What was initially known as Amazon Freevee will technically be no more. The shows and movies available through the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service are being folded into Amazon Prime Video. Don’t worry, the content will still be free and won’t require an Amazon Prime subscription to access it. Those with a subscription will get added features, like the ability to re-start playback at a later date. But the movies and shows will be free to access with ads, just as they were under the Freevee banner.
With that said, you can still find plenty of content for free from Amazon, no matter how you access it. This includes these three free underrated sci-fi movies on Amazon you should watch in January.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Daybreakers (2009)
If you’re in the mood for sci-fi and horror, Daybreakers combines both along with action and vampires. Set in a future world where vampires rule the Earth, they have created their own corporation with the mandate of finding and converting any remaining humans. There are some challenges to this domination plan, however. If all the humans are gone, where will they find blood on which to feast? This means the corporation is also researching viable substitutes for human blood they can rely on once humans are wiped from existence.
Daybreakers received mixed reviews, but you can’t go wrong with Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise) and Willem Dafoe (Nosferatu) at the center of the plot. It’s an interesting twist on the traditional vampire story. What happens if their crucial resource becomes scarce, ironically of their own doing?
Stream Daybreakers on Amazon.
The Magnetic Monster (1953)
What’s great about sci-fi from eras like the ’50s is that the movies don’t rely so heavily on visual effects and CGI. Instead, they are far more subtle. This is the case with The Magnetic Monster, an independent movie presented in black and white. Starring Richard Carlson, who went on to appear in other sci-fi hits like It Came from Outer Space and Creature from the Black Lagoon, the film follow two agents looking into a strange occurrence at a local appliance store. As they follow the breadcrumbs, they encounter more mysterious happenings, a dead body, and radioactive experimentations.
The Magnetic Monster is one of those classic sci-fi flicks to watch if you’re looking for something simple, retro, and compelling. The film is the first of the genre to star Carlson, leading to him becoming a sort of sci-fi film star.
Stream The Magnetic Monster on Amazon.
The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)
Based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name, this British sci-fi fantasy drama sees musician David Bowie in his first starring role. He’s Thomas Jerome Newton, a humanoid alien who arrives on Earth, disguised as an Englishman. He’s secretly looking for water that he can bring back to his planet, saving his people from drought. Since his planet is far more advanced than Earth, he “invents” several technologies that are new to humans but old news for him, amassing a fortune in the process. But he gets distracted by the beautiful Mary-Lou (Candy Clark), who introduces him to the indulgences and vices of human life, like sex and alcohol, causing him to veer off track.
A sad story, The Man Who Fell To Earth is also a cautionary tale about the dangers of addiction and temptation. The movie received mixed reviews when it was first released almost a half-century ago but has since developed a cult following. The Man Who Fell To Earth still holds up today because, writes our author, it’s unlike anything else we’ve ever seen. “It’s a science-fiction epic without any science,” he explains, “a love story without any romance, and one of the best space movies without ever showing space itself.” Despite the release of the 2022 Showtime series that aimed to present a modern retelling, this film is the best representation of this story of exploration of humanity and our many flaws.
Stream The Man Who Fell To Earth on Amazon.
