22 Best Chinese Sci-Fi Movies & TV Series You Can Watch After Three-Body: 2026 Streaming Guide

So, you’ve just crossed the finish line of that mind-bending Three-Body finale, and now you’re staring at a blank screen wondering how to fill the cosmic void.Luckily, the world of Eastern sci-fi is booming with epic space travel and jaw-dropping visual effects. But where do you start? Are these projects available on mainstream apps like Netflix or Prime? Do you need to prepare for subtitles, or are English dubs available? To save you from endless scrolling, we have put together the ultimate 2026 directory of top-tier Chinese cinema and high-concept television you can watch online right now to satisfy your craving for brilliant speculative fiction.

📊Best Chinese Sci-Fi Movies & TV Series: at a Glance

To give you a quick bird's-eye view, we have categorized the top-rated Chinese sci-fi content into two quick-reference dashboards.

🎬Top-Rated Sci-Fi Movies Ranked by IMDb Score

Note: Journey to the West has no official IMDb rating as of 2026; it remains an award-winning festival favorite. Upcoming titles are listed without ratings.

💻Must-Watch Sci-Fi TV Series (Ranked by IMDb Score)

✨Top 8 Must-Watch Chinese Sci-Fi Movies & TV Series: Deep Dive

If you are ready to jump into a weekend marathon, these 8 standalone masterpieces represent the absolute pinnacle of contemporary Chinese science fiction, ordered meticulously by their global IMDb scores.

1️⃣ The Wandering Earth / The Wandering Earth 2 (流浪地球 / 流浪地球2) - China’s Blockbuster Space Epic

Director: Frant Gwo

Cast: Wu Jing, Andy Lau, Li Xuejian, Qu Chuxiao

Genre: Hard Sci-Fi / Disaster / Action

Runtime: 125 min / 173 min

Where to Watch: iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku

📕Why Watch: Often called “China’s answer to Interstellar,” this franchise redefines what Chinese cinema can achieve in sci-fi. The sequence of the “space elevator” in Part 2 is pure visual poetry—like a celestial fire drill that’ll leave your jaw on the floor.

📚Plot Summary: The sun is dying. Rather than abandoning Earth, humanity decides to take the entire planet on a 2,500-year journey across the galaxy using massive planetary engines. In The Wandering Earth 2, we go back to the origins of the project, witnessing the construction of the lunar-based space elevator, the emergence of the “Digital Life Project,” and the global collaboration needed to survive.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• Visually spectacular.

• Rich in scientific concepts and political themes.

• Both films are quite long (especially Part 2), so clear your schedule.

• Some viewers find the character development slightly secondary to spectacle, but the sheer ambition more than compensates.

2️⃣Three-Body (三体 / 2023 Chinese TV Series) - The Definitive On-Screen Adaptation

Director: Yang Lei (杨磊)

Cast: Zhang Luyi, Yu Hewei, Chen Jin, Wang Ziwen, Lin Yongjian

Genre: Hard Sci-Fi / Mystery / Thriller

Runtime: 30 episodes × 45 min

Where to Watch: Tencent Video (with English subtitles), YouTube (Tencent Video Official)

📕Why Watch: After the Netflix adaptation, you owe it to yourself to watch this Chinese version that holds an IMDb score of 7.6. It’s slower, more atmospheric, and deeply faithful to the book—letting the dread and mystery unfold at their own pace.

📚Plot Summary: Strange things are happening worldwide—physicists are dying under mysterious circumstances. The only clue is a secret scientific community. Investigator Wang Miao, a nanomaterials scientist, joins the group and begins playing a strange VR game called “Three-Body,” only to discover a cosmic conspiracy that threatens the very laws of physics.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• Best for fans of hard science fiction.

• Slower pacing than the Netflix version.

• Rewards attentive viewers.

• If you’re a book fan, this is the adaptation you’ve been waiting for.

3️⃣Reset (开端) - The Perfect Entry Point for Newcomers

Director: Sun Molong, Liu Hongyuan, Ji Jing

Cast: Bai Jingting, Zhao Jinmai, Liu Yijun

Genre: Time Loop / Thriller / Mystery

Runtime: 15 episodes × 45 min

Where to Watch: Tencent Video

📕Why Watch: Swapping CGI space battles for raw human drama, this is one of the tightest, most gripping sci-fi scripts ever produced for television. It keeps you guessing until the absolute last second.

