Plenty to watch over the coming weeks

Having given our picks of the best horrors, action movies, thrillers and more on the streaming service, we're looking at the best sci fi movies on Netflix this week.

Last week, we covered the best romantic comedies. We've gone in a totally different direction for this week, looking at sci fi movies on Netflix.

There are great sci fi shows like 'Star Trek Discovery' and 'Rick & Morty' available on the streaming service. We're focussing on films only in this list.

Here are our picks for the best science fiction movies on Netflix now.

 

Annihilation

A biologist named Lena (Natalie Portman) volunteers to go on a mission to the ‘Shimmer’ - a baffling phenomenon that is spreading across the world - alongside a group of female scientists led by Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Like Alex Garland’s previous works such as 'Ex Machina', 'Annihilation' is both cerebral and thrilling. It’s like 'Alien' on crack, meticulously building an ambience of dread and wonder, to a super trippy, creepy, existentialist crescendo.

 

The Martian

This Matt Damon starrer has definitely earned its status as a modern classic. Dubbed "'Cast Away' in space", the sci fi feature follows Damon's astronaut character's fight for survival on Mars after being accidentally left behind during a space mission. Under the direction of Ridley Scott with a great script for Drew Goddard, 'The Martian' is thoroughly entertaining.

 

Ex Machina

This sci-fi thriller is a strong three-hander between Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac (reunited from 'Star Wars') and Alicia Vikander. The latter plays a highly advanced humanoid A.I. while Gleeson plays a programmer who falls under her spell. 'Ex Machina' is an impressive directorial debut from Alex Garland, writer of 'The Beach' and screenplays for '28 Days Later' and 'Sunshine'.

 

Inception

We're convinced that there's still an argument to be made that 'Inception' is Christopher Nolan's best movie. It has the most Oscar wins (four in total) of any movie by the writer-director. A decade on, the sci-fi action movie holds up incredibly well. Plot wise, it follows a gang of thieves tasked with implanting an idea into the mind of a CEO via his dreams. A real movie lover's movie.

 

Upgrade

This Blumhouse production got compared to 'Venom' at the time of its release (the latter is on Netflix too, by the way). Both films are sci fi treats that see a symbiote implanted into a man's body and he works with them on a case, while being imbued with superpowers. 'Upgrade' was the better movie but got overlooked as Tom Hardy had more star power than Logan Marshall Green. You can watch it on Netflix now.

 

Children of Men

The truly frightening part of 'Children Of Men' - and it is a deeply frightening film - is that it looks all so real and so believable. You can clearly see this happening and what makes it all the more believable is that it may even be happening now. While the set-up of the film - a human baby hasn't been born in eighteen years - may be somewhat tenuous, it's what it represents that's frightening and believable. It's the absence of hope and humanity's indolence in changing its self-destructive nature.

 

Jurassic Park

'Jurassic Park' was movie magic as it brought a theme park of cloned dinosaurs to life. Inevitably, the park suffers a major power breakdown before opening to the public, meaning those who have been privileged with a preview are in danger of the escaped dinos. The film would kick off what would become a major movie franchise with a sixth movie in the works.

 

The Terminator

Although the series has turned much more into an action franchise, the original 'Terminator' was pretty damn terrifying.  Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984. His task is to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before her son, who will one day save humanity, is born. There's a lot of love for 'Judgement Day' but sometimes there's nothing like the original.

 

A Quiet Place

Who'd have thought John Krasinski could make one of the most effective horrors of the year, much less star in it as well? Working with a tightly-knitted script and a fascinating premise, Krasinski unfurls his gothic tale of a world gone silent with panache and style. There might be a plot hole or two that'll niggle you afterwards, but this is a really well-made horror.

 

Limitless (only available until 20th September)

Before co-starring in 'Silver Linings Playbook' together, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro worked together on sci-fi thriller 'Limitless'. Cooper plays a struggling writer who starts to take a nootropic drug called NZT-48. It allows him to access all of his brain abilities. Eddie's life starts to make vast improvements but something sinister is afoot - because isn't it always?

 

Demolition Man (available from 1st September)

'Demolition Man', much like a lot of Stallone's work, is seated firmly in the "so-bad-it's-good" camp. What's interesting about 'Demolition Man', however, is that it makes no attempt at being serious. Set in 2032, coffee, red meat, swearing and pretty much anything fun has been made illegal. Awoken from a cryogenic sleep to track down his old nemesis - played by Wesley Snipes - Stallone finds the brave new world weird and troubling.