158 Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movies to Watch (Page 5)

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61. Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF, 2024

With a wolf deity, wheat harvesting rituals, and farmtown folklore, it may seem that Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf would be a traditional fantasy, filling in the genre void after Frieren’s finale. However, new viewers such as myself would be surprised that this series is known as the “Economics anime”, a reboot of the 2008 series that hasn’t met its ending yet. Of course, older fans might be disappointed at the lack of a season 3, but with its striking first episode, 2024’s Spice and Wolf reassures both old and new fans that there’s still an exciting adventure up ahead, with medieval markets, clashes with the church, and of course, the partnership between wolf girl Holo and merchant Lawrence. And this time, they promise to finally complete this adventure on screen.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Ami Koshimizu, Daisuke Namikawa, Hochu Otsuka, Hozumi Goda, Jun Fukuyama, Mai Nakahara

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62. Lockwood & Co., 2023

Though it may seem like it at first, Lockwood & Co. is more than just Ghostbusters by way of YA fiction. For one, it is properly terrifying. The growls and screeches, the misshapen ghosts and the heartstopping jumpscares are all proof that the showrunners know what it takes to create an authentic horror series. The worldbuilding is also impressive; the show rightly doesn't dump all its secrets in one go and instead reveals them slowly and naturally, which adds to its credibility.

In lesser hands, Lockwood & Co. might have ended up as cheesy child's fare, but with a skilled cast and crew behind it, it proves to be stirring for audiences of any age. The impressive CGI and costume design give it a prestigious sheen (it’s not tacky, in other words), while the tender moments make it as relatable as any well-told teen drama.

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Ali Hadji-Heshmati, Cameron Chapman, Ruby Stokes

Rating: TV-14

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63. Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, 2024

The animation of this series feels grand and powerful, something you don’t typically expect or get from kids shows. There are layers to the way the dialogue and plot unfolds, with scenes paced like a movie, and with quality production to boot. It's also got an impressive atmospheric range, capable of being laid back and smooth with its exposition, suspenseful and nuanced with its story beats, and ultimately friendly enough for bigger kids to enjoy. It’s young adult drama, action, mystery, and comedy, possessing one strong element after another, that genuinely keeps thrill-seeking adults and kids on the edge of their seats.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Family, Kids, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Darren Barnet, Kausar Mohammed, Kiersten Kelly, Paul-Mikél Williams, Raini Rodriguez, Sean Giambrone

Rating: TV-Y7

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64. If I Hadn’t Met You, 2018

The family dynamics at the heart of this show are given plenty of room to breathe, with many tender moments baked into the frequent little conflicts. Then, it’s terribly heartbreaking when it needs to be, ripping apart what you latch onto. Pablo Derqui is incredible in his nuance between his public face and his private face, embodying all the strands of a torn up heart. The mysterious woman he later meets is dodgy in a way that bleeds through her kind eyes and mannerisms. This series has strong performances all around in scenes that get time to shine, and a pace that answers enough questions that lead to new ones, leaving you wanting a bit more.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Abel Folk, Andrea Ros, Berta Garcia, David Vert, Eli Iranzo, Javier Beltrán, Joel Bramona, Mercedes Sampietro, Miquel Garcia Borda, Montse Guallar, Muguet Franc, Oscar Jarque, Pablo Derqui, Paula Malia, Sergi Lopez

Rating: N/A, TV-MA

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65. Goosebumps, 2023

Based on the classic teen series by R. L. Stine, the latest adaptation of Goosebumps is now a modern-day TV series. However, it’s not an anthology like the show in the 90s, it’s a series set in one town, focused on a group of teenagers, dealing with various horror elements from the books. Each episode gets its title, as well as their supernatural MacGuffin, from the corresponding novellas, though with a modern twist, with some online trolling and posted pranks. Fans of the original 90s may find this format disappointing, but it’s still a fun and spooky ride, especially for younger viewers new to Goosebumps.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Ana Yi Puig, Isa Briones, Miles McKenna, Will Price, Zack Morris

Rating: TV-14

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66. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, 2023

