The best sci-fi movies on Max right now
When it comes to sci-fi movies on Max, the streamer tends to rely on long-term deals like the one it has with Disney’s 20th Century Studios. Both of this month’s new additions, The Martian and Independence Day, come from the studio formerly known as 20th Century Fox. The former is a cerebral science fiction thriller with a lot of heart, while the latter is filled with exciting action. Taken together, they represent two different sides of sci-fi fandom.
These films are complemented by select movies from Warner Bros. Pictures’ library, including the recently arrived Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Beyond that film, there is a mixture of classic sci-fi flicks like 2001: A Space Odyssey and more modern titles like Dune: Part Two. You can find the rest of our selections for the best sci-fi movies on Max below.
In need of some more streaming recommendations? We also have guides to the best movies on Max, the best shows on Max, and what’s new on HBO and Max that are worth looking through.
The Martian
Year: 2015
Runtime: 2 hours, 22 minutes
Director: Ridley Scott
The story of how author Andy Weir self-published The Martian on his website before it became a best-eller is almost as inspiring as the novel he wrote. Don’t expect to see any alien Xenomorphs in this Ridley Scott film. The only hard turn into science fiction for this movie is that humanity’s space shuttle technology finally allows NASA to send a manned mission to Mars.
Unfortunately for Dr. Mark Watney (Matt Damon), a freak accident on the planet’s surface leads his crew to believe that he’s perished. Left alone on Mars, Mark has to figure out how he can survive four long years before the next mission. Once Mark makes contact with Earth, the debate about whether to rescue him forces Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and the rest of her crew to make some hard choices.
Independence Day
Year: 1996
Runtime: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Director: Roland Emmerich
The real secret behind Independence Day‘s longevity is that it gives audiences the visceral thrill of aliens blowing up famous cities and locations while also providing a look at mankind’s battle to defend itself on the Fourth of July. As far as popcorn sci-fi action movies go, few are better than this.
When aliens arrive on Earth, David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) is one of the first to realize their intentions are sinister. President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) has the unenviable task of trying to keep the dream of America alive against such an incredible threat. Fortunately, men like pilot Steven Hiller (Will Smith) prove that the aliens can be beaten in battle. But it’s going to take more than firepower to ensure humanity’s survival.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Year: 2024
Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Director: Adam Wingard
After fighting each other in Godzilla vs. Kong, the two monsters have retreated into their separate corners three years later in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Kong gets to rule down below in the Hollow Earth while Godzilla extends his dominance over his fellow Titans on the surface. Unfortunately, the good times can’t last forever because there’s a threat brewing that could have devastating consequences for the world. Neither Kong nor Godzilla can win this battle by themselves. But together, these two giant creatures may prove to be the salvation of the entire world… if they can figure out how to get along.
Gattaca
Year: 1997
Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes
Director: Andrew Niccol
The future of discrimination isn’t based on skin color in Gattaca. Instead, it’s genetics, as naturally born children are considered inferior to kids who were born with scientifically enhanced traits. Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) has felt the sting of that double standard his entire life, especially since his genetically engineered brother, Anton Freeman (Loren Dean), got all of the advantages that his older brother never could.
As an adult, Vincent strikes a deal with a paralyzed athlete, Jerome Eugene Morrow (Jude Law), to pass his genetic material off as his own and earn a place among the Gattaca space program. But just when Vincent’s dreams of becoming an astronaut are almost in reach, a murder at the program threatens to expose his true identity. And Vincent’s own brother is leading the police investigation that may lead back to him.
Splice
Year: 2009
Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Director: Vincenzo Natali
When scientists try to play God, they almost always get burned. Splice is no exception, as Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) disregard their employers’ wishes by creating a human/animal hybrid whom they call Dren (Delphine Chanéac). Dren may have some human characteristics, but she is far from what we would call humanity.
Additionally, Clive and Elsa’s attempt to isolate Dren backfires, as she continuously mutates and evolves. Dren’s a fast study when it comes to men and women, and she has no feelings of paternal love for her creators. If she’s this dangerous now, how deadly will Dren be in her final form?
Kate & Leopold
Year: 2001
Runtime: 1 hour, 59 minutes
Director: James Mangold
Kate & Leopold falls more on the side of rom-com than sci-fi, but it is a science fiction story. More specifically, it deals with time travel. Stuart Besser (Liev Schreiber) has discovered recurring portals that connect the present to 1876, where his ancestor, Leopold (Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Hugh Jackman) lives. After Leopold notices Stuart’s unusual characteristics, he is accidentally drawn back to the present with him.
