Netflix has been at the top of the streaming content food chain since the dawn of streaming TV. So it is no surprise that it has a lineup of excellent sci-fi programs. Since you’re reading this page, I’ll assume you got here because you’re on the hunt for some solid genre TV shows to add to your watch-list. Well you’ve come to the right place.
When people talk about Netflix TV shows, titles like Stranger Things and Black Mirror are usually the first programs mentioned. And let’s be clear: they are massive hits for a reason. But the streamer has much more to offer than those two titles (which are mentioned in the list below).
The science fiction genre encompasses all sorts of narratives, so whatever you’re into, I’m sure you’ll find it here. Do you want a unique alien invasion thriller? 3 Body Problem is for you. Looking for an offbeat comic book superhero series? Check out The Umbrella Academy. And if you’re itching to go off the deep end with things, let us point you to the hard-to-describe mystery series The OA.
The handful of titles mentioned above only scratch the surface — so many binge-worthy adventures await you. Grab your favorite snack, pour yourself a refreshing beverage, and get ready because these are the best Netflix sci-fi TV shows you should watch right now.
Read more: The Best Sci-Fi TV Shows to Watch on Prime Video Right Now
<div id="56d7fb46-7bd4-4af2-93df-5db6c2836aed" data-cy="shortcodeListicle" data-id="listicle-56d7fb46-7bd4-4af2-93df-5db6c2836aed" data-location="LIST" data-position="1" edition="us" imagegroup="{"alt":"maniac-jonah-hill-emma-stone-netflix","caption":"
Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in the trippy dark comedy Maniac on Netflix.
","credits":"Michele K. Short / Netflix","imageData":{"id":"203b3406-b902-48d3-91df-275718f8366b","title":"maniac-jonah-hill-emma-stone-netflix","filename":"maniac-jonah-hill-emma-stone-netflix.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/hub/2025/02/24/203b3406-b902-48d3-91df-275718f8366b/maniac-jonah-hill-emma-stone-netflix.jpg","caption":"
Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in the trippy dark comedy Maniac on Netflix.
","size":266383,"width":1920,"height":1080,"dateCreated":{"date":"2025-02-24 18:26:14","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"dateUpdated":{"date":"2025-02-24 18:26:51","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"needsModeration":false,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","deleted":false,"credits":"Michele K. Short / Netflix","alt":"maniac-jonah-hill-emma-stone-netflix","restricted":false,"startDate":null,"endDate":null,"preferred":false,"watermark":false,"doNotCrop":false,"doNotResize":false,"primaryCollection":null,"vanityUrl":null,"notes":null,"crop":null,"cropGravity":0,"preservedRegion":null,"isNew":false,"keywords":[],"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false,"typeName":"content_image"},"uuid":"203b3406-b902-48d3-91df-275718f8366b","imageAltText":"maniac-jonah-hill-emma-stone-netflix","imageCaption":"
Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in the trippy dark comedy Maniac on Netflix.
","imageCredit":"Michele K. Short / Netflix","imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageFilename":"maniac-jonah-hill-emma-stone-netflix.jpg","imageDateCreated":"2025/02/24","imageWidth":1920,"imageHeight":1080,"imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” overridecaption=”
Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in the trippy dark comedy Maniac on Netflix.
” overridecredit=”Michele K. Short / Netflix” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__56d7fb46-7bd4-4af2-93df-5db6c2836aed” position=”NaN” contenttype=”Product Advice” pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large c-shortcodeListicle-notInfoCard g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
<div id="f24892a7-932a-4fb5-a39c-e39936c5c454" data-cy="shortcodeListicle" data-id="listicle-f24892a7-932a-4fb5-a39c-e39936c5c454" data-location="LIST" data-position="3" edition="us" imagegroup="{"alt":"living-with-yourself-paul-rudd-netflix","caption":"
Paul Rudd plays Miles, a man who clones himself to try and be a better person, in Living With Yourself on Netflix.
","credits":"Netflix","imageData":{"id":"add98258-4c05-4268-b5bd-e15d0677f4ff","title":"living-with-yourself-paul-rudd-netflix","filename":"living-with-yourself-paul-rudd-netflix.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/hub/2025/02/24/add98258-4c05-4268-b5bd-e15d0677f4ff/living-with-yourself-paul-rudd-netflix.jpg","caption":"
Paul Rudd plays Miles, a man who clones himself to try and be a better person, in Living With Yourself on Netflix.
