Based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner is a science-fiction film set in futuristic Los Angeles. Here, retired LAPD officer Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) returns to work on a mission to hunt down four bioengineered humans (known as replicants) who are roaming the planet illegally.

After accepting the mission, Rick begins a worldwide search for the fugitive replicants, who are led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer). Along the way, he becomes intrigued by a woman named Rachael (Sean Young), who has both human and replicant qualities.

Since Blade Runner premiered in 1982, it's grown into a multimedia franchise that includes film, TV, video games, and more. Blade Runner 2049, the movie's highly-anticipated sequel, debuted in 2017, and an anime series (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) premiered in 2021. Currently, Amazon Series has put a live-action series into development (with director Ridley Scott signed on as an executive producer).

This month, the original Blade Runner celebrates its 40th anniversary. If you're a fan of the film or the franchise, we think you'll enjoy the other movies on this list, all of which have at least one thing in common with Blade Runner — whether it's genre, theme, tone, or cast and crew.

With Blade Runner, Scott helped bring the cyberpunk movement to audiences around the world. His film has been heralded as one of the most notable examples of this cinematic subgenre, as have several other movies on this list (including The Matrix and RoboCop).

Here, Metacritic shares 10 movies like Blade Runner, listed by Metascore.

Alien

Metascore: 89
Best for: Fans of sci-fi horror flicks
Where to watch:

, fuboTV, Google Play, , iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 117 minutes

One of Scott's earliest films as director, Alien shares several of the same themes as Blade Runner — with the most notable one being the connection between humans and non-human creatures. Alien is set aboard the Nostromo spaceship, which lands on an unknown moon on its way back to Earth. While there, several crew members find and enter a seemingly deserted spacecraft — only to discover a terrifying extraterrestrial force that puts all of their lives at risk. The Oscar-winning film, which premiered in 1979, has spawned a number of sequels, prequels, and crossovers, including Aliens(1986) and Alien vs. Predator (2004).

"This is a five star film because it is one of the most perfect science fiction thrillers of all time." — Kevin Carr, Film Threat

Blade Runner 2049 

Metascore: 81
Best for: Fans of futuristic thrillers
Where to watch:

, Google Play, HBO Max, iTunes, Netflix, Vudu
Runtime: 164 minutes

Set in 2049, this 2017 sequel to Blade Runner stars Ryan Gosling as K, a blade runner for the LAPD who is responsible for tracking down and destroying replicants. On one of his missions, he finds a deceased female replicant and figures out that the mutants are capable of reproduction — a fact that could threaten humankind's existence. Several cast and crew from the original film came back to work on Blade Runner 2049, including Ford and Edward James Olmos. Scott handed over directing responsibilities to Denis Villeneuve but served as an executive producer.

"It's a deep, rich, smart film that's visually awesome and full of great sci-fi concepts, and one that was well worth the 35-year wait." — Scott Collura, IGN

Arrival

Metascore: 81
Best for: Fans of alien invasion movies
Where to watch:

, , Google Play, , Paramount+, Vudu
Runtime: 116 minutes

Villeneuve also directed Arrival, a 2016 sci-fi mystery about a team of experts who are investigating the arrival of extraterrestrials on Earth. The group includes international military leaders, along with Louise Banks (Amy Adams), an accomplished linguist attempting to understand the aliens' communication patterns, and physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner). The fate of the planet remains uncertain as Louise, Ian, and their fellow team members scramble to decipher the messages sent by the extraterrestrials before they launch a global attack. Arrival won the Oscar for Best Sound Editing and was nominated for seven others, including Best Picture.

"A big, risky, showy movie which jumps up on its high-concept highwire and disdains a net." — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Minority Report 

Metascore: 80
Best for: Fans of sci-fi action films
Where to watch:

, , Google Play, iTunes, , Vudu
Runtime: 145 minutes

Like Blade Runner, Minority Report is a future-set sci-fi thriller based on a short story by Dick (in this case, it was his 1956 piece titled "The Minority Report"). Directed by Steven Spielberg, this 2002 film features Tom Cruise as John Anderton, the leader of Precrime, a government organization that hires psychic officers (called Precogs) to find and arrest potential killers before they commit their crimes. But the tables are turned when one Precog identifies John as a future murderer, forcing him to go on the run and launching a full-scale manhunt for his capture.

