At the turn of the century, sci-fi evolved to new heights, which fortunately had nothing to do with Y2K (even if previous sci-fi movies might have led us to believe it would). Propelling themselves through the 00s, iconic franchises continued to thrive with both Star Wars and Star Trek continuing their dominion over sci-fi cinema. The decade also saw the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with 2008's Iron Man. The MCU now consists of 38 movies and counting, with many of them sitting firmly in the sci-fi genre. It wasn't all legacy franchises, though; our list is chock-full of original stories that joined the upper echelons of sci-fi history. In fact, it was such a fantastic decade for science fiction flicks that we've had to extend our "best of" list to 12 entries, because we simply could not narrow it down to ten.So, let's all meet up in the year 2000 (to 2009), with our list of the 12 best sci-fi movies of the 2000s. Oh, and when you're done here, we've also covered the best sci-fi movies of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s12. Iron Man(Image credit: Marvel)Release date: May 2, 2008 | Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and more | Director: Jon Favreau | RT score: 94% critics, 91% audienceThe Marvel Cinematic Universe is simply that, a universe that weaves and threads through a multitude of movies all centered on Marvel Comics. Over almost three decades, there have been phased releases (with plenty more in the pipeline), but the movie that started it all was Iron Man in 2008. Not only did it kick-start the MCU, but it catapulted Robert Downey Jr. back into the limelight for his stellar performance after being rocked with personal issues prior.Iron Man follows billionaire engineer Tony Stark, who wasn't born with special powers, but can sure as heck pay and use his powerful mind to give himself them. Crafting the iconic weaponized suit to save himself from a terrorist kidnapping, Iron Man is born.If you watch the Marvel movies in order chronologically, it's technically not the first, with both Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain Marvel taking place before it, but it was the first in release order, and it's still one of the best MCU movies to date.Watch Iron Man on Disney+:Disney+ (With Ads): $11.99/monthDisney+ Premium (No Ads): $18.99/month or $189.99/year11. Star Trek(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)Release date: May 8, 2009 | Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, and more | Director: J. J. Abrams | RT score: 94% critics, 91% audienceAnother iconic sci-fi franchise makes an appearance now, as Star Trek returned to the big screen towards the tail end of the 2000s. While Star Trek has been around for decades, in 2009, renowned director J. J. Abrams brought the franchise back with an incredible cast, vibrant visuals, and an epic story. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) board the USS Enterprise to embark on an epic space adventure to take down a Romulan commander, Nero (Eric Bana). Reigniting the much-loved franchise, it mostly stays true to the source material, whilst giving it an appropriately modern twist. Whilst it's basically a reboot, Star Trek 2009 uses some time travel shenanigans to establish this Kelvin timeline into the wider Trek universe, with Original Series legend Leonard Nimoy playing a significant role in the flick.Curious to see how this spin-off fits into the main timeline? Check out our guide on how to watch the Star Trek movies in order.Watch Star Trek on Paramount+:Essential (ads): $8.99/mo or $89.99/yrPremium (no ads): $13.99/mo or $139.99/yr10. District 9(Image credit: TriStar Pictures)Release date: August 14, 2009 | Cast: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Vanessa Haywood, and more | Director: Neill Blomkamp | RT score: 90% critics, 82% audienceSouth African sci-fi movie District 9 is a thriller that blends action and poignant emotional moments, all set in an alternate timeline. Aliens land in Johannesburg in 1982 seeking refuge, but instead they're crammed into an internment camp called District 9. Skip forward to 2010, and a forced relocation is underway to kick the "Prawns" — now seen as second-class citizens — to the outskirts of the city. Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley) plays a government agent working in the Department of Alien Affairs, who gets caught up in a world of questionable ethics and violence. Things only get worse when he gets infected with alien blood that starts to transform him into one of themIt's a unique take on the mockumentary format, playing out in fictional interviews, news segments, and surveillance videos, alongside the present-day storyline. It's an obvious allegory for apartheid with a sci-fi thriller twist and an incredibly unique offering to the genre.Rent or buy District 9 on Amazon Prime Video:Rent: $3.99Buy: $14.99Blu-ray: $18.969. Sunshine(Image credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures)Release date: April 6, 2007 | Cast: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh and more | Director: Danny Boyle | RT score: 77% critics, 73% audienceDanny Boyle is