Sci-fi films are booming like never before, spurred by innovations in low-cost CGI and the demand for more content by streaming services. It means that, more than ever, some "hidden gems" can be found in the genre, with most available to stream. The 2010s may have been dominated by superhero films, but sci-fi films also did well, with the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Jurassic World, and Avatar topping the box office when Marvel and DC didn't.

Sci-fi films did well at the Oscars during the decade as well, with films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Arrival, Gravity, and The Martian earning Best Picture nominations. The 2010s also saw a number of great sci-fi films that initially didn't get the respect they deserve, but are now highly regarded. Films like Tron: Legacy and Dredd flopped at the box office initially, but are now considered among the better genre films the decade produced.

These are 10 underrated sci-films released between 2010 and 2019, with most available to stream online.

10 Coherence (2013)

What Coherence may lack in budget, it makes up with in terms of concept, with a mind-bending story about a passing comet and its effects on a group of friends at a dinner party. Co-written and directed by James Ward Byrkit (the writer of Rango), the film is a compelling ensemble piece, led by Emily Baldoni (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Nicholas Brendon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). I strongly suggest not reading anything more about the plot prior to seeing the film; the less you know, the more enjoyable your initial viewing experience.

The film scored an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, despite a budget of only $50,000. It only opened on two screens in the United States and grossed just over $100,000, but don't let those numbers dissuade you. The film is smarter than most big-studio blockbusters, and you'll want to watch it again to follow the twists and clues you missed initially.

9 Prospect (2018)

Before he donned the helmet of The Mandalorian, Pedro Pascal starred in Prospect, a low-budget space adventure about a scavenger and his daughter who travel to a distant moon to harvest rare gems. With others on the moon also after the gems as well, a simple job devolves into a fight for survival. A solid story is supported by outstanding visuals, and an impressive film overall, despite a budget that was reportedly less than $5 million.

Related: Best Sci-Fi Movies with a Low-Budget, Ranked

Although Pascal was already a star by this point (with his roles on Game of Thrones and Narcos), the film really belongs to young Sophie Thatcher, making her feature film debut. Thatcher would team up with Pascal again in 2022 when she played Drash, one of the infamous biker gang members in The Book of Boba Fett.

8 Okja (2017)

One of two Bong Joon-Ho films on our list, Okja was a 2017 Netflix film that earned a lot of attention initially, but was soon forgotten with a constant wave of new content on the streaming service pushing it from the limelight. It's a film absolutely worth talking about, as Bong's comedic satire on the meat industry and corporate greed is also a touching morality tale about the bond between humans and animals.

The film sports some great performances across the board, including Seo-hyun Ahn as the young protagonist who cares for Okja the Pig, and Tilda Swinton, who delivers a scenery-chewing performance as the head of the meat-producing corporation after Okja for breeding purposes. Despite its release directing to streaming, it is one of the best films of 2017, and was even nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 70th Cannes Film Festival.

7 In Time (2011)

In Time is Andrew Niccol's wild twist on Logan's Run (another underrated sci-fi film), and is set in a future world where humans do not age past the age of 25. There's a catch, however; an internal clock (with a visible display on your arm) begins to tick down once you hit that age, giving you exactly one year to live. More time can be bought, which means the rich have the possibility of living forever. Justin Timberlake plays a working-class guy tying to earn that time, when he is falsely accused of murder.

Niccol, who also wrote The Truman Show and Lord of War, revealed that In Time was conceived while he wrote Gattaca, a sci-fi film that explores social class structure through the lens of genetics. Timberlake truly started to hit his stride as an actor after 2010's The Social Network, and he's excellent in this film, even if audiences at the time didn't notice.

6 Snowpiercer (2013)

After Bong Joon-Ho won three Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Director) for Parasite in 2020, film fans began to discover his past films, including 2013's Snowpiercer, his first English-language film. The movie is set in the year 2031, in which an attempt to fix the environment actually ruins it, making the earth a frozen wasteland in which the only survivors are the lucky few aboard a constantly-moving, self-sufficient train that circles the globe. Snowpiercer's take on class warfare is exceedingly clever and grim, with a riveting sci-fi twist and great performances from Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton.

