10 Movies To Watch If You Love Blade Runner

Published Sep 19, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT Anthony is a news reporter and a guide writer who has covered the entertainment industry for five years. He has covered a wide range of genres, including aviation incidents and international crime, and has a keen eye for details that may slip under the radar. When he's not writing, Anthony can be found at Brands Hatch race track or at home watching indie horror movies nobody has heard of. Ridley Scott is widely regarded as a visionary in the sci-fi genre. He has a diverse filmography spanning decades, and his movies appeal to a multigenerational audience. Scott's Alien wowed and terrified audiences in 1979. The Xenomorph remains arguably one of the most frightening creatures on the silver screen, and the movie's influence still shows up in modern sci-fi projects. Another of Scott's movies that's influenced the sci-fi genre is Blade Runner. The 1982 movie stars Harrison Ford as Deckard. He's a Blade Runner, working for a special law enforcement branch that tracks and retires Replicants. Those Replicants are bioengineered artificial humans. They possess superior strength to regular people, and some don't even realize what they are. The Nexus-6 Replicants in the movie are also doomed to a much shorter existence, with a lifespan of just four years. Blade Runner also boasts arguably some of the greatest world-building in the sci-fi genre. The 1982 movie has a unique depiction of 2019. It's almost always raining, and the technology on display is oddly charming, even in a world that looks so dark and potentially dangerous. One issue fans of Blade Runner can run into is that, aside from Blade Runner 2049, few movies recapture the magic of Ridley Scott's 80s masterpiece. Blade Runner is a tough act to follow, but there are some other movies fans are sure to enjoy, with similar themes and ideas. The movies on this list aren't carbon copies of the 1982 classic, but they all feature elements audiences who love Blade Runner will appreciate. 10 Soldier (1998) Soldier is a wild dystopian sci-fi movie with an interesting link to Blade Runner, as its writer, David Webb Peoples, also co-wrote the Blade Runner script. The movie stars Kurt Russell as Todd 3465, the product of a brutal military training program. Todd's superiors deem him obsolete in favor of new technology and dump him on a waste planet. A community takes him in, but the military has other plans for Arcadia and its inhabitants as they return to the planet with a new objective. Kurt Russell is famously short on words in Soldier and must rely on his combat experience to tackle this new, technically advanced threat. Todd is quite different from a Replicant, though Soldier does offer a unique take on genetically engineered humans cruelly conditioned for war. 9 Dark City (1998) Dark City is a cerebral sci-fi thriller and makes the list for its remarkable world-building in a city where it's seemingly always nighttime. Rufus Sewell stars as John Murdoch. He wakes up in a classic-style hotel room in the bathtub, with no recollection of who or where he is. While Murdoch can't recall his past, others seem to know about him. He's wanted for murders he cannot remember committing, and a grand mystery unfolds as Murdoch begins to uncover the truth about his strange surroundings. Dark City has many moving parts: the city and its inhabitants are fascinating, especially when Murdoch realizes they fall asleep at the same time every night. 8 Screamers (1995) Screamers leans more heavily into sci-fi horror than many movies on this list. Nevertheless, Blade Runner fans may enjoy it, as both movies depict a future where humans have lost control of their cutting-edge creations. Peter Weller stars as Joe, an Alliance soldier stationed on a mining planet. The Alliance is at war with the NEB corporation, and that battle has ultimately ruined the planet. They created self-repairing robotic killing machines to deal with the NEB threat. However, they never accounted for those machines evolving far beyond their creators' wildest dreams. As the name implies, these machines are called Screamers, and they let out a horrific sound as they approach their victims. Joe and other survivors must face a threat once built to protect them, even when they don't know what their enemy is now capable of. 7 The 6th Day (2000) The 6th Day is an action-packed sci-fi movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Adam Gibson. The movie portrays a technologically advanced future where cloning exists, but is forbidden for humans. Adam arrives home one night only to discover that another Adam who looks and sounds just like him has taken his place. Adam loses his job, family, and normal life all in one night as he scrambles to find answers. He discovers that a megacorporation called Replacement Technologies is involved, but the conspiracy goes far deeper, with sinister consequences. Clones in The 6th Day are somewhat similar to replicants in that they aren't always aware of what they are. The movie also introduces some uncomfortable scenarios, making audiences question a clone's rights if they share memories with the original person. 