Movies Like Arrival: Top 20 Super Hit Science Fiction Series

Movies like Arrival are enriched with science fiction action thrillers that grab the audience’s attention. In this blog post, you will discover 20 movies like Arrival. Furthermore, this post will assist the fans in enhancing their knowledge by delivering extra detail regarding the desired production. 

Moreover, you will get an overview of each movie by picking the official trailers. Indeed, you will get entertainment in a brief time because of the short stories delivered by this platform. 

20 Best Movies Like Arrival (2016)

Movies like Arrival are enjoyable for fans who want science fiction action series. Moreover, this post delivers 20 movies like Arrival and lets you know about the selection. 

Indeed, the viewers can be amused quickly by learning the short narration from this article. Furthermore, all the given series deliver a similar viewing experience to the one provided by the Arrival movie. 

District 9 (2009)

Name District 9 (2009)
DirectorNeill Blomkamp
Producer Carolynne Cunningham, Peter Jackson
Release Date 23rd July 2009
Total Budget $30 million
Gross Profit $210.8 million 

Neill Blomkamp directed the 2009 science fiction action movie District 9. Moreover, Terri Tatchell and Blomkamp wrote the screenplay for this production. Moreover, the ensemble cast includes William Allen Young, Sharlto Copley, Louis Minnaar, Jason Cope, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, and David James. Further, Mandla Gaduka, Vanessa Haywood, and Kenneth Nkosi are also among the movie’s featured cast. 

In short, the narration revolves around an extraterrestrial civilization that is compelled to live in poor conditions on Earth. It discovers a common bond among a government officer exposed to their biotechnology, and violence is eliminated.  

District 9 (2009)

Signs (2002)

Name Signs (2002)
DirectorM. Night Shyamalan
Producer Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy
Release Date 2nd August 2002
Total Budget $72 million 
Gross Profit $408.2 million

M. Night Shyamalan directed and wrote the 2002 American science fiction horror movie Signs. Moreover, he co-produced it with Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Sam Mercer. Further, Joaquin Phoenix and Mel Gibson are the appealing stars of this production. 

In brief, the story follows a widowed former minister who lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with his kids and brother. They indicate unusual crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more terrible is coming.  Undoubtedly, the movie was a great commercial success because it grossed $408.2 million against a budget of $72 million. 

Signs (2002)

Gravity (2013)

Name Gravity (2013)
DirectorAlfonso Cuarón
Producer David Heyman, Alfonso Cuarón
Release Date 28th August 2013
Total Budget $80-130 million
Gross Profit $723.2 million 

Alfonso Cuarón directed the 2013 science fiction thriller movie Gravity. Moreover, he co-wrote, co-edited, and co-produced the production. Indeed, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are the movie’s featured stars. 

Accordingly, the plot centers on an engineer, Dr. Ryan Stone, who settles a space mission for the first time. Moreover, astronauts are on their final mission and have to survive after being hit by debris while spacewalking in space. In addition, the movie was considered a great commercial success at the box office because it grossed $723.2 million against a budget of $80-130 million.  

Gravity (2013)

Ex Machina (2014)

Name Ex Machina (2014)
DirectorAlex Garland
Producer Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald
Release Date 16th December 2014
Total Budget $15 million
Gross Profit $37.3 million

Alex Garland directed and wrote the 2014 science fiction thriller movie Ex Machina. In short, the featured stars are Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, and Oscar Isaac. Accordingly, the narration revolves around a young programmer chosen to participate in a revolutionary synthetic intelligence project. 

In this experiment, he/she analyzes the human characteristics of a highly developed humanoid artificial intelligence. Moreover, the movie premiered on 16th December 2014 at the FBI Southbank. 

Ex Machina (2014)

Under the Skin (2013)

Name Under the Skin (2013)
DirectorJonathan Glazer
Producer Nick Wechsler, James Wilson
Release Date 29th August 2013
Total Budget $13.3 million
Gross Profit $7.2 million

Jonathan Glazer directed the 2013 science fiction movie Under the Skin. Moreover, he co-wrote the screenplay with Walter Campbell based on Michel Faber’s 2000 novel. In addition, the movie premiered on 29th August 2013 at Telluride Film Festival. 

To demonstrate, the plot focuses on an attractive young woman in Scotland who uses her evenings to attract lonely men. But then, things cause her to start to explore who she is. Unfortunately, the movie was a box office failure. Despite this, it has won 23 awards and received 134 nominations. 

