Prime Video has an impressive roster of sci-fi titles to add to your watch list. Every type of genre tale is here, from time travel adventures to alien antics to dystopian dramas. Whatever sci-fi itch you’ve got, Prime Video will scratch it.
Finding a worthwhile movie in this content crowd can be challenging. I get it. Instead of scrolling through countless titles to find a worthwhile movie, let this article guide you.
The science fiction movies in the below list merely crack the surface of what you can find on the streamer, but they’re a great place to start. From a time-traveling killer cyborg to an isolated alien horror classic and two entries in Gene Roddenberry’s iconic Star Trek franchise, the choices are pretty epic. Basically, you’ve beamed down to the proper planet. Keep reading to find out for yourself.
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Paramount Pictures/Screenshot by Aaron Pruner/CNET Star Trek III: The Search for Spock The third installment in the Star Trek movie franchise may not hit as hard as the previous installment, Wrath of Khan, but it still delivers. A surprising amount of spirituality fills the story here, which finds Captain Kirk commandeering the USS Enterprise (against the Federation’s wishes) to search for his longtime friend and cohort, the previously deceased and mysteriously resurrected Mr. Spock.
Paramount Pictures A Quiet Place: Day One 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, which is also on this list — the movie digs its heels into the human experience amid an otherworldly cataclysmic disaster. Come for the disaster, stay for the cute cat.
20th Century Studios Highlander Highlander star Christopher Lambert famously says, “There can be only one,” in the cult classic flick. There’s been more than one entry in this series, but this is the only one worth watching. The movie travels through time to explore an age-old battle between two immortal warriors. It’s got the camp you’d expect from an ’80s sci-fi movie, there’s humor throughout, and Sean Connery is in it. What’s not to like?
Screenshot by Aaron Pruner/CNET Total Recall Based on the Philip K. Dick novella, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, Total Recall follows an average construction worker who is bored with his life and turns to a company called Rekall for help. The aim is to have false memories planted in his brain to simulate a trip to Mars, but what he ends up discovering is that his whole life has been an implanted lie and now he’s wanted dead. It sounds heavy, but doggonit, this movie is a ton of fun.
Paramount Pictures Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country delves into intriguing political territory as Captain Kirk is framed for the murder of a high-ranking Klingon. Spock takes on a Sherlock Holmes role of sorts — he even recites a quote from the famed literary detective in the movie — as he strives to solve the crime and prove Kirk’s innocence. Bonus points go to the casting of Christopher Plummer as the villainous Chang.
City Films Escape From New York 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.
Rebellion Dredd 2012’s superb adaptation of the Judge Dredd comics is a delicious smorgasbord of ultraviolence. Karl Urban lifts the character from its Sylvester Stallone doldrums and, with the help of Alex Garland’s script and Pete Travis’ directing, Dredd has remained a worthy entry in the cluttered comic book adaptation game.
Screenshot by Aaron Pruner/CNET Donnie Darko This mind-bending cult classic stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a misunderstood high schooler who, after seemingly surviving a crazy 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.
Screenshot by Aaron Pruner/CNET Dark City Thematically reminiscent to the classic silent film Metropolis, Dark City follows a fugitive wanted for murder who doesn’t at all remember committing the crimes. Is he guilty? Or is it possible he’s gone completely nuts? The underworld he happens upon, which is comprised of a bunch of otherworldly beings known simply as The Strangers, keeps him and the audience guessing through much of the movie. The visual aesthetic and effects of the movie are well worth the price of admission. This one was way ahead of its time.