Judging by the Oscars and critics’ scores, the best sci-fi movies of 2023 are Godzilla Minus One, Poor Things and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Below are ten films released in 2023, each with its director, cast, runtime, share of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Oscars and where to watch it in Ukraine as of September 25, 2026.
The list covers blockbusters, animation, arthouse and streaming originals — from a 93-minute horror film with almost no dialogue to a Chinese space epic that runs nearly three hours. At the end you’ll find a comparison table and tips on what to watch with kids or when you’re short on time.
How we picked
- The film first came out in 2023 — at a festival, in theaters or on streaming.
- Science fiction drives the plot: aliens, artificial intelligence, clones, the multiverse, a scientific experiment, dystopia.
- Recognition is on record: Academy Awards data from the Academy and the share of positive critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes as of September 25, 2026.
- Order: Oscar winners first, then nominees, then the rest. Within each group, films are ranked by critics score.
That’s why Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (fantasy) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (a superhero film about the king of Atlantis) didn’t make the list. M3GAN technically belongs to 2022: it premiered on December 7, 2022. The animated Nimona, an Oscar nominee, leans toward fantasy even though its kingdom is full of future tech; it’s on Netflix.
The first part of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon got only 22% positive reviews. If you want a big space opera, a safer bet is to rewatch Star Wars — here’s the order to watch the saga in.
1. Godzilla Minus One
Oscar for Visual Effects
- Netflix
- International title Godzilla Minus One
- Director Takashi Yamazaki
- Cast Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe
- Released November 3, 2023, Japan
- Runtime 124 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 99%
For viewers who love monster movies but want real characters in them. Critics single out the human story between the scenes of destruction.
- Oscar for Visual Effects
- 99% positive reviews
- Netflix also has the black-and-white version
- No Ukrainian dub on Netflix, subtitles only
The story opens in the final days of World War II: a former kamikaze pilot returns to a devastated Japan, haunted by guilt for surviving, and then Godzilla attacks the country. Writer-director Takashi Yamazaki supervised the visual effects himself and shared the Oscar with his team.
According to Toho, it’s the franchise’s first Oscar win in 70 years and the first Visual Effects Oscar for a Japanese-language film. It takes first place for pairing that award with the highest critics score in the list.
2. Poor Things
4 Oscars and the Golden Lion
- MEGOGO: buy or rent
- Original title Poor Things
- Director Yorgos Lanthimos
- Cast Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe
- Released December 8, 2023, US
- Runtime 141 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 92%
For fans of unusual arthouse cinema: it’s a sci-fi comedy-drama. Best watched without kids: it’s rated R in the US and 18+ on MEGOGO.
- 4 Oscars from 11 nominations
- Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival
- Best Actress Oscar for Emma Stone
- Lots of explicit scenes: R in the US, 18+ on MEGOGO
Surgeon Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) brings a young woman, Bella (Emma Stone), back to life. She has an adult’s body but discovers the world anew like a child, and soon sets off on a journey. The film is based on the 1992 novel by Scottish writer Alasdair Gray.
It has the most awards in the list: the Golden Lion at Venice and four Oscars — for Best Actress, Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling. It ranks second because its critics score is a bit lower than Godzilla’s: 92%.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Oscar nominee: Animated Feature
- MEGOGO: buy or rent
- Original title Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
- Voice cast Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac
- Released June 2, 2023, US
- Runtime 140 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 95%
A family pick for anyone who loves bold animation: it’s rated PG in the US. The story continues Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), so it’s best to start there.
- Oscar nomination for Animated Feature
- 95% positive reviews
- Fine to watch with kids
- Ends on a cliffhanger, the finale is due in 2027
Miles Morales heads into the multiverse with Gwen Stacy and meets the Spider-Society — a whole army of Spider-People from different worlds. A villain called the Spot is hunting them.
The film ends on a cliffhanger: Sony has set the final part of the trilogy for June 18, 2027 (US release). All of the hero’s movies in order are in our Spider-Man guide.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Oscar nominee: Visual Effects
- MEGOGO: buy or rent
- Original title Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Director James Gunn
- Cast Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper
- Released May 5, 2023, US
- Runtime 150 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 82%
For those who’ve seen the first two films: this is where the story of Peter Quill’s team ends. Plenty of jokes and space battles, but Rocket’s story is at its heart.
