Movies like
Loved the vibe? Here are ten films that hit similar notes—with match scores, reasons to watch, and where to stream in the US.
People revisit Sunshine for the same reason it broke through in 2007: clear stakes, memorable faces, and a thriller rhythm that doesn't stall in the middle. Danny Boyle keeps the ensemble pointed in one direction. The science fiction and thriller blend is the engine: it lets the film shift registers without feeling like two different movies stitched together.
Runtime 1h 48m · ★ 7.0
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Showing 10 of 10 picks
★ 7.2 · Drama · Science Fiction · Thriller · 1h 41m
Why you'll love it
Fans of Sunshine who respond to its science-fiction will find I Am Legend (2007) immediately familiar. Both films share a thriller sensibility without ever feeling like carbon copies of each other.
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★ 7.9 · Science Fiction · Drama · Thriller · 1h 58m
Why you'll love it
There's a reason Sunshine fans keep landing on Blade Runner (1982) — the science-fiction is unmistakably related even when the plots diverge. Both films operate on the same emotional frequency, especially in their third acts.
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★ 7.7 · Action · Thriller · Science Fiction · 1h 48m
Why you'll love it
The Terminator draws from the same science-fiction well as Sunshine, channeling thriller in ways that feel unmistakably related. The 1984 film makes a natural companion watch — similar in spirit but distinctly its own.
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★ 6.7 · Adventure · Action · Thriller · 2h 9m
Why you'll love it
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) captures the science-fiction appeal of Sunshine without simply imitating it. The thriller streak running through both films is what puts The Matrix Revolutions at the top of any "if you liked…" shortlist.
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★ 7.3 · Science Fiction · Action · Thriller · 2h 25m
Why you'll love it
The science-fiction appeal of Sunshine — that tense edge, the thriller — translates cleanly into Minority Report (2002). Different setting, same essential satisfaction.
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★ 7.6 · Science Fiction · Thriller · Mystery · 2h 9m
Why you'll love it
The filmmakers behind Twelve Monkeys (1995) clearly understood what makes science-fiction work — the same quality that keeps Sunshine rewatchable. Expect the same tense rhythm, executed with a fresh angle.
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★ 6.8 · Action · Thriller · Science Fiction · 2h 31m
Why you'll love it
Armageddon (1998) is the kind of film Sunshine fans discover and immediately send to their group chat. The science-fiction overlap is real, but it's the tense emotional pull that seals the recommendation.
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★ 7.2 · Horror · Thriller · Science Fiction · 1h 53m
Why you'll love it
28 Days Later shares Sunshine's gift for science-fiction — the 2002 film delivers thriller without overstaying its welcome. Consider it required viewing once you've finished rewatching your first pick.
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★ 7.4 · Science Fiction · Thriller · Comedy · 1h 59m
Why you'll love it
Much of what makes Sunshine compelling — the science-fiction, the thriller — shows up in Bugonia (2025) in a slightly different form. Both films understand that funny storytelling works best when it trusts the audience.
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★ 6.6 · Science Fiction · Action · Adventure · 1h 45m
Why you'll love it
The science-fiction energy of Sunshine is alive in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), filtered through a different story but the same emotional register. It earns its place on this list with a tense payoff that rivals the original pick.
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