📚Plot Summary: A college student and a video game designer find themselves trapped in an endless time loop aboard a moving public bus destined to explode. Every time they die, they wake up back in their seats right before the crash. To break the loop, they must identify the bomber hidden among the passengers and stop the detonation.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• Fast-paced and binge-worthy.

• Minimal sci-fi jargon.

• This is the perfect gateway into Chinese sci-fi.

• No prior genre knowledge needed, no heavy science jargon—just great storytelling.

4️⃣Moonman (独行月球) - Shen Teng’s Hilarious Lunar Odyssey

Director: Zhang Chiyu

Cast: Shen Teng, Ma Li

Genre: Sci-Fi Comedy

Runtime: 122 min

Where to Watch: iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku

📕Why Watch: After the heaviness of Three-Body’s cosmic dread, you’ll need a laugh. Moonman delivers exactly that—Shen Teng being Shen Teng, but on the moon, alone, talking to a kangaroo. It was a massive box-office hit in China and proves that Chinese sci-fi can do comedy just as well as spectacle.

📚Plot Summary: After an asteroid strikes Earth, a maintenance worker accidentally left behind on a lunar base believes he is the absolute last human being left alive in the cosmos. Unbeknownst to him, a remnant of humanity survived underground on Earth, and they are broadcasting his erratic, hilarious daily survival antics live to inspire survivors.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• Great choice for casual viewers.

• The comedy features a lot of culture-specific wordplay and slapstick.

• Don't take the early logic too seriously; let the emotional third act catch you by surprise.

• Don’t go in expecting hard science. This is a comedy first, sci-fi second. But if you’re in the mood for pure entertainment, it’s a winner.

5️⃣Journey to the West (宇宙探索编辑部) - The Weird, Wonderful Indie Darling

Director: Kong Dashan

Cast: Yang Haoyu, Ai Liya

Genre: Sci-Fi Mockumentary / Comedy

Runtime: 118 min

Where to Watch: Tencent Video, Bilibili

📕Why Watch: This is Chinese sci-fi on a shoestring budget—and it’s brilliant. Journey to the West has no CGI spaceships, no planetary explosions, no epic battles. Instead, it follows a middle-aged editor of a dying sci-fi magazine on a quixotic quest to find aliens. It’s bizarre, heartfelt, and unlike anything else on this list.

📚Plot Summary: Tang Zhijun, the editor-in-chief of a struggling sci-fi magazine that peaked in the 1980s, remains obsessively committed to finding extraterrestrial life. After his magazine faces closure, he embarks on a wild cross-country journey with an eccentric crew, chasing a rumored alien signal.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• This is not a crowd-pleasing blockbuster. It’s slow, quirky, and deeply philosophical.

• Watch it when you want something that makes you think rather than just marvel.

6️⃣3 Body Problem (三体/Netflix, 2024) - The Western Take on Liu Cixin’s Universe

Creators: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), Alexander Woo

Cast: Jovan Adepo, Jess Hong, Benedict Wong, Liam Cunningham

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Runtime: 8 episodes × 60 min

Where to Watch: Netflix

📕Why Watch: Love it or hate it, the $160 million Netflix adaptation is a fascinating companion piece to the Chinese version. It condenses, accelerates, and Westernizes the story—but it also brings the trilogy’s biggest ideas to a global audience with stunning production value.

📚Plot Summary: A mysterious countdown appears in a scientist’s vision. Physicists are dying worldwide. As a small group of scientists dig deeper, they uncover a conspiracy that spans decades and reaches across the cosmos—connecting a 1960s Chinese military base to an alien civilization preparing to invade Earth.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• This is not the book. It’s not even the Chinese adaptation. Treat it as a “greatest hits” remix.

• If you’re a purist, watch the Chinese version first. If you want high-budget spectacle and faster pacing, start here. 

• Season 2 is expected in late 2026. 

