Best Japanese Sci-Fi Movies

This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Japanese Sci-Fi Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: anime, exciting, entertaining, captivating, psychotronic and feel good. Plot: heroes, love, male protagonist, monster, dog, danger, chase, friendship, father son relationship and explosion. Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure and Action. Country: Japan, USA and Canada.
Best Japanese Sci-Fi Movies
Best Japanese Sci-Fi Movies
TOP Movies: Big Hero 6 (2014), Alita: Battle Angel (2019), Battle Royale (2000), WALL·E (2008), Before We Vanish (2017), Inside Out (2015), The Purge: Election Year (2016), Inuyashiki (2018), Godzilla Minus One (2023), Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Incredibles 2 (2018), Free Guy (2021), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Godzilla (2014), Chicken Little (2005), Despicable Me (2010), Monsters University (2013), The Whispering Star (2015), Children of Men (2006), Nope (2022).

List of Best Movies

Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
 7.8
 497K
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 102 min.
Story: The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Style: touching, feel good, entertaining, exciting, futuristic ...
Audience: teens, family outing, kids, family friendly, toddlers ...
Plot: superhero, robot, friendship, heroes, teenage life, androids and robots, boy genius, young heroes, good versus evil, friends, imaginary, child prodigy ...
Time: future, year 2014, 2010s, 2030s, 21st century
Place: san francisco, tokyo, california
Is relevant ?
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan, Canada, USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story: Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens, she has no memory of who she is, nor does ...
Style: futuristic, exciting, captivating, suspense, enigmatic ...
Audience: kids, teens, family friendly, adult
Plot: cyberpunk, female protagonist, cyborgs, distopia, strong female lead, post apocalypse, female warrior, danger, tough girl, woman fights a man, martial arts, adaptation ...
Time: future, near future, 2010s, year 2019
Is relevant ?
 7.5
 194K
Battle Royale (2000)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 114 min.
Story: In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
Style: disturbing, suspense, bleak, bloody, exciting ...
Audience: teens, boys' night, adult
Plot: game of death, survival, death, dystopia, suicide, gory, desperation, cruelty, social commentary, school class, dystopian future, contests and competitions ...
Time: future, year 2000, distant future, 2000s, near future
Place: japan, asia, east asia
Is relevant ?
 8.4
 1.2M
WALL·E (2008)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 98 min.
Story: WALL·E is the last robot left on an Earth that has been overrun with garbage and all humans have fled to outer space. For 700 years he has continued to try and clean up the mess, but has developed some rather interesting human-like qualities. When ...
Style: feel good, touching, futuristic, emotional, light ...
Audience: kids, family outing, family friendly, teens, pre-teens ...
Plot: loneliness, robot, space travel, ecology, outer space, post apocalypse, love, technology, artificial intelligence, society, happy ending, ecological disaster ...
Time: future, distant future, year 2008, 2000s
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
kids movies
6932
exciting movies
14059
feel good movies
13548
anime movies
5638
Before We Vanish (2017)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 129 min.
Story: Narumi is on bad terms with her husband Shinji when one day, Shinji goes missing. He comes back a couple of days later, but seems like a totally different person, and is now gentle and tender. He goes for a walk every day. Meanwhile, Journalist ...
Style: touching, psychological, captivating, contemplative, realistic ...
Plot: japanese teenager, murder, personality change, sibling relationship, japanese schoolgirl, siblings, criminal, false identity, murderer, teenage boy, alien invasion, alien ...
Time: year 2017
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
 8.1
 778K
Inside Out (2015)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. ...
Style: inspirational, touching, emotional, 3d animation, motivational ...
Audience: kids, family outing, family friendly, teens, pre-teens ...
Plot: imaginary friend, memory, creativity, dream, joy, childhood, parents and children, life philosophy, subconscious, coming of age, friendship, happy ending ...
Time: 2010s, year 2015, year 2016, 2000s, 21st century
Place: san francisco, minnesota, california, tibet, usa
Is relevant ?
