Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!
Polygon readers, welcome to the alarmingly futuristic-sounding year of 2023. There are a ton of great sci-fi movies in the months ahead, like the mysterious time-travel action thriller 65 starring Adam Driver, Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, not to mention the debut of Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN this week. If you’re looking for some brave new worlds to watch right now, though, from the comfort of your own home, relax — we’ve got you covered.
We’ve combed through Netflix’s library this month to bring our top picks for the best sci-fi movies currently available to stream on the service. Let’s dive in!
The Colony
Year: 2021
Run time: 1h 44m
Director: Tim Fehlbaum
Cast: Nora Arnezeder, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Iain Glen
If you’re looking for a moody and melancholic sci-fi thriller that rubs shoulders with the tone of Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men and the aesthetic of Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion, Tim Fehlbaum’s 2021 film is perfect for you. Alternatively titled Tides, The Colony follows an expedition team from a human colony on a far-off planet known as Kepler-209 who return to Earth to test whether the planet is yet viable for human habitation. The inhabitants of Kepler-209 have become infertile since leaving the planet, and so returning to Earth now stands as humanity’s best and last hope for survival.
As Roxana Hadadi wrote in her review for Polygon:
In its early scenes, The Colony works as a plaintive visual exploration of what survival might look like if we continue on our ruinous climate path: constant flooding and swirling waters, movable cities built on rickety ships, nomadic people wrapped in outfits that protect them from the elements and allow for ease of movement. Cinematographer Markus Förderer and production designer Julian R. Wagner create a haunting world, but The Colony is sometimes too literal. Fehlbaum’s presentation of loneliness is packed with thuddingly obvious imagery (Blake alone on the beach, Blake alone in a well flooding with tidewater), but its first 20 or so minutes are a disquieting visualization of loss.
Illang: The Wolf Brigade
Year: 2018
Run time: 2h 19m
Director: Kim Jee-woon
Cast: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung
A live-action adaptation of Hiroyuki Okiura and Mamoru Oshii’s 1999 anime thriller Jin-Roh, Kim Jee-woon’s 2018 film transforms the original’s alternate 1950s Japan setting to a reunified Korea circa 2024 while losing none of the former’s tonal melancholy and kinetic bite. The film follows Im Joong-kyung, a member of a heavily armed police force, whose nascent relationship with the sister of a suicide bomber shakes his resolve and forces him to question ethics of his actions. Don’t think of Illang: The Wolf Brigade as a replacement for Jin-Roh, but rather as a companion piece with its own take on the nuances and dehumanizing effects of domestic militarism for the sake of apparent peace. —TE
Minority Report
Year: 2002
Run time: 2h 25m
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow
Tom Cruise stars in Steven Spielberg’s 2002 adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s short story as John Anderton, a police captain in the year 2054 who serves as the commanding officer of an experimental new program that specializes in “Precrime” — predicting future instances of criminal activity and intervening before said crimes are committed. When John himself is implicated in a murder, he’ll have to outwit and outrun his colleagues in order to clear his name, all while tracking down the culprit or culprits responsible for framing him.
A sci-fi action thriller about the perils of institutional overreach and the power of human choice over predestination, the film’s production design has since gone on to inspire a generation of similar real-life innovations, including though not limited to personalized advertising and gesture-based motion-sensing user interface technology like Microsoft’s Kinect devices. —TE
The Mist
Year: 2007
Run time: 2h 6m
Director: Frank Darabont
Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden
Frank Darabont is one of the reigning masters of successful Stephen King adaptations, responsible for such acclaimed films as The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. 2007’s The Mist, Darabont’s third take on King’s work and his last film to date, follows the Drayton family — David, Steff, and their young son, Billy — who are forced to seek shelter in their local supermarket along with their neighbors in the wake of a mysterious storm that bathes their small town in a blanket of mist populated by bloodthirsty creatures.
It’s not just the creatures they have to worry about, however, as the townspeople begin to descend into idolatry and barbarism out a desperate desire to find security in the face of fear. There are a lot of great elements to The Mist, not the least of which is its ending — one that not only diverges significantly from that of the source material, but which has since earned significant praise from King himself. —TE
Spectral
Year: 2016
Run time: 1h 47m
Director: Nic Mathieu
Cast: James Badge Dale, Max Martini, Emily Mortimer
If you’re itching for a sci-fi potboiler that’s less concerned with grandiose thematic depth and more with explosive urban warfare against extraterrestrial ghosts and ghouls, this is exactly what you’re looking for. Spectral follows Mark Clyne (James Badge Dale), a DARPA engineer who is assigned to a special forces unit in Moldova to investigate a strange phenomenon detected using his invention: an experimental line of hyperspectral imaging goggles. As it turns out, the soldiers themselves aren’t just detected by some unknown glitch, but ghostlike creatures who begin to attack the troops for their own inscrutable reasons. This is admittedly not an especially smart or original movie, but if a four-legged robot drone shining a gigantic flashlight cannon at a horde of shapeshifting smoke ghosts sounds cool, give this a shot. —TE
The 5 best sci-fi movies to watch on Netflix in January
1 COMMENT
LEAVE A REPLY
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on Sports World Hails ‘Superwoman’ Lindsey Vonn for Her Grand Comeback Despite Career-Changing Injury
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on ‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’ Fan Theories Suggest Legendary Time Travel, Alternate Dimension Plot
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on Inside the Michael Jordan ‘Air’ movie, plus why NFL, others are buying into the sports film industry
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on How Does Jack Nicklaus Travel? Exploring the Private Jets Owned by the ‘Golden Bear’ Over the Years
on Hollywood Reporter: Tom Cruise negotiated with movie studios over AI before the actors strike began
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on Dozens of boats cruise the Seine in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on July 26
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
Your blog has been a constant source of support and encouragement for me I am grateful for your words of wisdom and positivity