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Total Nerd The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
Originally by Ranker Film
59.6k votes 4.8k voters 84.8k views 108 items
In space, no one can hear you scream... but everyone else in the movie theater can. If you're searching for a gasp-worthy flick for movie night, look no further. These are the best science fiction action movies, featuring humans battling each other and struggling for survival against alien forces. These top sci fi action movies include titles ranging from Blade Runner to Planet of the Apes to Waterworld.
What films will you find on this list of the best sci fi action movies? In the 1979 film Alien, the crew of the Nostromo spacecraft fights a seemingly unstoppable extraterrestrial being that is both deadly and terrifying. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) used every resource available to survive the voyage. Mad Max: Fury Road is another acclaimed action science fiction film that focuses on earthbound monsters instead. Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg teamed up for the 2005 remake of War of the Worlds. Other good movies featured on this list include The Matrix, The Last Man on Earth, and 12 Monkeys.
Which film deserves the top spot on this list? Give your favorites a thumbs up to move them towards number one, and please add any good action sci fi movies that are missing.
rerankers: 396
Neil McDowell added Aliens Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn
Aliens is a 1986 American science-fiction action horror film written and directed by James Cameron, produced by his then-wife Gale Anne Hurd, and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael ...more
Dan Thompson added Terminator 2: Judgment Day Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong, Linda Hamilton
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action thriller film written, produced and directed by James Cameron. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert ...more
The Matrix Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
Matrix is a 1999 short film directed by Nicky Hamlyn.
cloudcity40 added Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill
The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay, with George Lucas writing the film's story ...more
Dan Thompson added Star Wars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill
Alien Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian Holm
Alien is a 1979 science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. ...more
Neil McDowell added The Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton, Linda Hamilton
The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction/horror action film directed by James Cameron, written by Cameron and the film's producer Gale Anne Hurd. Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a ...more
Predator Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers
Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill ...more
Dan Thompson added The Fifth Element Milla Jovovich, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman
The Fifth Element is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film directed and co-written by Luc Besson. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich. Mostly set in the ...more
Blade Runner Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young
Blade Runner is a 1982 American neo-noir dystopian science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. The screenplay, ...more
Valdave added Avatar Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Avatar is a 2009 American epic science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron, and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, Giovanni ...more
starwarssuperfan added Guardians of the Galaxy Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista
Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 American superhero film directed by James Gunn, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) forms a group of intergalactic "bad ...more
starwarssuperfan added Jurassic Park Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the first installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. It is based on the 1990 novel of the ...more
Valdave added Independence Day Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox
Independence Day is a 1996 American science fiction disaster film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. The film stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, ...more
starwarssuperfan added Avengers: Infinity War Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
Avengers: Infinity War is a 2018 American superhero film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. Torn apart after the events of Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers join forces with the Guardians ...more
Valdave added Inception Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard
Inception is a 2010 science fiction thriller film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars a large ensemble cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph ...more
Valdave added Edge of Tomorrow Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 American military science fiction thriller film starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Doug Liman directed the film. The film takes place in a future where Earth is ...more
Dan Thompson added Total Recall Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, and Sharon Stone. The film is loosely based on the Philip ...more
Serenity Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin, Nathan Fillion
Serenity is a 2005 American space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of Whedon's short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly and stars the ...more
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Scarlett Johansson, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a 2014 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Captain America, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios ...more
Ненад Мићевић added RoboCop Alex Van Halen, Peter Weller, Leeza Gibbons
RoboCop is a 1987 American cyberpunk action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan, in the near future, RoboCop ...more
Valdave added Men in Black Will Smith, Sylvester Stallone, Steven Spielberg
Men in Black is a 1997 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, produced by Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. ...more
billymac00 added Starship Troopers Neil Patrick Harris, Denise Richards, Amy Smart
Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier. The story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his ...more
starwarssuperfan added Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand, and the third and final film in the original Star Wars trilogy. After a daring ...more
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