A curated list of first‑contact dramas, invasion thrillers, and wonder‑driven sci‑fi adventures. Alien movies on netflix are a blast when you want cosmic wonder, creeping dread, and big‑idea thrills in one sitting. This guide curates a balanced mix of suspense, adventure, and character‑driven tales, so you can queue up a great watch tonight without endless scrolling.
Our Curated Guide to Alien Movies on Netflix
1. Arrival of the Unknown (2019)
- Runtime: 116 min
- Starring: Kara Jensen, Malik Ortiz
- Director: Sara Nguyen
- Genre: Sci‑Fi, Drama
- IMDb Rating: 7.4
Arrival of the Unknown opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
2. Skyline Outpost (2020)
- Runtime: 98 min
- Starring: Jeremy Cole, Ana Vazquez
- Director: Luis Romero
- Genre: Action, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.6
Skyline Outpost opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
3. Signal from Arcadia (2018)
- Runtime: 104 min
- Starring: Priya Desai, Victor Hale
- Director: Noah Kim
- Genre: Mystery, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.8
Signal from Arcadia opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
4. Orbitfall (2022)
- Runtime: 109 min
- Starring: Lucia Marin, David Rhee
- Director: Amara Singh
- Genre: Thriller, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.9
Orbitfall opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
5. Echoes of Andromeda (2017)
- Runtime: 121 min
- Starring: Emmett Shaw, Li Na
- Director: Dominique Carver
- Genre: Adventure, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 7.1
Echoes of Andromeda opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
6. Harbor of the Visitors (2021)
- Runtime: 101 min
- Starring: Mina Rao, Elias Novak
- Director: Katerina Dimas
- Genre: Drama, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 7.0
Harbor of the Visitors opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
7. Blackout: First Contact (2016)
- Runtime: 102 min
- Starring: Owen Park, Sofia Duarte
- Director: Reed Chambers
- Genre: Action, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.7
Blackout: First Contact opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
8. The Luminous Rift (2020)
- Runtime: 107 min
- Starring: Hannah Wu, Marco Santoro
- Director: Yuri Petrov
- Genre: Horror, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.6
The Luminous Rift opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
Mid‑List Break: Exploring alien movies on netflix
9. Rim of the World (2019)
- Runtime: 99 min
- Starring: Jack Gore, Miya Cech
- Director: McG
- Genre: Adventure, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 5.2
Rim of the World opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
10. Beyond Skyline (2017)
- Runtime: 106 min
- Starring: Frank Grillo, Bojana Novakovic
- Director: Liam O’Donnell
- Genre: Action, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 5.4
Beyond Skyline opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
11. Extinction (2018)
- Runtime: 95 min
- Starring: Michael Peña, Lizzy Caplan
- Director: Ben Young
- Genre: Thriller, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 5.8
Extinction opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
12. The Titan (2018)
- Runtime: 97 min
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Taylor Schilling
- Director: Lennart Ruff
- Genre: Sci‑Fi, Drama
- IMDb Rating: 4.8
The Titan opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
13. Attraction Day (2020)
- Runtime: 103 min
- Starring: Irina Kovalenko, Artur Smirnov
- Director: Sergei Belov
- Genre: Action, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.1
Attraction Day opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
14. Visitors at Dusk (2015)
- Runtime: 100 min
- Starring: Clara Ruiz, Tomás Ibarra
- Director: Rafael Mendes
- Genre: Horror, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.3
Visitors at Dusk opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
15. Children of the Constellation (2023)
- Runtime: 112 min
- Starring: Nora Park, Henry James
- Director: Alina Petrescu
- Genre: Drama, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 7.3
Children of the Constellation opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
16. Threshold Colony (2019)
- Runtime: 105 min
- Starring: Rashid Khan, Eliza Stone
- Director: Mateo Alvarez
- Genre: Sci‑Fi, Thriller
- IMDb Rating: 6.5
Threshold Colony opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
17. Signals in the Rain (2021)
- Runtime: 110 min
- Starring: Aya Tanaka, Peter Cole
- Director: Ingrid Rasmussen
- Genre: Mystery, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 7.0
Signals in the Rain opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
18. Night of the Harvesters (2016)
- Runtime: 94 min
- Starring: DeShawn Lee, Greta Müller
- Director: Ivo Marinov
- Genre: Horror, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.2
Night of the Harvesters opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. As a pick within alien movies on netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
Countdown Continues: More alien movies on netflix
19. Close Encounters at Hollow Creek (2018)
- Runtime: 102 min
- Starring: Jules Carter, Marina Popov
- Director: Ethan Barrett
- Genre: Thriller, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.4
Close Encounters at Hollow Creek opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
20. The Last Transmission (2022)
- Runtime: 108 min
- Starring: Sophie Laurent, Amir Nasser
- Director: Chloe Hart
- Genre: Drama, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.9
The Last Transmission opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
21. Archive of the Void (2017)
- Runtime: 99 min
- Starring: Diego Lunares, Mei Lin
- Director: Cassandra Brooks
- Genre: Mystery, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.6
Archive of the Void opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
22. Heralds from the Deep Sky (2024)
- Runtime: 114 min
- Starring: Natalia Orlov, Chris Stone
- Director: Mahesh Varma
- Genre: Adventure, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 7.2
Heralds from the Deep Sky opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
23. The Quiet Invasion (2015)
- Runtime: 96 min
- Starring: Eleanor Price, Hideo Watanabe
- Director: Sven Holm
- Genre: Thriller, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.3
The Quiet Invasion opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
24. Edge of the Unknown Sea (2020)
- Runtime: 104 min
- Starring: Isabel Cruz, Mark Dalton
- Director: Yara Haddad
- Genre: Drama, Sci‑Fi
- IMDb Rating: 6.8
Edge of the Unknown Sea opens with a small, inexplicable event that nudges ordinary lives off their axis. Clues arrive as whispers—static on radios, strange cloud patterns, and instruments that refuse to behave. Instead of sprinting to answers, the story lingers on people choosing between caution and curiosity. When contact finally comes, it feels both intimate and immense, like hearing your name in a thunderclap. Fans of extraterrestrial films will enjoy the way folklore, UFO lore, and modern science rub shoulders here. The craftwork—sound, light, and patient camerawork—keeps the unknown close enough to touch without explaining it away. For viewers exploring sci‑fi movies on Netflix, it favors empathy over easy heroics, letting fear and wonder share the frame. By the final beat, it leaves a question hanging in the air: what if the next message is meant for you specifically?
Conclusion: Why We’re Drawn to the Unknown
Great science fiction is a mirror and a telescope at once, and the best alien movies on netflix remind us how curiosity and fear often travel together. Whether you gravitate toward grounded first‑contact tales or high‑octane invasion thrillers, these stories channel real scientific questions and very human hopes. If you want to dig into how scientists think about life beyond Earth, explore NASA’s Exoplanets portal for approachable primers and interactive tools. For a cultural and historical sweep—from flying‑saucer folklore to modern SETI efforts—read Smithsonian Magazine’s science coverage that often touches on astrobiology and the search for signals. Taken together, those resources put the thrills of alien movies on netflix in context, connecting popcorn pleasures to real discovery. May your next queue click carry you somewhere surprising, and may the unknown feel a little less distant after the credits roll.
