February has been a light month for new sci-fi on Netflix. Thankfully, sci-fi remains one of the stronger genres on Netflix, with many top movies to stream this month. With the Oscars coming in early March, now is an ideal time to revisit Dune: Part Two. If Dune isn’t your speed, try one of the Mad Max movies to experience the Wasteland.
This month, we curated a list of five sci-fi movies to watch. Our recommendations include a stunning space adventure, a “choose your own adventure” saga, and an intriguing psychological thriller.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, 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+.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Black Mirror typically leaves viewers in mental pretzels. Whatever happens, happens, and there’s nothing you can do about it… until Bandersnatch. In 2018, Black Mirror scribe Charlie Brooker wrote the first interactive movie in the anthology. Titled Bandersnatch, the film revolves around Stefan Butler (Fionn Whitehead), a programmer tasked with adapting a book into a video game.
The movie becomes a “choose your own adventure” story for the viewer. When presented with a choice, the Netflix user has ten seconds to make a decision. Whatever they choose will lead them to the next plot point. This opens the door for multiple endings and outcomes. While Bandersnatch admittedly works better as a concept than a movie, Brooker made an admirable attempt to introduce a story about free will and fate.
Stream Black Mirror: Bandersnatch on Netflix.
Spiderhead (2022)
Chris Hemsworth might have been responsible for killing the Mad Titan in the MCU. However, the Australian did a more upbeat Thanos impression for Spiderhead, a sci-fi thriller from Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski. Based on George Saunders’ short story Escape from Spiderhead, the Netflix original brings viewers to Spiderhead, a revolutionary prison where inmates serve as test subjects for research chemicals.
Leading the Spiderhead facility is Steve Abnesti (Hemsworth), a larger-than-life persona. Steve is testing the prisoners every day with chemicals that disrupt their emotions. After an inmate, Jeff (Miles Teller), gets a peek behind the curtain of the drug trials, he realizes that Steve has a nefarious reason for administering these tests. Now compromised, Jeff must take out Steve to stop the procedures.
Stream Spiderhead on Netflix.
Interstellar (2014)
On a resume with The Dark Knight and Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s defining cinematic achievement is arguably Interstellar. When Interstellar was rereleased in December, the sci-fi space adventure grossed $24.5 million worldwide. Fans love Interstellar, and rightfully so. It’s Nolan’s most personal work.
With humanity facing extinction due to a crop blight, former pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is recruited by NASA to fly an expedition to a wormhole outside Saturn. NASA believes the wormhole could be a door to another galaxy, with three habitable planets on the other side. Backed by stunning visuals and a heart-pounding story, Interstellar proved that Nolan could create an emotional story about a parent’s love for their child.
Stream Interstellar on Netflix.
The Last Days of American Crime (2020)
Upon its release, The Last Days of American Crime was destroyed by critics and fans. It’s regarded as one of the worst Netflix movies ever. What I’m about to say is not a typo: The Last Days of American Crime has a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes. That reason alone is enough to check it out and see for yourself, especially if you’ve watched all the hits on the sci-fi page.
In an alternate 2024, the United States government is days away from launching the American Peace Initiative (API), a signal that will prevent humans from committing crimes. Hoping to complete one last crime, thief Graham Bricke (Édgar Ramírez) teams with Shelby Dupree (Anna Brewster) and Kevin Cash (Michael Pitt) to rob the city’s “money factory. They better do it fast before the API is turned on.
Stream The Last Days of American Crime on Netflix.
Freaks (2018)
Seven-year-old Chloe (Lexy Kolker) has lived inside for her entire life. Chloe’s father, Henry (Lone Survivor’s Emile Hirsch), has kept her inside to protect her from Abnormals, people with superhuman abilities hunted by the government. Fed up with her sequestered life, Chloe successfully ventures outside and discovers she has telepathic powers.
Thanks to her powers, Chloe discovers that Abnormals, including her father, have been living in hiding. When Chloe believes her mother might still be alive, she ventures to a top-secret facility to try and break her out.
Stream Freaks on Netflix.
