Film-Forward

Sci-fi

Belle

In its embrace of both fantasy and realism, this anime is very beautiful, with a story line that explicitly winks toward “Beauty and the Beast.”

Encounter

Riz Ahmed’s new film begins with an alien invasion and turns into something else.

I’m Your Man

How would an algorithm pick an ideal romantic partner? I’m Your Man takes on this question in a bittersweet, witty way.

Settlers

A sci-fi thriller that’s about a daunting but opportunistic fresh start on life on Mars—and a gritty battle for survival.

Come True

Much like A Nightmare on Elm Street or Inception, Come True taps into deep-seated Freudian fears of what drives the human mind.

Lapsis

In the alternate present-day, a working-class stiff enters the gig economy of sinister robots and strict rules in this low-key, sci-fi satire.

Little Fish

A pandemic causes its victims to gradually lose their memory in this sci-fi romance.

Synchronic

Paramedics and lifelong pals played by Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan notice a trend in several gruesome deaths: all are linked to a new legal designer drug.

Tenet

Christopher Nolan’s time-bending fantasy deliberately prioritizes mystery and spectacle over character and keeps viewers in the dark for most of its first half.