Best Sci-Fi Movies on Amazon Prime

Sci-fi films can take us anywhere, and that's part of the reason why movie addicts can never get enough of them. New films are coming out in theaters all the time, but what if you don't feel like schlepping down to the cinema and dropping $15 on a movie that might suck? This is where Amazon Prime comes in.

There is an insane selection of sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime, and unlike those films, these movies have been properly graded and vetted by the ultimate authority: time. No need to worry about wasting your money on a bomb, or missing a crucial scene because you had to take a piss. So, grab a beer — something else you can't do in a movie theater — and stream some of these sci-fi movies from the comfort of your own living room.

A group of young New Yorkers are throwing their good friend a farewell party when a monster the size of the Statue of Liberty descends upon the city. One of the more exciting sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime, Cloverfield employs the use of shaky video footage shot by the characters involved — giving the viewer the feeling that they're watching a horrifying event that actually took place. A great concept that continually keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat.

The Matrix is an iconic sci-fi thriller about a man who comes to realize that his everyday life is just a computer driven simulation (a matrix) run by an entity that feeds on humans. This classic is almost guaranteed to be shown and discussed in any Philosophy 101 class, and it's one of the most impactful sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime. Are we all just brains in vats? Check out The Matrix before it's too late.

You wouldn't think one of the best sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime would star funnyman Jim Carrey, but trust me, it does. Truman doesn't know that his quiet everyday life has been a television show since the day he was born — all the vision of a Hollywood heavyweight played by Ed Harris. All the people and relationships in Truman's life are all fake. Everyone is an actor, and the film has a lot to say on virtual reality and reality television — all more relevant by the day.

Set in a crime-infested ghetto somewhere in the not-too-distant future, Robocop is about a slain cop who is robotized and brought back to life to fight crime. However, Robocop begins to be haunted by memories of the past, and stumbles upon a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. This is a classic of the sci-fi genre, and one of the most enduring movies of the past several decades.

The Lobster is a dystopian love story set in the near future, where single people are all rounded up, arrested, and sent to live in a hotel. They have 45 days to find a suitable mate, and if they can't do it, then they're transformed into an animal and are forced to live out there days in the woods. The story centers around Colin Farrell who escapes the hotel and meets a bunch of loners in the woods — one of whom he falls in love with. This is one of the more unique sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime, and a cult movie in the making.

From the brilliant mind of Christopher Nolan comes Interstellar. A sci-fi film about mankind's search for another galaxy that humans might possibly one day inhabit. Some people have accused this film of being convoluted and not realistic, constantly picking apart plot holes... it's a movie. Take a leap of faith, and it's one of the most interesting rides of any of the sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime.

The One I Love is one of the few sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime that operates as a romantic comedy. It stars a married couple — played by Mark Duplass and Elizabeth Moss — whose relationship is put to the test in strange and dark ways. They enroll in therapy, which takes place at a large and secluded estate over the course of a long weekend where things get weird. It's an ambitiously quirky look at love and marriage.

Escape from New York is a sci-fi thriller starring Kurt Russell, directed by legendary director John Carpenter. A Special Forces war hero (Russell) is disillusioned with the United Police States and turns against the government, only to be caught robbing a federal bank when a fellow robber runs and hangs him out to dry. Russell must escape a walled in police city in this classic — one of the most entertaining sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime.

Equilibrium is a look into a dystopian future starring Oscar winning actor Christian Bale, where the only crime is being human. Human emotion is chemically suppressed — art, romance, religion — in an attempt to avoid future conflicts and war. The penalty for showing any type of emotion is, of course, death. Fans of literature such as Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 will enjoy Equilibrium — one of the more classically structured sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime.

Pi is about a mathematician who believes everything in the world can be understood through math. In his research, he believes he has stumbled across an algorithm that may do just that. This sets Max down a dangerous path, including visions and massive migraines. And, of course, financial and religious organizations want access to his equation for their own means. Pi is the directorial debut of highly inventive and respected filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. So if you stream it, expect one of the strangest sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime to make you think.