A 21st Centuryscience fiction movieranked by some among the masterpieces of the genre - it boasts a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score - is getting a new streaming home next month. The term “masterpiece” can be applied to only a handful of sci-fi movies released in the first 25 years of the current century.
While it’s by no means definitive, the recentNew York Timeslist of the century’s best moviesprovides an interesting snapshot of cinema opinion as of 2025,including a rundown of what are held by the poll’s participants to be the best sci-fi movies made since 2000.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindwas crowned the best science fiction movie of the century so far by theNYTpoll, followed by the more succinctly titledHer,ArrivalandWall-E. Overall, the list features 12 movies that can fairly be categorized as science fiction, an indication of how many strong films the genre has produced in the last quarter-century.
Despite sci-fi’s solid representation on the list, there were arguably a few snubs, including a 2009 film that wowed critics and audiences when it originally released, and is still widely regarded as a masterpiece.
Did you know:Parasitewas named the best film of the 21st Century by theNew York Times' poll
District 9 Is Getting A New Streaming Home In August
It’s Coming To Hulu August 1
The film may not have made it onto theNew York Timestop 100, butDistrict 9is still in contention as one of the best science fiction movies made this century. Neill Blomkamp’s exercise in speculative sci-fi, featuring imaginative use of found footage techniques, currently sits at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
ThatDistrict 9sequel may never have arrived as hoped, but the original movie still packs a punch,and Hulu will have it on their lineup beginning July 13, 2025.
For fans of…
Why You Should Watch District 9
It’s A Truly Unique Take On Human-Alien Relations
District 9is a very different take on the alien invasion genre. In this film, extra-terrestrials do not come to Earth seeking to conquer, but arrive in search of a new home, only to be herded into internment camps, where they’re treated like animals.
This unique premise sets up a compelling story about how one human comes to be bonded with the aliens, and what happens when he aids them in fighting back. The parallels with Apartheid-era South Africa are obvious,but it isn’t necessary to know the real history to appreciate what the film is saying.
Writer-director Blomkamp’s storytelling is exciting and, ultimately, heartfelt, and his world-building is incredibly detailed and convincing.District 9presents an alien race that feels entirely real, and gets the audience rooting for the extra-terrestrials, who possess “humanity,” yet still seem truly alien.
The film works on every level. It’s a fantastic action-thriller, and a thought-provoking allegory,and a prodigious technical achievement that succeeds in presenting a fully-realized, thoroughly convincing dystopian world.
What ScreenRant Has Said…
In a 2024 article,ScreenRantwrote:
Many alien invasion movies are somewhat predictable, with humans defeating hostile aliens, or making friends with peaceable ones. District 9 is based on the nastier aspects of human history and is a disturbingly realistic depiction of what might happen to visiting aliens.
$210 million worldwide (budget $30 million)
90%
82%
9 stars out of 10
