7 More 1990s Sci-fi Movies You Forgot Were Awesome

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As a sci-fi fan, I truly believe the 90s were a golden age for the genre. Just think about it – we got Total Recall, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, The Fifth Element, The Matrix, and so many others, all within ten years! Okay, there were a few misses like Mimic or Johnny Mnemonic, but the hits were incredible. I’ve put together a list of ten sci-fi movies from that decade that, while they might not be as famous as blockbusters like Independence Day or Jurassic Park, are still really fun and often surprisingly creative. They deserve a rewatch, honestly!

These sci-fi movies—including those that mix genres like horror—aren’t completely unknown, but we think they deserve a wider audience.

7) Darkman

Before directing the Spider-Man films, Sam Raimi created Darkman, a unique and thrilling superhero story focused on revenge. The film stars Liam Neeson as Peyton Westlake, a scientist developing artificial skin. When his girlfriend, a lawyer, angers a dangerous group of criminals, Peyton finds himself targeted and seeking payback.

After being severely burned and presumed dead, Westlake cleverly uses his condition to his advantage. He disguises himself as one of Robert G. Durant’s henchmen, creating chaos within the criminal organization from the inside.

Stream Darkman on Peacock.

6) Hardware

Richard Stanley showed real promise as a science fiction director with his first film, Hardware. Unfortunately, his big-budget Hollywood debut, The Island of Dr. Moreau, was a disaster, derailing his potential to become a major force in the genre. It’s clear why he was given the opportunity, though – Hardware is a remarkably strong debut.

Okay, let me tell you, this movie feels very familiar. Think low-budget Terminator meets a gritty cyberpunk aesthetic. The story centers around a scavenger who gives his artist girlfriend a robot head he’s found. Big mistake! Turns out, that head belonged to a seriously dangerous combat unit, and it’s now piecing itself back together from junk in this desolate, post-apocalyptic world with one goal: causing chaos. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s got a certain…energy.

5) I Come in Peace

The movie I Come in Peace stars Dolph Lundgren as a rebellious police officer. He faces off against an alien who repeatedly says “I come in peace” while attacking with strange, spinning, blade-like weapons. Ultimately, it’s a pretty ridiculous film.

But honestly, a little bit of fun is perfectly fine on a Saturday night. Especially when it involves a villain hilariously declaring “I come in peace” only to be met with the hero’s retort, “And you go in pieces, jerk.”

4) Godzilla vs. Mothra

Many fans consider Godzilla’s Heisei era—the series of films from the 1980s and 90s—to be even stronger than his original Shōwa era. Films like The Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Biollante are particularly well-regarded, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II is a lot of fun, and the series ended on a high note with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.

A key part of this period featured three films that reintroduced classic monsters from the Showa era: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs. Mothra, and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. Of these, Godzilla vs. Mothra stood out as the strongest, largely because it explored deeper and more meaningful themes than the other two.

Stream Godzilla vs. Mothra on The Criterion Channel.

3) Body Snatchers

There have been four film adaptations of Jack Finney’s 1955 novel, The Body Snatchers. Two are excellent, one is quite good, and one is terrible. The 1993 version directed by Abel Ferrara, simply titled Body Snatchers, falls into the ‘very good’ category.

This sci-fi horror film is bleak and unsettling, taking place on a confined military base. While the characters aren’t particularly compelling to begin with, the movie does manage to deliver some unexpected twists and turns.

2) Demolition Man

Wesley Snipes is known for playing the good guy, but he always seemed to really enjoy his villainous roles. Think of his performance in New Jack City, or how energetic he was as Simon Phoenix in Demolition Man.

This action movie is a fun, lighthearted brawl with a quirky vision of the future. It imagines a world where major cities have merged, swearing is prohibited, and intimacy is practiced in a specific, mindful way. While it doesn’t quite reach brilliance, it’s a solid effort and arguably one of Sylvester Stallone’s better films from the often-uneven 1990s.

Stream Demolition Man on AMC.

1) Screamers

Many great films have been adapted from the writings of Philip K. Dick, including classics like Blade Runner, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Adjustment Bureau. While Screamers isn’t quite as strong as those, it’s still a compelling and fun sci-fi horror movie, boosted by solid performances from Peter Weller, known for RoboCop, and Jennifer Rubin, from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

Though originally based on a story from 30 years prior to James Cameron’s The Terminator, this film definitely echoes that classic, particularly in its depiction of a future war and robots that become increasingly human-like with each upgrade. It’s a low-budget, B-movie similar to Hardware, but it’s surprisingly fun.

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2025-11-26 02:13