Dreaming of a world of high-tech gadgets and out-of-this-world action? Yearning for horror that's rooted in science gone awry? Or maybe you're craving the slow-burn exhilaration of alien invasion? Whatever kind of science fiction you're seeking, Prime Video has the perfect pick for a movie night in.
We've scoured the selection of Prime Video's sci-fi section to uncover celebrated classics, art house dazzlers, quirky adventures, and modern marvels. All you've got to do is have a subscription to stream, and a DIY marathon of science-fiction spectacle is at your fingertips.
Here are the best science fiction movies on Amazon Prime Video streaming now:
1. The Terminator
The 1980s were the era of AHNOLD. Yet Austrian bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger achieved his mightiest flex when he stepped into the titular role of a merciless killer cyborg from a frightful future. In 1984 Los Angeles, waitress Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is on the run from this manly machine. He has been sent from 2029 to prevent the birth of her son, who is destined to lead the rebellion against tyrannical robots. Schwarzenegger awed audiences not only with his hulking form and suitably stiff performance, but also with the sheer star power that would launch a franchise and a decades-long action hero career.
Meanwhile, director James Cameron made a sci-fi classic with laser cannons, careening chase scenes, sprays of bullets, and (once) cutting-edge graphics that put audiences in the POV of the Terminator’s cold, calculating stare.* —Kristy Puchko, Deputy Entertainment Editor
How to watch: The Terminator is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video for subscribers.
2. District 9
In 2009, writer/director Neill Blomkamp broke through with his feature debut by bringing an extraterrestrial premise to Earth in his hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa. Rather than invasion-focused horror, Blomkamp empathized with the resident aliens, who are ghettoized and terrorized by humans/government agents. In following the journey of one such agent, he pitches audiences not only into a sci-fi adventure of bombastic action and body-transformation, but also a moving parable about the evils of prejudice. District 9 gathered critical praise worldwide and launched the international career of leading man Sharlto Copley. Then, this gritty sci-fi drama scored four Oscar nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Motion Picture of the Year. —K.P.
How to watch: District 9 is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video for subscribers.
3. The Lazarus Effect
Sometimes there's nothing as satisfyingly spine-tingling as science-gone-wrong horror. Documentarian David Gelb might be best-known for capturing the glory of cuisine creation, thanks to the celebrated feature doc Jiro Dreams of Sushi and the gorgeous series Chef's Table. Here, he branched out, bringing his skill for grounded drama to the tale of medical researchers experimenting with resurrecting the dead. When they succeed, their wildest dreams become their worst nightmare as one of their crew becomes telekinetic…and terrifying. This sci-fi stunner not only boasts sensational scares, but also a cast that includes Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Evan Peters, and Donald Glover. —K.P.
How to watch: The Lazarus Effect is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video for subscribers.
4. The Vast of Night
It feels reductive to even call Andrew Patterson's indie masterpiece science fiction, but given that its 89-minute runtime at least alludes to aliens, it might be all we've got. Everett (Jake Horowitz), a radio jockey, and Fay (Sierra McCormick), a switchboard operator, have their night cut short by a strange audio phenomenon that interferes with the broadcast and confuses listeners. Their night derails as they follow clues about the sound's origin and reports of something odd in the sky.
The Vast of Night hypnotizes the viewer not with special effects or otherworldly elements, but with grounded, meditative, even slow direction and performance. Many scenes are long, uncut takes of one or more characters talking, and by the end it barely matters what they saw in the sky or choose to believe in. Fay and Everett's night is already one they'll never forget, and a film that stays with you long after you watch it. —Proma Khosla, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Vast of Night is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
5. Prometheus
In 1979, Ridley Scott gave us Alien, the movie that dared to taunt, "In space, no one can hear you scream." In subsequent sequels, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jena-Pierre Jeunet took to the helm. But in 2012, Scott returned with a daring and divisive prequel.
Set 30 years before Alien, a band of scientists are trekking across space in search of the origin of mankind. On a distant moon, they find some horrifying extraterrestrials that are new to them, but not to fans of this frightening sci-fi franchise. Though met with mixed reviews, Prometheus undeniably boasts jaw-dropping visuals, pulse-pounding action, and a star-studded cast that includes Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Charlize Theron. —K.P.
How to watch: Promeus is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
6. Signs
With The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan forged a reputation as a writer/director who knew how to make genre films freshly fun and joltingly shocking. So, when Signs hit in 2002, audiences turned out in giddy anticipation to be scared out of their wits. We were not disappointed. Sure, in retrospect we might eyeroll over the climactic revelation in this invasion-centered horror-thriller. But it's creepy creatures still give chills as they torment a widowed former priest (Mel Gibson) and his family (Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin) on a remote farm. Embedding us with a family living in fear, Shyamalan brings terror home, answering our twisted prayers. —K.P.
How to watch: Signs is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
7. Armageddon
A little Bayhem never hurt anyone. Michael Bay loves to blow stuff up in movies, and he's rarely done it better than he did in Armageddon. This 1998 disaster movie may be best known for the Aerosmith tune, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." But this is peak Bayhem from the late '90s, when Hollywood seemed obsessed with finding new and exciting ways to blow up the Earth.
The existential threat in Armageddon is a fast-approaching, ridiculously large asteroid that's discovered a little more than two weeks before it's set to touch down and destroy the planet. The best strategy NASA's geniuses can come up with is planting and detonating a nuclear bomb deep inside inside it. The time crunch means astronauts can't be trained to do the digging, so NASA turns to a crack crew of deep sea oil drillers, led by Harry S. Stamper (Bruce Willis), for help. Ben Affleck is there, too. This movie rules so hard. —Adam Rosenberg, Senior Games Reporter
How to watch: Armageddon is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
8. The City of Lost Children
Before he brought us the magic and romance of Amelie (or Alien Resurrection), French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet teamed with Marc Caro and Gilles Adrien to write and direct this tender tale of fantasy and science-fiction, which was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Palme d'Or in 2015.
In a murky world of minefields and mad science, children are being abducted by a band of cyborgs to appease a brilliant but vile creature, who feeds on their dreams. However, the kidnappers bite off more than they can chew when they snatch the little brother of a circus's strong man (Ron Perlman). Full of imagery odd and awe-inspiring, The City of Lost Children is an imaginative adventure that's sure to snatch at your dreams. If you love the work of Terry Gilliam, then you'll want to know he absolutely adores this movie. —K.P.
How to watch: The City of Lost Children is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video for subscribers.
9. Vivarium
Vivarium isn’t the sci-fi journey to pick if you’re seeking tidy explanations or slickly satisfying reveals. But if you’re open to a more ethereal sci-fi experience — one that will make you ask a lot of questions about the world you’ve been introduced to and then fail to answer most of them — this uniquely baffling outing from director Lorcan Finnegan is worth a go.
Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots star as a couple looking to buy a house. Yonder, a suburban development touted as having "All you’d need and all you’d want" catches their eye, and they schedule a visit at one of its many identical properties. But after a strange house tour, the pair find they can’t exit the neighborhood, with the labyrinthine rows of matching units trapping them in some kind of loop.
Things only get stranger from there, so cue this one up when you’re feeling a bit weird. It’s visually beautiful and narratively bonkers. —Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Vivarium is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
*This blurb has appeared in a past Mashable list.
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