A Glean movie guide
The Best Sci-Fi Movies of 2023
The future, reimagined.
From multiverse epics to AI thrillers, these are the year's essential visions of the future.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Godzilla Minus One
A powerful, human-centric reimagining of the nuclear monster’s origins in post-war Japan.
In postwar Japan, Godzilla brings new devastation to an already scorched landscape. With no military intervention or government help in sight, the survivors must join together in the face of despair and fight back against an unrelenting horror.
- 02
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
A visually breathtaking journey through the complex physics and emotional stakes of the multiverse.
After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters the Spider Society, a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse's very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must set out on his own to save those he loves most.
- 03
Poor Things
A surreal and bold exploration of consciousness and biological discovery from director Yorgos Lanthimos.
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
- 04
The Creator
A visually stunning epic that tackles the moral complexities of a global war against artificial intelligence.
Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and mankind itself.
- 05
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
A heartfelt space opera focusing on the dark scientific origins of its beloved heroes.
Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
- 06
They Cloned Tyrone
A sharp, stylish mystery that blends retro aesthetics with a chilling conspiracy about social engineering.
A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy lurking directly beneath their neighborhood.
- 07
Mars Express
A sleek cyberpunk noir that masterfully explores the tension between humans and androids on a colonized Mars.
In 2200, private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker. On Mars, they descend deep into the underbelly of the planet's capital city where they uncover a darker story of brain farms, political corruption, and a missing girl who holds a secret about the robots that threatens to change the face of the universe.
- 08
No One Will Save You
A tense, nearly wordless survival thriller that puts a fresh, visual-first spin on the alien invasion trope.
A lonely woman battles extraterrestrials who threaten her future while forcing her to face her past.
- 09
Asteroid City
Wes Anderson’s whimsical and meta-textual take on 1950s extraterrestrial encounters and mid-century tropes.
In an American desert town circa 1955, the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.
- 10
The Artifice Girl
A gripping, low-budget drama that dives deep into the ethics of artificial intelligence and digital personhood.
A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program's troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose.
- 11
M3GAN
A clever and unsettling look at the dangers of unchecked machine learning and the 'uncanny valley'.
A brilliant toy company roboticist uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to emotionally bond with her newly orphaned niece. But when the doll's programming works too well, she becomes overprotective of her new friend with terrifying results.
- 12
Nimona
A vibrant 'techno-medieval' adventure about societal control and the science of shape-shifting.
A knight framed for a tragic crime teams with a scrappy, shape-shifting teen to prove his innocence.