6 Total Recall (1990) We're back with Schwarzenegger in the classic 90s sci-fi movie Total Recall. Arnie stars as Quaid in a world with many futuristic advancements. One is technology that implants holiday memories in your brain so convincing they feel like they actually happened. Those holidays can be customized, and Quaid decides to role-play as a special agent on Mars. Unfortunately for Quaid, something goes terribly wrong. He returns home, and an attempt on his life leads him to travel to Mars in person for answers. Total Recall tells a frantic sci-fi story full of twists and turns where nothing is what it seems. The movie is also based on a story by Philip K. Dick, as is Blade Runner. 5 Gattaca (1997) Gattaca paints a frightening picture of the future, where your DNA predetermines every aspect of your life the moment you're born. Everything from your job to who you should marry is pre-profiled, but one man, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), intends to cheat the system. Vincent uses someone else's DNA, assuming the identity of Jerome (Jude Law), to get into a space program otherwise denied to him. However, he may not be able to masquerade under this new identity for long, especially when the authorities start investigating a mysterious murder at the program. Gattaca makes the list for its charming retro-future technology and world-building. The movie also tells a tense thriller story where Vincent's own DNA could betray him. 4 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Terminator 2: Judgment Day is arguably one of the greatest sci-fi action movies ever made. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the T-800 Terminator. He's sent back in time to protect John Connor (Edward Furlong) from another, more advanced Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick). John's quest to stay one step ahead of the T-1000 is a major part of the story, but Terminator 2 has many moving parts and characters with unique motivations. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), John's mom, reunites with him as they set a plan in motion to destroy Cyberdyne Industries, the company that will eventually create Terminators in the future. Terminator 2: Judgment Day makes the list for its machines that can pass as humans and unforgettable action sequences. The movie also depicts a Future War in 2029 against the machines, just a few years from now. 3 The Fifth Element (1997) Blade Runner fans may appreciate Luc Besson's approach to world-building in The Fifth Element, even if it's in a very different style. Bruce Willis stars as Korben Dallas. He's a former special forces commando turned taxi driver, and a special fare has just fallen through his roof. That special fare is LeeLoo (Milla Jovovich). The military sends Korben on a mission to retrieve four sacred stones from a diva on board the Fhloston Paradise holiday cruise ship. Korben and LeeLoo are ultimately on a quest with the world at stake, but Zorg (Gary Oldman), an arms dealer, is also after the stones and will stop at nothing to get them. The Fifth Element is faster-paced and more action-oriented than Blade Runner. Nevertheless, it tells a fun sci-fi story in a rich futuristic world full of clever details. 2 Minority Report (2002) Minority Report is a special entry on the list because, like Blade Runner, it's based on a story by Philip K. Dick. Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton. He's the chief of a police branch that can accurately predict crimes before they happen and swoop in to prevent them. Anderton's department is known as Precrime. However, his life is turned upside down when the system flags him for a murder in the future. Anderton goes on the run from a system he knows inside and out to clear his name. But is he innocent, or was Precrime right all along? Minority Report is a tense sci-fi action movie and conspiracy thriller. The 2002 movie portrays a very different future from Blade Runner, though both offer unique takes on law enforcement. 1 Alien (1979) We mentioned Alien earlier, but Blade Runner fans will still enjoy Ridley Scott's 1979 movie, even though it predates it by several years. Sigourney Weaver stars as Ellen Ripley. She's a Warrant Officer aboard the Nostromo spacecraft when one of her crewmates encounters a terrifying alien lifeform. That creature is the famous Xenomorph. A face hugger latches onto Kane (John Hurt), but it appears to die. Shortly after, the Xenomorph bursts from his chest, killing him. It then rapidly grows larger and stronger as the crew desperately tries to eliminate it, even if one person on board has different motivations. Alien is a remarkable movie in its own right, but it makes the list for its incredible sci-fi world and retro-futuristic technology. The future tech is clearly advanced, though the Nostromo still has equipment, like dot-matrix-style displays, that would be outdated today. The original Alien also has a slower pace than its sequel, leaning more into suspense than all-out action. Release Date June 25, 1982 Runtime 118 minutes Director Ridley Scott Writers David Webb Peoples, Hampton Fancher, Philip K. Dick Producers Michael Deeley, Run Run Shaw Sequel(s) Blade Runner 2049 Franchise(s) Blade Runner