Under the Skin (2013)

Predestination (2014)

Name Predestination (2014)
DirectorThe Spierig Brothers
Producer Paddy McDonald, Tim McGahan, The Spierig Brothers
Release Date 8th March 2014
Total Budget $5 million
Gross Profit $5.4 million

Peter and Michael Spierig wrote and directed the 2014 Australian science fiction action-thriller movie Predestination. In addition, the ensemble cast includes Sarah Snook, Ethan Hawke, and Noah Taylor. 

Accordingly, the story centers on a temporal agent whose final job is to go back in time and stop a bombing in New York in 1975. On the other hand, the goal appears to be unattainable. Moreover, the movie was a box office failure because it grossed $5.4 million against a budget of $5 million. 

Predestination (2014)

Fast Color (2018)

Name Fast Color (2018)
DirectorJulia Hart
Producer Mickey Liddell, Jordan Horowitz, Pete Shilaimon
Release Date 10th March 2018 
Gross Profit $76,916

Julia Hart directed the 2018 American superhero drama movie Fast Color. Indeed, he co-wrote the screenplay for this production with Jordan Horowitz. Furthermore, Lorraine Toussaint, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Saniyya Sidney, David Strathairn, and Christopher Denham make up the ensemble cast. 

In short, the plot focuses on a woman, Ruth, who has supernatural powers. She escapes from the scientists and law enforcement who want to control and study her. Indeed, the movie has won 1 award and received 8 nominations.

Fast Color (2018)

Upstream Color (2013)

Name Upstream Color (2013)
DirectorShane Carruth
Producer Shane Carruth
Release Date January 21, 2013
Total Budget $50,000–100,000
Gross Profit $584,881

Shane Carruth directed, wrote, and produced the 2013 American experimental science fiction movie Upstream Color. To demonstrate, the narration follows a woman and man; they are brought together while connected to an organism’s life cycle. 

Identification starts to disappear as they attempt to assemble the broken pieces of their destroyed lives. Surprisingly, the movie has won 5 awards and received 40 nominations. Moreover, it grossed $444,000 at the US box office. 

Upstream Color (2013)

Contact (1997)

Name Contact (1997)
DirectorRobert Zemeckis
Producer Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis
Release Date July 11, 1997
Total Budget $90 million
Gross Profit $171.1 million

Robert Zemeckis directed the 1997 American science fiction drama movie Contact. Moreover, Michael Goldenberg and James V. Hart wrote the screenplay based on Carl Sagan’s 1985 novel, which had the same title. Indeed, the ensemble cast includes James Woods, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, and William Fichtner.

The movie’s featured stars are Angela Bassett, Jake Busey, Rob Lowe, and David Morse. In brief, the plot follows Dr. Ellie Arroway, whose years of investigation have revealed convincing proof of extraterrestrial intelligence via radio transmissions, including plans for an unusual machine. Surprisingly, the movie has won 14 awards and received 46 nominations.

Contact (1997)

Oxygen (2021)

Name Oxygen (2021)
DirectorAlexandre Aja
Producer Noëmie Devide, Alexandre Aja, Brahim Chioua, Vincent Maraval, Grégory Levasseur
Release Date 12th March 2021

Alexandre Aja directed and produced the 2021 French-language science fiction thriller movie Oxygen. Moreover, Christie LeBlanc wrote the script for this production. In addition, the featured cast includes Mathieu Amalric, Mélanie Laurent, and Malik Zidi. 

To demonstrate, the tale revolves around a woman who awakens in a frozen facility and loses her memory for her journey. She needs to restore her brain to escape from her dreadful situation because her oxygen supply is running low. 

Oxygen (2021)

Sunshine (2007)

Name Sunshine (2007)
DirectorDanny Boyle
Producer Andrew Macdonald
Release Date 6th April 2007
Total Budget $40 million
Gross Profit $34 million

Danny Boyle directed The Sunshine 2007 movie full science fiction psychological thriller. In addition, the featured cast includes Mark Strong, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, and Benedict Wong. Moreover, Cliff Curtis, Troy Garity, Chris Evans, and Hiroyuki Sanada are the movie’s featured stars. 

In brief, the narration centers on the international astronauts’ team assigned a lethal mission. They have to reactivate the dying Sun in 2057 with a nuclear fission bomb. Unfortunately, the movie was a box office failure because it grossed $34 million against a budget of $40 million. 

