Typically, the sci-fi genre is a very male-dominated section of the film industry; with the genre predominantly being aimed towards a more male audience and with the majority of the movies being directed by men. While this may be true, it is however, the women directors that have delivered some of the best and most influential sci-fi films of all time. The likes of The Matrix and Wonder Woman have changed the sci-fi genre forever, by not just delivering spectacular, thought-provoking masterpieces, but finally destroying the gender stereotypes set on the genre. So with that, here are the best sci-fi movies directed by women.

6 Deep Impact (1998)

     Paramount Pictures/ Dreamworks Pictures

Releasing in the same summer as Armageddon, Deep Impact was a much bigger hit with critics, with the consensus of reviews being a lot more positive than the film’s summer rival. The film is adored for being perhaps the most realistic film in the disaster movie genre, with astronomers also claiming that Deep Impact is much more scientifically accurate compared to the Michael Bay-directed disaster flick. Directed by Mimi Leder, Deep Impact is praised for being a much more dramatic and slower-paced motion picture, in a genre which prefers delivering spectacle over a compelling story, interesting characters, and a sense of realism.

5 Bird Box (2018)

     Netflix

This Sandra Bullock led sci-fi flick sees a mother attempting to protect her children from mysterious creatures, who kills whoever is unfortunate enough to lay their eyes upon them. While Bird Box wasn’t a hit with critics, the Netflix original film still managed to be incredibly successful with audiences. Having more than 45 million views in its first seven days, Netflix’s figures showed that the film saw the best viewership of any Netflix original film at the time of release. Many fans also regard the film as one of the best Netflix originals to date. Directed by Susanne Bier, Bird Box may not offer a game changer of a sci-fi flick, but this dark, slow paced sci-fi horror is still an iconic entry nonetheless.

4 High Life (2018)

     A24

As a hugely successful film with critics, High Life is a story about finding hope in a hopeless situation. Directed by Claire Denis, in her English language debut, High Life sees a small group of criminals who are used as guinea pigs on a deep space mission. This art-house movie is very reminiscent of some incredibly iconic sci-fi movies from the ’70s, such as Alien and Silent Running. The film was also nominated for best film at three different festivals and award shows, including Film Fest Gent, Louis Delluc Prize and the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

High Life is adored by critics, with many praising Denis’ eye-opening portrayal of what we as humans are capable of. Claire Bramesco of the Guardian gave the film five out of five stars, stating that Denis reconstructs the genre’s “familiar components to create a startlingly fresh engagement with the question of what it means to be human”. Similarly, Steve Macfarlane of Slant Magazine wrote, “The film asks down-and-dirty questions about what really resides beneath thousands of years of human progress”.

3 Captain Marvel (2019)

     Marvel Studios

Captain Marvel had a very difficult challenge upon release, following the highly successful, Avengers: Infinity War and releasing months before the much anticipated MCU movie; Avengers: Endgame. However, Captain Marvel was still named the most anticipated movie of 2019 by IMDB in late 2018, with Fandango also calling the film the most anticipated new standalone comic book film and the second-most anticipated blockbuster of 2019.

Co-directed by both Anna Bodenand Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvel saw the first female lead superhero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and also the first in the franchise to have a female director. The film also introduced audiences to a new generation of strong female lead characters, changing the future of the MCU. Starring Academy Award-winning actress Brie Larson as the super-powered heroine, Captain Marvel is among her best movies. The sci-fi superhero flick received numerous nominations and managed to take home the MTV Movie and TV award for Best Fight.

2 Wonder Woman (2017)

     Warner Bros.

Directed by Patty Jenkins, best known for the Academy Award-winning movie; Monster, Wonder Woman delivers a spectacle, and gives the beloved comic book character the movie she deserves. This superhero epic set during World War II, was a critical success, with critics praising Jenkins’ direction, the action sequences, the score, and the chemistry between Chris Pine and Gal Gadot. Wonder Woman, is made far better due to the exceptional performance from Gal Gadot, bringing the character to life in a fully realized performance, and being an emblem for feminism and female superheroes.

The film has garnered numerous nominations and awards, with the film taking home Best Fight at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, and winning the Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy film at the Empire Awards. Wonder Woman, was a game changer for superhero films, as a genre populated by male leads, male directors and aimed towards men; this film has since been an inspiration to everyone for being a huge and important feminist staple in the film industry.

1 The Matrix (1999)

     Village Road Show Pictures & Warner Bros.

Of course, The Matrix had to be number one, with its mind-bending special effects, jaw-dropping action, and concept which still to this day sparks many fan theories and questions. The Matrix quickly became one of the most influential films of the past few decades, delivering a story and concept in which no one had ever seen, with many still today, being confused and blown away by the plot. The film garnered a lot of praise due to its impeccable action sequences, taking much inspiration from classic martial arts movies, this film introduced a plethora of fans to the action sub-genre.

While at the time of release, the film’s directors; The Wachowski’s, were formerly known as The Wachowskibrothers, however, both directors have more recently come out as transgender women, making The Matrix another awesome movie, with women behind the camera Lilly Wachowskihas recently admitted that their identities heavily influenced the movie.

The Matrix swept the 71st Academy Awards in 1999, taking home every award the film was nominated for, including Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing. Similarly, the film was also nominated for many awards at the British Academy Film Awards, and the Saturn Awards.