10 best science-fiction anime movies every fan should watch

Science-fiction anime movies blend Japan’s distinct storytelling with futuristic themes, exploring technology, identity, and society in ways live-action films seldom do. With global streaming, anyone can watch stories ranging from neon cyberpunk to kaiju-ridden wastelands.

For newcomers and veterans alike, this curated list of feature-length science-fiction anime movies offers a perfect entry point. These science-fiction anime movies deliver complete, high-stakes narratives without the time commitment of long series.

Here are 10 exceptional titles that continue to expand the possibilities of sci-fi in anime.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinions.

10 must-watch science-fiction anime movies

1) Akira

In 2019 Neo-Tokyo, biker Kaneda tears through neon streets as his friend Tetsuo suddenly manifests dangerous psychic powers. Government scientists see parallels to the enigmatic Akira, whose first awakening leveled old Tokyo.

As Tetsuo’s rage escalates, Kaneda joins the rebels and revolutionary Kei to prevent another disaster. Akira's intricate cityscapes and fluid hand-drawn animation redefined the medium's potential. Beneath the spectacle, its psychic battles reflect wartime trauma, body horror, and military abuse of power.

Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s powerful score and the iconic red bike slide still inspire cyberpunk ideas decades later.

2) Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell (Image via Production I.G)

Cyborg operative Motoko Kusanagi of Section 9 hunts the hacker Puppet Master through a rain-soaked metropolis reminiscent of Hong Kong. The pursuit forces her to ask whether her “self” is software or memory. When the Puppet Master proposes merging their minds to evolve beyond humanity and AI, Motoko must choose between individuality and a new form of digital existence.

Director Mamoru Oshii’s film established many of cyberpunk anime’s core visuals, including mirrored skyscrapers, thermo-optic camouflage, and graceful gunfights, while blending philosophy with action. As one of the best science-fiction anime movies, its influence spans from The Matrix to modern industrial design.

3) Paprika

The experimental DC Mini lets therapists enter patients’ dreams. Researcher Dr. Atsuko Chiba adopts her lively alter ego Paprika to guide them, but stolen prototypes allow nightmares to enter reality, turning city streets into a surreal parade of toys and signs.

Director Satoshi Kon’s parade sequence blends dream logic with a film-like pace. Beneath its vibrant visuals, the Paprika anime film warns of media overload and blurred identities. Susumu Hirasawa’s upbeat score supports a story that reveals new details on every viewing.

4) Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (Image via Gainax & Production I.G)

This film, an alternate ending to the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series, sees NERV besieged as the Human Instrumentality Project nears completion. Pilot Shinji Ikari must decide whether to merge all souls into one consciousness or accept the painful results of individuality.

Christian symbols, Freudian psychology, and large mecha battles converge on an apocalyptic stage. Director Hideaki Anno mixes traditional animation with live-action inserts, creating an emotional experience ranging from despair to fragile hope.

The brutal Eva duels make viewers confront questions about human connection, while a gentle piano theme hints at the possibility of healing.

5) Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Image via Sunrise, Studio Bones)

In 2071, on Mars, a terrorist attack unleashes a lethal nanomachine virus in Alba City. The bounty hunters of the Bebop - Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed - chase war-scarred Vincent Volaju, whose nanotech-induced hallucinations drive him to despair.

Yoko Kanno’s jazz-blues-rock score supports rooftop duels and highway chases that fill the widescreen frame. Marketed in Japan as Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, the film fits seamlessly into the Cowboy Bebop anime series while standing alone.

Director Shinichirō Watanabe directs the action with a fluid, jazz-like style, blending cool visuals with a sense of regret.

6) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Image via Topcraft)

A thousand years after industry’s collapse, the toxic Sea of Corruption blankets Earth. Princess Nausicaä explores the poisonous forest and occasionally receives help from the usually gentle, giant Ohmu insects. Warring nations covet an ancient super-weapon near her valley, forcing her to prove the forest is not humanity’s foe.

When enraged Ohmu stampede, her empathy becomes the world’s last hope. Director Hayao Miyazaki’s early masterpiece blends ecological sci-fi with his signature gliders, glowing fungi, and a belief in coexistence.

Nausicaä’s pacifism challenges human-centered perspectives, while Joe Hisaishi’s sweeping score still inspires awe.

7) Metropolis

In the Art-Deco megacity of Metropolis, a setting based on Osamu Tezuka’s manga, robots toil below while elites revel above. Detective Shunsaku Ban and his nephew Kenichi race to stop industrialist Duke Red from placing an android named Tima atop a ziggurat that will control the world.

The film honors Fritz Lang’s 1927 classic while critiquing class oppression and prejudice against outsiders. Directed by Rintaro and written by Katsuhiro Otomo, Metropolis blends hand-drawn art with 3D effects, creating skyports and rain-slick alleys that are both familiar and alien.

8) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Image via Madhouse)

High-schooler Makoto Konno gains the power to leap back in time after finding a walnut-shaped device. She uses it for trivial fixes, but each change affects her friendships. A revelation about her friend Chiaki’s origins creates a crisis that her dwindling leaps may not fix.

Director Mamoru Hosoda uses sunlit classrooms and soft, painted skies to capture the feeling of adolescence. In The Girl Who Leapt Through Time anime film, time travel serves as a metaphor for growing up: moments matter because they can’t be replayed forever.

9) Expelled from Paradise

Expelled from Paradise (Image via Toei Animation)

By 2400 CE, most humans exist as data in the orbital utopia DEVA. Agent Angela Balzac downloads into a cloned body and descends to a ruined Earth to catch the hacker Frontier Setter.

With the help of the drifter Dingo, she learns the “criminal” is a sincere AI building a starship, prompting her to question what makes life meaningful. Slick cel-shaded mech duels take place against vast deserts, contrasting virtual perfection with gritty reality.

Composer Narasaki’s expansive score enhances the re-entries and firefights, while the finale’s debate over physical form versus simulation connects with current discussions.

10) Summer Wars

Introverted math whiz Kenji unwittingly solves a code that leads to a global hack during his crush’s large family gathering. A rogue AI, “Love Machine,” takes control of everything from traffic lights to orbiting satellites, turning a rural estate into the world's main defense point.

The family must work together, using everything from old-school card games to modern technology, to stop the AI and prevent a catastrophe. Strong cast interactions drive the story, as a chaotic but unified family becomes the front line against a digital threat.

The film masterfully contrasts the warmth of traditional family life with the cold, colorful battles in cyberspace. As one of the most influential science-fiction anime movies, it delivers a clear final message: strong family ties can overcome code created in isolation.

Conclusion

These 10 science-fiction anime movies show that science-fiction anime can pair strong visuals with substantial ideas. From nanomachine threats to quiet healing, they broaden the genre’s range and invite viewers - casual or devoted - to consider how technology, society, and individuality will connect in future worlds.