","size":252250,"width":1707,"height":960,"dateCreated":{"date":"2025-02-24 20:20:41","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"dateUpdated":{"date":"2025-02-24 20:21:57","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"needsModeration":false,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","deleted":false,"credits":"Netflix","alt":"living-with-yourself-paul-rudd-netflix","restricted":false,"startDate":null,"endDate":null,"preferred":false,"watermark":false,"doNotCrop":false,"doNotResize":false,"primaryCollection":null,"vanityUrl":null,"notes":null,"crop":null,"cropGravity":0,"preservedRegion":null,"isNew":false,"keywords":[],"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false,"typeName":"content_image"},"uuid":"add98258-4c05-4268-b5bd-e15d0677f4ff","imageAltText":"living-with-yourself-paul-rudd-netflix","imageCaption":"
Paul Rudd plays Miles, a man who clones himself to try and be a better person, in Living With Yourself on Netflix.
","imageCredit":"Netflix","imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageFilename":"living-with-yourself-paul-rudd-netflix.jpg","imageDateCreated":"2025/02/24","imageWidth":1707,"imageHeight":960,"imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” overridecaption=”
Paul Rudd plays Miles, a man who clones himself to try and be a better person, in Living With Yourself on Netflix.
” overridecredit=”Netflix” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__f24892a7-932a-4fb5-a39c-e39936c5c454″ position=”NaN” contenttype=”Product Advice” pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large c-shortcodeListicle-notInfoCard g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
Paul Rudd stars opposite himself in this over-looked science fiction comedy. Here, he plays a man named Miles who wants to better himself. So, he undergoes an experimental procedure to clone himself. He doesn’t account for how much happier his clone is than him. Conflicts arise, forcing Miles to confront his own internal demons. The series is a different sort of project for Rudd and only lasted one season, but it’s definitely worth a watch.
Stranger Things
<div id="505aceed-3a02-4fda-b535-a9aed4b17e58" data-cy="shortcodeListicle" data-id="listicle-505aceed-3a02-4fda-b535-a9aed4b17e58" data-location="LIST" data-position="5" edition="us" imagegroup="{"alt":"3-body-problem-n-s1-e5-00-50-50-00rc-jpg3-body-problem-n-s1-e5-00-50-50-00rc","caption":"
Benedict Wong stars in 3 Body Problem on Netflix.
","credits":"Netflix","imageData":{"id":"6e8362a6-1a6f-42b7-b5f6-1b3e927a4d4a","title":"3-body-problem-benedict-wong-netflix","filename":"3-body-problem-benedict-wong-netflix.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/hub/2024/05/06/6e8362a6-1a6f-42b7-b5f6-1b3e927a4d4a/3-body-problem-benedict-wong-netflix.jpg","caption":"
Benedict Wong stars in 3 Body Problem on Netflix
","size":209831,"width":1452,"height":817,"dateCreated":{"date":"2024-05-06 22:59:20","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"dateUpdated":{"date":"2024-05-06 22:59:33","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"needsModeration":false,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","deleted":false,"credits":"Netflix","alt":"3-body-problem-benedict-wong-netflix","restricted":false,"startDate":null,"endDate":null,"preferred":false,"watermark":false,"doNotCrop":false,"doNotResize":false,"primaryCollection":null,"vanityUrl":null,"notes":null,"crop":null,"cropGravity":0,"preservedRegion":null,"isNew":false,"keywords":[],"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false,"typeName":"content_image"},"uuid":"6e8362a6-1a6f-42b7-b5f6-1b3e927a4d4a","imageAltText":"3-body-problem-n-s1-e5-00-50-50-00rc-jpg3-body-problem-n-s1-e5-00-50-50-00rc","imageCaption":"
Benedict Wong stars in 3 Body Problem on Netflix.
","imageCredit":"Netflix","imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageFilename":"3-body-problem-benedict-wong-netflix.jpg","imageDateCreated":"2024/05/06","imageWidth":1452,"imageHeight":817,"imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” overridecaption=”
Benedict Wong stars in 3 Body Problem on Netflix.
” overridecredit=”Netflix” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__505aceed-3a02-4fda-b535-a9aed4b17e58″ position=”NaN” contenttype=”Product Advice” pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large c-shortcodeListicle-notInfoCard g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
3 Body Problem was created by Game of Thrones alums David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with The Terror showrunner Alexander Woo, and is based on the Hugo Award-winning novel by Liu Cixin. The high-concept sci-fi series connects a watershed moment in 1960s China to the present day, where a group of scientists must face an emerging global threat unlike anything humanity has ever seen.