All the Sci-Fi Movies You Need to See in 2019
A new year means new sci-fi, and there's lots to be excited about. Whether you're into superheroes, kaiju, evil robots, or a galaxy far, far away, 2019 has a little bit of everything.
Here are all the films for every sci-fi fan to keep in mind, along with some preliminary expectations for the film. We'll update this list with our thoughts when films release and when more are announced for the 2019 calendar year.
Get ready to spend some time at the movies.
Replicas
Release: January 11, 2019
Verdict: Skip
Seems like there was something behind those numerous delays. This latest sci-fi flick starring Keanu Reeves comes with an interesting premise that dissolves into a lackluster story. Unless you have a love for bad films, this one is definitely worth avoiding.
IO
Release: January 18, 2019 (on Netflix only)
Verdict: Skip
It's a familiar story. Earth is toxic because of humanity's inability to save its celestial home, now surviving humans, living after near-complete environmental collapse, are going to try their luck on IO, Jupiter's fifth moon. Sadly, the film doesn't deliver on its interesting central theme, leaving behind a film that feels half-baked at best.
Glass
Release: January 18, 2019
Verdict: Maybe
In 2016, M. Night Shyamalan released Split, an unassuming psychological thriller starring James McAvoy as a recluse suffering from split personality disorder. But what appeared to be a solid horror film doubled as a surprise sequel to Shyamalan's Unbreakable, a film made 16 years prior. Shyamalan, true to form, makes some surprising twists and turns for a horror film that keeps you engaged. If you haven't seen the first two films, this one won't offer you much, but it's a fitting ending to one of Hollywood's weirdest superhero franchises.
Alita: Battle Angel
Release: February 14, 2018
Verdict: Maybe
Based on a manga of the same name (sort of), Alita: Battle Angel is unlike anything we've seen before. Weirdly huge eyes aside, this Robert Rodriguez feature is chock-full of emotion and action in equal measure. Hollywood isn't the best at adapting manga, and Alita is a valiant effort, but much like sci-fi films Valerian and Ghost in the Shell, Alita seems to be more interested in selling dazzling special effects than a deeply engaging story.
Captain Marvel
Release: March 8, 2019
Verdict: Maybe
Caught in a Kree explosion, Carol Danvers is bestowed awesome powers, transforming into Ms. Marvel but known in today's comic circles as Captain Marvel. Brie Larson plays the role of this souped-up superhuman in the character's first Marvel appearance, though she's already slated to joined the cast in Avengers: Endgame. As with so, so, so many Marvel films before, you can be confident this one will be interesting but you have to be fully onboard the Marvel train to get the most out of it.
Captive State
Release: March 29, 2019
Verdict: Skip
Most alien invasion movies focus on the “invasion” part, but what happens after humans have been subjugated? Captive State answers the question by setting up a world already a decade deep into its otherworldly occupation. While the film's premise is interesting (and John Goodman is great), the film doesn't nail the execution and comes off as a low-budget sci-fi flick that doesn't have enough fun with the material.
Shazam!
Release: April 5, 2019
Verdict: Must Watch
Also known as Captain Marvel but from an entirely separate publishing company, Billy Batson's alter ego, summoned by the word "Shazam!" isn't your standard DC film fare. Where Superman and Batman are dark and brooding (and don't get us started on the Justice League), Shazam! is the exact opposite. Billed more like a coming-of-age story than your typical superhero yarn, Shazam! breaks the DC mold—a mold that's definitely worth breaking.
High Life
Release: April 12, 2019
Verdict: Must Watch
It's worth watching almost anything made by A24, including High Life. In this creepy sci-fi adventure, prisoners are sent adrift into deep space and are also experimented on in...interesting...ways. Just the amazing atmosphere and acting in this film makes it worthwhile.
Hellboy
Release: April 12, 2019
Verdict: Skip
It's not a reboot anyone asked for, but Mike Mignola's Hellboy comic is more than worth the revisit. This film was originally conceived as a sequel to Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy: The Golden Army, but creative differences morphed into a reboot with a new director (Neil Marshall) and a new Hellboy (David Harbour). But this reboot fails to live up to the original, missing a lot of the greatness that made the original so wonderful to watch. We'll stick del Toro's version.
Avengers: Endgame
Release: April 26, 2019
Verdict: Must watch
Well, it's all come down to this. After the stunning events of Avengers: Infinity War, our heroes continue the fight against Thanos. Will they be successful? (Comics history would suggest yes). This one is worth the watch just for the spectacle of it all—even if you're not partial to drawn-out displays of superheroics.
Detective Pikachu
Release: May 10, 2019
Verdict: Must watch
It's just weird enough to be good.
