10 Bold Sci-Fi Movies You Can Watch on Prime Video Right Now

This sci-fi classic, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows the story of an ordinary man named Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) who, after experiencing an extraterrestrial encounter, becomes obsessed with the existence of UFOs. Close Encounters of the Third Kind sheds light on humanity’s persistent curiosity about what exists beyond our world. More profoundly, it is a moving exploration of mental health.

It’s hard to leave The Tomorrow War off this list, because it’s the big Prime Video sci-fi action movie starring Chris Pratt. The story follows a school teacher who is recruited for a war against aliens in the future. An easy-to-digest movie that you can watch while looking at your phone.

Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar takes the filmmaker’s cerebral storytelling talents into outer space. Matthew McConaughey stars as Cooper, a NASA astronaut on a mission to find a planet that can support life, in order to secure humanity’s future. Loss, trauma, and grief all play a major role in the storytelling. Nolan has a knack for weaving a compelling tale, and he does so in this film. In short, Interstellar does not disappoint.

Superman: The Movie is an example of a comic book movie done right. Richard Donner’s superhero epic set the standard for how modern films of this type can work. Lex Luthor, played by Gene Hackman, is a legendary interpretation of the DC Comics villain. Through an effortless balance of heroism, physical power, humor, and heart, Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Kal-El remains as iconic as ever.

After making a name for himself in the horror genre with the first two Evil Dead films, Sam Raimi made his big-budget film debut with Darkman, a disruptive superhero movie that’s hard to define. Is it science fiction? Yes. But the film, starring Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, mixes horror, action, comedy and romance into a fun and entertaining cult classic.

Stephen King ventured into science fiction territory with The Dead Zone, a story that follows a professor named Johnny Smith (played by Christopher Walken) who, after awakening from a coma, discovers that he has psychic abilities. His ability to see the future leads Johnny on a mission to try to save him, which puts him face to face with Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen), a presidential candidate who, according to his visions, will start a nuclear war if elected.

Rian Johnson’s sci-fi thriller explores a future where time travel exists. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, a hitman who waits in the past for the mob to send him targets to eliminate. Things get complicated when his future self, played by Bruce Willis, is sent back in time for him to kill them. A clever, twist-filled script, solid performances, and clever filmmaking make this a highly entertaining experience.

Wes Anderson delves into the sci-fi genre with Asteroid City and, unsurprisingly, turns the tables and delivers a film that is quintessentially himself. Fantasy, nostalgia and drama blend effortlessly in this UFO-themed tale that takes audiences to a fictional version of 1950s America. The cast is a who’s who of Anderson favorites, with wonderful performances from Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Hawke, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston and more.

Face/Off follows a fairly simple and silly premise: FBI agent Sean Archer (Nicolas Cage) undergoes a controversial face transplant procedure in order to discover the location of a bomb planted by comatose terrorist Castor Troy (John Travolta). Things go haywire when Troy wakes up and undergoes the same surgery. It all sounds ridiculous, and it is, but thanks to the performances of the two leads and the guidance of legendary director John Woo, it all works. And beautifully.

This movie doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it’s a lot of fun to watch. Packed with notable talent, including Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, Clancy Brown, Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow, and Christopher Lloyd, this ’80s cult classic follows Dr. Buckaroo Banzai (Weller) as he battles a group of alien enemies to save the world. The theme is reminiscent of Doctor Who and features a delightfully unhinged performance from Lithgow.