Escape Planet Earth With These 10 Streaming Sci-Fi Films

As we commencement an particularly stressful week successful the United States, it’s important to instrumentality encephalon breaks—and thing says “self-care” similar “sci-fi” astir these parts. The characters successful these films are each facing their ain agonizing challenges, of course, but they’re doing it millions of miles from Earth, truthful astatine slightest they person that to cling to. Here are 11 sci-fi films to stream erstwhile you request a abstraction vacation… successful the adjacent fewer days, oregon anytime.

The Martian (2015)

Directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Drew Goddard (adapted from the Andy Weir novel), this multi Oscar nominee boasts conscionable arsenic overmuch endowment successful beforehand of the camera, too. Matt Damon stars arsenic an astronaut accidentally near down during a ngo to Mars; he’s forced to “science the shit” retired of his endurance until helium tin beryllium retrieved, with characters played by Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, Mackenzie Davis, Sean Bean, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Peña, and much anxiously monitoring his potato-fueled progress. (Streaming connected Max)

Europa Report (2013)

Ecuadorian filmmaker Sebastián Cordero and screenwriter Philip Gelatt (who co-wrote and co-directed 2021 animated standout The Spine of Night) collaborated connected this chilling found-footage communicative whose evident realism makes the “fiction” portion of its “science fiction” each the much nightmarish. A unit (including Sharlto Copley and Daniel Wu) heading to 1 of Jupiter’s moons decides to property connected adjacent aft they suffer their connection nexus with Earth—among different mishaps—meaning they are genuinely unsocial erstwhile they marque a shocking find upon arrival. (Streaming connected Netflix)

Stowaway (2021)

Toni Collette, Anna Kendrick, and Daniel Dae Kim play a three-person unit connected a long-haul ngo to Mars—and Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4) is the technologist who, owed to a pre-flight mishap, accidentally tags along. His astonishment beingness would already beryllium a strain connected their cautiously calibrated supplies, but things go acold much urgent successful this endurance communicative erstwhile they statesman losing their astir precious resource, breathable air, astatine an accelerated rate. (Streaming connected Netflix)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Sure, it starts connected prehistoric Earth, but Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece past travels to the satellite and past “beyond the infinite.” And if ever a movie exists to punctual humanity of however precise tiny their spot truly is successful the expansive strategy of the universe, 2001: A Space Odyssey is it. (Streaming connected Max)

Dark Star (1974)

Before manager John Carpenter changed the fearfulness genre everlastingly with Halloween—and co-writer Dan O’Bannon changed the sci-fi genre everlastingly with Alien—they worked unneurotic connected this indie sci-fi drama astir an interstellar ngo plagued with mishaps some mechanical and existential. O’Bannon besides stars arsenic 1 of the unit members, and Carpenter supplies a people that sets the code for his physics compositions for aboriginal films. Sure, the peculiar effects are dated, particularly compared to the earlier 2001—but for an ultra low-budget aboriginal ’70s task that started retired arsenic a pupil film, they look beauteous fantastic. (Streaming connected Prime Video)

Event Horizon (1997)

Alien, speaking of, is evidently the classical “haunted location successful space” movie. But Event Horizon, starring Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne, carves retired its ain spot of terror; there’s nary hissing monster successful this one, conscionable the horrifying depths achievable by twisting the quality mind. Also: a achromatic hole, a literal travel to hell, and respective jaw-dropping moments of assemblage horror. (Streaming connected MGM+)

Solaris (1972)

The 2002 George Clooney/Stephen Soderburgh remake tried, but it couldn’t rather replicate the gorgeously bleak feeling that permeates each framework of Andrei Tarkovsky’s archetypal film, based connected the caller by Stanislaw Lem. A feel-good movie this is not, but if you privation to instrumentality your thoughts acold away—say, to heavy space, wherever the astir perplexing kinds of affectional breakdowns occur—this is your champion bet. (Streaming connected Max)

All 3 Dune Movies

Arrakis awaits successful Dune (2021), Dune: Part Two (2024), and—because wherefore not?—Dune (1984) too. If ever determination was a clip to drown yourself successful Frank Herbert-adapted movies, present is an perfect time, particularly since constricted prequel bid Dune: Prophecy hits HBO and Max aboriginal successful November. (Streaming connected Max)

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