Godzilla: King of Monsters
Release: May 31, 2019
Verdict: Skip
Five years after Gareth Edwards's Godzilla, the King of Monsters returns. While the original reboot film had some bright spots, it ultimately collapsed under a sloppy script and a weak connection to its more human elements. King of Monsters doesn't help things with some eye-rolling plot details and poor acting. Hollywood just can't seem to get this irradiated lizard right.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Release: June 7, 2019
Verdict: Skip
X-Men: Dark Phoenix is a follow-up to 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, which was a rare miss for the mutant franchise. Phoenix deals with Jean Grey’s cosmic dark side while trying to avoid the shortcomings that doomed X-Men: The Last Stand—it doesn't succeed.
Men in Black: International
Release date: June 14, 2019
Verdict: Skip
A fourth MiB film isn't exactly what the world needs right now, but 2012's Men in Black 3 was just good enough (thanks Josh Brolin) to keep us interested in the franchise. Considering this one stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and Liam Neeson, MiB: International looks like a worthwhile watch but really it just reminded us that MiB might be running out of good ideas.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Release: July 5, 2019
Verdict: Must watch
Spider-Man: Homecoming was one of our favorite superhero movies in recent memory. Tom Holland finally delivers a pitch-perfect Peter Parker, and its follow up measures up to the original. It doesn't quite have the newness of Homecoming that made it so exciting, but Far From Home continues to make the case that this is the very best Spider-Man franchise.
Ad Astra
Release: September 20, 2019
Preliminary verdict: Must Watch
Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) wants to figure out why his father's mission to find extra-terrestrial life on Neptune failed, setting the stage for the main events of Ad Astra. With not a lot of hard science fiction coming out this year, we'd recommend this film on just that alone. Luckily, it's also pretty good.
Joker
Release: October 4, 2019
Verdict: Maybe
Finding a replacement for Heath Ledger's Joker is an impossible task, but if you had to find someone to match Ledger's impressive creep factor, Joaquin Phoenix would be at the top of our list. Following in the footsteps of superhero films like Logan, Joker doesn't really seem like a "superhero film" as it deals with much more realistic issues (i.e. the importance of mental health care). But despite Phoenix's great performance, the storytelling is a bit sloppy. It's likely worth a good Netflix stream in a few months.
Gemini Man
Release: October 4, 2019
Verdict: Skip
With a bit of Looper tossed in, Gemini Man follows Henry Brogen (Will Smith) as an aging assassin who must survive an encounter with his most deadly enemy—himself. While it has some interesting ideas, Gemini Man doesn't quite live up to its interesting premise.
Terminator: Dark Fate
Release: November 1, 2019
Preliminary verdict: Here we go again ...
We have absolutely no idea what's going with this franchise anymore, but Terminator 6 has going for it what other sequels post-T2 don't—James Cameron is involved. With director Tim Miller, Cameron helped develop the story and will be on board as producer. Hopefully Cameron and Miller can help clean up this mess.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Release: December 20, 2019
Preliminary verdict: Must watch
Saving the big boy for last. After a tumultuous year with The Last Jedi (which we loved) and Solo (which we didn't love), Disney has given the franchise back to J. J. Abrams in hopes of righting the ship. This new era of Star Wars doesn't quite live up to its original trilogy, but new Star Wars is new Star Wars. We're in theater opening night.
Delayed Until 2020
Chaos Walking
Release: 2020
Preliminary Verdict: Looks promising
Based on Patrick Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go, Chaos Walking has the trappings of other YA novels that have been less than enthusiastically received (i.e. Divergent and Maze Runner). But with producers like Robert Zemeckis and leads like Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, this one just might turn out differently. A post-apocalyptic tale where only men have survived a deadly disease, the hero Tom Hewitt discovers that things aren't what they seem when he stumbles upon Viola Eade (Daisy Ridley). We're intrigued.
The New Mutants
Release: August 2, 2019
Preliminary Verdict: Looks promising
Not that we need another superhero movie or anything, but The New Mutants at least looks like a refreshing take on the genre, mostly taking place inside an insane asylum (from what we can tell from the trailer). In the world of comic films, the X-Men have always been slightly more competent at making something worth watching, especially when compared to DC films. Fingers crossed that the mutants can strike gold again with The New Mutants.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Release: 2020
Preliminary verdict: Looks promising
If you, like us, grew up playing your Sega Genesis every day between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., then you likely have an affinity for the console’s flagship character and his friends, and so will happily see how they translate to the big screen despite your evolution into adulthood, and theirs into CG, when Sonic the Hedgehog hits theaters on November 8.
But if you’re still wavering, don’t let the snark kings on your social feed sway you into skipping Sonic just yet. Here are five reasons why this strange, possibly misguided movie could be much better than everyone thinks.
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