- Oscar nomination for Visual Effects
- Wraps up James Gunn’s trilogy
- Much will be unclear without the first two films
Rocket is badly wounded. To save him, the Guardians must break into the corporation that created him and face his maker, the High Evolutionary. It’s the final part of James Gunn’s trilogy and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rotten Tomatoes critics say it sometimes leans too hard on emotion but call it a warm goodbye to the MCU’s most mismatched team. Where it fits among the studio’s other films: see the Marvel timeline.
5. The Creator
Two Oscar nominations
- MEGOGO: buy or rent
- Original title The Creator
- Director Gareth Edwards
- Cast John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe
- Released September 29, 2023, US
- Runtime 133 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 67%
For anyone interested in artificial intelligence who values big-screen scale. It’s an original story, not a sequel or a comic book adaptation.
- Oscar nominations: Visual Effects and Sound
- Original story, not part of a franchise
- Critics find the story shallow
It’s 2070, and humans are at war with artificial intelligence, which is blamed for a nuclear blast that destroyed Los Angeles. Former special forces operative Joshua is sent to find and kill the Creator — the architect of AI, who has built a weapon capable of ending the war.
The film was nominated for Oscars for Visual Effects and Sound. Per the Rotten Tomatoes summary, critics praise the spectacle and the cast but feel the story lacks depth — hence 67% and the last spot among the nominees.
6. They Cloned Tyrone
Netflix original film
- Netflix
- Original title They Cloned Tyrone
- Director Juel Taylor
- Cast John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx
- Released July 21, 2023, Netflix
- Runtime 122 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 95%
For fans of sci-fi with humor and a mystery to crack. It’s on Netflix with a Ukrainian dub.
- 95% positive reviews
- Ukrainian dub on Netflix
- Rated R: adults only
Three unlikely acquaintances from a poor neighborhood stumble onto a secret government operation: people in the area are being used in cloning experiments. It’s Juel Taylor’s feature directing debut.
Its critics score is 95%, the same as Across the Spider-Verse, but it has no Oscar recognition, so it opens the second half of the list.
7. The Wandering Earth 2
Based on Liu Cixin
- International title The Wandering Earth 2
- Director Frant Gwo
- Cast Andy Lau, Wu Jing
- Released January 22, 2023, China
- Runtime 173 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 83% (23 reviews)
For fans of large-scale sci-fi about saving humanity. You can skip the first film: this one is a prequel.
- Spectacular visual effects
- A prequel: works without the first film
- The longest film in the list, nearly three hours
- Not available on MEGOGO or Kyivstar TV right now
The Sun is expanding and will swallow Earth within a century, so humanity builds thousands of giant engines to push the planet out of the Solar System. The film shows how that project began: it’s a prequel to the 2019 film based on Liu Cixin’s novella.
The 83% score rests on just 23 reviews. Critics praise the spectacle and the pace but mention the length and the nationalistic subtext.
8. No One Will Save You
Almost no dialogue
- Original title No One Will Save You
- Director Brian Duffield
- Starring Kaitlyn Dever
- Released September 22, 2023, Hulu
- Runtime 93 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 82%
For fans of tense horror who want to be done in an hour and a half. Only five words are spoken in the whole film.
- The shortest film in the list
- Kaitlyn Dever carries it with almost no lines
- Horror with violent scenes
Seamstress Brynn lives alone, shunned by her small-town neighbors. One night an alien breaks into her house, and she has to fight back.
Writer-director Brian Duffield all but dropped dialogue, and critics single out how Kaitlyn Dever holds the film without words. It was released on Hulu; we didn’t find an official option on Ukrainian streaming services.
9. Asteroid City
Cannes competition
- MEGOGO: buy or rent
- Original title Asteroid City
- Director Wes Anderson
- Cast Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks
- Released June 16, 2023, US
- Runtime 105 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 76%
For fans of Wes Anderson’s signature style: per the critics’ summary, it’s unlikely to win the director new fans.
