20 Sci-Fi Movies That Will Give You An Existential Crisis

Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Updated Jul 30, 2026, 6:36 AM EDT Sign in to your Collider account Science fiction is the genre of wonder, technology, and terrifying ideas. It is the longing of the universe, and it's the chips inside our brains, the neon cyberpunk landscapes of a crumbling society, and the extraterrestrial monsters at the bottom of the ocean. It is also home to the most amount of existential crises ever found in media. That is the beauty of sci-fi, though: it makes viewers question their place in the world. Sci-fi films make tangible settings and stories out of the wildest things an imagination can dream up. Some existential sci-fi movies go one step further, leaving their audience with the hollow feeling of never being able to recover fully again. 20 'Aniara' (2018) Image via Magnolia Pictures Based on Harry Martinson's 1956 Swedish epic poem of the same name, the Swedish-Danish co-production Aniara is far and away one of the most perfect hard sci-fi movies of the past 10 years. Those who prefer more action-packed Hollywood-style sci-fi blockbusters are better off looking elsewhere. Those intrigued by arthouse science fiction pushed to its limits, however, ought to watch Aniara at least once in their lives. Just like the profound philosophical ponderings of Martinson's original poem, Aniara forces the viewer to confront the insignificance of humanity in a cold, uncaring universe. Sci-fi films that place you right in front of the void of existence itself and force you to straight right into it inevitably lead to some really deep thoughts about life, and Aniara is no exception. —Diego Pineda Pacheco Ad Astra is a desolate and masterful voyage through isolation. The tale of Roy McBride trying to find his lost father isn't really about the outcome. It is about how he becomes whole again through the complete chaos of circumstance in a universe that doesn't care about what he desires. Dubbed “Dad Astra” for a reason, Ad Astra portrays the solemn, wounded relationship between father and son, light years away, and still connected through the loneliness of the cosmos. It's difficult not to leave this movie feeling empty, as Roy never truly finds what he's looking for in his missing dad. Succumbing to the lyrical loneliness of space, Roy finds that there is no one else out there. He finds a renewed sense of connection to his fellow humans, but at the cost of losing his creator – his father. 18 'Interstellar' (2014) Interstellar is a masterpiece in modern sci-fi, both in the story and in visuals. Christopher Nolan made a home for the sorrow of a lost family, the regrets of a life unlived, and very real environmental struggles. The film is also home to one of Hans Zimmer's best scores, with each piece of music adding emotion to shots of barren space. Space is the ultimate form of isolation. Man's oldest question is, “Where did we come from?” and Interstellar plays with this in a fascinating way. It hints at a “them,” some sort of otherworldly anomaly that controls space and time, but never solidifies what “they” are. It also plays with the innate fear that humans have of losing time and becoming a ghost to those they love. 17 'Sunshine' (2007) Image via Fox Searchlight In Sunshine, Earth is on the path to destruction while the sun dies out. After previous failed missions, a crew of men and women are tasked with delivering a giant atomic bomb through space to revive it. Danny Boyle creates the captivating spaceship, Icarus, with a visceral presentation loaded with sterile shuttle backgrounds and lush landscapes of greens and blues in the ship's flora. Sunshine is a misunderstood triumph in the genre. Many who watch the film check out during the final act due to the movie taking a turn for horror. But what Sunshine does best is make viewers feel all alone. When Cillian Murphy's Capa is the only one left on the ship, he is humanity's last hope. To find solace in dying in space, all alone, for a greater cause, is an incredibly chilling choice to think about. 16 'Arrival' (2016) Image via Paramount Pictures Denis Villeneuve brings some of the most heart-wrenching stories to life in his sci-fi films, giving them vivid and unforgettable visuals. Arrival is based on Ted Chiang's story, "Story of Your Life," and tells the tale of a linguist tasked with learning how to communicate with the extraterrestrial creatures that touch down on Earth. Like many other sci-fi movies, Arrival portrays the theory of time in a non-linear fashion. Instead of it going from a beginning to an end, it is a giant circle – a never-ending, cyclical power of the universe. Once Louise Banks learns that the aliens' language alters humans' perception of time, she discovers just how cruel the miracle of life really is. 15 'District 9' (2009) Image via Sony Pictures Releasing Aliens finally arrive on Earth in District 9, in the way of a gargantuan flying saucer that refuses to go back to their dying home planet. The aliens are managed by a corporation and are deeply uncared for while having their technology stolen by humans. District 9 puts forth many humanistic questions about immigration, the “other,” and the collapse of a society's morals. Humans are known to crave the comfort of routine, and this film portrays the overnight change of not only having to accommodate a new species, but the absolute fear of something other than you. This is seen perfectly in the transformation of Wikus' character when he changes from human to alien. The moral challenge he must face after becoming the monster he hates most is stunning. 14 'Stalker' (1979) Image via Goskino Watching the filmography of Andrei Tarkovsky feels like watching the work of a poet and philosopher who was given a camera and the task of creating some of the greatest films of all time. But Tarkovsky wasn't just any kind of philosopher-filmmaker: He was an existentialist through and through. His work seems to be deeply concerned with the many mysteries of human existence, a key theme across his work being faith. A world without faith is the main intellectual concern of Stalker. Loosely based on the 1972 philosophical sci-fi novel Roadside Picnic, Stalker is one of the best soft sci-fi movie masterpieces ever made. Its thematic and intellectual intensity, combined with the slow-burning nature that characterizes Tarkovsky's style, makes for an experience that invites the viewer to think deeply about their deepest unconscious desires. —Diego Pineda Pacheco 13 'Moon' (2009) In Moon, Sam Bell must go through his three-year shift at a lunar mine alone. During the film, he is finally nearing the end of his job when he falls very ill and begins to meet younger versions of himself on his space station. Moon wrestles with the existence of clones and the mortality of life. Each of Sam's clones thinks it is an original being with its own memories. It is a horrifying realization for Sam to comprehend that he's not. It's even worse to think about how someone designed him, made him, and that he actually never had any free will at all. 12 'Possessor' (2020) Image via Elevation Pictures Possessor tells the story of Tasya, an assassin who can take control of other people's bodies to perform her high-profile executions. The film portrays a fresh take on mind-control, consciousness, and bodily autonomy. The juxtaposition between Tasya being a mother and wife and also a sadistic murderer is uncomfortable and harrowing to watch. When things take a turn for the worst, it is difficult to remember who is controlling Tasya and making her kill her own family. The mind is the last part of yourself that can not be infiltrated as a human, and not being able to tell whether you are in control of your consciousness or not is terrifying. 