an iconic British director, and after phenomenal pieces of cinema like Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, and The Beach, he finally went to outer space with Sunshine. Sunshine is a twisty sci-fi thriller set in the near future. The year is 2057, and the sun is dying, threatening human existence. To save the planet, a crew is sent on a mission to give the sun back its shine… by nuking the crap out of it. As with a lot of death-defying space missions, it doesn't go as planned, or it wouldn't make a very good movie. Funnily enough, heading into space to try and fix the sun with a nuclear fission bomb is a pretty volatile plan, though it's not the bomb that ends up being the biggest threat (No spoilers here, just go watch it). The resulting tension — and some breathtaking moments — cement this movie's spot on our list.Fun fact: Sunshine was made in collaboration with Alex Garland, the writer of The Beach who would later go on to write and direct another iconic piece of sci-fi cinema, Ex Machina.Rent or buy Sunshine on Amazon Prime Video:Rent: $3.99Buy: $14.99Blu-ray: $19.768. Serenity(Image credit: Universal Pictures)Release date: September 30, 2005 | Cast: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alan Tudyk, and more | Director: Joss Whedon | RT score: 82% critics, 91% audience After director Joss Whedon's TV show Firefly was discontinued, fans feared that was the end of the iconic space Western. Luckily, it was given a new lease of life in Serenity. With the same cast reprising their roles, Serenity takes place after the events of the final episode, providing closure for fans of the unfortunately short-lived series, which sits amongst the best sci-fi TV shows of all time.Serenity follows the crew of the ship as they try to avoid the Alliance forces and protect River, the powerful telepath they are harboring onboard. Skirting bravely around the edges of space to seek solace, they’re hunted by the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a deadly Alliance assassin on a mission who seeks to recapture her. For fans of the original show, it's a fitting send-off, and for new fans it's a fun adventure with an impressive cast and unique space western charm.[Editor’s note: It’s recently been announced that Firefly will get its own animated series!]Watch Serenity free on YouTube7. Donnie Darko(Image credit: Pandora Cinema/Newmarket Films)Release date: October 26, 2001 | Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, and more | Director: Richard Kelly | RT score: 87% critics, 80% audienceThis psychological thriller was one of Jake Gyllenhaal's most prolific roles to date and an unlikely foray into sci-fi for the actor. Yet, his role as Donnie Darko, a troubled teen with a bunny costume-wearing friend that only he can see, is most certainly one of his finest performances. After a freak accident, Frank the bunny appears in an outstandingly creepy fashion to inform Donnie Darko of the world's impending doom. The following adventure is a wild blend of time travel, crime, and a warped version of reality. You'll be left theorizing on what you've witnessed in Richard Kelly's sci-fi classic,It might not have got off to the best box office start, but it's certainly secured its cult status now. Fair warning, though: the tension-building of the movie is not for the faint-hearted.Watch Donnie Darko on Hulu:Hulu with Ads: $11.99/month or $119.99/yearPremium (No Ads): $18.99/month 6. The Man From Earth(Image credit: Anchor Bay Entertainment/Shoreline Entertainment)Release date: November 13, 2007 | Cast: David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley, and more | Director: Richard Schenkman | RT score: 100% critics, 85% audienceCompared to the rest of this list, The Man From Earth stands alone as a unique flick. Why? Because it strips the sci-fi genre back to basics: there's no crazy CGI (marking an interesting exclusion in the 2000s), no intergalactic adventures (or misadventures), or even dystopian reimaginings.Retiring college professor John Oldman (David Lee Smith) reveals to his colleagues during a surprise goodbye party that he is, in fact, thousands of years old. As his peers press him about his life on Earth, he unravels his historic tale that touches on a lot of thought-provoking topics. It's Earth-based as we know it and aims to stun viewers with a simple design, yet complex tale. A goal it very much achieves.Watch The Man From Earth on Amazon Prime Video:Amazon Prime: $14.99/month or $139/yearAmazon Prime Video: $8.99/monthAd-free add-on: $2.99/month5. Minority Report(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)Release date: June 21, 2002 | Cast: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, and more | Director: Steven Spielberg | RT score: 89% critics, 80% audienceLoosely based on a novella of the same name by Philip K. Dick, Minority Report imagines a world in 2054 (less than 30 years away now) where criminals are stopped in their tracks before they commit a crime. Aided by three psychics called the 'precogs,' a special police department has been set up to apprehend the assailants before they manage to execute their wrongdoing. This fascinating