7️⃣The Heart of Genius (天才基本法) — Parallel Universes Driven by the Power of Math

Director: Shen Yan

Cast: Zhang Zifeng, Lei Jiayin, Zhang Xincheng

Genre: Sci-Fi / Slice-of-Life / Drama

Runtime: 34 Episodes (approx. 45 mins each)

Where to Watch: iQIYI

📕Why Watch: This is a refreshingly unique take on the multi-verse concept. Instead of radioactive bugs or magic portals, characters cross between realities through the pure beauty and calculation of mathematical formulas.

📚Plot Summary: Lin Chaoxi is a young woman who always felt overshadowed by her father’s and ex-boyfriend's mathematical genius. After a mysterious event, she travels into a parallel universe where she is an orphan child. To travel back home, she must use her mathematical knowledge to win an elite competition, repairing her relationship with her family along the way.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• While the sci-fi hook is solid, this series leans heavily into family drama and youth nostalgia.

• It’s perfect if you enjoy emotional, character-driven storylines.

8️⃣The Bionic Life (仿生人间) — A Moody Cyberpunk Look at Robot Ethics

Director: Leste Chen, Hsu Chao-jen

Cast: Song Weilong, Vicky Chen

Genre: Cyberpunk / Sci-Fi Mystery / Drama

Runtime: 12 Episodes (approx. 35 mins each)

Where to Watch: iQIYI

📕Why Watch: Boasting a tight 12-episode format, this series feels like an extended, deeply philosophical episode of Black Mirror set against a moody, near-future Asian metropolis.

📚Plot Summary: In the year 2035, humanoid robots indistinguishable from real humans have flooded society. When a series of bizarre murders involving these "bionics" breaks out, a specialized government task force is assigned to hunt down the malfunctioning androids, uncovering a deep conspiracy about human emotional manipulation.

📍Pro-Tip & Watch Out: 

• The show explores dark, mature themes regarding grief, replacement, and love.

• It has a slower, neo-noir investigative pace rather than fast-paced action.

🌎Where to Watch Chinese Sci-Fi Movies & Series: Streaming Guide

Whether you're looking for blockbuster films like The Wandering Earth, acclaimed dramas such as Three-Body, or animated sci-fi hits like Link Click and Ling Cage, there are several ways to watch Chinese sci-fi content worldwide. Below is a categorized guide covering subscription streaming services, free ad-supported platforms, and digital rental/purchase options.

Method 1: Free Streaming Platforms (Ad-Supported)

⭐Best for casual viewers looking to sample highly rated C-sci-fi TV shows at zero cost.

These platforms let you watch Chinese sci-fi content without a paid subscription, though you may see advertisements or have limited access to certain titles.

Method 2: Premium Subscription Services (Paid SVOD)

⭐Best for hardcore enthusiasts who want ad-free binging, Day-and-Date new releases, and Hollywood-level 4K resolution.

These services require a recurring payment (monthly or annually) to access their full content libraries, often ad-free and with higher video quality.

Method 3: Video-on-Demand Rentals & Digital Purchase (VoD)

⭐Best for cinema purists who want to watch premium, theatrical sci-fi blockbusters on a standalone basis without long-term subscription commitments.

These options allow you to pay once for a specific title—either renting it for a limited time (usually 48 hours) or buying it permanently. No recurring subscription required.

💡 Quick Summary by Viewing Model

📌Final Pro Tips for New Viewers

• Subtitles are your friend. Even if you don’t speak Chinese, most platforms offer excellent English subtitles. The original audio + English subs is the best experience.

• Start with Reset if you’re unsure. It’s short (15 episodes), highly rated (8.1), and requires zero science background. If you like it, then dive into The Wandering Earth. If you don’t, maybe Chinese sci-fi isn’t for you — but that’s very unlikely.

• Use the “first 15 minutes” rule. For any movie, watch the first 15–20 minutes. If you’re not engaged, skip it. Your time is valuable.

• Keep an eye on 2026–2027 releases. Three-Body: Dark Forest, Ball Lightning, and The Wandering Earth 3 will be massive. Mark your calendar.

✂️FAQs: Common Barriers When Streaming Chinese Sci-Fi Movies & TV Series