11 'Solaris' (1972) Image via Mosfilm Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris was filmed in 1972 and still holds up as an unmatched legacy to this day. When a psychologist is sent to a space station to monitor the mental problems of its inhabitants, he discovers that the water of the planet is a type of brain, home to all sorts of repressed memories. The film deals with the ghosts of loved ones and the loss of memories in a hauntingly beautiful way. It also ponders the cyclical nature of trauma and the nonlinear ways in which humans deal with grief. Kelvin appears to be back on Earth with his family at the ending, but he is nowhere near it, and that is a dreadful thing to behold. Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you'd actually make it out of alive. 💊The Matrix 🔥Mad Max 🌧️Blade Runner 🏜️Dune 🚀Star Wars TEST YOUR SURVIVAL → 01 You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one. APull on every thread until I understand the system — then figure out how to break it. BStop asking questions and start stockpiling — food, fuel, weapons. Questions don't keep you alive. CKeep my head down, observe carefully, and trust no one until I know who's pulling the strings. DStudy the patterns. Every system has a rhythm — learn it, and you learn how to survive it. EFind the people fighting back and join them. You can't fix a broken galaxy alone. NEXT QUESTION → 02 In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires. AKnowledge. If you understand the system, you don't need resources — you can generate them. BFuel. Everything else — movement, power, escape — runs on it. CTrust. In a world of fakes and informants, a truly reliable ally is rarer than any commodity. DWater. And after water, information — the two things empires are truly built on. EShips and credits. The galaxy is big — you survive it by being able to move through it freely. NEXT QUESTION → 03 What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of. AThat reality itself is a lie — that everything I experience has been constructed to keep me compliant. BA raid. No warning, no mercy — just the roar of engines and then nothing left. CBeing identified. Once someone with power decides you're a problem, you're already out of time. DBeing outmanoeuvred — losing a political game I didn't even know I was playing. EThe Empire tightening its grip until there's nowhere left to run. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you deal with authority you don't trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything. ASubvert it from the inside — learn its rules well enough to weaponise them against it. BIgnore it and stay out of its reach. The further from any power structure, the better. CAppear to comply while doing exactly what I need to do. Visibility is the enemy. DManoeuvre within it carefully. You can't beat a system you refuse to understand. EResist openly when I have to. Some things are worth the risk of being seen. NEXT QUESTION → 05 Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn't just tactical — it's physical, psychological, and very much about where you are. AUnderground bunkers and server rooms — cramped, artificial, but with access to everything that matters. BOpen wasteland — brutal sun, no shelter, constant movement. At least the threat is honest. CA dense, rain-soaked city where you can disappear into the crowd and nobody asks questions. DMerciless desert — extreme heat, no water, and something enormous living beneath the sand. EThe fringe — backwater planets and busy spaceports where the Empire's attention rarely reaches. NEXT QUESTION → 06 Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are. AA tight crew of believers who've seen behind the curtain and have nothing left to lose. BOne or two people I'd trust with my life. Any more than that and someone talks. CNobody, ideally. Alliances are liabilities. I work alone unless I have no choice. DA community bound by shared hardship and mutual survival — people who need each other to last. EA ragtag team with wildly different skills and total commitment when it counts. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they're actually made of. AI won't harm the innocent — even the ones who'd report me without hesitation. BI do what I have to to protect the people I've chosen. Everything else is negotiable. CThe line shifts depending on who's asking and what's at stake. DI draw a long-term line — nothing that compromises my people's future, even if it'd help now. ESome lines, once crossed, can't be uncrossed. I know which ones they are. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another. AWaking others up — dismantling the illusion so no one else has to live inside it. BFinding somewhere — or someone — worth protecting. A reason to keep moving. CAnswers. Understanding what I am, what any of this means, before time runs out. DLegacy — shaping the future in a way that outlasts me by generations. EFreedom — for myself, for others, for every world still living under someone else's boot. REVEAL MY WORLD → Your Fate Has Been Calculated You'd Survive In…Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for. The MatrixYou took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You're a systems thinker who can't help but notice the seams in things. You're drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it. You'd find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines' worst nightmare. You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it. The Matrix built an airtight prison. You'd be the one probing the walls for the door. Mad MaxThe wasteland doesn't reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That's you. You don't need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon. You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you're good at all three. You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider. In the wasteland, that distinction is everything. Blade RunnerYou'd survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely. You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer. In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional. You're not a hero. But you're not lost, either. In Blade Runner's world, that distinction is everything. DuneArrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards. Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they're survival tools. You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory. Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You'd learn its logic and earn its respect. In time, you wouldn't just survive Arrakis — you'd begin to reshape it. Star WarsThe galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn't have it any other way. You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion. You'd gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire's grip can be broken. You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn't something you're capable of. In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