Prime Video has a solid collection of sci-fi movies. I’d say don’t take my word for it, but you’re here reading the words I typed, so humor me.
Science fiction isn’t a monolith, and regarding movies within the genre, there are many styles and tones available, allowing for nearly everyone’s preferences to be accounted for. Whether you’re looking for a future dystopia, an alien invasion story or a light-hearted comedy, you can find what you’re looking for in the roundup I’ve compiled below.
One common issue when streaming movies is finding the right title that suits your needs. Scrolling through Prime Video’s content library can be frustrating — and even time-consuming. Heck, sometimes I find myself scrolling for hours without choosing something to watch. So, I did the work for you.
Scroll on to find my guide to the best sci-fi movies on Prime Video. I’ll regularly update this list so be sure to check back each month.
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Being John Malkovich is a weird movie and I’m not saying that in a bad way. Spike Jonze made his feature film directorial debut with this one, based on a script by the renowned Charlie Kaufman. What if you found a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich? That’s the question this movie attempts to answer. The result is gloriously bonkers. John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener and John Malkovich star.
The Terminator introduced the world to director James Cameron and bodybuilder-turned-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The gist: a future cyborg travels back in time to hunt a woman and prevent her from having a child. There’s more to it than that, but if you haven’t seen it (and how is that possible?), I’ll just end the description there. All you need to know is that The Terminator is an iconic movie from the era whose influence can still be felt today.
Children of Men is a bleak movie but it features some thought-provoking concepts and a strong performance from its star, Clive Owen. It’s helmed by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón and takes place in a dystopian future (specifically, 2027), where a plague of infertility puts humanity on the path to extinction. After nearly two decades with no child born, a pregnant woman is discovered and must be kept safe — which is, by no means, an easy task.
There was a lot of secrecy around 10 Cloverfield Lane when it first hit theaters, and rightfully so. Technically, it’s a sequel to Cloverfield — the 2008 found footage giant monster movie — but it doesn’t act like it. At least not until the final act. Instead, 10 Cloverfield Lane plays out like a tight, claustrophobic thriller with solid performances by its cast, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. The giant alien invaders are just the icing on the cake.
Sure, Transformers is filled with tropes that tend to come with any of Michael Bay’s films but I can’t ignore the childhood joy this movie sparks. The cast does a decent enough job bringing emotional stakes to the story but let’s be honest: This is a Transformers movie, which means you’re watching it because you want to see giant robots fight. And on that front, this movie delivers tenfold.
What if there were a pill that could turn any person into a hyperintelligent super genius? Limitless aims to answer that question. The movie stars Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra, a down-on-his-luck writer who takes the untested drug and uses it to massively level up his life. Of course, what goes up must come down, and Eddie soon finds out that sometimes, it’s best to leave mysterious meds alone.
Chris Pratt stars in this action movie that follows a group of soldiers who travel back in time to warn of a future where humanity is losing the war against an army of alien invaders. Mankind’s only hope lies in a group of would-be heroes who are tapped to travel to the future in order to save the present.
Molli and Max in the Future
Molli and Max in the Future is a delightfully fresh sci-fi mashup. It stars Zozia Mamet as Molli and Aristotle Athari as Max, two characters who, over the course of many years, dimensions and planets, continue running into each other. I suppose you can say it’s like if When Harry Met Sally and Bladerunner had a baby. And that’s meant as a compliment.
A Quiet Place: Day One takes audiences back to the very beginning of the alien invasion. While it may not be a necessary entry in the franchise — like, say, 10 Cloverfield Lane — the movie digs its heels into the human experience amid an otherworldly cataclysmic disaster. Come for the disaster, stay for the cute cat.
In John Carpenter’s postapocalyptic cult classic, it’s 1997 in New York and the city has been ravaged by war. Manhattan has been turned into a giant walled-in prison. After the president is taken hostage, former Special Forces officer (and current prisoner) Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is recruited to save the day in return for his own freedom.
This mind-bending cult classic stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a misunderstood high schooler who, after seemingly surviving a horrific accident, begins traveling through time. In the process, he discovers the joy of being alive and in love. Themes of depression, repression and alternative universes fill this delightfully bizarre film. Also, let’s not forget that giant demon bunny named Frank.
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