Best Science Fiction Movies of 1996

The highest-rated science fiction films from 1996, ranked by MovieMagicScore based on authentic viewer ratings.

Science Fiction 1995 Science Fiction 1997 All Time Science Fiction

Action Comedy Drama Horror Thriller Romance Animation Documentary Fantasy Crime

Star Trek: First Contact

1996

The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay away from the battle, Captain Picard and the crew of the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise E pursue the Borg back in time to prevent the invaders from changing Federation history and assimilating the galaxy.

7.3

Independence Day

1996

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived. Its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

6.9

Space Jam

1996

With their freedom on the line, the Looney Tunes seek the help of NBA superstar Michael Jordan to win a basketball game against a team of moronic aliens.

6.8

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion

1996

A strange meteor lands in Japan and unleashes hundreds of insect-like "Legion" creatures bent on colonizing the Earth. When the military fails to control the situation, Gamera shows up to deal with the ever-evolving space adversary. However the battle may result in Gamera losing his bond with both Asagi and humanity.

7.5

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

1996

Dr. Clayton Forrester figures he can rule the world if he deadens his subjects' brains by making them endure terrible movies. Exploiting his access to nearby satellite-dwellers Mike Nelson and his robot pals, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, Forrester makes them watch "This Island Earth", a cheesy 1950s spaceship film. But when Mike and friends make funny comments throughout the movie and others that follow, Forrester's plan looks increasingly flimsy.

6.5

Phenomenon

1996

An ordinary man sees a bright light descend from the sky, and discovers he now has super-intelligence and telekinesis.

6.5

Mars Attacks!

1996

A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world's major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim, "come in peace." U.S. President James Dale receives assurance from science professor Donald Kessler that the Martians' mission is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total annihilation of the U.S. Congress, military men call for a full-scale nuclear retaliation.

6.4

Doctor Who

1996

The Seventh Doctor becomes the Eighth. And on the streets of San Francisco – alongside new ally Grace Holloway - he battles the Master.

6.2

Project: ALF

1996

Six years ago, the space alien ALF was on his way back to his new home when the Alien Task Force finally caught up with him. Now he is being studied at a top-secret base. There he finds allies who feel that ALF's existence should be announced to the world to ensure his safety... especially when they learn that the abrasive Colonel Milfoil wants ALF destroyed.

5.9

#10

Unforgettable

1996

Seattle medical examiner David Krane is obsessed with solving his wife's murder. A possible solution presents itself in an experimental "memory" serum designed by a neurobiology professor, which has the ability to transfer memories from one person to another, but with potentially fatal consequences.

5.6

#11

The Arrival

1996

Zane Ziminski is an astrophysicist who receives a message that seems to have extraterrestrial origins. Eerily soon after his discovery, Zane is fired. He then embarks on a search to determine the origins of the transmission that leads him into a Hitchcockian labyrinth of paranoia and intrigue.

6.0

#12

Space Truckers

1996

John Canyon is one of the last independent space transport entrepreneurs. Rough times force him to carry suspicious cargo to Earth without questions being asked. During the flight the cargo turns out to be a multitude of unstoppable killer robots.

5.4

#13

Darkman III: Die Darkman Die

1996

Darkman, needing money to continue his experiments on synthetic skin, steals a crate of cash from drug lord Peter Rooker...

5.2

#14

Multiplicity

1996

Construction worker Doug Kinney finds that the pressures of his working life, combined with his duties to his wife Laura and daughter Jennifer leaves him with little time for himself. However, he is approached by geneticist Dr. Owen Leeds, who offers Doug a rather unusual solution to his problems: cloning.

5.8

#15

Escape from L.A.

1996

Into the 9.6-quaked Los Angeles of 2013 comes Snake Plissken. His job: wade through L.A.'s ruined landmarks to retrieve a doomsday device.

5.9

#16

Chain Reaction

1996

At the University of Chicago, a research team that includes brilliant student machinist Eddie Kasalivich experiences a breakthrough: a stable form of fusion that may lead to a waste-free energy source. However, a private company wants to exploit the technology, so Kasalivich and physicist Dr. Lily Sinclair are framed for murder, and the fusion device is stolen. On the run from the FBI, they must recover the technology and exonerate themselves.

5.8

#17

A Walk in Time

1996

While visiting Universal Studios in Hollywood along with their respective families, two Italian tourists get on a real time machine and got lost in time. Professor Mortimer effort to rescue them result in trips through various ages of ancient Italy.

5.2

#18

The Nutty Professor

1996

When beautiful Carla Purty joins the university faculty, genetic professor Dr. Sherman Klump grows desperate to whittle his 400-pound frame down to size and win her heart. So, with one swig of his experimental fat-reducing serum, Sherman becomes 'Buddy Love', a fast-talking, pumped-up, plumped down Don Juan.

5.6

#19

Hellraiser: Bloodline

1996

Three generations of the same family deal with the consequences of unleashing the forces of hell.

5.3

#20

The Island of Dr. Moreau

1996

A plane crash surviving attorney stumbles upon a mysterious island and is shocked to discover that a brilliant scientist and his lab assistant have found a way to combine human and animal DNA—with horrific results.

4.9

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Best Science Fiction Movies of 1996

This ranking features the top science fiction movies released in 1996, sorted by MovieMagicScore viewer ratings. Looking for more? Browse all genres from 1996 or see the best science fiction movies of all time.