The Purge: Election Year (2016)
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police sergeant Leo Barnes has become head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge. On ...
Style: suspense, brutal, intense, psychological, bloody ...
Audience: adult
Plot: murder, distopia, election, politics, survival, vigilante, revenge, social decay, class differences, fighting the system, gunfight, death ...
Time: near future, year 2016, 2010s
Place: washington d.c., florida
Is relevant ?
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: Inventor Flint Lockwood creates a machine that makes clouds rain food, enabling the down-and-out citizens of Chewandswallow to feed themselves. But when the falling food reaches gargantuan proportions, Flint must scramble to avert disaster. Can he ...
Style: feel good, 3d animation, humorous, funny, light ...
Audience: kids, family outing, family friendly, girls' night, teens ...
Plot: food, inventor, nerd, natural disaster, father son relationship, mad scientist, small town, greed, parents and children, save the world, friendship, weatherman ...
Time: year 2009, 2000s, 21st century
Place: fictional island, paris france, china, egypt, london ...
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
friendship movies
18934
teens movies
9529
superhero movies
4297
monster movies
5922
 6.6
 3K
Inuyashiki (2018)
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 127 min.
Story: A middle-aged office worker encounters aliens and is gifted with alien technology and limitless powers.
Style: anime, exciting, tense, psychological, captivating ...
Audience: teens
Plot: robot vs. robot, murder, chase, family relations, hopes, destiny, alien contact, danger, twists and turns, tragedy, gunfight, adaptation ...
Time: 21st century
Place: japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 124 min.
Story: In postwar Japan, a new terror rises. Will the devastated people be able to survive... let alone fight back?
Style: crying, ambiguous ending
Plot: godzilla, kaiju, monster, giant monster, post war japan, post war, kamikaze, naval battle, duty, heroes, male female relationship, bomb ...
Time: 1940s, year 1945, year 1947, 20th century, post world war two ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
 7.7
 455K
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 101 min.
Story: Wreck-It Ralph is the 9-foot-tall, 643-pound villain of an arcade video game named Fix-It Felix Jr., in which the game's titular hero fixes buildings that Ralph destroys. Wanting to prove he can be a good guy and not just a villain, Ralph ...
Style: humorous, 3d animation, sweet, not serious, feel good ...
Audience: kids, teens, family friendly, girls' night, pre-teens ...
Plot: imaginary, obsessive quest, friendship, prejudice, disguise, hacker, master of disguise, medal, heroes, chases and races, danger, good versus evil ...
Time: 2010s, year 2012, 80s, 90s, 21st century
Place: california, usa
Is relevant ?
 7.5
 328K
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 118 min.
Story: Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet – taking care of the problems of his three children.
Style: exciting, funny, entertaining, captivating, 3d animation ...
Audience: kids, family friendly, family outing, preschool
Plot: superhero, superheroine, supernatural ability, parenting, superhero team, baby, supernatural power, mission, good versus evil, teleportation, obsessive quest, family relations ...
Time: 2010s, year 1962, 60s, 20th century
Is relevant ?
 7.1
 420K
Free Guy (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 115 min.
Story: A bank teller realizes he's a background character in an open world action game.
Style: entertaining, humorous, exciting, feel good, heroic ...
Audience: teens, boys' night, family friendly, kids, adult
Plot: virtual reality, video game, game, gamer, changing lives, career change, heroes, fantasy world, bank teller, code, programmer, altering history ...
Time: 2020s, future, 21st century
Place: new york, seattle, tokyo
Is relevant ?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 92 min.
Story: After finding himself in a world known as the Mushroom Kingdom, A Brooklyn plumber Mario must travel through this world with a princess named Peach and a mushroom named Toad to find his brother Luigi and save the world from a ruthless fire-breathing ...
Style: 3d animation, anime, humorous, captivating, funny ...
Audience: kids, family friendly
Plot: princess, brother brother relationship, unlikely hero, evil, mushroom, plumber, evil king, superhero, adaptation, gorilla, power, car chase ...
