EW Best Sci-Fi Movies 31 List: Visions That Define Our 2026 World

Have we optimized existence to such an extent as to render humanity irrelevant? As technological advancement in 2026 continues to challenge our understanding, science fiction movies provide the intellectual wormholes we need to dive into. Randall Colburn from Entertainment Weekly has curated the EW best sci-fi movies 31 list, ranking the films that have most profoundly shaped our collective imagination and scientific curiosity.

The Titans of the EW Best Sci-Fi Movies 31 List

Topping the list is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Even more than a half-decade later, its exploration of artificial intelligence and consciousness remains the gold standard. Following closely is Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), which mastered the art of claustrophobic terror in deep space. These films don't just entertain; they embed themselves into the fabric of our modern nightmares and aspirations.

From Dystopian Cities to First Contact

The ranking also highlights Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982), a film that asks what it means to meet one's maker in a post-capitalist world. Meanwhile, Back to the Future (1985) brings time-hopping adventures to a personal level, reminding us that reality is a fragile house of cards. Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Zemeckis's Contact (1997) round out the top tier, showcasing humanity's relentless obsession with chasing the mysteries of the cosmos.