No other movie genre defines the male-nerd-stereotype more than science fiction does; ask somebody to picture a "sci-fi geek" and they'll probably describe a young bespectacled man with some action figures or graphic t-shirts. Just look at The Big Bang Theory for an example of pop-culture's false dichotomy of sci-fi enthusiasts versus typical women.
This perception is no doubt shaped by, and maybe even to blame for, the fact that most well-known science fiction movies are made by men in the first place. It's similarly unusual and noteworthy when the lead of a successful sci-fi movie is female. Nevertheless, it's faulty to assume that women have no place at all in sci-fi, especially when they have been directing great movies in the genre since the '80s.
10 Bird Box (2018): 6.6
The Netflix horror movie that became a meme, Bird Box is based on a book by Josh Malerman and was directed by the prolific, Danish director Susanne Bier.
The movie stars Sandra Bullock as a mother attempting to protect her children from a frightening monster that mysteriously kills everyone who lays eyes on it, necessitating blindfolds for anyone venturing outside. Although lacking rave reviews from critics, it was immensely popular nevertheless.
9 Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012): 6.7
This Sci-Fi adventure-comedy-romance was directed by Lorene Scafaria, also known for the more recent Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu. Seeking A Friend for the End of the World stars Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley.
After learning that a meteor is predicted to wipe out humanity in three weeks, the two embark on a road trip to locate an old flame of Carrell's character but end up falling for each other along the way.
8 Turbo Kid (2015): 6.7
Turbo Kid is a Canadian movie directed by a trio including Anouk Whissell. In addition to a number of short films, she's also directed the 2018 feature film Summer of 84 with the same partners. It follows a character known simply as "The Kid," played by Munro Chambers (also known as Eli from Degrassi).
The setting is a post-apocalyptic version of 1997, and it's full of apocalyptic sci-fi tropes including a tyrannical overlord, BMX rides, junk dealers, and a lovable robot woman.
7 Captain Marvel (2019): 6.9
Captain Marvel, co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and starring Brie Larson, has inspired a wide range of reactions since its release. It's simultaneously one of the worst-rated MCU movies on Metacritic while also being one of Brie Larson's best-rated movies on IMDb.
It stands out amongst the rest of the MCU films for other reasons, too: with the exception of Coulson and Nick Fury, the story hardly connects at all to previously popular characters. More notably, perhaps, it's the only MCU film starring a woman as a superhero and the only one to be directed by a woman.
6 Testament (1983): 6.9
Based on a short story, Testament was directed by Lynne Littman, who had previously earned an Academy Award for a short documentary. At only an hour and a half long, it's a bleak look at what might happen if all major cities in the U.S. were subject to nuclear bombing.
As the movie goes on, more and more characters succumb to radiation poisoning, while the protagonist Carol (whom Jane Alexander earned an Oscar nomination for portraying) tries to stay hopeful. Certainly not a unique concept, the movie went on to inspire other speculative war disaster media such as the TV show Jericho.
5 Real Genius (1985): 7.0
Real Genius stars a young Val Kilmer as a genius college student inventor. Coasting through school on his genius, he's an egotistical, eccentric slacker. The movie sees him team up with other students, including highschooler Mitch, to build a laser for their professor who is secretly working for a CIA super-weapon project.
Humorous hijinks ensue, involving increasingly ridiculous inventions and pranks, finally culminating in an elaborate plot to sabotage the weapon project. While this movie is definitely not a beacon of feminism, it's directed by Martha Coolidge. Coolidge has over 50 credits to her name on IMDb, many of which are episodes for popular shows such as Psych and CSI.
4 Strange Days (1995): 7.2
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (who is also known for The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, and the sci-fi adjacent vampire thriller Near Dark), Strange Days features big names James Cameron, Angela Bassett, and Ralph Fiennes. The film combines real-life issues such as racism and police conflicts with fictional technology that records memories and physical experiences.
Called a "SQUID", the device is not only illegal but leads to secret and falsified recordings and even brain damage. Although it flopped in the box office when it was released and earned mixed reviews, it nevertheless won Best Director and Best Actress at the 1995 Saturn Awards and has gained loyal fans in the years since.
3 Cloud Atlas (2012): 7.4
Cloud Atlas is based on a book of the same name and was directed by Tom Tykwer and Lana Wachowski. Its unconventional format follows six storylines happening across hundreds of years and all around the world. With an IMDb rating of 7.4 out of 10, it also places high among the top Sci-Fi movies with LGBTQ+ leads.
On the other hand, it has been criticized for the racist practice of white actors portraying Asian characters.
2 Wonder Woman (2017): 7.4
Wonder Woman was directed by Patty Jenkins, mostly known for her work in television prior to this 2017 DC extended universe installment.
At 7.4 out of 10 Wonder Woman has the highest rating of any of the DC movies on IMDb, and was also received favorably on other platforms including Rotten Tomatoes (93% or 7.64 out of 10) and Metacritic (76 out of 100).
1 The Matrix (1999): 8.7
The Matrix is one of the most iconic and well-loved sci-fi movies of the past few decades, even in spite of the aspects of the movie that might make it seem dated.
With its mind-bending false-reality premise, it's inspired plenty of fan theories, from the credible to far-fetched. And even though the Wachowskis were known as the Wachowski Brothers at the time of the movie's production and release, they have both since come out as transgender women (and Lilly Wachowski even recently admitted that their identities heavily influenced their creation of the movie).
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