	
In fantasy worlds, races with different lifespans are a given, but rarely does a work actually contemplate how these variations would affect relationships between them. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End starts after a great war, at the moment of peace, and to the titular elf, her shared journey with the human Himmel and their party feels like a blip in her life, their ten years of friendship blurred amongst her thousand years… until Himmel dies, which shifts her perspective on mortality. Frieren won’t have that much extravaganza we’re used to in other fantasy shows, but the way Frieren tries to reconnect with her former comrades, and the way she remembers their memory through flashbacks, all become a gentle and moving meditation on purpose, meaning, and connection, all paired with outstanding art and some of the best worldbuilding we’ve seen in anime.Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Atsumi Tanezaki, Chiaki Kobayashi, Hiroki Touchi, Kana Ichinose, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yoji Ueda
Rating: TV-14

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67. Dracula, 2020

	
Misunderstood by some at the time of its original release, this three-episode adaptation of Dracula from the creators of BBC's Sherlock goes from being a highly satisfying slice of horror to something totally unrecognizable—which is why it's so rewarding to revisit today. Blessed with stellar production design, incredible practical effects, and brilliant performances from a depraved Claes Bang (as the titular vampire) and an impossibly heroic Dolly Wells (Sister Agatha), the miniseries may take many liberties with the source material, but it always builds toward greater themes. And while some problems remain, like its rushed and tonally jarring finale, how the show is ultimately able to explore the distrust that Dracula leaves in his wake, as well as the nature of Dracula as a legend in himself, is well worth the binge.Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Claes Bang, Dolly Wells, Joanna Scanlan, John Heffernan, Mark Gatiss, Morfydd Clark
Rating: TV-14, TV-MA

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68. Dead Boy Detectives, 2024

	
Dead Boy Detectives is as light fun as it sounds, but breezy it is not. Its case of the episode formula has fun, at times absurd premises that leads to satisfying conclusions, which makes it feel like a vibrant teen cartoon series. But so much of an episode is banter in the form of bloated dialogue that can go in one ear and quickly out the other. It's colorful, cute, and quirky at times, and it's easy to root for its energetic bits and seamless tying of threads; but all in all, watching one episode after another, it can feel unnecessarily dragged out for the kind of light mystery show that it is.Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Briana Cuoco, George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Jenn Lyon, Kassius Nelson, Lukas Gage, Ruth Connell, Yuyu Kitamura
Rating: TV-MA

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69. Blood of Zeus, 2024

	
After the success of Castlevania, it became apparent that there was a market for American anime– so Netflix teamed up with Powerhouse Animation Studios and the Greek-American Parlapanides Brothers to create Blood of Zeus. Claiming to be a tale “lost to history”, the show takes familiar strands of Greek mythos, such as demigod births, fantastical beings, and powerful gods, woven together through the journey of Heron as he sets out on a heroic quest. It’s a distinctly Western tale, but the epic battles, arena duels, and demonic hunts mixes well with Powerhouse’s animesque art style, creating a novel combination that feels fully original.Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Adam Croasdell, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, Chris Diamantopoulos, Claudia Christian, Danny Jacobs, David Shaughnessy, Derek Phillips, Elias Toufexis, Fred Tatasciore, Jason O'Mara, Jason O'Mara, Jennifer Hale, Jessica Henwick, Mamie Gummer, Matt Lowe, Matthew Mercer, Melina Kanakaredes, Vanessa Marshall
Rating: N/A, TV-MA

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70. Archive 81, 2022

	
This sci-fi thriller based on a podcast by the same name is about Dan (Mamoudou Athie), a video archivist who takes a job to restore a set of burned Hi8 videotapes. When he starts seeing the footage, he discovers that it is from a now-missing woman trying to document a cult in the '90s.

The events of the footage take place in an unassuming apartment building in New York City; after the building mysteriously burned down, many were left dead and missing in its wake. As Dan tries to understand what happened, he uncovers details about the woman filming and something that links even his own family to the fire.

The show is at times more of an unsettling horror than a supernatural thriller, but it features a stunning performance from Mamoudou Athie. It's also notably co-produced by James Wan, co-creator of the Saw, Insidious, and Conjuring franchises.Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Ariana Neal, Dina Shihabi, Evan Jonigkeit, Julia Chan, Mamoudou Athie, Martin Donovan, Matt McGorry
Rating: TV-MA

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71. Upload, 2023

	
This satire takes place in the year 2033 when it’s possible to “upload” oneself to a specific software-powered afterlife. In the variety of afterlives possible, there is no heaven or hell. Instead, class struggles persist: ads are everywhere, you have to pay for data, and there are many levels of luxury available.