Time: 2020s
Place: brooklyn new york city, new york
Is relevant ?
 6.4
 436K
Godzilla (2014)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 123 min.
Story: Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when Godzilla, King of the Monsters, arises ...
Style: exciting, suspense, intense, suspenseful, psychotronic ...
Audience: teens, kids, family friendly, boys' night
Plot: monster, giant monster, dinosaur, godzilla, disaster, creature, kaiju, catastrophe, military, deadly creature, giant, giant creature ...
Time: jurassic, 90s, year 2014, 2010s, year 1999 ...
Place: japan, san francisco, hawaii, tokyo, honolulu hawaii ...
Is relevant ?
 5.7
 100K
Chicken Little (2005)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min.
Story: When the sky really is falling and sanity has flown the coop, who will rise to save the day? Together with his hysterical band of misfit friends, Chicken Little must hatch a plan to save the planet from alien invasion and prove that the world's ...
Style: light, humorous, 3d animation, feel good, semi serious ...
Audience: kids, family friendly, pre-teens, family outing, preschool
Plot: alien, chicken, father son relationship, friendship, young heroes, furry, parents and children, danger, rescue, alien invasion, cornfield, nobody believes ...
Time: year 2016, year 2005
Is relevant ?
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020)
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 70 min.
Story: A cafe owner discovers that the TV in his cafe suddenly shows images from the future, but only two minutes into the future.
Style: satirical, entertaining, semi serious, captivating, mystic ...
Plot: time travel, money falling through the air, time loop, flash forward, money, changing the future, time warp, escapades, criminal gang, time portal, gang, bandit ...
Time: future
Is relevant ?
 7.6
 581K
Despicable Me (2010)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, France
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Villainous Gru lives up to his reputation as a despicable, deplorable and downright unlikable guy when he hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has a tough time staying on task after three orphans land in his care.
Style: feel good, humorous, entertaining, light, not serious ...
Audience: kids, family outing, pre-teens, family friendly, teens ...
Plot: adoption, imaginary, orphan, children, friendship, super villain, minion, escapades, kids and family, lifestyle change, chase, adoptive father ...
Time: 2010s, year 2010, 20th century, 60s, year 1969 ...
Place: usa, north korea, egypt
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
heroes movies
10923
humorous movies
22119
entertaining movies
15074
Monsters University (2013)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 104 min.
Story: A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University — when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
Style: feel good, light, funny, humorous, computer animated ...
Audience: kids, family outing, family friendly, teens, girls' night ...
Plot: college, monster, friendship, underdog, unlikely friendships, university, competition, foe turned friend, creativity, fraternity, student life, odd couple ...
Time: year 2013, 2010s, 80s, 90s, 2000s
Is relevant ?
The Whispering Star (2015)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 100 min.
Story: A humanoid robot deliverywoman muses on the mystery of human nature as she drops off parcels around the galaxy.
Style: futuristic, disturbing, thought provoking, psychological, captivating ...
Plot: androids, delivery, human existence, meaning of life, female android, introspection, spacecraft, lifestyle, outer space, robot human relationship, society, female robot ...
Is relevant ?
 7.9
 527K
Children of Men (2006)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Japan
Duration: 109 min.
Story: In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.
Style: atmospheric, neo noir, depressing, bleak, spiritual ...
Audience: adult
Plot: apocalypse, distopia, dystopia, dystopian future, end of the world, chaos, redemption, heroic mission, pandemic, post apocalyptic, fertility, dying ...
Time: future, year 2006, distant future, near future, 2000s ...
Place: england, london, europe, washington state, seattle ...
Is relevant ?
 6.8
 261K
Nope (2022)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada, Japan, USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story: Plot unknown.
Style: psychological thriller, suspense, disturbing, scary, splatter ...
Audience: teens, adult
Plot: alien, massacre, horse, chimpanzee, ufo, alien invasion, brother sister relationship, death of father, eaten alive, loss of father, alien monster, ranch ...
