If you are looking for movies like Annihilation, read ahead, as this article is written to address that.
Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s 2014 novel of the same name, Alex Garland wrote and directed the science fiction psychological horror thriller Annihilation in 2018.
This movie delves into the world of science, which includes human and animal mutations, etc., and features alien entities’ presence.
I have compiled a brief list of some movies like Annihilation that you can watch, and also I have included a brief synopsis of the different films listed below in this article.
1. Ex Machina (2014)
- Directed by: Alex Garland.
- Casts: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno, Gana Bayarsaikhan, and Corey Johnson.
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Running Time: 1h 50m.
Caleb, a 26-year-old programmer for the most significant online corporation in the world, wins a contest to spend a week at Nathan, the company’s reclusive CEO private mountain retreat.
However, Caleb discovers upon his arrival at the distant location that he will be required to participate in a bizarre and exciting experiment in which he will have to communicate with the world’s first accurate artificial intelligence, housed in the form of a stunning robot girl. This is one of the sci-fi movies like Annihilation.
2. Arrival (2016)
- Directed by: Denis Villeneuve.
- Casts: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Tzi Ma.
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Running Time: 1h 56m.
When enormous spaceships crash land in 12 different locations around the planet, linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is in charge of an elite team of investigators.
Banks and her crew are in a race against time to figure out how to connect with the extraterrestrial visitors as the world teeters on the brink of nuclear Armageddon.
She risks her life and maybe the survival of all humanity in an attempt to solve the enigma. This thriller film is one of the movies like Annihilation.
3. The 5th Wave (2016)
- Directed by: J Blakeson.
- Casts: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe.
- IMDb Rating: 5.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 52m
Four waves of more terrible attacks have destroyed the majority of Earth. Cassie is evading capture while urgently attempting to save her younger brother amid an atmosphere of dread and mistrust.
Cassie teams up with a young man who may be her last hope if she can trust him as she prepares for the inevitable and deadly fifth wave. This also is in the list of movies like Annihilation.
4. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
- Directed by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.
- Casts: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Catherine McCormack, Mackintosh Muggleton.
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
- Running Time: 1h 40m.
The U.S. Army had restored order and is repopulating the quarantined city six trying months after the horrifying events of 28 Days Later… (2002) when the unstoppable Rage Virus decimated the entire city of London.
However, following the initial influx of displaced people coming home, an unaware carrier of the highly contagious illness enters the abandoned city. It unintentionally reignites the spread of the deadly infection.
And this time, it has become more dangerous and deadly than before. This horror sci-fi film is one of the movies like Annihilation.
5. The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
- Directed by: Julius Onah.
- Casts: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elizabeth Debicki, Aksel Hennie, Daniel Brühl, Chris O’Dowd, John Ortiz, David Oyelowo, and Zhang Ziyi.
- IMDb Rating: 5.5/10
- Running Time: 1h 42m
There will soon be an energy crisis on Earth. The Shepard particle accelerator will be tested at the Cloverfield Station with a multi-national crew to produce energy for all nations and resolve the global energy crisis.
The experiment fails, destroys the station, and creates a gateway to a parallel Earth in another realm.
In addition, they discover a lady entangled in wires behind a station bulkhead and find that she was employed by a Cloverfield Station identical to the one in this realm.
The scientists must now figure out how to return to their home dimension. This is a thriller sci-fi film and one of the movies like Annihilation.
6. Life (2017)
- Directed by: Daniel Espinosa.
- Casts: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya.
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Running Time: 1h 50m
A sample taken from Mars is being examined by six astronauts on board the space station in case it contains proof of extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet.
The team finds a sizable single-celled creature in the sample, marking the first instance of life outside Earth.
But sometimes things aren’t as they seem. The life form reveals itself to be more clever than anyone could have imagined as the crew starts their research and their techniques have unanticipated repercussions. This also is enlisted as one of the movies like Annihilation.