The film saw a limited release in 2013 and grossed less than $5 million at the U.S. box office, although it did quite well in Bong's home country of South Korea. It's found a new life on streaming services, where film fans can appreciate Bong's knack for injecting hope into the bleakest of circumstances. Bong also serves as executive producer of the television version of the film, which is a re-imagining of the premise and stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs.

5 Under The Skin (2014)

Scarlett Johansson gave arguably the best performance of her career in 2014's Under the Skin, a film in which she plays an alien that takes the form of a human to prey on unsuspecting men on the streets of Scotland. It's an unusual science fiction character study tinged with some horror elements, and it's often disturbing and mesmerizing. Johansson has very little dialogue, and yet, her wonderfully nuanced performance showed off a range we rarely saw in many of her blockbusters.

Released when Johansson was already a superstar (thanks to the Marvel films), the film still managed to fly under the radar with moviegoers, thanks to a limited release. Critics, however, praised the film, and it is regarded by many as one of the best alien movies ever made.

4 Predestination (2014)

Ethan Hawke doesn't seem to be afraid of trying new things. Over the last two decades, he's made westerns, horror films, romances, and historical dramas. He even voiced Batman in a cartoon, but in 2014, he starred in Predestination, a sci-fi thriller by the Spierig Brothers, who also directed Hawke's excellent vampire film Daybreakers in 2009.

Based on a short story by Robert A. Heinlein (the author of Starship Troopers), Hawke plays a "temporal agent" who travels through time, in an attempt to stop a serial bomber. The film, however, truly belongs to Sarah Snook, giving a breakthrough performance four years before her Emmy-nominated role as Shiv Roy in HBO's smash hit Succession.

3 Upgrade (2018)

Leigh Whannell may be known for writing groundbreaking horror franchises like the Saw and Insidious films, but in 2018, he wrote and directed the trippy sci-fi film Upgrade. Logan Marshall-Green stars as Grey, a quadriplegic whose wife is murdered in a vicious attack. Grey is offered a secret brain implant that returns the use of his limbs and an AI interface that gives him superhuman abilities. He then uses it to exact revenge on those responsible for his wife's death, which gains the attention of police.

Related: The Best Sci-Fi Movies According to Rotten Tomatoes

Filled with stunning visuals and inventive fight scenes, Upgrade also explores the ethics of merging humanity and technology. The film opened in nearly 1,500 theaters in June 2018, but couldn't compete with Avengers: Infinity War, and earned less than $12 million overall. It found a following on Blu-ray and streaming, which sparked plans for a TV sequel series to the film, which are still in development with Blumhouse Productions.

2 Midnight Special (2016)

Michael Shannon (Man of Steel) stars in this riveting tale as a man on the run with his son, who has superhero-like powers. Directed by the equally underrated Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter), Midnight Special is an entertaining thriller, as Shannon's Roy struggles to stay ahead of the U.S. government and a band of cult members, who worship his son Alton (Jaeden Martell, IT and Knives Out) for his godlike abilities.

After a strong start, the film falters a bit in the end, but that shouldn't deter you from enjoying a uniquely original film with strong performances from the cast, including Adam Driver, Joel Edgerton, and Kirsten Dunst. Despite that all-star cast, Warner Bros. only gave the film a limited release (and it earned less than $4 million at the box office), but its release on Blu-ray and streaming is giving it the attention it deserves.

1 Attack the Block (2011)

Attack the Block teamed up future sci-fi icons Jodie Whittaker (The 13th Doctor Who) and John Boyega (Star Wars' Finn) for a fun and often hilarious sci-fi thriller about a group of London inner-city teens who fight back when aliens invade the planet. At the time, Whittaker and Boyega were not household names, and while their current stardom has brought some attention to this indie flick, it still remains undiscovered to many.

Director Joe Cornish would go on to write Ant-Man (before it was overhauled after the departure of Edgar Wright) and create the new Netflix series Lockwood & Co., and Boyega recently revealed that he and Cornish are writing a sequel to Attack the Block, which is welcome news to fans who would love to see how Boyega's Moses is doing after the events of the first film.