While stuck in modern day New York, Leopold meets and bonds with Kate McKay (Meg Ryan), a researcher who doesn’t believe that Leopold is from the past. But one thing she does believe in is their instant connection, even though Leopold’s continued presence in his future may lead to severe consequences if he doesn’t go back in time to fulfill his role in history.
Dune: Part Two
Year: 2024
Runtime: 2 hours, 46 minutes
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Box office hits have been few and far between in 2024, but Dune: Part Two did so well that it secured a future for the third film, Dune: Messiah. Timothée Chalamet reprises his as Paul Atreides, the last living male heir of his house following the destruction of his family by House Harkonnen. Now living among the Fremen with his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Paul quickly wins the admiration of his new tribe. And several of their number believe that Paul is a figure of prophecy who will lead them to reclaim their world.
One of the few Fremen who refuses to bow to Paul is Chani (Zendaya), the young woman who loves him. Elvis‘ Austin Butler co-stars as Feyd-Rautha, an even more ruthless member of House Harkonnen who stands in the way of Paul’s ascension. Even if Paul can defeat Feyd-Rautha, his victory may have dire consequences for the entire universe.
War for the Planet of the Apes
Year: 2017
Runtime: 2 hours, 21 minutes
Director: Matt Reeves
It’s easy to understand why Caesar (Andy Serkis) is so angry with humanity in War for the Planet of the Apes. Every attempt that Caesar has made to establish peace with humans has failed, and now his wife and oldest child are the latest victims in the war. In order to deliver his apes to a sanctuary, Caesar and his closest allies, Maurice (Karin Konoval), Rocket (Terry Notary), and Luca (Michael Adamthwaite), attempt to lead the human militia away.
However, the Colonel (Woody Harrelson) won’t rest until the apes are fully suppressed. Despite being disllusioned with humanity, Caesar reluctantly bonds with a young mute girl named Nova (Amiah Miller) who may hold the key to victory in the war for this world.
Terminator Salvation
Year: 2009
Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Director: McG
No one besides James Cameron has been able to crack the perfect Terminator sequel, but Terminator Salvation is a lot better than everything else that came after Terminator 2. That’s because this film doesn’t rehash the plot of the first two movies. Instead, it places audiences in the future world that was only glimpsed in the previous films. Christian Bale stars as John Connor, a solider who is having a hard time living up to predictions that he would be the savior of mankind in the war against the machines. John is also alarmed that the A.I. known as Skynet is targeting his father, Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), as if the machines are aware of how his fate is tied with John’s.
Meanwhile, Marcus Wright (Avatar 3‘s Sam Worthington) emerges as the wild card in the war between humanity and the machines. Marcus doesn’t initially realize it, but he’s been transformed into a half-Terminator hybrid. And his choices will determine which side will triumph in a key battle for the future.
Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
Year: 1991
Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Director: Pete Hewitt
America’s favorite time-traveling nitwits return in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, and they’re even funnier when they’re dead! It’s true, Bill S. Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) end up getting murdered by their exact robot duplicates from the future before being sent on a one-way trip to the afterlife.
Fortunately, Death (William Sadler) turns out to be a big pushover and Bill and Ted don’t stay dead for very long. But they will need some more help to defeat their evil robots and change the future, especially since their music still isn’t good enough to change the world.
Godzilla
Year: 2014
Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Director: Gareth Edwards
Godzilla Minus One may be the Oscar winner in Big G’s family tree, but the 2014 reboot of Godzilla successfully launched the MonsterVerse that’s still going. However, Godzilla has fought King Kong and teamed up with him, so there may not be many places left for the MonsterVerse to go.
Regardless, director Gareth Edwards did a great job of restoring Godzilla’s grandeur, especially after the awful 1998 American reboot with Matthew Broderick. Godzilla doesn’t get much screen time here until the movie is almost half over, but he’s worth the wait. And the film gives Godzilla a pair of monstrous foes whom even he can barely handle on his own.
9
Year: 2009
Runtime: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Director: Shane Acker
The movie 9 is an animated sci-fi story that’s been largely forgotten in the 15 years since its release. The story takes place in the future, as a soulless creation called the Fabrication Machine has decimated humanity and the entire world. The Scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) who created the machine realizes that only creations with a soul may stand a chance against it. So he creates nine stitchpunks that each carry different aspects of his personality and soul.
9 (Elijah Wood) is perhaps the most humanlike of all the stitchpunks,who also include 7 (Jennifer Connelly), 2 (Martin Landau), 5 (John C. Reilly), and 6 (Crispin Glover). However, 1 (Christopher Plummer) declares himself the leader of the stitchpunks, setting up a conflict with 9 even as the Fabrication Machine sends its own lethal creations to destroy them all.
