NASA’s Most Realistic and Unrealistic Sci-Fi Movies: The 2026 Guide
Hollywood loves to dramatize stories to keep us on the edge of our seats. “Fake hackers” breaching mainframes in seconds, spaceships ignoring the laws of physics, or explosions in the vacuum of space are common tropes we often overlook for the sake of entertainment.
However, experts can easily distinguish between science fact and pure fantasy. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) held a meeting to evaluate cinema history, selecting the films that get the science right—and the ones that get it hilariously wrong.
Here are the most scientifically accurate and the most “make-believe” sci-fi movies, according to NASA.
✅ The Most Realistic Sci-Fi Movies According to NASA
For a film to make this list, it had to respect the laws of physics, biology, and astronomy. Here are the productions that earned a passing grade from NASA scientists:
1. Gattaca (1997)
Topping the list is Gattaca. This film’s depiction of genetic engineering and its potential societal impact is so accurate that it was even cited in academic papers published as late as 2022. It is widely considered one of the most realistic portrayals of the future of human genetics.
2. Contact (1997)
Based on the novel by renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan, this film is a masterpiece of scientific integrity regarding extraterrestrial contact. It is well known that Sagan’s “extreme precision” and insistence on scientific accuracy actually slowed down the film’s production, but the result was a scientifically grounded classic.
3. Jurassic Park (1993)
While bringing dinosaurs back to life remains fiction, the film’s approach to genetic science—specifically the theory of extracting DNA from fossilized amber—was grounded enough in theoretical possibility to earn a spot on NASA’s list.
Other NASA-Approved Classics:
- Metropolis (1927): A visionary film far ahead of its time.
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951): A serious take on alien contact.
- Woman from the Moon (1929)
- The Thing from Another World (1951)
❌ The Least Realistic: Where Science Failed
According to NASA experts, some films treat science merely as a decoration, completely ignoring reality. Here are the films that push the boundaries of logic:
1. 2012 (2009)
Despite being a visual spectacle, 2012 is considered the most scientifically problematic film by NASA. Donald Yeomans from NASA stated that the film’s core premise—neutrinos mutating and rapidly heating the Earth’s core—is scientifically impossible.
2. The Core (2003)
This film attempts a journey to the center of the Earth but completely disregards basic geology and physics, placing it second on the “least plausible” list.
3. Armageddon (1998)
Although a box-office hit, the idea of blowing up an asteroid with a nuclear weapon, combined with numerous physics violations in space, makes this one of the “fakest” sci-fi movies in history according to experts.
Other “Anti-Science” Movies:
- Volcano (1997)
- Chain Reaction (1996)
- The 6th Day (2000)
- What the Bleep Do We Know? (2004)
Note: It is surprising that franchises like The Terminator or Total Recall are absent from the “worst” list, but NASA experts seem to have focused heavily on disaster scenarios that misrepresent natural sciences.
🌟 Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Recommendations
If you are looking for more modern films that respect science, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has his own list of recommendations that align with scientific principles:
- The Martian: An excellent depiction of botany and survival on Mars.
- Interstellar: Accurate portrayals of black holes and relativity (with Kip Thorne as a consultant).
- 2001: A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick’s timeless masterpiece.
- The Matrix: A philosophical dive into simulation theory.
- Deep Impact (1998): Released the same year as Armageddon, but far more scientifically accurate regarding asteroid impacts.
Conclusion
Movies are meant to entertain, but films like Gattaca and Contact prove that you don’t need to break the laws of physics to tell a compelling story. If you are planning a movie night that won’t make you roll your eyes at the screen, sticking to NASA’s “realistic” list is your best bet.
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