Sunshine (2007)

The Signal (2014)

Name The Signal (2014)
DirectorWilliam Eubank
Producer Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Tyler Davidson, Nimra Rafaqat
Release Date 20th January 2014
Total Budget $4 million
Gross Profit $2.42 million

William Eubank directed the 2014 American science fiction thriller movie The Signal. Moreover, he co-wrote the screenplay with David Frigerio and Carlyle Eubank. In addition, the appealing stars are Laurence Fishburne, Brenton Thwaites, Robert Longstreet, Beau Knapp, Olivia Cooke, and Lin Shaye. 

Accordingly, the plot revolves around Nic and two friends drawn to a remote location by a computer expert. Nic regains consciousness and finds himself in an odd world when everything becomes dark. 

Moreover, the movie premiered on 20th January at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, it was a box office failure because the movie grossed $2.42 million against a budget of $4 million. 

The Signal (2014)

400 Days (2015)

Name 400 Days (2015)
DirectorMatt Osterman
Producer Gabriel Cowan, John Suits
Release Date 29th October 2015 
Box Office $58 million

Matt Osterman wrote and directed the 2015 American science fiction movie 400 Days. Moreover, the ensemble cast includes Dane Cook, Brandon Routh, Ben Feldman, and Caity Lotz. 

In brief, the narration follows astronauts sent on a simulated mission of 400-day-long to a distant planet. Their purpose is to test the psychological impacts of deep space exploration. Moreover, the movie premiered in theatres in the United States. 

400 Days (2015)

The Vast of Night (2019)

Name The Vast of Night (2019)
DirectorAndrew Patterson
Producer Melissa Kirkendall, James Montague, Adam Dietrich
Release Date 26th January 2019 
Total Budget $700,000

Andrew Patterson directed the 2019 American science fiction mystery movie The Vast of Night. Moreover, Craig W. Sanger and James Montague wrote the screenplay for this great production. Indeed, Jake Horowitz and Sierra McCormick are the movie’s appealing stars. 

Accordingly, the story follows a radio DJ and switchboard operator exploring an odd audio frequency. This voice could alter the future forever, and it was discovered one night in New Mexico in the late 1950s. Undoubtedly, this movie has won 12 awards and received 55 nominations. 

The Vast of Night (2019)

Europa Report (2013)

Name Europa Report (2013)
DirectorSebastián Cordero
Producer Kevin Misher, Ben Browning
Release Date 27th June 2013
Total Budget Less than $10 million
Gross Profit $125,687

Sebastián Cordero directed the 2013 American science fiction movie Europa Report. In addition, the ensemble cast includes Anamaria Marinca, Christian Camargo, Michael Nyqvist, Karolina Wydra, Daniel Wu, and Sharlto Copley.

To illustrate, the tale centers on a worldwide crew of astronauts who take a privately funded expedition. Their mission is to look for the signs of life on the fourth biggest moon of Jupiter. Moreover, the movie has won 1 award and received 3 nominations. 

Europa Report (2013)

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Name The Midnight Sky (2020)
DirectorGeorge Clooney
Producer Cliff Roberts, George Clooney, Bard Dorros, Keith Redmon, and Grant Heslov
Release Date 11th December 2020
Total Budget $100 million
Gross Profit $3 million

George Clooney directed the 2010 American science fiction movie The Midnight Sky. In addition, Mark L. Smith wrote the script based on Lily Brooks-Dalton’s 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight. Further, the ensemble cast includes David Oyelowo, Felicity Jones, Tiffany Boone, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, and Caoilinn Springall. 

To demonstrate, the tale follows an isolated scientist, Augustine, in the Arctic. He must work to prevent Sully and other astronauts from returning home to face an unexplained worldwide disaster. Moreover, the movie was a box failure because it grossed $3 million against a budget of $100 million. Undoubtedly, the movie has won 5 awards and received 51 nominations. 

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Primer (2004)

Name Primer (2004)
DirectorShane Carruth
Producer Shane Carruth
Release Date October 8, 2004 
Total Budget $7,000
Gross Profit $841,926

Shane Carruth directed, edited, produced, and wrote the 2004 American independent psychological science fiction. Moreover, he and  David Sullivan are among the appealing stars of this production. 

In brief, the narration centers on four buddies who are aspiring entrepreneurs. They debate over their latest innovation because they believe it to be more revolutionary and significant than the several error-checking devices they have created. Moreover, this production gained a Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. 