"A conventional but expertly realized cop-on-the-run drama." — J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Ex Machina

Metascore: 78
Best for: Fans of AI-themed thrillers
Where to watch:

, fuboTV, Google Play, iTunes, , Vudu
Runtime: 108 minutes

Ex Machina, a sci-fi thriller from director Alex Garland, follows computer programmer Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), who wins a week-long trip to visit his company's CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), at his secluded mountain home. At the estate, Nathan explains to Caleb that he's there to participate in an experiment with his AI-powered robot, Ava (Alicia Vikander). Things start to take a dark turn shortly after Caleb's arrival, prompting him to create an escape plan with the help of Ava. After its 2015 release, Ex Machina was nominated for several major awards, including two Oscars (where it won for Best Visual Effects).

"With a stellar cast and seductive look, Ex Machina is a sleek contraption for capturing our imagination." — Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Interstellar

Metascore: 74
Best for: Fans of space exploration films
Where to watch:

, Google Play, iTunes, Paramount+, Vudu
Runtime: 169 minutes

Released in 2014, Interstellar revolves on a group of astronauts who set out on a journey to colonize a new planet after Earth becomes uninhabitable. Leading the charge is former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), who hopes to locate a wormhole near Saturn that opens up to a new future for humankind. He's joined by a crew of NASA members, including Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), who is also the daughter of a pioneering NASA scientist. The Christopher Nolan-directed Interstellar was nominated for five Oscars (winning for Best Visual Effects) and four BAFTA Awards (winning for Best Special Visual Effects).

"Einsteinian, Kubrickian, Malickian, Steinbeckian — Interstellar, Christopher Nolan's epically ambitious space opera, is all that. And more. And, alas, less." — Steven Rea, The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Matrix 

Metascore: 73
Best for: Fans of dystopian thrillers
Where to watch:

, Google Play, HBO Max, iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 136 minutes

Keanu Reeves stars as Thomas Anderson (also known as Neo) in The Matrix, the sci-fi action thriller directed by sisters Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski. In the film, he plays a computer programmer and hacker who discovers that his life doesn't actually belong to him. Instead, it's being controlled by AI-powered machines. Thomas joins the resistance to save himself and his fellow humans, relying on his extensive computer knowledge in an attempt to overpower and shut down the machines. Following its release in 1999, The Matrix took home four Academy Awards and has since spawned three sequels.

"The writing remains more intelligent than most thrillers, and the action is executed with such panache that even if you don't buy the reality of The Matrix, it's a helluva place to visit." — Marc Caro, Chicago Tribune

Edge of Tomorrow

Metascore: 71
Best for: Fans of military-centric sci-fi films
Where to watch:

, fuboTV, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 113 minutes

Directed by Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow is a sci-fi action flick about Major Bill Cage (Cruise), a PR officer in the U.S. Army who has never engaged in combat. After a spat with his superior, he's demoted and forced into battle, where he's quickly killed — only to wake up and repeat the day all over again on an infinite loop. Eventually, he partners with Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), who helps him train for combat in hopes of breaking the cycle. Edge of Tomorrow earned four nominations at the Critics' Choice Awards, with Blunt winning for Best Actress in an Action Movie.

"Mr. Liman brings Mr. Cruise's smile out of semiretirement and also gives him the kind of physical challenges at which he so brilliantly excels." — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

RoboCop

Metascore: 70
Best for: Fans of sci-fi crime dramas
Where to watch:

, fuboTV, Google Play, , iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 102 minutes

Set in the not-too-distant future, the 1987 RoboCop was co-written by Edward Neumeier, who came up with the idea for the film while working on the set of Blade Runner. It follows Detroit police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), who's killed in the line of duty and later brought back to life as a cyborg named RoboCop. In his new role, he patrols the street using brute force, ready to take down anyone who gets in his way. At the same time, he begins to remember small pieces of his past life and shows glimpses of his former humanity. The film was remade in 2014.

"Paul Verhoeven, a Dutch director (Soldier of Orange), doesn't let the furiously futuristic plot get in the way of the flaming explosions, shattering glass and hurtling bodies." — Walter Goodman, The New York Times

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Metascore: 65
Best for: Fans of AI-centric sci-fi adventures
Where to watch:

, Google Play, iTunes, Starz, Vudu
Runtime: 146 minutes

Adapted from Brian Aldiss's short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," A.I. Artificial Intelligence was a project started by Stanley Kubrick but eventually completed by Spielberg. It's based around David (Haley Joel Osment), a robot with childlike qualities who is programmed to give and receive love – something that was previously unheard of with AI-powered beings. After its 2002 release, A.I. Artificial Intelligence received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences. It was also recognized by the major awarding bodies and was nominated for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and three Golden Globes.

"Whether audiences are pleased or vexed, very vexed, by A.I., any movie buff worth his salt will want to sift through this fascinating wreck of a movie." — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone