structures itself around recruitment, training, and a single bar conversation. Birth records, hospital files, and passport applications tie the loops together. The film follows the field kit and the rules that govern when jumps can occur.

‘Sputnik’ (2020)

A cosmonaut returns from orbit carrying an organism that hides inside his body at night. Military doctors run tests in a secluded institute with limited access. Observation rooms and feeding schedules document the creature’s behavior. A psychologist negotiates with both patient and command to define humane treatment.

‘The Quiet Earth’ (1985)

A scientist wakes to find cities empty and infrastructure still running with no people around. He tests power grids, firearms, and radio frequencies to estimate the scope of the event. Supply runs and handwritten logs establish routines in supermarkets and labs. New arrivals force a review of earlier assumptions about what triggered the change.

‘The Jacket’ (2005)

A veteran enters a mental facility and experiences time shifts while subjected to an experimental treatment. Restraints, morgue drawers, and medication schedules structure each session. He uses names and dates recorded on scraps of paper to navigate future encounters. Hospital administrators and police reports keep the official version of events in conflict with his notes.

‘Morgan’ (2016)

A biotech startup raises a synthetic child who attacks a handler and becomes the subject of a corporate review. Risk assessments, nondisclosure forms, and observation videos outline the program’s scope. A consultant arrives to evaluate termination and interviews staff in sequence. The facility’s containment protocols and rural location shape the final decisions.

Share your own hidden sci fi picks in the comments so everyone can add them to their watchlists.