Created by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation), Upload is an easy and funny show with an interesting and relevant premise. If you liked The Good Place, Silicon Valley, or Black Mirror, you will surely love this.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Actor: Allegra Edwards, Andrea Rosen, Andy Allo, Josh Banday, Kevin Bigley, Mackenzie Cardwell, Owen Daniels, Robbie Amell, Zainab Johnson
Rating: TV-MA

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72. The Changeling, 2023

With its first episode, The Changeling might feel less scary and more romantic and historical than how a horror fantasy would seem like. The series shifts in and out of flashbacks, sometimes even having a flashback within a flashback, with dreamlike sequences that makes it take a while to figure out when and where the story is taking place. This causes the series to have some unusual pacing that might turn off viewers wanting a quick scare. But there’s a certain mystery to it, a certain anxiety captured as Apollo and Emmy disobey the Brazilian witch, as it recalls those negligent parents in familiar fantastic fairy tales. And as the series makes their flashbacks, there’s a certain fear that Apollo and Emmy might redo the same mistakes their immigrant parents have done before them. It makes for an intriguing take on the novel by Victor LaValle, one that captures a realistic fear that isn’t easy to depict.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Adina Porter, Alexis Louder, Clark Backo, Jared Abrahamson, Lakeith Stanfield, Samuel T. Herring

Rating: TV-MA

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73. Paper Girls, 2022

As is sometimes the case with multi-genre shows, Paper Girls starts off slow and gives us a lot to process at the onset. But if you give it some time, the eight-episode series delivers both on the sci-fi and drama fronts. Sure, it could benefit from a bigger CGI budget, but the world it imagines about timekeepers and time benders is inspired and intriguing, certainly worth exploring as much as we do the lore behind shows like Doctor Who and Loki.

That said, the series is at its best when it centers on its mundane leads, the titular paper girls. The conversations they engage in and the epiphanies they have are gut-wrenching, not only because of their sentiment but also because of their truth. These 12-year-olds are confused and anxious and awkward and lonely—preteen girls on the brink of adolescence. The show doesn’t shy away from those qualities and parallels their volatility with sci-fi elements. The result is a nicely balanced story, equal parts thrilling and touching. It’s the perfect watch for people who enjoy fares like Back to the Future, E.T., and Stranger Things, which are themselves perfect blends of the sci-fi and coming-of-age genres.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction

Actor: Adina Porter, Fina Strazza, Riley Lai Nelet, Sofia Rosinsky

Rating: TV-MA

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74. Me, 2024

	
Just when you think you’ve heard enough origin stories for a lifetime, in comes Me with probably the most poignant one yet: 12-year-old Ben, overcome with so much anxiety and yearning to be someplace else, transformers into a different person. Though Me is outwardly a sci-fi show, and the main plot is fueled with mystery and fantasy, it’s also an emotionally attuned, self-aware coming-of-age story that follows Ben through his ups and downs. Almost overnight, he gains a new sister, a new school, a new set of classmates to figure out, and unlike most superhero narratives, these are just as confounding and important to Ben as his powers. There is no double life, it’s all just him. But the best thing about Me is that despite its G rating, it’s just as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids. It’s not cheesy or corny, but gentle and comforting, and you learn lots about yourself in the process.Genre: Family, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Abigail Pniowsky, Amanda Reid, Dilshad Vadsaria, Jessy Yates, Lucian-River Chauhan
Rating: TV-G

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75. GOOD NIGHT WORLD, 2023

With games creating whole virtual worlds, with stunning landscapes, powers, and storylines, it’s easy to escape into the fictional simulations, to the point of being addicted. Good Night World reimagines this idea in the present as a family drama, where video game addict Tachiro Arima struggles to relate with his family because of his addiction. As the show progresses, the game integrates with the real world, with real life-threatening consequences, but the show slowly uncovers how this game unraveled the Arimas’ family bonds, through neglect, depression, and shared trauma. It’s an interesting series about connection and video games, if you can get into the world of the series.

Genre: Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Akio Otsuka, Aoi Yuki, Aya Endo, Daisuke Hirose, Hiroki Nanami, Inori Minase, Kenjiro Tsuda, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Rie Takahashi, Ryohei Kimura

Rating: TV-MA

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