Scarlett Johansson's sci-fi action thriller Lucy reached Netflix's top 10 list in early April 2025, over 11 years after it was initially released. While many older movies do see a resurgence in popularity upon being added to Netflix, it's still proof that Lucy is a popular film with a lot of advantages going for it. In fact, Lucy's popularity is also proof that viewers may want other, newer films that can recreate some parts of Lucy, like its high-octane action, existential questions, and intriguing protagonist.

Luckily, some of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix are quite similar to Lucy. Many of them deal with questions about humanity's role in the future, the way drugs interact with the human brain, and people who go into uncharted waters that give them unheard of powers and abilities. Many of them also feature intense action scenes and incredible visuals in the same style as Lucy, and while they can't completely replace Johansson's film, they are well worth watching. These five movies, all streaming on Netflix, are great to watch after Lucy.

5 Upgrade

Upgrade Is An Even Darker Version Of Lucy's High-Octane Sci-Fi Action

One of Lucy's biggest and best concepts was the idea of expanding the limits of the human body and mind, and no other movie blended that with intense sci-fi action quite like Upgrade did. Upgrade follows Grey (Logan Marshal-Greene), a man who submits his body to an advanced AI program to avenge his wife's murder. There are plenty of beautifully shot and choreographed fights in Upgrade that evoke the style of Lucy, though it does take a grittier, darker tone. That darker tone extends all the way to the twist end of the film, which is just as thought-provoking as the ending of Lucy.

4 Spiderhead

Spiderhead's Futuristic Drugs Are Just As Intriguing As Lucy's

Lucy largely centers around H-4, a drug that can unleash the full power of the human mind. Spiderhead, however, proposes a world in which drugs can cause the body to overpower the mind. Like Lucy, Spiderhead centers around some dubious pharmaceuticals and the effect they have on fundamental parts of the human experience. Unlike Lucy, Spiderhead's drugs are mainly used to torment Jeff (Miles Teller), and they're part of a massive and sinister conspiracy. There's not as much action in Spiderhead, but the ethical questions and psychological thrills more than make up for that.

3 Project Power

Project Power Is Perfect For Lucy Fans Who Want More Straightforward But Still Thrilling Action

Project Power may not have the same mind-bending visuals and existential questions as Lucy, but it may actually do a better job of showcasing high-energy superpowered fights. Project Power once again focusing on a sci-fi drug that grants its s superpowers for five minutes, but they don't know which power they'll get. That leads to some truly awesome fight scenes and action sequences in Project Power that were probably at least partially inspired by Lucy. It's a more straightforward movie than Lucy, but for anyone who enjoys action over thoughtful hypotheticals, Project Power is a great flick.

2 Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two Follows A Reluctantly Power-Hungry Protagonist Like Lucy

It's hard to talk about science fiction in general without talking about Frank Herbert's seminal work, Dune, which was adapted to the screen by Denis Villeneuve in the form of Dune: Part Two. The biggest similarity between Dune and Lucy is their protagonists: like Lucy, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is on a quest for power regular humans scarcely dream of. While he doesn't dematerialize, Paul's journey from an ordinary boy into the legendary Kwisatz Haderach gives him telepathic powers to rival Lucy. That, and the incredible action of Dune: Part Two, make it a wonderful companion to Lucy.

1 Tau

Tau Is Scarier Than Lucy, But Its Questions About AI Are Just As Interesting

Tau isn't, strictly speaking, very similar to Lucy on the surface, but it has a lot of things fans of Scarlett Johansson's movie will appreciate. Tau is a psychological horror thriller that focuses on Julia (Maika Monroe), a woman abducted by a villainous inventor to work out the bugs in an advanced artificial intelligence. There is also action to be had, but Tau is more interested in posing deep questions about AI that are just as fun to chew on as the questions Lucy had about the human brain. Even if Tau isn't your cup of tea, however, there are plenty of films like Lucy on Netflix.