5 wonderful Netflix sci-fi films to observe this weekend (September 18-20)

Netflix is not all the time the primary streaming service you consider scrolling via once you’re within the temper for a world-hopping, alien-hunting, and even Earth-based sci-fi movie. But whereas a Tyler Perry dramedy and Puss in Boots at present dominate the highest three, we’re right here to launch you out of your mind and into one thing good.

The 5 science fiction films beneath provide simply that—from a dystopian class battle in Earth’s orbit and one of many cheesiest, culty-est alien-bug battle films ever (with a younger Denise Richards!) to a diabolical AI doll and, my prime decide right here, a extra emotional, character-driven Godzilla film that, if you have not seen it, needs to be on the top of your watchlist.

5

Elysium

A determined man fights for his life and has to get off-planet to do it

If you liked South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp’s dusty, dystopian alien thriller District 9, then his 2013 motion sci-fi epic Elysium will equally impress you. Here, Blomkamp takes one other social commentary shot at ideas of inequality and greed, as we comply with Max Da Costa (Matt Damon), a struggling laborer on a 2154 Earth that is overpopulated and polluted, whereas these with wealth and standing float in orbit on Elysium, a utopian house station.

Damon does his finest motion work when he is a person on a mission, so when Max’s life is on the road after a deadly dose of radiation rips via his physique, the one method to remedy himself is to get to Elysium, the place its wondrous therapeutic pods can repair him immediately. However, to infiltrate the station, Max should get previous the defenses of its ruthless protector, Jessica Delacourt (Jodie Foster), who is set to maintain the lower-class “riff-raff” out.

4

War Machine

If anybody can take down a fierce alien killer robotic, it’s Alan Ritchson

With some excellently explosive and intense motion vibes paying homage to Predator and War of the Worlds, this 2026 Netflix alien sci-fi thriller starring Reacher’s muscle-bound star Alan Ritchson is a journey from begin to end. War Machine follows an Army Ranger trainee identified solely because the numerical 81 (Ritchson), who units out on a coaching train into the woods together with his fellow recruits to check their mettle.

But what they discover is a devastating struggle robotic, an extraterrestrial killing machine that wakes up and is hell-bent on looking them down. It’s an R-rated, man vs. machine struggle for survival filled with exploding limbs, harrowing near-escapes over waterfalls, and a few cool cinematography. Not a foul subsequent step for Jack Reacher (whose spinoff, Neagley, just arrived on Prime Video).

3

Starship Troopers

The cult-classic interstellar bug hunt

A phrase of recommendation earlier than urgent play on Paul Verhoeven’s gleefully over-the-top, teenybopper, alien sci-fi cult hit—don’t suppose too laborious about it. Based on Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 young-adult novel of the identical identify, Starship Troopers follows a gaggle of younger and horny new recruits of Earth’s Mobile Infantry as they go to struggle towards the Bugs, a lethal race of gigantic alien bugs which are colonizing the galaxy.

The story facilities round Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien, Sleepy Hollow), his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards, Wild Things), and Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother), who’re all swept into the struggle, beginning with a disastrous invasion of the Bugs’ homeworld. That’s it, that’s all you might want to know. The Bugs are huge, they’re full of goo, they usually have to be stopped.

2

Megan

Chucky’s received nothing on this killer AI doll

In a globe the place we’re all on edge concerning the AIs placing an finish to people, might I return your consideration to this horror-sci-fi hit from 2022 about M3gan (Model 3 Generative Android), a companion doll that takes its core goal method, method too far.

M3gan follows good roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), who abruptly turns into the authorized guardian of her younger niece Cady (Violet McGraw, The Haunting of Hill House), whose dad and mom have each been killed. To assist Cady cope, Gemma offers her M3gan, who begins off as nurturing and useful, however quickly takes its protocol of defending Cady to extremes, because it turns into self-aware and begins eliminating any risk to Cady’s well-being. The creepy movie is stuffed with bizarre, iconic scenes (the arm-swinging dance scene that turned a worldwide meme, for one), and has to date spawned a sequel, M3gan 2.0, plus a derivative, Soulm8te.

1

Godzilla Minus One

A contemporary, extra emotional tackle the kaiju basic

I don’t suppose anybody had “Godzilla film wins Oscar” on their bingo card for the 2024 Academy Awards, however right here we’re. And nonetheless, Godzilla Minus One stays the one movie within the basic kaiju franchise’s historical past to take action. OK, the award was for Best Visual Effects, that are completely unimaginable, however Minus One stands above the others for its emotional angle, and never simply its large, lizard-like star.

Set in postwar Japan, the movie follows kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), who returns dwelling guilt-ridden after a cowardly encounter with Godzilla throughout the struggle. Kōichi settles down with Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe) as they elevate an orphaned child collectively, however when the nightmarish kaiju returns, Kōichi will get his likelihood for redemption, becoming a member of a civilian workforce that units out to cease the monster earlier than it decimates the nation.

Time to blast off with some Netflix sci-fi

Whether you’re into killer robots, large bugs, creepy AI dolls, or kaiju-sized destruction, there’s loads right here to maintain your sci-fi urge for food blissful. Check out last week’s roundup of sci-fi movies too, or jump over to our different streaming suggestions on How-To Geek.