We get it. It's a difficult world. Sometimes all you want is an escape from the world. This is what makes science fiction so appealing.
Amazon Prime subscribers should be aware that there are a lot of streaming options available in the online retailer’s streaming library. You can find something to suit every style of sci-fi fan, from horror and comedy to drama to pure "this is strange AF".
Here are some of our top picks that you can grab and start right now.
1. 1.The Man Who Stole Earth
The Man Who Fell To Earth is E.T. but in this instance, the extraterrestrial is a smoldering David Bowie, 29 years old. E.T. Six years later, E.T. was released. Bowie is seen here as an alien visiting our planet to find water for his drought-stricken homeland. This is his first major role. The out-of-this world visitor is an Englishman named Thomas Jerome Newton. He uses his advanced technology knowledge to obtain patents that make him a wildly wealthy citizen. His mission to save his home from destruction is made more difficult by the more dangerous trappings of human existence and shady government officials.
Is there much to be said in the way of commentary? Nicolas Roeg's surreal sci-fi masterpiece is a must-see.
How to watch: The Man who Fell to Earth is available now for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
2. 2. Attack the Block
In 2011, Joe Cornish, an unknown director, premiered a scifi action thriller that starred John Boyega. Attack the Block was a hit with critics and audiences alike. It depicted a South London block under alien control, with Boyega's Moses fighting for his territory. The film is brilliantly plotted and scored by Steven Price. It's a powerful debut for the type of talent Hollywood seeks every day. Boyega, who was a star as a teenager, teamed up with Cornish to bring the script to life with an enviable confidence. Entertainment Reporter, Proma Khosla
How to watch Attack the Block: Attack The Block is now available for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
3. Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly, the writer-director of Donnie Darko, delivered an unforgettable sci-fi thriller and one of the most poignant accounts of teenage angst. Jake Gyllenhaal, then 19 years old, plays the title character. He is a struggling high-schooler who suffers from bizarre hallucinations after a freak accident. Jena Malone and Maggie Gyllenhaal appear as well as Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, and many others.
This 2001 film combines dreamlike cinematography with brilliant scripting and an incomparable soundtrack. It strikes a tone that is unmatched by any other since. The story of a strange tragedy is both beautiful and sad. It has been called a sort of philosophical superhero movie. If you haven't seen it yet, I will leave it at that. This movie is one that deserves to be watched unspoiled. Ali Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Donnie Darko streaming now for Amazon Prime Subscribers via IMDb TV with ads
4. 4.
Song Kang-ho, Parasite's Song Kang, plays Park Gang-du. He is viewed as a lost cause even by his family and young daughter Hyun Seo (Ko Asung). Hyun-seo is the one who must rescue Hyun-seo from a toxic monster created by toxic waste in a Han River lab. In scenes such as the Parks' grief for Hyun-seo, Bong JoonHo's quirky humor is evident. He seems completely unsure of Gang-du's ability to save his daughter.
Bong's 2006 feature about a creature was his third full-length film as director. It went on to become the highest-grossing South Korean movie of all time. The creature has a wide appeal because it affects everyone, from gangsters to the government and the Park family. It's very similar to Okja, which was made eleven years later with five times as much budget. Fans of Bong's storytelling will enjoy this film, which shows Bong's evolution and brilliant mind at work long before the Oscars. P.K.
How to watch: Amazon Prime Video subscribers can now stream The Host.
5. The Vast of Night
Although it feels too simplistic to call Andrew Patterson's science fiction masterpiece science fiction, its 89 minute runtime at least mentions aliens. Everett (Jake Horowitz), radio jockey, is interrupted by an unusual audio phenomenon that disrupts the broadcast and confuses listeners. As they try to find clues and report on something strange in the sky, their night is cut short.
Vast of Night hypnotizes viewers with meditative, slow-paced performance and direction. Many scenes consist of long, uncut scenes with one or more characters speaking. By the end, it doesn't matter what they believe or saw in the sky. Fay and Everett have a night they will never forget. It is a film that sticks with them long after the credits are over. P.K.
How to watch: The Vast of Night streaming now for Amazon Prime Video subscribers
6. 6.
This is a charming sci-fi film for families from Joe Dante (Gremlins). The story is about a group made up of trash and dreams. They discover that living in outer space isn’t much different than life at home when they do finally get what they want. Explorers may be uneven due to the unusual circumstances of its production but it is still a cult favorite. Ethan Hawke, Jason Presson and River Phoenix star in Explorers as the three spacefaring teens.
How to Watch: Explorers is streaming now for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
7. Minority Report
Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise and time crimes. What's not love? The 2002 blockbuster, adapted from a Philip K. Dick story, features Cruise as John Anderton who is the chief of PreCrime's future-tech police department. PreCrime officers receive a heads-up about crimes before they are committed by Precogs (or psychics), who drugged and floated in water tubs.
This is a bizarre premise, but it takes an unexpected turn when Anderton is pre-accused for murder. Anderton has struggled with depression since the kidnapping of his son six years ago. Anderton has never met the victim. Although it isn't as direct as it could be, Minority Report is still a Spielberg-directed spectacle.
How to Watch: Minority Report is available now for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
8. Armageddon
It's never wrong to have a little Bayhem. Michael Bay is known for his love of making movies explode, and Armageddon was no exception. The Aerosmith song "I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing" is perhaps the most well-known scene from this 1998 disaster film. This is Bayhem at its peak from the late 1990s when Hollywood was obsessed with finding new ways to destroy the Earth.
Armageddon is an imminent threat. It's a rapidly approaching, massive asteroid that was discovered just two weeks ago. It's scheduled to impact the planet and cause its destruction. NASA's brilliant minds have come up with the best strategy: detonating a nuke deep within it. NASA hires a team of deep-sea oil drillers to help them. Ben Affleck also participates. This movie is so powerful.
How to watch Armageddon: Armageddon streaming now for Amazon Prime Video subscribers
9. Vivarium
If you are looking for clear explanations and satisfying reveals, Vivarium might not be the right sci-fi adventure for you. If you are open to a more mysterious sci-fi adventure that will have you asking a lot of questions and then failing to answer most of them, this unique outing by director Lorcan Finnegan might be worth your time.
Jesse Eisenberg stars as Imogen Poots, a couple who are looking to purchase a house. Yonder, a suburb development that boasts "All you would need and all you'd want", catches their attention, so they arrange a visit to one of its identical properties. After a bizarre house tour, they realize that they are unable to leave the neighborhood due to the labyrinthine rows and matching units.
Things get more bizarre from there. So, if you feel a little weird, this is the one to play. It's both visually stunning and narratively bizarre. A.F.
How to watch: Vivarium streaming now for Amazon Prime Video subscribers
