Sci-Fi and Fantasy fans have had plenty to chew on in 2025, including a number of projects that stood out as franchise installments or standalone endeavors. Science fiction and fantasy are among the most imaginative, awe-inspiring genres in Hollywood, with numerous classics included among them. Some of the best sci-fi movies of all time, from Star Wars to 2001: A Space Odyssey, have redefined Hollywood with their ingenious contributions to the medium. Will any projects from 2025 do the same?
While our list includes additions to beloved franchises like Alien and Predator, there are some notable titles lacking. On the fantasy front, Wicked: For Good just barely missed the cut, despite its 2024 predecessor being well worth inclusion. Likewise, Stranger Things Season 5 hasn't hit hard enough just yet to crack the top ten.
10 Alien: Earth
FX
Noah Hawley’s take on one of the greatest films of all time succeeds at both iterating and expanding on Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece. As the title suggests, Alien: Earth repositions the franchise on our planet, which has (plausibly) been taken over by feuding oligarchs. Hawley introduces us to compelling new characters, including Timothy Olyphant’s more traditional synth, and Wendy (Sydney Chandler), one of a new generation of synth hybrids built with human consciousness harvested from terminally ill kids. The first season focuses on the hybrids as they navigate this new existence, complicated by their billionaire creator’s acquisition of dangerous extraterrestrial specimens, including a Xenomorph and this year’s breakout star, Trypanohyncha ocellus – an eyeball with tentacles and absolutely deranged parasitic tendencies.
While the finale felt a little unfinished, Alien: Earth is still a thrilling watch. Hawley’s production design is predictably sublime, particularly in the fifth episode, a classic Alien retread that gives Babou Ceesay’s Morrow the spotlight he deserves.
9 Predator: Badlands
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Two of the best sci-fi releases this year expanded on a pair of franchises often discussed in the same breath. Like Alien: Earth, Predator: Badlands takes the franchise to unexplored territory: Yautja Prime, home of the alien race more commonly known as Predators. Dan Trachtenberg’s live-action Prey follow-up centers on Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and his quest to prove himself a worthy heir by defeating an allegedly unkillable creature. Dek’s journey becomes a Lone Wolf & Cub riff when the young predator forms an unlikely alliance with Thia (Elle Fanning), a Weyland-Yutani synth who lost her legs and has to be toted around on Dek’s back.
Filled with incredible alien creatures, organisms, and plant life, Badlands is an immersive work of sci-fi in which the story is equally as engaging as the sights and sounds. Though some viewers complained about Dek’s lack of face armor for most of the runtime, the Yautja design and facial features are awesome – especially when Dek screams and the skin around his mandibles jiggles.
8 Foundation
Lee Pace as Brother Day in Foundation
Apple TV+
There are few shows on television more underrated than Foundation. Adapted from Isaac Asimov’s prolific book series of the same name, Apple TV+’s high-budget space opera brings many of the beloved elements of Star Wars and Dune to the small screen. Like many recent speculative fiction projects that struggled at the start, Foundation has demonstrated continuous improvement with each new season. Lee Pace, Lou Lloubell, Jared Harris, and the remainder of the main cast continue to provide a reliable, entertaining backbone for the series, with new additions like Game of Thrones alum Pilou Asbæk and Synnøve Karlsen bolstering the latest edition.
Given the nature of Isaac Asimov’s zoomed-out storytelling method in his Foundation books, the Apple TV+ series is the rare television adaptation that manages to feel faithful to its source material. Season 3 makes drastic changes, particularly with its last-minute plot twist, to Isaac Asimov’s lore, but the series nevertheless feels like a proper homage to his world and overall thematic throughline. Foundation is a complex tale that has now covered centuries of a futuristic, intergalactic world, and it continues to fascinate viewers just as Asimov’s stories did nearly a century ago.
7 Frankenstein
Jacob Elordi as The Creature and Oscar Isaac as Baron Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein
Netflix
The primary representative of the fantastical is Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, a modern take on one of the most astounding novels ever written, penned by Mary Shelley in the early 1800s. The iconic tale of reanimation has been brought to life in Hollywood on several occasions, which is partially why Frankenstein hasn't earned a more dominant ranking. This is quintessential Guillermo del Toro, but it lacks the novel originality and unique thrill of a Pan's Labyrinth or a Cronos.
Perhaps the greatest hurdle to Frankenstein's success was its Netflix release. This is a story that defined Hollywood horror in the 1930s, demonstrating the terror that could be created on the big screen. Now, the film's online release has limited what might otherwise have been a visual spectacle worthy of a trip to the cinemas to a streaming release that's overqualified for the medium.