7. Sunshine (2007)
- Directed by: Danny Boyle.
- Casts: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Chris Evans, Troy Garity, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, and Michelle Yeoh.
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 47m.
In a not-too-distant future, humanity will perish due to the Earth’s dwindling sun. A crew of eight men and women travels into space carrying a gadget that could reawaken the star in a desperate attempt to save the world.
However, the staff and their desperate mission are jeopardized by an accident, a severe error, and a distress beacon from a long-lost starship. This is one of the movies like Annihilation.
8. Prometheus (2012)
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
- Casts: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron.
- IMDb Rating: 7/10
- Running Time: 2h 4m.
The accomplished archaeologist Doctor Elizabeth Shaw and her colleague Charlie Holloway set out on an ambitious deep-space research mission with a seventeen-man team, following a thin trail of clues.
In 2093, the USCSS Prometheus landed on the barren exomoon LV-223 to explore the possibility of the existence of the superior extraterrestrial species known as the “Engineers.”
More mysteries, however, lie there, concealed under an enigmatic, complicated structure of vast, dark chambers and a complex network of tunnels.
The outcome of the audacious space expedition, as well as the entire destiny of humanity, is now in danger due to a horrifying revelation. This is also enlisted as one of the movies like Annihilation.
9. Host (2013)
- Directed by: Andrew Niccol.
- Casts: Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Frances Fisher, Chandler Canterbury, Diane Kruger, and William Hurt.
- IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
- Running Time: 2h 5m.
Only small pockets of “wild” humans like Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) are still present in the world because unseen invaders have taken over the mass of people.
After being taken prisoner by the invaders, Melanie discovers that Wanderer has claimed her body.
Wanderer has been forewarned about the challenges associated with claiming a human host. Melanie’s vivid dreams and recollections profoundly impact Wanderer as she inhabits Melanie.
And when Wanderer takes over Melanie’s body while she struggles to keep control of her consciousness, the sympathetic being accompanied her on a trip that will unveil the unfathomable heights of human love and compassion. This is one of the movies like Annihilation.
10. The Midnight Sky (2020)
- Directed by: George Clooney.
- Casts: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and Caoilinn Springall.
- IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
- Running Time: 2h 2m.
When a terrible global catastrophe is discovered, a scientist works alone at an isolated Arctic research facility.
In the Arctic, he encounters a strange female simultaneously and must work with her to prevent the spaceship “Aether” crew from returning to Earth. This thriller sci-fi film is one of the movies like Annihilation.
11. The Thing (2011)
- Directed by: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
- Casts: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen.
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 43m.
Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) joins the team at the secluded Arctic outpost to investigate after Norwegian researchers find an alien ship buried in the ice.
She discovers a creature that initially seems to have died in the accident ages ago but is ready to awaken.
The infamous life thing launches an assault after being released from its icy prison. As the team struggles to survive a creature that takes the form of its victim, paranoia spreads throughout the group like wildfire. This thriller movie is one of the movies like Annihilation.
12. Edge Of Tomorrow (2014)
- Directed by: Doug Liman.
- Casts: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic, Masayoshi Haneda, and Madeleine Mantock.
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Running Time: 1h 53m.
Unstoppable by any military force on the planet, an alien race has attacked the Earth with a relentless assault.
Major William Cage (Cruise) is abruptly placed into what essentially amounts to a suicide mission as he is an officer who has never experienced a day of combat.
After being killed in a matter of minutes, Cage is mysteriously trapped in a time loop, where he must repeatedly engage in terrible battles while also dying.
However, Cage and Special Forces soldier Rita Vrataski can confront the foes with increased skill in each encounter.
And with every confrontation they have with the aliens, Cage and Vrataski move closer to winning the battle! This is an exciting sci-fi film with lots of action and is one of the movies like Annihilation.
13. Monsters (2010)
- Directed by: Gareth Edwards.
- Casts: Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able
- IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
- Running Time: 1h 37m.