Aliens
Year: 1986
Runtime: 2 hours, 18 minutes
Director: James Cameron
If The Terminator didn’t convince Hollywood that James Cameron was a great director, then Aliens sealed the deal. The original Alien by Ridley Scott is regarded as one of the all-time great sci-fi horror movies. Cameron not only topped it, but he made Aliens one of best action films as well. Nearly six decades after her encounter with a single xenomorph, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is despondent when she discovers that she missed her daughter’s entire life during her journey home in suspended animation.
Because of Ripley’s experience with the xenomorphs, she is recruited to accompany the Colonial Marines to a colony world called LV-426. By the time they get there, LV-426 is already overrun by numerous xenomorphs. The only human survivor is a young girl named Rebecca “Newt” Jorden (Carrie Henn), and Ripley will face any danger to get Newt out alive.
Leviathan
Year: 1989
Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Director: George P. Cosmatos
It would be hard to get a more ’80s cast than Leviathan‘s leading players, who include Peter Weller, Ernie Hudson, Amanda Pays, and Daniel Stern. Some reviewers referred to this film as “Aliens underwater,” and that’s a fair assessment. Weller plays Steven Beck, the latest addition to an undersea mining crew that includes Elizabeth “Willie” Williams (Pays), Justin Jones (Hudson), Buzz “Sixpack” Parrish (Stern), and Dr. Glen “Doc” Thompson (Richard Crenna).
After finding a disabled Russian submarine called Leviathan, the crew members gradually realize that a deadly experiment that was started on that sub has come over to their ship as well. And the monster in question uses the flesh of its victims to take the form of something new and terrifying.
RoboCop
Year: 1987
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Director: Paul Verhoeven
The original RoboCop strikes a balance between serious sci-fi and truly hilarious satire that never veers into farce. Director Paul Verhoeven pulled that off with the help of his leading man, Peter Weller, who still manages to convey RoboCop’s humanity with just the lower half of face for most of the movie. In the near future, the corporation OCP is in charge of Detroit’s police department. When OCP Senior President Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) stumbles with his brutally lethal ED-209 law enforcement robots, his rival, Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), sees his chance to push the RoboCop project.
But for a man to become a machine, he has to die first. And it’s not long before Officer Alex Murphy (Weller) is murdered by one Jones’ criminal underlings, Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith). Upon his revival as a cyborg, Murphy is initially the perfect candidate to be RoboCop. Yet soon enough, Murphy remembers who he was and how he died. This sends Murphy on a quest for justice that he may not be able to finish by himself.
Predators
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes
Director: Nimród Antal
The first two Predator movies withheld a lot of information about the titular threats from another world. Predators shed a little bit more light on the creatures, including some deadly class divisions. But as before, the human characters are at the forefront. Adrien Brody stars as Royce, a mercenary who finds himself trapped on an alien planet alongside other survivors including Edwin (Topher Grace), Isabelle (Alice Braga), and Stans (Walton Goggins).
When the group encounters Noland (Laurence Fishburne), he explains that the Predators have been using this world as their personal hunting grounds … and they always hunt as a trio. Getting off this planet may require an unconventional alliance, if the humans can trust each other long enough to free a sympathetic Predator.
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Year: 1989
Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Director: Stephen Herek
Strange things are indeed afoot at the Circle K as the sci-fi comedy Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure introduces Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) to their future selves, courtesy of their mentor from the future, Rufus (George Carlin). Because Bill and Ted are destined to change the world for the better, Rufus lends them his time machine to help them create a history report that they need to ace to graduate high school.
However, thinking isn’t necessarily Bill and Ted’s strong point, as the dim-witted duo causes havoc throughout the time stream while bringing several historical figures to the present, including Napoleon Bonaparte (Terry Camilleri), Billy the Kid (Dan Shor), Socrates (Tony Steedman), Sigmund Freud (Rod Loomis), Genghis Khan (Al Leong), Joan of Arc (Jane Wiedlin), Abraham Lincoln (Robert V. Barron), and Ludwig van Beethoven (Clifford David).
