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The Best Sci-Fi Movies You Can Stream Right Now

Fans of the supernatural and fantastical can find some truly memorable titles in the canals of the ether with this here list of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now.

By Salvador LorenzPublished 6 years ago 8 min read
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Looking for some special effects reminiscent of Star Trek, dramas set amongst the backdrop of futuristic engineering, and the churning mechanisms of humanoid robotics? Look no further than the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now! It's not easy for us nerds to come across legendary titles like A Trip to the Moon or Cormac McCarthy's The Road, but now you can watch similar movies anytime and anywhere.

Whether you're into the post apocalyptic, extra terrestrial, superhero, fantastical, or space opera, these following movies will not disappoint. You'll find movies fun for the whole family, children's classics, or those dark and otherwise thrilling features that still leave you questioning your own existence. Join me in celebrating some of our most tantalizing and awe inspiring works in the far reaches of space by journeying through the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now.

Plunging into utter darkness among the clutches of the seedy Empire, the galaxy looks to one rather rebellious crew of nobodies that which hold the potential key of turning the tide. For an adaption of the series, one that culminates with an epic lightsaber foray, no other film on this list of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now so much as come close to the prowess attached to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

While she may not be totally in favor of the Rebel alliance, Jyn Erso attempts to right the wrongs exponentially dramatized by her father in the creation of the Death Star. To do so, she must steal the machine’s plans while meeting new and exciting people along the way, all of whom are willing to die not just for her, but for the galaxy at large. May the force be with you, always.

It's one of the most entertaining and heartwarming animated movies ever written. Everyone’s either seen it or heard of it, a classic title that certainly changed the way we viewed animation for years to come: The Iron Giant.

Voiced by Vin Diesel, a giant alien robot finds himself crashed among the small town of Rockwell, where an unsuspecting nine year old must keep him safe from the government. It's an unlikely story of hope, forgiveness, and looking past the misunderstood notions of a legendary creature from another world. Join Hogarth and Dean as they attempt to save the iron giant from complete destruction in this addition of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now.

Pretty much identical to Westworld, this movie starring Bruce Willis and Thomas Jane tells the story of a robot gaining sentience set in a futuristic theme park. It’s got the dark and overworked detective, one that is actually addicted to this android infested version of Six Flags, plus a highly uncaring and sadistic billionaire owner, who wants nothing more than the best for his clientele.

While Vice may not live up to the awe so inspired by Westworld, or even Jurassic Park for that matter, it still is an interesting take on the realities inherent in the aftermath of a robot gaining sentience. This is why it’s one of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now! Find it on both HBO Go and Netflix.

With one of the craziest and most unpredictable endings ever put on screen, Ex Machina proves to be among the best sci-fi movies to stream right now. It tells the story of an up and coming techie who wins a special raffle to join his idol, a wiz kid robot engineer and specialist, at his private home.

While this may seem and appear like a once in a lifetime opportunity, it certainly turns out to be this exact concept: once in a lifetime. Meeting the engineer's top of the line and newest concept to his various android creations, the young techie soon falls into a world of thrilling confusion and untimely mistrust as his world is turned upside down and inside out by the very machinations he so aspires to become one with. It's truly spellbinding and cannot be missed if you're into robot sci-fi movies.

It's got one of the best soundtracks ever assembled for a superhero movie, plus contains a myriad of laughs for the whole entire family! Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 packs a superior punch unlike any other, and is an excellent sequel for this amazing group of the galaxy's most fearsome protectors.

In our first look at the secret identity of Peter Quill's father, in addition to brining us the darkest movie Marvel has ever made, Guardians Vol. 2 seeks to distinguish itself among the genre as a superior form of science fiction that can be experienced by any and all audiences. Watch the team fight one of their most powerful foes right this second! It's among the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now, so head on over to Netflix before the internet spoils it for you.

A Steven Spielberg classic that can never go unnoticed, E.T is one of those alien movies that’s as suspenseful as it is heartwarming. It showcases the human conditions of love and friendship set amidst the backdrop of an alien’s sudden and unexpected arrival in a young child’s backyard shed. In order to hide the creature from his parents and eventually return him back to the stars, protagonist Elliot stops at nothing to keep his extra terrestrial friend a secret until such a time can be uncovered.

There’s some interesting themes that make this title a must see on this list of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now, despite the fact that most of the population probably has already seen it countless of times. If you’re into aliens and family dramas, E.T. is sure to tickle your fancy, and if not, it will definitely be your beacon home.

This silent film, now 90 years of age, holds true to the very premise of science fiction and gives us a small glimpse at how our seemingly imaginative past selves once viewed the future. Look here at some rare behind the scenes photos that show the science behind science fiction.

Metropolis is one of the best movies you can stream right now, because it paints a rather decrepit image of the near future world, in which lives a society built around cybernetics and advanced technological capabilities. Rather poignant in its overall view of this land of tomorrow, Fritz Lang's Metropolis doesn't disappoint in showing us the realities of technology and the vast considerations engineered by unconditional love.

While its remake may be among the best 80s sci-fi cult classics, the original is by far one of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now. This horror classic involves one wife's rehashing of her husbands sudden and untimely death at the hands of his most recent scientific experiment: matter transportation.

While his wife, Hélène, may accept conviction, it soon becomes clear that Andre's death may not have been completely due to the hydraulic press. What's more, for some odd reason, Hélène seems extremely focused on flies. Find out what her obsessions mean in this instant classic, one that was even made into two sequels: Return of the Fly and Curse of the Fly.

With a budget as low and as impossible as $7,000, in addition to a star that not only directed but also scored and edited the damn thing, it's no wonder Primer makes this list of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now. Be warned, though, it's a movie that truly needs multiple watches before it's holistically grasped.

Primer is a story of time travel as never before seen, told in unimaginable scope and in complete exposition. You have to truly listen to what the characters are saying, grasping the plot in an assumed sense by overheard conversations. It's truly remarkable and deserving of its acclamations, so don't miss out or time itself may run out for you...

Roger Ebert gave it five stars in his own review, likening it to the first time he saw Raiders of the Lost Ark! That's saying something, even when you're talking about the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now, which Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow easily accepts among other awards.

It tells the alternate story of World War II. A reporter and pilot join forces in stopping a lethal invasion of New York City by a group of flying robots in the year 1939. It's an over the top adventure that gives us an extremely satisfying concept and alternative take of the most infamous war in world history. Jude Law stars as the Sky Captain in this exceptional sci-fi film.

So what if the 2008 remake didn't pan out to what it should have, The Day the Earth Stood Still remains a science fiction classic and a story that will always keep us on the edge of our seats. It's among the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now, and surely cannot be ignored.

The sci-fi film begs the question: what if an aliens invaded earth, giving the American government one simple and unnerving message of warning not to continue nuclear proliferation? In Cold War era United States, this very exaggerated estimation seems to bring about a moral quandary, one that can mean the difference between death and everlasting peace. More frightening than the alien Klaatu, though, is his accompanying robot Gort, which has some extremely powerful talents.

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About the Creator

Salvador Lorenz

Thinking in nodes of progress, futurism, science, culture, and existence. I experience life in a number of ways, pertaining to mathematical concepts mixed with rich flavors of art.

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