Top 5 Mind-Blowing Sci-fi Shows That You Can Stream on Netflix
Time to catch up on some long overdue sci-fi, so here’s our handy guide to what’s on Netflix this month
Time to catch up on some long overdue sci-fi, so here’s our handy guide to what’s on Netflix this month
So that you don’t have to spend hours searching through thousands of movies, some good, some bad and everything in-between, we’ve compiled a list of the best science-fiction movies and television shows currently on Netflix
1. The Adam Project
Synopsis: 13-year-old Adam Reed, still grieving the sudden death of his father a year earlier, walks into his garage one night to find a wounded pilot hiding there. This mysterious pilot turns out to be the older version of himself from the future, where time travel is in its infancy. He has risked everything to come back in time on a secret mission. Together they must embark on an adventure into the past to find their father, set things right, and save the world. Adding to the challenge of the mission, the two Adams discover they really don’t like each other very much, and if they’re going to save the world, they’re first going to have to figure out how to get along.
Why you should watch: Ryan Reynolds leads an all-star cast in this family action drama that incorporates much of Reynold’s dry wit. While not paying too much attention to the so-called “rules” of time travel, it brings drama and the complexities of human relationships into a spirited science fiction movie aimed at older kids and young adults. Joining Reynolds is an impressive line-up, including Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, Zoe Saldana and Catherine Keener. Plus, it’s directed by Shawn Levy, who also gave us “Free Guy” and “Real Steel.”
2. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Adventure
Synopsis: The story of the first moon landing in the summer of 1969 from two interwoven perspectives. It both captures the astronaut and mission control view of the triumphant moment, and the lesser-seen bottom-up perspective of what it was like from an excited kid’s perspective, living near NASA but mostly watching it on TV like hundreds of millions of others. It’s ultimately both an exacting re-creation of this special moment in history and a kid’s fantasy about being plucked from his average life in suburbia to secretly train for a covert mission to the moon.
Why you should watch: This is, in essence, a rotoscoped home movie about the space race from the perspective of writer and director Richard Linklater, who lest we forget, gave us the epic animated interpretation of Philip K. Dick’s “A Scanner Darkly.” It focuses less on actually going to the moon and more on what it was like to actually grow up during that chapter of history. This might not appeal to everyone and Jack Black’s “Wonder Years”-style narration might be appealing to many, it’s not for everyone. Zachary Levi (“Shazam!”) joins the voice talent along with Glen Powell (“Top Gun: Maverick”) and Josh Wiggins (“Greyhound”).
3. Battle Los Angeles
Synopsis: Suddenly, out of nowhere, major cities around the world are reporting falling meteorites and Los Angeles is no exception. Except these meteorites are falling into the Pacific Ocean off of the coast of Santa Monica and giant alien war machines are slowly advancing up the beach. A local US Marine unit is ordered into action, together with the rest of military and a desperate battle for the survival of Earth ensues. However, this movie focuses on the localized battle for Los Angeles and in doing so, follows a small group of soldiers who inadvertently stumble on a way to defeat the extraterrestrial invaders.
Why you should watch: Imagine if “Independence Day” focused on the ground war, that’s more or less what this movie is and as such, it is extremely entertaining. The plot isn’t particularly complicated, but what makes it enjoyable is the relationships that develops between the characters. A strong cast including Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Peña and Bridget Moynahan help carry the movie.
4. Captain Nova
Synopsis: In 2050, Earth has become a dry and desolate place. Fighter pilot Nova is forced to travel back in time to prevent a devastating environmental disaster. However, an unforeseen side-effect of time travel makes Nova young again and she crash lands in the year 2025 as a twelve-year old. Nobody seems to take her and her mission seriously, except for Nas — a neglected teen who tries to keep this mysterious girl and her little flying robot ADD out of the hands of the secret service. Will Nova and Nas succeed in saving the future world?
Why you should watch: This Dutch children’s movie is not without its charm. Both Kika van de Vijver and Anniek Pheifer play Nova, as different ages and Marouane Meftah plays Nas. The story is interesting, and the production values are high. Thanks to a combination of quality cinematography and a relevant underlying message, this feature from writer and director Maurice Trouwborst will more than likely appeal to many adults as well.
5. The Colony
Synopsis: Cataclysmic climate-related disasters have left most of the world submerged, causing the Earth to be abandoned and forcing a mass exodus to a distant planet. However, the colonists who escaped have found themselves unable to procreate. Generations later, a crewed mission returns to Earth to assess whether it’s possible to procreate there
Why you should watch: This could very well be the surprise hit of 2021. Nora Arnezeder, who plays the sole survivor of the expedition, is a force to be reckoned with. Don’t let a less-than-epic rating on IMDb(opens in new tab) fool you, this is an exceptional indie sci-fi movie that’s full of nice ideas. The plot is, in essence “Waterworld” meets “Children of Men,” but thankfully it’s better than both of those. Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”) and Sebastian Roché (“The Man in The High Castle”) round off a solid cast, but the children really steal the show. We hope to see great things in the future from both Arnezeder and Swiss writer/director Tim Fehlbaum.
