Longtime Netflix subscribers have probably noticed that certain sci-fi movies leave and return to the streamer at regular intervals.
One of the recently returned titles is Starship Troopers, a great sci-fi action flick that’s elevated by its unexpectedly hilarious satirical elements.
The other notable sci-fi arrival this month is Paul, a 2011 road trip comedy that features Seth Rogen as the voice of the titular alien.
You can find these films and the rest of the must-see sci-fi movies on Netflix below.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the Best New Movies on Netflix, (HBO) Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime and More, the Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now, the Best Rom-Com Movies on Netflix Right Now and the Must-See Movies on Netflix Right Now.
‘Starship Troopers’ (1997)
While Starship Troopers isn’t technically a comedy, director Paul Verhoeven brought a very funny satirical touch to Robert A. Heinlein‘s sci-fi novel. In the future, humanity is expanding beyond Earth and the only thing Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) has to worry about after graduation is sticking close to his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), by joining the Federation’s mobile infantry.
Johnny, Carmen and the rest of their friends get a rude awakening when giant alien bugs launch a long-distance attack on Earth and demonstrate that mankind isn’t on top of the galactic food chain. The bugs are far more formidable than Earth’s propaganda would have everyone believe, and it may take a miracle for these troopers to turn the tide of the war.
Starship Troopers is streaming on Netflix.
‘Paul’ (2011)
Paul reunites Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings, a pair of sci-fi geeks who just want to tour some real-life alien sites in the United States. But they get the shock of a lifetime when they meet a real alien, Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), and he asks for their help.
Paul has been on Earth for a long time, and he’s ready to go home now. Graeme, Clive and their new friend, Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig), are all willing to give Paul a hand once they get over their initial shock. But the government won’t let Paul leave the planet without a fight, and Special Agent Lorenzo Zoil (Jason Bateman) is going to chase them every step of the way.
Paul is streaming on Netflix.
‘Dune: Part Two’ (2024)
The second half of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune finds Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), living among the Fremen of Arrakis and conducting raids on their enemies in House Harkonnen.
Dune: Part Two also gives Paul significantly more time with Chani (Zendaya), his Fremen lover who is disturbed by prophecies that he is the messiah of her people. Paul says he doesn’t want to rule the Fremen, but every possible outcome is leading him on a path to claim power in the entire universe at the cost of an intergalactic holy war.
Dune: Part Two is streaming on Netflix.
‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ (2024)
Why is Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) always so furious in the Mad Max films? You’d be angry too if you were stolen from your home by the men who murdered your mother. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga gives its title character an origin story and a nemesis — Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).
As much as Furious hated Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) in Mad Max: Fury Road, her anger towards Dementus knows no bounds. If it takes Furiosa years to get her revenge, she’ll wait and plot to destroy Dementus. And it still may not be enough to unseat this warlord from power in the wasteland.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is streaming on Netflix.
‘The Adam Project’ (2022)
Prior to reteaming for Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy collaborated on the Netflix original film, The Adam Project. Reynolds plays Adam Reed, a time travel pilot who goes back in time from 2050 to prevent the death of his wife, Laura Shane (Zoe Saldaña). Instead of arriving at his intended destination, Adam arrives in the present and comes face-to-face with his 12-year-old self (Walker Scobell).
There’s a bigger conspiracy across time than either Adam could have dreamed, and it traces back to their late father, Louis Reed (Mark Ruffalo), who died the year before. The two Adams may even get to see their dad one last time if they can stay alive long enough to reach him.
The Adam Project is streaming on Netflix.
‘Melancholia’ (2011)
Don’t watch Melancholia if you’re feeling depressed — it’s only going to make you feel worse. It’s a story in two parts about a rogue planet named Melancholia that is about to slam into Earth. And unlike Michael Bay’s Armageddon, there aren’t enough nukes in the world to send up Bruce Willis with a bomb to blow it off course.
The world was already ending for Justine (Kirsten Dunst) before she realized that Melancholia was heading towards Earth. It takes her sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), longer to process the end of everything. This isn’t a movie about averting the end, it’s about the choices these sisters make when time runs out.
Melancholia is streaming on Netflix.
‘Stowaway’ (2021)
There are four main characters in Stowaway, and that’s a problem because their spaceship can only handle three people. On a two-year mission to Mars, Zoe Levenson (Anna Kendrick), Marina Barnett (Toni Collette) and David Kim (Daniel Dae Kim) were supposed to make the trip together. Michael Adams (Shamier Anderson) was caught on board by accident.
Since Michael’s presence is endangering the mission and the lives of the crew, he’s the one who’s expected to sacrifice himself. However, Zoe wants to wait until the last possible moment before letting Michael take that step. But the crew may not have as much time as they think.
Stowaway is streaming on Netflix.
‘What Happened to Monday’ (2017)
What Happened to Monday was among the first Netflix original movies before the streamer produced seemingly countless films every year. In the future, overpopulation has led to strict rules about having children. Terrence Settman (Willem Dafoe) came up with a novel solution for his seven granddaughters (all played by Noomi Rapace).
To hide the truth of their existence, only one daughter – named for her day of the week – is allowed to leave at a time. This week, Monday never came home and her sisters want to know what happened. And they’re willing to break the rules that governed their lives to solve the mystery.
What Happened to Monday is streaming on Netflix.
‘Oxygen’ (2021)
Oxygen may be one of the most claustrophobic movies ever made. That’s because Elizabeth “Liz” Hansen (Mélanie Laurent) wakes up in a stasis pod without her memory or any idea how she got there. The onboard A.I., M.I.L.O. (Mathieu Amalric), offers her some assistance, but even M.I.L.O. can’t open the pod without the access code.
Using only the tools she has in the pod, Liz has to jog her memory and learn who she is in the hope that she can remember what she needs to know before the oxygen runs out.
Oxygen is streaming on Netflix.
‘Spaceman’ (2024)
It’s lonely out in space, especially for cosmonaut Jakub Procházka (Adam Sandler) in Spaceman. This film has a rare dramatic turn for Sandler, whose character is emotionally crippled on his long trip to Jupiter. Mission Control won’t even tell Jakub that his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), wants to leave him.
Jakub’s only companion on this journey is an alien spider he names Hanuš (Paul Dano), which can communicate with him telepathically. Once Hanuš learns more about Jakub and humanity in general, he may not be as willing to hang around.
Spaceman is streaming on Netflix.
‘They Cloned Tyrone’ (2023)
Get ready for all the John Boyega you can handle in They Cloned Tyrone. He both is and isn’t the title character. More accurately, Boyega is playing several characters, including Fontaine, a drug dealer whose murder is witnessed by one of his clients, Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx).
When Fontaine reappears the next day as if nothing happened, Slick convinces him and the only other witness, a sex worker named Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), to help him figure out what’s really going on. Their investigation leads to uncomfortable revelations about how many clones are out in the wild, and why their neighborhood is being preyed upon.
They Cloned Tyrone is streaming on Netflix.
