Thanks to hits like Money Heist and Narcos, American audiences have developed an interest in Spanish TV shows and movies. Although you might not expect it, there is a huge catalog of Spanish sci-fi movies you can watch today. Thankfully, you can watch most of these gems on streaming services.
When you sit down to watch, one of the most frustrating things can be the loading icon that pops up every two seconds because of bad internet. I said “Hasta la vista, baby” to my slow as-molasses internet by switching to Optimum internet as my girlfriend suggested, and hear me out guys, Latinas are always right. She instantly called Optimum servicio al cliente 24 horas and got me hooked to Optimum in a jiffy.
With that sorted, I lived my Spanish sci-fi movie marathon dream of ages by binging on the following movies. Here’s a little review of them all:
Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)
- Release Date: October 5, 2007
- Director: Nacho Vigalondo
- Cast: Karra Elejalde, Nacho Vigalondo, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga
For a low-budget Spanish sci-fi movie, I was surprised by how hooked I was from the start of the movie. The movie follows the events where the main character, Hector, makes one bad decision after another.
The movie begins when Hector decides to spy on unsuspecting women. His curiosity gets the best of him when he decides to approach the woman, only to find her unconscious on the ground. Soon after, he gets chased by a man whose face is covered with bloody bandages.
He goes into a building to hide, only to meet a scientist who helps him hide in a tank. Once he gets out, he realizes that he has traveled back in time by an hour.
The movie has only five speaking characters so it should be fun to watch, even if you’re a beginner in Spanish language.
Extraterrestre (Extraterrestrial)
- Release Date: March 23, 2012
- Director: Nacho Vigalondo
- Cast: Michelle Jenner, Carlos Areces, Julián Villagrán, Raúl Cimas, Miguel Noguera
An alien invasion is probably not on the list of things you expect to wake up to, after a night out with your date.
After Julio and Julia wake up, they realize that they don’t know each other properly. As they try to figure out what happened the previous night, they notice a huge alien UFO in the sky. To make matters worse, Julia’s neighbor, Angel, keeps annoying them.
If you haven’t noticed it yet, this movie is directed by the same guy who directed Los Cronocrímenes. Staying true to his style, there are just a few characters in the movie, but each of them is fleshed out and has ample time to shine.
I won’t spoil much of the story, but this movie is very fun to watch, especially if you’re looking for a rom-com-styled movie with a lot of sci-fi elements.
Eva
- Release Date: 7 September 2011
- Director: Kike Maíllo
- Cast: Daniel Brühl, Marta Etura, Alberto Ammann, Claudia Vega, Anne Canovas, Lluís Homar
When Eva was released in 2011, it seemed like just another sci-fi movie. But now, in 2025, the movie’s events don’t just seem plausible, they look probable.
The movie takes place in 2043 where humans and cyborgs live together. Alex, a cybernetic engineer, is tasked with the creation of the software to be used in a cyborg. He uses his niece as an inspiration. Although things seem to be fine at first, the cyborg goes rogue and starts causing problems for Alex and the people he cares about.
Daniel Brühl, who plays Alex, speaks Spanish as if he were a native. Considering that it’s a movie from 2011, the CGI is also amazing. The movie was nominated for twelve categories at the Goya Awards and won three awards.
The movie is an amazing take on artificial intelligence and it seems more grounded in reality today than it was when it was first released.
La Pasajera (The Passenger)
- Release Date: February 18, 2022
- Director: Fernando González Gómez, Raúl Cerezo
- Cast: Ramiro Blas, Paula Gallego, Cristina Alcázar, Cecilia Suárez, Niko Verona
La Pasajera has everything one can expect from a great road trip movie. The characters are quirky and weird, each with their own secrets.
Three passengers meet a man for a ride-sharing deal. The driver is the Spanish classic macho man who claims he doesn’t need GPS to drive. The chaos soon starts when the driver hits a person and they all decide the take her to the hospital. But, they soon realize that letting her into the van was a huge mistake.
The screenplay here is cleverly written and comes up with new ways to take the crisis up by a notch. The trailer spoils some of the twists but I won’t. It’s best to watch the movie without knowing anything else and I’m sure you’re going to have a fun time watching it.
Órbita 9 (Orbiter 9)
- Release Date: April 7, 2017
- Director: Hatem Khraiche
- Cast: Clara Lago, Álex González
Hatem Khraich’s Órbita 9 was a strong directorial debut for the director. At the start, the movie just seems like another love story in space. But, just when you start thinking that Órbita 9 shifts the final act ends up feeling different compared to the first two.
The story is about Helena, who has been living on a spacecraft for her entire life. He sees a message from her parents, telling her that her ship is running out of oxygen so they sacrificed their lives to save hers.
Soon after, Halena falls for the occupant of another ship, Alex, but it turns out that Alex is hiding his own secrets. All acts of the movie have a new twist and the movie is a very fun watch from start to end.
Wrapping Up
Although the movies in this list are going to be a blast if you’re a Spanish speaker, most of the movies in this list are a great watch even if you’re not that good at understanding Spanish.
Do you have any other recommendations for Spanish sci-fi movies? I would love to hear your recommendations in the comments below.
