Best Science Fiction Movies of the 1950s

1. 1
   Godzilla 1954

   Directed by Ishirō Honda · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Cinemax
   7.5

   7.6 · 1.2K votes
2. 2
   Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956

   Directed by Don Siegel · Streaming on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+
   7.4

   7.5 · 1.3K votes
3. 3
   The Day the Earth Stood Still 1951

   Directed by Robert Wise · Streaming on Hoopla, Cultpix
   7.4

   7.4 · 1.3K votes
4. 4
   The Incredible Shrinking Man 1957

   Directed by Jack Arnold · Streaming on Darkroom
   7.3

   7.5 · 593 votes
5. 5
   Forbidden Planet 1956

   Directed by Fred M. Wilcox · Streaming on Plex, Plex Channel, Fawesome
   7.2

   7.3 · 1.1K votes
6. 6
   Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century 1953

   Directed by Chuck Jones
   7.1

   7.6 · 184 votes
7. 7
   20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1954

   Directed by Richard Fleischer · Streaming on Disney Plus
   7.0

   7.1 · 1K votes
8. 8
   The Fly 1958

   Directed by Kurt Neumann · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV
   6.9

   7.0 · 636 votes
9. 9
   Creature from the Black Lagoon 1954

   Directed by Jack Arnold · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, FlixHouse
   6.7

   6.8 · 900 votes
10. 10
    The War of the Worlds 1953

    Directed by Byron Haskin · Streaming on Hoopla, YouTube Free
    6.7

    6.8 · 743 votes
11. 11
    Them! 1954

    Directed by Gordon Douglas · Streaming on IndieFlix, Plex Channel, Fawesome
    6.7

    6.8 · 492 votes
12. 12
    Water, Water Every Hare 1952

    Directed by Chuck Jones
    6.7

    7.5 · 69 votes
13. 13
    The Fabulous World of Jules Verne 1958

    Directed by Karel Zeman · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.7

    7.2 · 97 votes
14. 14
    The Man in the White Suit 1951

    Directed by Alexander Mackendrick · Streaming on Kanopy, FlixFling, Plex
    6.7

    6.9 · 216 votes
15. 15
    The Thing from Another World 1951

    Directed by Christian Nyby · Streaming on The Roku Channel, TCM, Fawesome
    6.6

    6.7 · 723 votes
16. 16
    The Curse of Frankenstein 1957

    Directed by Terence Fisher · Streaming on fuboTV, Hoopla, TCM
    6.6

    6.8 · 365 votes
17. 17
    Journey to the Beginning of Time 1955

    Directed by Karel Zeman · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.6

    7.2 · 83 votes
18. 18
    Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean 1957

    Directed by Ishirō Honda
    6.6

    8.6 · 21 votes
19. 19
    On the Beach 1959

    Directed by Stanley Kramer
    6.6

    6.7 · 258 votes
20. 20
    Monkey Business 1952

    Directed by Howard Hawks · Streaming on Hoopla
    6.5

    6.7 · 311 votes
21. 21
    Hare-Way to the Stars 1958

    Directed by Chuck Jones
    6.5

    7.2 · 63 votes
22. 22
    Nineteen Eighty-Four 1954

    Directed by Rudolph Cartier
    6.5

    7.3 · 43 votes
23. 23
    The Sleeping Beauty 1952

    Directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares
    6.5

    7.3 · 42 votes
24. 24
    The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms 1953

    Directed by Eugène Lourié
    6.4

    6.6 · 211 votes
25. 25
    Tarantula 1955

    Directed by Jack Arnold
    6.4

    6.5 · 315 votes
26. 26
    Godzilla, King of the Monsters! 1956

    Directed by Terry O. Morse · Streaming on Criterion Channel, Cinemax, Darkroom
    6.4

    6.5 · 294 votes
27. 27
    The Revenge of Frankenstein 1958

    Directed by Terence Fisher · Streaming on fuboTV, YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    6.4

    6.6 · 159 votes
28. 28
    The Quatermass Xperiment 1955

    Directed by Val Guest · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Kanopy, YouTube Free
    6.4

    6.5 · 241 votes
29. 29
    Rodan 1956

    Directed by Ishirō Honda · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Cinemax
    6.4