NASA discovered that there might be alien life in the solar system six years ago. A sample-collection probe was launched, but it crashed upon re-entry over North America.
New life forms soon appeared, and half of Mexico was quarantined as a contaminated area shortly after. This is one of the movies like Annihilation.
14. The Invasion (2007)
- Directed by: Oliver Hirschbiegel.
- Casts: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jeffrey Wright, and Veronica Cartwright.
- IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
- Running Time: 1h 39m.
Only two people on Earth, Washington, D.C. psychologist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) and her associate Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), are aware of the epidemic raging through the city.
They find an alien virus in a space shuttle that has crashed that turns everybody who comes in contact with it into a mindless drone while they are sleeping.
Carol rushes to find her son before it’s too late, realizing he holds the key to halting the plague’s spread. This is one of the movies like Annihilation.
15. I Am Number Four (2011)
- Directed by: D. J. Caruso.
- Casts: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe, and Kevin Durand.
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Running Time: 2 hrs.
John Smith (Pettyfer), an extraordinary kid, is running from merciless adversaries hired to kill him.
John is constantly the new kid with no ties to his history, changing his name and going from place to town with his guardian Henri (Olyphant).
John experiences unexpected, life-altering events in the little Ohio town he now calls home, including his first love (Agron), new solid skills, and a link to the people who share his incredible destiny. This is an exciting sci-fi movie and is part of the movies like Annihilation.
16. War Of The Worlds (2005)
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg.
- Casts: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Rick Gonzalez, Yul Vázquez.
- IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
- Running Time: 1h 56m.
In this science fiction action movie, based on the classic H.G. Wells tale, a regular man must defend his children from alien invaders.
Dockworker Ray Ferrier lived in New Jersey and was previously married to Mary Ann (Miranda Otto), from whom he was divorced.
He is now estranged from his two children, Rachel and Robbie (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin), for whom he has weekend custody.
When Ray learns that a fleet of death-ray robotic spaceships have surfaced nearby as part of the initial wave of an all-out extraterrestrial invasion of Earth after a series of weird lighting storms strike his neighborhood, caring for the children during one such visitation becomes a little more challenging. This is one of the movies like Annihilation.
17. The Fourth Kind (2009)
- Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi.
- Casts: Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Corey Johnson, Will Patton, Charlotte Milchard, Mia Mckenna-Bruce, and Yulian Vertov.
- IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
- Running Time: 1h 38m.
In and around Nome, Alaska, a disproportionately high number of people have vanished since the 1960s. The disappearances continue to be a mystery despite FBI investigations.
When Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich), a psychologist, discovers proof of alien abductions while treating her patients, she may be about to blow the unresolved cases wide open. This is one of the movies like Annihilation.
18. Body Snatchers (1993)
- Directed by: Abel Ferrara.
- Casts: Gabrielle Anwar, Terry Kinney, Billy Wirth, Forest Whitaker, and Meg Tilly.
- IMDb Rating: 6/10
- Running Time: 1h 27m
Another version of Jack Finney’s tale features Marti Malone taking a vacation with her father. She hears a soldier at a petrol station warn her not to sleep because “they” come for her when you do.
After entering the base, she and her father quickly recognize the strange behavior they observe as aliens. This science fiction film is also one of the movies like Annihilation.
19. Deep Impact (1998)
- Directed by: Mimi Leder.
- Casts: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, and Morgan Freeman.
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Running Time: 2hrs.
A comet heading straight for Earth could spell the end of human existence. The American government conceals the situation, but ace journalist Jenny Lerner (Tea Leoni) unearths the truth, forcing American President Beck (Morgan Freeman) to reveal his strategy.
Spurgeon “Fish” Tanner, a seasoned astronaut, and his crew will have to land on the comet and plant explosives to divert it from its deadly route.
If not, people will need to get ready for the worst. One of the exciting movies like Annihilation you can watch.