cyberpunk flick is fronted by Tom Cruise as Precrime Chief John Anderton, a troubled soul determined to complete the department's mission until he becomes a target for precrime himself. Desperately on the run and fighting for his innocence, the system he’s so devoutly believed in begins to unravel.It's a prescient movie in more ways than one; some of the technology that's predicted in Minority Report, such as iris scanners and multi-touch interfaces, has become a reality today. This is owing to the fact that director Steven Spielberg actually invited scientific experts to think about the kind of technologies they may expect in the future and, interestingly (or worryingly), they proved to be true. Thank goodness the projectile vomit-inducing 'sick sticks' aren't real…yet.Watch Minority Report on Paramount+:Essential (ads): $8.99/mo or $89.99/yrPremium (no ads): $13.99/mo or $139.99/yr4. Children of Men(Image credit: Universal Pictures)Release date: December 25, 2006 | Cast: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, and more | Director: Alfonso Curaón | RT score: 92% critics, 85% audienceThere was a recurring theme inspiring sci-fi movies in the 2000s, and it was looking into the near future rather than the far-flung space age. For Children of Men, the year is 2027 and 18 years of infertility have left Earth facing extinction… that is until a woman gets pregnant. In a dystopian world of desperation and war, small glimmers of hope keep society from crumbling completely. In the face of an intense political climate, Theo (Clive Owen) takes it upon himself to transport the pregnant woman to safety and rebuild humanity at a sanctuary at sea. Alongside incredibly poignant themes running throughout, Children of Men offers a stunning visual style thanks to director Alfonso Curaón's prowess, which he later expands on in 2013's Gravity. Rent or buy Children of Men on Amazon Prime Video:Rent: $3.99Buy: $14.99Blu-ray: $8.993. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind(Image credit: Focus Features)Release date: March 19, 2004 | Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, and more | Director: Michael Gondry | RT score: 92% critics, 94% audienceJoel (Jim Carrey) is shocked to discover his ex-girlfriend and love of his life, Clementine (Kate Winslet), has had their entire relationship erased from her memory. Amidst the heartache and upset, he decides to get the same procedure. As his memories begin to fade, he's left in a panic, not wanting to lose everything. It's a sci-fi tale that blends wholeheartedly with romance, offering a unique look at a world where humanity can choose to forget. When the option of erasing heartbreak is so readily available, is this a kindness or a cruel, emotional violation? Prepare to be psychologically ruined by the performances from both Carrey and Winslet, which are compelling and heart-wrenching in equal measure.Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on YouTube2. Moon(Image credit: Sony Picture Classics)Release date: June 12, 2009 | Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, and more | Director: Duncan Jones | RT score: 90% critics, 89% audienceSam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is the sole employee of a lunar station on the Moon. For three years, he's been tasked with sending a fuel resource, helium-3, back to Earth. Totally isolated, Sam's only company is his intelligent computer, GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey), and he yearns to return home to his family. In the final two weeks of Sam's mission, an accident threatens his return to Earth. What happens next are the most dramatic and twisted moments of his life, as these mysterious events bring Sam face-to-face with his younger self. It's one of the best sci-fi movies of all time for good reason, owed mainly to Rockwell's outstanding performance that makes you feel almost as entirely alone as he is.Watch Moon for free on Pluto TV1. WALL-E(Image credit: Disney)Release date: June 27, 2008 | Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, and more | Director: Andrew Stanton | RT score: 95% critics, 90% audienceDisney Pixar is no stranger to a good story. Over the decades, they've brought us tales full of adventure, comedy, monsters, and even bugs. Then, in 2008, Pixar turned to sci-fi and introduced us to one of the best movie robots ever: WALL-E. He's a cute, charming, waste-collecting robot who communicates only in beeps. He has no one to talk to anyway, sadly, as he is the last of his kind, having remained behind on Earth to clean up the mess that humans abandoned. With seemingly no hope in his mission to save our trash-covered planet, WALL-E is surprised and delighted to meet EVE – a companion for a wild adventure. Beneath the bubbly, fun edge, there's a deeper message that takes a hard look at humanity and tackles environmental issues through the lens of a heart-warming adventure, making this one of sci-fi's most profound and moving animated tales. Now, if someone could just invent that pizza plant, that would be great.Watch WALL-E on Disney+:Disney+ (With Ads): $11.99/monthDisney+ Premium (No Ads): $18.99/month or $189.99/year