- In competition at the Cannes Film Festival
- Star-studded cast
- Runs under two hours
- The sci-fi is framed as a play within the film
1955, a desert town: students and their parents gather for a junior stargazer convention, but an alien’s appearance derails the program and the military puts the town under quarantine. It’s all presented as a play whose staging is the subject of a TV program. The film competed in the main competition of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
10. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Hunger Games prequel
- MEGOGO: subscription
- Original title The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
- Director Francis Lawrence
- Cast Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis
- Released November 17, 2023, US
- Runtime 157 min
- Rotten Tomatoes 64%
For Hunger Games fans and dystopia lovers. You don’t need to know the other films: it’s set decades before them.
- Works without the earlier films
- Included with a MEGOGO subscription
- Critics find the ending rushed
- Runs over 2.5 hours
Young Coriolanus Snow, the future tyrannical president of Panem, becomes the mentor of Lucy Gray Baird, a District 12 tribute in the 10th Hunger Games. The film is based on Suzanne Collins’s 2020 novel.
Critics praise the cast and the story but find the ending hasty — hence the lowest score in the list, 64%.
Comparison: best sci-fi movies of 2023
| Film | Runtime, min | Critics (RT), % | Oscars | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godzilla Minus One | 124 | 99 | Won: Visual Effects | Netflix |
| Poor Things | 141 | 92 | 4 wins from 11 nominations | MEGOGO: buy, rent |
| Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | 140 | 95 | Nominated: Animated Feature | MEGOGO: buy, rent |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | 150 | 82 | Nominated: Visual Effects | MEGOGO: buy, rent |
| The Creator | 133 | 67 | 2 nominations | MEGOGO: buy, rent |
| They Cloned Tyrone | 122 | 95 | — | Netflix |
| The Wandering Earth 2 | 173 | 83 | — | — |
| No One Will Save You | 93 | 82 | — | — |
| Asteroid City | 105 | 76 | — | MEGOGO: buy, rent |
| The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes | 157 | 64 | — | MEGOGO: subscription |
How to choose a movie for tonight
Three things make it easy to narrow the list down: mood, time and who you’re watching with.
- Big-screen spectacle: Godzilla Minus One, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Creator and The Wandering Earth 2.
- Short on time: No One Will Save You runs 93 minutes, Asteroid City 105. The longest film in the list is The Wandering Earth 2 at 173 minutes.
- With kids: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the only film in the list rated PG in the US. The others with a US rating are PG-13 or R.
- Adults only: Poor Things (R; 18+ on MEGOGO) and They Cloned Tyrone (R).
- With a Ukrainian dub: all six films on MEGOGO and They Cloned Tyrone on Netflix. Netflix offers Godzilla Minus One with Japanese or English audio and Ukrainian subtitles.
- About artificial intelligence: The Creator, a war between humans and AI.
Sources and methodology
Analysis of public sourcesChecked 25 September 2026
- 96th Academy Awards — Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences oscars.org
- Official awards of the 80th Venice Film Festival labiennale.org
- Critics scores — Rotten Tomatoes rottentomatoes.com
- Netflix catalog in Ukraine netflix.com
- MEGOGO catalog megogo.net
FAQ
Which 2023 sci-fi movies won an Oscar?
Two films on this list. Godzilla Minus One won the Oscar for Visual Effects, and Poor Things won four: Best Actress (Emma Stone), Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling.
Where can I watch these movies in Ukraine?
As of September 25, 2026, Godzilla Minus One and They Cloned Tyrone are on Netflix. On MEGOGO you can buy or rent Poor Things, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Creator and Asteroid City, while The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes comes with a subscription. We didn’t find an official option for The Wandering Earth 2 or No One Will Save You.
Which of these can I watch with kids?
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: it’s the only film in the list rated PG in the US. On MEGOGO it comes with a Ukrainian dub.
When is the next Spider-Verse movie coming out?
Sony has scheduled the final part of the trilogy for June 18, 2027 — that’s the US release date.
Leave a Reply