6 The Assessment
While The Assessment premiered at TIFF in 2024, it was released to wider audiences in early 2025, during the Winter cinematic dead zone that prevented it from reaching deserved audiences. Despite MCU star Elizabeth Olsen leading the cast, the film grossed under $1 million, but performed much better in its critical reviews. The Assessment is possibly the most high-concept work of sci-fi here, and deserves recognition for daring to approach the genre with an exploration of ideas, instead of targeting the blockbuster market sci-fi is primed for.
5 Murderbot
An alien creature from the series 'Murderbot.'
AppleTV
Apple TV+ is becoming the streaming service for epic science fiction shows, from Foundation to For All Mankind to Murderbot. The latter is the most recent addition, and when joining an oversaturated market, it stands to reason that the series would need a unique lens on the genre. Murderbot finds that distinction with its sense of humor, and the star power of Alexander Skarsgård is on full display as his charm, underappreciated comedic chops, and his endless appeal as a dramatic performer bring the series a prestige quality that few titles in the genre possess.
4 KPop Demon Hunters
Netflix
It shouldn't be shocking that such a unique, original approach to the sci-fi animation genre would be an extraordinary hit, and yet, KPop Demon Hunters is one of the year's most unexpected success stories. The film isn't for everyone, but those who loved KPop Demon Hunters haven't been shy about their feelings, even meriting a "sing-along" release for the film in theaters. With a brief, limited release, the film became Netflix's highest-grossing movie in theaters, bringing in an additional $24 million to pile on to its incredible streaming success.
3 Andor
Denise Gough as Dedra Meero in Star Wars: Andor
Lucasfilm/Disney+
As someone who’s been particularly nitpicky about the Star Wars shows that have flooded Disney+ in the past several years, not particularly enjoying The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, or the other live-action projects Dave Filoni has developed. That said, Andor isn’t just one of the best Star Wars projects ever made, potentially even rivaling the original trilogy; it's one of the greatest TV shows I've ever seen. This show has everything that makes Star Wars fascinating: the world-building, unforgettable characters, and a timeless tale audiences can root for, but with the bonus of thorough, sophisticated storytelling.
Beyond the excellent production value and involved thematic exploration, Andor's greatest strength is in abandoning the numerous, predictable clichés that plague the majority of Star Wars and other blockbuster media. This is a series that's entirely honest with its characters, allowing their arcs and the overall plotlines to develop naturally. Everyone talks about the themes of Star Wars, but Andor is one of the few titles that allows those themes to have shape and meaning, rather than just broad social commentary.
2 Pluribus
Apple TV
With the names involved in making Pluribus, one shouldn't be surprised that this is one of the biggest hits of the year. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan's reunion with Rhea Seehorn, one of the world's greatest and possibly most award-snubbed actors, is phenomenal. The opening episode is armed with the delicate storytelling, brilliant cinematography, and overall allure that's made Gilligan one of the most renowned television creators in Hollywood, and Apple TV+'s series puts those talents on full display.
Though Vince Gilligan had years of TV experience before Breaking Bad, that was the first series he created. Better Call Saul, which some would argue was an improvement in some aspects, was still confined to the restraints of being a prequel. Pluribus is the first show Vince Gilligan has created outside that sphere, demonstrating his powers as a television genius beyond the crystal meth trade. Pluribus is an unbelievable work of science fiction, proving Gilligan's credibility as one of the greatest TV writers of all time.
1 Severance
Apple TV+
While Pluribus is the most outstanding new sci-fi/fantasy project of the year, Severance's long-awaited return still holds the crown. With two episodes to go in Pluribus's final season at the time of writing, I'm not yet ready to dethrone Apple TV+'s tenure mind-boggling sci-fi series, as Severance's sophomore season was everything audiences waited three years for, if not more.
The mystery box premise is exceedingly challenging to pull off, with Westworld being the prime example of what can happen without reliable long-term planning. Severance, on the other hand, established compelling mysteries back in 2022, then returned this year with both satisfying answers and even more puzzles for fans to sink their teeth into.
Beyond just the mysteries, Severance is exemplary science fiction storytelling. This is a series that takes a real-world concept and explores it to bizarre extremes, applying the horrifying possibilities of future technology to the grounded setting of corporate monotony. Severance Season 2 isn't in outer space or in another universe; it's just next door; it's tomorrow. This is a terrifying series, but also one that continues to entertain in beautiful ways. I can't wait for more.