    6.5 · 198 votes
30. 30
    1984 1956

    Directed by Michael Anderson · Streaming on Plex, Plex Channel, Mometu
    6.3

    6.5 · 148 votes
31. 31
    The Hasty Hare 1952

    Directed by Chuck Jones
    6.3

    6.9 · 33 votes
32. 32
    The Monolith Monsters 1957

    Directed by John Sherwood · Streaming on Fawesome, Tubi TV
    6.3

    6.5 · 90 votes
33. 33
    The Tingler 1959

    Directed by William Castle · Streaming on fuboTV, FlixFling, YouTube Free
    6.3

    6.4 · 206 votes
34. 34
    Quatermass 2 1957

    Directed by Val Guest · Streaming on Plex, Plex Channel, Fawesome
    6.3

    6.4 · 154 votes
35. 35
    When Worlds Collide 1951

    Directed by Rudolph Maté · Streaming on Hoopla, MGM Plus, YouTube Free
    6.3

    6.4 · 219 votes
36. 36
    It Came from Outer Space 1953

    Directed by Jack Arnold · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla, Fawesome
    6.3

    6.3 · 265 votes
37. 37
    Five 1951

    Directed by Arch Oboler · Streaming on Plex, Plex Channel, Eternal Family
    6.2

    6.6 · 40 votes
38. 38
    The World, the Flesh and the Devil 1959

    Directed by Ranald MacDougall · Streaming on Kanopy
    6.2

    6.4 · 86 votes
39. 39
    Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man 1951

    Directed by Charles Lamont · Streaming on Philo, AMC Plus, AMC+
    6.2

    6.3 · 123 votes
40. 40
    The Blob 1958

    Directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. · Streaming on HBO Max, Philo, YouTube TV
    6.2

    6.2 · 698 votes
41. 41
    Man in Space 1955

    Directed by Ward Kimball · Streaming on Disney Plus
    6.2

    6.8 · 20 votes
42. 42
    20 Million Miles to Earth 1957

    Directed by Nathan Juran · Streaming on fuboTV, The Roku Channel, Hoopla
    6.2

    6.2 · 179 votes
43. 43
    Lust of the Vampire 1957

    Directed by Riccardo Freda
    6.2

    6.3 · 85 votes
44. 44
    Jumpin' Jupiter 1955

    Directed by Chuck Jones
    6.2

    6.6 · 27 votes
45. 45
    April 1, 2000 1952

    Directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner
    6.2

    6.8 · 18 votes
46. 46
    Rocket-bye Baby 1956

    Directed by Chuck Jones
    6.2

    6.7 · 21 votes
47. 47
    Gigantis, the Fire Monster 1959

    Directed by Motoyoshi Oda
    6.2

    6.4 · 41 votes
48. 48
    The Mysterians 1957

    Directed by Ishirō Honda · Streaming on Criterion Channel, FlixFling, Mometu
    6.1

    6.3 · 65 votes
49. 49
    Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1953

    Directed by Charles Lamont · Streaming on Philo, AMC Plus, AMC+
    6.1

    6.2 · 100 votes
50. 50
    Rocket Squad 1956

    Directed by Chuck Jones
    6.1

    6.4 · 38 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   Termites from Mars 1952

   Directed by Don Patterson
   6.1

   6.6 · 11 votes
2. 2
   The House in the Square 1951

   Directed by Roy Ward Baker
   6.1

   6.4 · 15 votes
3. 3
   The Rocket Man 1954

   Directed by Oscar Rudolph
   6.1

   6.5 · 10 votes
4. 4
   Donovan's Brain 1953

   Directed by Felix E. Feist · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, FlixFling, Fawesome
   6.1

   6.2 · 42 votes
5. 5
   The Vampire 1957

   Directed by Paul Landres · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Fandor
   6.1

   6.2 · 35 votes
6. 6
   The 27th Day 1957

   Directed by William Asher · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Tubi TV
   6.1

   6.2 · 40 votes
7. 7
   The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly 1957

   Directed by Mitsuo Murayama · Streaming on ARROW
   6.0

   6.1 · 13 votes
8. 8
   The Diamond Wizard 1954

   Directed by Dennis O'Keefe · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+
   6.0

   5.9 · 12 votes
9. 9
   Target Earth 1954

   Directed by Sherman A. Rose · Streaming on FlixFling, Fawesome, Troma NOW
   6.0

   6.0 · 32 votes
10. 10
    The Body Snatcher 1957

    Directed by Fernando Méndez · Streaming on Darkroom
    6.0

    5.9 · 14 votes