The Netflix conveyor belt serves up a ton of movies each week, and sometimes a hidden sci-fi gem can be uncovered from the mix. Science fiction movies can explore strange ideas, comment on current issues, provide space for satire — but they’re also perfect popcorn movies that allow you to shut your brain off for a couple of hours.
Here are our favorite sci-fi movies on Netflix.
Starship Troopers
Tristar
I love this movie.
A frequently misunderstood parody of jingoism, Starship Troopers has aged tremendously. On a surface level it’s also a really fun, easy watch. Get stuck in.
Don’t Look Up
Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET
Is this sci-fi? I think it’s sci-fi.
It’s sci-fi. End of discussion.
Don’t Look Up is far from a perfect movie. It reeks of Hollywood faux-activism and it’s too long and way too on the nose. But it still feels important and also… quite funny?
I think regardless of its flaws, Don’t Look Up is a movie that has had a net positive on the world and it’s worth watching.
Gattaca
Sony Pictures
Gattaca is a true science fiction movie, in that it wrestles with real scientific ideas and their potential impact on the human race. It’s a film about…
Read More: The Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix