The best sci-fi of the 2020s combines big ideas with genuine emotional stakes. Here are 10 films from 2020-2025 that deliver — and you can stream most of them in the UK right now.
Quick UK Streaming Summary
| Film | UK Streaming |
|---|---|
| Dune: Part Two | Rent/Buy |
| Everything Everywhere All at Once | Prime Video |
| The Wild Robot | Peacock/Rent |
| The Substance | MUBI/Rent |
| Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | Netflix UK |
| Dune (2021) | Netflix UK |
| Nope | Prime Video |
| Arrival | Netflix UK |
| Ex Machina | Prime Video |
| Blade Runner 2049 | Rent/Buy |
Availability checked March 2026
How We Chose These
We ranked using four filters:
- Sci-fi first: the speculative idea is central, not decorative
- Rewatch value: rewards repeat viewings
- UK availability: currently streamable or rentable in the UK
- Conversation factor: films people still discuss
1. Dune: Part Two (2024)
UK streaming: Rent/Buy on Prime Video, Apple TV, Sky Store
Denis Villeneuve turned a notoriously difficult sequel into a full-scale event movie without sacrificing the political or spiritual weirdness that makes Dune interesting.
Why it made the list: It delivers spectacle, clarity, and scale at the same time. Few recent sci-fi films feel this confident.
2. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
UK streaming: Prime Video included
The Daniels built a multiverse movie that uses chaos to say something precise about family, regret, and identity.
Why it made the list: It is still the sharpest example of high-concept sci-fi meeting emotional payoff in the 2020s.
Watch Everything Everywhere All at Once
3. The Wild Robot (2024)
UK streaming: Peacock / Rent on Prime Video
Chris Sanders' adaptation is family-friendly on the surface, but it is also a strong sci-fi story about consciousness, adaptation, and what makes community work.
Why it made the list: It proves recent sci-fi does not need to be bleak to feel ambitious.
4. The Substance (2024)
UK streaming: MUBI / Rent on Prime Video
Coralie Fargeat's body-horror satire pushes sci-fi into grotesque territory and still lands as a coherent argument about image, aging, and self-erasure.
Why it made the list: Few 2024 releases felt this risky or this impossible to forget.
5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
UK streaming: Netflix UK
Yes, it is a superhero film, but it also earns a place here as one of the strongest recent multiverse sci-fi stories. The animation style changes from universe to universe, and the story never loses emotional control.
Why it made the list: It is imaginative, formally daring, and still accessible to a broad audience.
Watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
6. Dune (2021)
UK streaming: Netflix UK
The first half of Villeneuve's adaptation established the visual language and world-building that Part Two pays off. Essential viewing.
7. Nope (2022)
UK streaming: Prime Video included
Jordan Peele's UFO horror-western is about spectacle itself — who consumes it, who profits from it, who gets destroyed by it.
8. Arrival (2016)
UK streaming: Netflix UK
Slightly outside our 5-year window but still essential. Villeneuve's first major sci-fi film remains one of the best first-contact stories ever made.
9. Ex Machina (2014)
UK streaming: Prime Video included
Alex Garland's AI thriller still feels prescient. A masterclass in tension and ideas.
10. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
UK streaming: Rent/Buy
The sequel that proved a Blade Runner follow-up could work. Villeneuve again.
Honourable Mentions
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) — sci-fi action with mainstream pull (Disney+)
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) — franchise sci-fi done with real scale (Disney+)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) — visual world-building on blockbuster terms (Disney+)
More Sci-Fi Recommendations
Looking for the wider era? Compare this with our last decade sci-fi list.
FAQ
Where can I check live UK availability?
Use MovieRec watch pages for the current UK provider snapshot and title links.
Will Dune Part Two come to Netflix UK?
No confirmed date. Warner Bros films typically go to Sky/NOW first in the UK. Check the Dune Part Two watch page for updates.