Time: 2020s, future, year 1998, 90s, year 1996
Place: california
Is relevant ?
 6.7
 489K
The Wolverine (2013)
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, UK, Japan
Duration: 126 min.
Story: Wolverine faces his ultimate nemesis - and tests of his physical, emotional, and mortal limits - in a life-changing voyage to modern-day Japan.
Style: exciting, tense, epic, intense, serious ...
Audience: boys' night, teens, kids, chick flick
Plot: superhero, immortality, mutant, superhuman powers, supernatural ability, yakuza, x men, fight scenes, chase, healing power, comic book, immortal ...
Time: future, year 2013, year 1945, 2010s
Place: japan, tokyo, asia, canada, seattle
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
future movies
3315
love movies
14399
captivating movies
34092
 5.8
 256K
Battleship (2012)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 131 min.
Story: When mankind beams a radio signal into space, a reply comes from ‘Planet G’, in the form of several alien crafts that splash down in the waters off Hawaii. Lieutenant Alex Hopper is a weapons officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones, part of ...
Style: exciting, serious, entertaining, futuristic, action packed ...
Audience: teens, boys' night, girls' night, chick flick
Plot: alien invasion, alien, military, u.s. navy, ufo, battleship, navy, ship, evil alien, invasion, sea battle, battles ...
Time: year 2012, future, 2010s, year 2006, year 2005 ...
Place: hawaii, london, pacific ocean, tokyo, new york ...
Is relevant ?
Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: Herbert West once again revives the dead. This time, he brings Dan's ex-girlfriend's heart back inside a 'perfect' body. Dr. Hill returns as the evil nemesis who lost his head.
Style: lovecraft, black comedy, splatter, horror comedy, independent film ...
Audience: teens, boys' night
Plot: mad scientist, zombie, gory, laboratory, stop motion, reanimation, hospital, reanimated corpse, monster, undead, body horror, virus ...
Time: 90s, 80s
Place: massachusetts, south america, usa, peru
Is relevant ?
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Taking place six years following the events of the first film, the story will center on Ralph's adventures in the Internet data space when a Wi-Fi router gets plugged into the arcade as he must find a replacement part to fix Sugar Rush.
Style: exciting, fairy tale, captivating, entertaining, 3d animation ...
Audience: kids, family outing
Plot: internet, princess, giant, friendship, computer, little girl, alternate world, save the day, deadly virus, disney princess, child, best friend ...
Time: 2010s, 21st century
Place: california
Is relevant ?
 7.4
 168K
Onward (2020)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 102 min.
Story: In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
Style: feel good, fairy tale, sincere, modern fairy tale, visually appealing ...
Audience: family outing, kids, date night, family friendly
Plot: brother brother relationship, elf, magic, teenage protagonist, fantasy world, teenage boy, cyclops, wizard, centaur, dead father, creature, coming of age ...
Time: 2020s, 2010s, future
Is relevant ?
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min.
Story: After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley Of The Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the ...
Style: anime, manga, captivating, exciting, apocalyptic ...
Audience: kids, family outing, family friendly, adult
Plot: ecology, environmental, post apocalypse, nature, steampunk, insect, female protagonist, apocalypse, teenage girl, giant insect, environment, post apocalyptic ...
Time: future, year 1984, middle ages, medieval times
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 154 min.
Story: The fourth and final film in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.
Style: mecha, anime, captivating, disturbing, futuristic ...
Plot: technology, fight, violence, battles, hi-tech, space station, spacecraft, showdown, outer space, fantasy world, dream world, college ...
Place: paris france, south pole, france
Is relevant ?
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 122 min.
Story: After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. ...
Style: anime, semi serious, feel good, captivating, entertaining ...
Audience: kids
Plot: sonic the hedgehog, speed, villain, furry, wedding, friendship, superpower, emerald, sidekick, human alien relationship, human animal friendship, superhero ...
Time: 2020s
Place: hawaii, seattle, montana, siberia
Is relevant ?
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
Related movie lists