Mad Max: Fury Road
Year: 2015
Runtime: 2 hours, 1 minute
Director: George Miller
If you were expecting a smooth transition from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome to Mad Max: Fury Road, then you’re going to be disappointed. But you won’t be disappointed by Fury Road itself, which may be among the best action movies ever made. Tom Hardy takes over the leading role of “Mad Max” Rockatansky from Mel Gibson, and he immediately loses the spotlight in his own film to Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who will be featured in the upcoming prequel film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Max and Furiosa don’t necessarily get along – much like the strained relationship that Hardy and Theron reportedly had on the set – but they do have a common enemy in Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), a warlord who sends his forces after this unlikely duo as they attempt to escort Joe’s estranged wives to safety.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Year: 2015
Runtime: 2 hours, 12 minutes
Director: Wes Ball
Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), Newt (Love Actually‘s Thomas Brodie-Sangster), and the other survivors from The Maze Runner are back in the sequel, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. After being evacuated from the Glade, Thomas and his friends accept shelter from Janson (Aidan Gillen) at his facility as they learn more about WCKD and the deadly Flare Virus that devastated humanity.
However, Janson’s sanctuary isn’t what it seems, and Thomas is forced to lead his Gladers into danger once again as they cross through the wasteland known as the Scorch. But Janson and WCKD aren’t about to let their human experiments escape so easily, which forces Thomas’ group to elude WCKD troops while navigating the deadliest areas of the Scorch.
High Life
Year: 2018
Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes
Director: Claire Denis
High Life is a film that requires a great deal of patience because it’s not the kind of sci-fi movie with thrills or a lot of action. Instead, it’s the story of a doomed spaceship in space that is staffed by prisoners who would have otherwise faced death sentences on Earth.
Robert Pattinson stars in the film as Monte, one of the few inmates on the ship who is relatively well-adjusted. That’s why Monte captures the attention of Dr. Dibs (Juliette Binoche), a deranged scientist on the ship who uses his DNA to create a child with another prisoner named Boyse (Pearl‘s Mia Goth). But as the ship continues on its one-way trip to oblivion, Monte may be the only person who can give his child some semblance of a life.
Dune (2021)
Year: 2021
Runtime: 2 hours, 36 minutes
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Impatient viewers may have a hard time with the modern adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune because it really takes its time getting to a cliffhanger ending for the upcoming sequel. Unlike David Lynch, director Denis Villeneuve had the room to space things out, so to speak. The result is one of the most lavish sci-fi epics in decades.
Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, but a good deal of this film belongs to Paul’s father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). Despite his suspicions that he was sent to Arrakis to fail, Duke Leto genuinely believes he can improve the lives of the native Fremen and bring peace to the most important planet in the universe. Unfortunately for House Atreides, their enemies have already made plans to destroy them, and Paul may be the only one who can keep his family line alive.
Avatar
Year: 2009
Runtime: 2 hours, 42 minutes
Director: James Cameron
Avatar is still the reigning worldwide box office champion, and it’s back on Max. In the film, director James Cameron took audiences to a distant world called Pandora, where humanity is attempting to take the natural resources from the native people, the Na’vi. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) replaces his late brother on a mission to Pandora that allows him to inhabit a Na’vi-like body to befriend the Na’vi and gain their trust while working for Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).
Jake quickly bonds with a Na’vi woman, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), who takes it upon herself to teach him about life on Pandora. But the more time Jake spends on Pandora, the more he realizes he’s on the wrong side. Unfortunately for Jake, it may already be too late to save the Na’vi’s world from Quaritch and the colonizers from Earth.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Year: 2022
Runtime: 3 hours, 12 minutes
Director: James Cameron
Disney’s gain is apparently also Max’s gain. Through a content-sharing deal, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water is streaming on Max, and it might be the last new 20th Century Studios release to do so. The Way of Water picks up 16 years after the original film, as Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his wife, Neytiri (Zoe Salda?a), live peacefully on Pandora while raising a family, including their adoptive daughter, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver).
When humanity re-invades Pandora, Jake learns that his old adversary, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), lives on through his recorded memories in a cloned Avatar body. To protect themselves from Quaritch’s vendetta, Jake and Neytiri take their family into hiding and attempt to make new allies among the Na’vi. But they can’t hide forever…
2001: A Space Odyssey
Year: 1968
Runtime: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Director: Stanley Kubrick
The word “masterpiece” tends to get thrown around a lot in film criticism. But 2001: A Space Odyssey more than lives up to the hype even decades later. director Stanley Kubrick and writer Arthur C. Clarke crafted an unforgettable sci-fi epic that is told more through visuals than anything spoken aloud.
Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood star respectively as Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole. Together, David and Frank are part of a deep space mission to investigate a massive alien monolith that may be connected to the origins of humanity millions of years earlier. Unfortunately for David and Frank, their onboard artificial intelligence, HAL 9000, is developing some very dangerous and paranoid tendencies that may threaten more than just their mission.