20. Lifeforce (1985)
- Directed by: Tobe Hooper.
- Casts: Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, and Mathilda May.
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Running Time: 1h 41m.
The humanoids inside an alien craft encountered by American and British astronauts on a space expedition are brought onboard the shuttle.
Mathilda May plays one of the aliens who looks like a beautiful woman who proceeds to drain the life power from several Londoners, turning the metropolis into a city of wandering half-dead people.
A survivor astronaut named Tom Carlsen (Steve Railsback) decides to end the brutal alien invasion once he discovers what is happening. This is another thriller film and is one of the movies like Annihilation.
21. John Carter (2012)
- Directed by: Andrew Stanton.
- Casts: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, and Willem Dafoe.
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Running Time: 2h 12m.
When John Carter is suddenly transported to Mars, he discovers he has extraordinary skills. However, When he saves a princess who is escaping, things change for the worst. John Carter is also enlisted as one of the movies like Annihilation.
22. Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)
- Directed by: Fred F. Sears.
- Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis, Morris Ankrum, John Zaremba, Thomas Browne Henry, Grandon Rhodes, and Larry J. Blake.
- IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
- Running Time: 1h 24m.
Dr. Russell A. Marvin and his wife Carol see a flying saucer while traveling through the desert to a military base to launch the eleventh rocket into Earth orbit to aid in Operation Sky Hook’s exploration of space. They unintentionally record a message on their tape recorder.
When Dr. Russell enters the facility, his father-in-law and the general notify him that the first ten satellites suddenly fell back to Earth.
To attack Earth without frightening the populace, the aliens ask Dr. Russell to arrange a conference with Earth’s leaders in Washington 56 days after he decodes the message. Dr. Russell creates an anti-magnetic weapon that serves as humanity’s last line of defense Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is also one of the movies like Annihilation.
23. Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich.
- Casts: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Travis Tope, William Fichtner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Judd Hirsch.
- IMDb Rating: 5.2/10
- Running Time: 2hrs.
Jeff Goldblum’s character, David Levinson, a satellite engineer, looks inside an incoming mother ship 3,000 miles wide as the Fourth of July approaches.
Fortunately, 20 years earlier, countries worldwide began to exploit extraterrestrial technology that had been recovered to create a massive military effort.
The U.S. president, teams of scientists, and valiant jet pilots rush into action to save the planet from an adversary who appears to be unbeatable as the alien invader’s attack with unparalleled fury. This is also one of the movies like Annihilation.
24. Oblivion (2013)
- Directed by: Joseph Kosinski.
- Casts: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Melissa Leo.
- IMDb Rating: 7/10
- Running Time: 2h 4m.
This is one of the sci-fi movies like Annihilation, and it tells the story of One of the remaining drone mechanics working on Earth whose name is Jack Harper.
Jack’s mission is almost finished as part of a considerable effort to recover essential resources following years of conflict with a frightening danger known as the Scavs.
His existence is upended when he saves a stranger from a crashed spacecraft. He lives in and patrols the skies from a thousand feet above.
Her entrance sets off a series of events that make him doubt everything he believes and leave humanity’s fate in his hands.
25. Moon (2009)
- Directed by: Duncan Jones.
- Casts: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Kaya Scodelario, Benedict Wong, Matt Berry, and Malcolm Stewart.
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
- Running Time: 1h 37m
After a three-year stint working at a lunar mine, astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is eager to see his wife (Dominique McElligott) and small daughter again.
Sam’s health suddenly deteriorates dramatically. He experiences excruciating migraines, delusions, and a near-fatal accident.
He runs upon someone who seems to be a younger version of him—possibly a clone. Before the company team shows up, Sam has limited time to unravel the mysteries. Moon is also one of the movies like Annihilation.
Conclusion
These movies listed above are mostly science fiction thrillers, like the annihilation movie. So feel free to pick any of the movies listed above and enjoy it with your family and friends.