Primer (2004)

The Martian (2015)

Name The Martian (2015)
DirectorRidley Scott
Producer Mark Huffam, Simon Kinberg, Michael Schaefer, Ridley Scott
Release Date 11th September 2015
Total Budget $108 million
Gross Profit $630.6 million

Ridley Scott directed the 2015 science fiction movie The Martin. Furthermore, Drew Goddard wrote the screenplay based on Andy Weir’s 2011 novel, which had the same title. Moreover, the ensemble cast includes Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Peña, and Sebastian Stan.

Indeed, Kate Mara, Aksel Hennie, Donald Glover, Mackenzie Davis, and Benedict Wong are among the movie’s featured stars. Accordingly, the plot focuses on an astronaut alone on Mars. He must use cunning techniques to communicate to Earth that he is still alive and capable of surviving until a possible recovery.  

The Martian (2015)

Stowaway (2021)

Name Stowaway (2021)
DirectorJoe Penna
Producer Clay Pecorin, Aram Tertzakian, Ulrich Schwarz, Jonas Katzenstein, Nick Spicer, Maximilian Leo
Release Date April 22, 2021
Total Budget $10 million

Joe Penna directed the 2021 sci-fi drama thriller movie Stowaway. Further, he co-wrote the screenplay with Ryan Morrison. Indeed, Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette are among the movie’s featured stars.

To demonstrate, the plot centers on a crew of three persons on a mission to Mars. They have to make a painful decision there when an unexpected passenger puts the lives of everyone in danger. In addition, the movie premiered on 22nd April 2021 in selected countries on Netflix. 

Stowaway (2021)

ARQ (2016)

Name ARQ (2016)
DirectorTony Elliott
Producer Nick Spicer, John Finemore, Mason Novick, Kyle Franke
Release Date 9th September 2016 
Total Budget Under $2 million

Tony Elliott directed the 2016 American-Canadian science fiction action movie ARQ. Moreover, he wrote the script for this production. 

To illustrate, the narration focuses on a confused couple imprisoned in a lab and trapped in a time loop. They repel masked attackers and protect an unusual form of energy that has the potential to save humanity. Moreover, the movie has won 1 award and received 4 nominations. 

ARQ (2016)

Arrival (2016) Plot

The movie Arrival plot centers on Louise Banks, a Linguistics professor, who is in charge of a top-notch team of investigators when spaceships land in twelve different places worldwide. 

Banks and her crew are racing to figure out how to contact the extraterrestrial visitors as nations balance on the edge of global war. She takes a risk that would endanger her and all humans in her quest to solve the mystery. 

Arrival (2016) Plot

Movie Detail

Denis Villeneuve directed the 2016 American science fiction drama movie Arrival. Moreover, Eric Heisserer wrote the screenplay based on Ted Chiang’s 1998 tale “Story of Your Life”. In addition, the ensemble cast includes Tzi Ma, Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, and Michael Stuhlbarg. This movie received 8 nominations at the 89th Academy Awards.

Name Arrival (2016)
DirectorDenis Villeneuve
Producer David Linde, Shawn Levy, Aaron Ryder, Dan Levine
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Running Time 116 minutes
LanguageEnglish 

Box Office Collection

The movie Arrival 2016 was released on 1st September and earned over $100.5 million in Canada and the United States. Moreover, in other countries, the grossing was $102.8 million. Indeed, the worldwide earnings were $203.4 million against a budget of $47 million. On its first day, it earned $9.4 million; the gross was $24.1 million over the weekend.

NameArrival (2016)
Release Date 1st September 2016
Total Budget $47 million
Worldwide Grossing$203.4 million
First weekend earnings$24.1 million

Conclusion

Movies like Arrival are amazing sources of diverting attention from daily issues because these series are full of entertainment. In this blog post, you can discover 20 movies like Arrival. Further, the fans can understand the series more quickly because this post delivers each movie’s short narration. 

In addition, if you want to get an idea about the selected one before watching, you are assisted by the official trailer. Moreover, if the fans are curious about the notable details, this platform is the best choice.

Photo of author

Jordan Counsel

Jordan Counsel is a passionate movie enthusiast with a keen eye for cinematic details. With years of experience in the film world, Jordan brings a unique perspective to the art of movie analysis and critique. Whether dissecting the latest blockbuster or delving into the nuances of independent cinema, Jordan's writing provides readers with insightful and engaging content. When not glued to the silver screen, Jordan enjoys exploring the world of cinema, attending film festivals, and sharing recommendations for movie lovers everywhere.