The best sci-fi movies on Hulu right now
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Although Hulu‘s selection of sci-fi movies only had a few new additions in June and July, August more than made up for that lack of content. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes would have made it a great month by itself, since this hit sequel was only recently in theaters. But Hulu also added Real Steel, John Carter, and In Time.
The backbone of Hulu’s sci-fi collection is the 20th Century Fox library, which is why there are so many Alien, Predator, and Planet of the Apes films on this list. Thankfully, they’re far from the only titles on our roundup of the best sci-fi movies on Hulu. You can find the rest of our picks below.
If you’re looking for more films to watch, remember that Hulu is part of the Disney Bundle. That includes the basic Hulu subscription (with ads), Disney+, and ESPN+, all for just $14 a month. That’s a great deal, and you don’t even have to travel to the future for it.
If you’re curious about what’s available in science fiction on other streaming services, we also have guides for the best sci-fi movies on Netflix, as well as the best sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) [New]
Metacritic: 66%
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 145m
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Action
Stars: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand
Directed by: Wes Ball
Three hundred years after the life of Caesar, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes shows viewers what it looks like when apes have inherited the Earth. Some apes, like Eagle Clan, thrive in nature, including young Noa (Owen Teague), who seeks an eagle of his own. However, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) represents the other extreme as he enslaves Eagle Clan and other apes to give himself a human-like empire.
A human girl named Mae (The Witcher’s Freya Allan) has something that Proxmius wants in order to expand his power. Mae tentatively befriends Noa and his new ally, Raka (Peter Macon), in an alliance against Proximus. But Mae’s secrets force Noa to question whether he can trust her or any other human.
Real Steel (2011) [New]
Metacritic: 56%
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 127m
Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Drama
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Thirteen years before teaming on Deadpool & Wolverine hit theaters, director Shawn Levy and star Hugh Jackman teamed up for Real Steel. It wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate to call this Rock ’em, Sock ’em Robots: The Movie, but it’s also better than that description suggests. In the near future, boxing has been replaced by robot combat. Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, an ex-boxer turned owner of robot fighters who can’t give him the victories he desperately needs.
When Charlie’s former lover dies, he temporarily takes custody of their son, Max Kenton (Dakota Goyo), and bonds with him as their scavenged robot, Atom, goes on a winning streak. Charlie even shows some romantic interest in boxing gym owner Bailey Tallet (Evangeline Lilly). But when old problems resurface, Charlie either needs to fight for his son or risk losing his love forever.
John Carter (2012) [New]
Metacritic: 51%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 132m
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Not every big bet pays off in the movie industry, but John Carter is a film that transcends its status as a notorious box-office failure. Pixar’s Andrew Stanton made this adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars into a passion project that finally gives the hero who inspired Luke Skywalker and countless others his own movie.
Taylor Kitsch plays John Carter, a former Confederate army captain whose attempt to leave war behind him inadvertently sends him to Mars. On the red planet, which the natives call Barsoom, John meets and falls for Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) and discovers that alien races of Mars have been manipulated by an unseen enemy. Fortunately, John’s newfound strength in Mars’ low gravity may help him become the hero that Barsoom can unite behind.
In Time (2011) [New]
Metacritic: 53%
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 109m
Genre: Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Stars: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy
Directed by: Andrew Niccol
In Time takes place just under 200 years in the future, where the secret of immortality has been found … and hoarded by the rich and powerful. Now, no one ages beyond 25 years, but all of the poor people have to buy and sell time, which determines how long they can live.
A factory worker, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), is gifted centuries of time by a suicidal man. This makes Will a target of Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy), who believes that Will stole that time and murdered his benefactor. To stay ahead of the Timekeepers, Will kidnaps Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), a young woman from an affluent background who may be the only one he can trust.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Metacritic: 53%
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 122m
Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Adventure
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Despite losing a lot of money at the box office, Alita: Battle Angel is one of the best American adaptations of a manga or anime story. Rosa Salazar stars as Alita, a female android with a human brain who has been dormant for a long time. Fallen scientist Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) finds and rebuilds Alita before essentially adopting her.
Since Alita has no memories of her old life, she embraces life in Iron City with Ido and develops feelings for a boy named Hugo (Keean Johnson). She also learns that the citizens of Iron City are being oppressed by the rich and powerful. The city needs a champion, and Alita is willing to step into the role even if it costs her everything.
Aliens (1986)
Metacritic: 84%
IMDb: 8.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 137m
Genre: Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn
Directed by: James Cameron
Citizens of Earth, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation invites you to take a trip to the tranquil exomoon LV-426. After a relaxing space voyage, you won’t see a single xenomorph… instead, you’ll see several.
Aliens was James Cameron’s follow-up to The Terminator, and it significantly increases the action from Ridley Scott’s Alien. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, the only woman who lived through a xenomorph attack. But even with the Colonial Marines backing up Ripley, she’s severely outnumbered by the xenomorphs. But not for long.
Predators (2010)
Metacritic: 51%
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 107m
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Thriller
Stars: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga
Directed by: Nimród Antal
For the first time in the history of the franchise, Predators takes place off-world. Royce (Adrien Brody), Stans (Walton Goggins), Isabelle (Alice Braga), and more find themselves on an unknown planet. Aside from a doctor, Edwin (Topher Grace), they are all trained killers or criminals.
The humans soon realize that they are in an alien game preserve, and they’re the prey for multiple Predators. And to make things even more dangerous, the humans discover that there are warring factions of Predators who are willing to fight each other.
Independence Day (1996)
Metacritic: 59%
IMDb: 7.0/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 145m
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
It sure was nice of the aliens to invade on a long holiday weekend like the Fourth of July. But it wasn’t very neighborly of them to go around blowing up Earth’s major cities and turning the White House into a weenie roast. Regardless, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin’s Independence Day was a big blockbuster that recaptured the spirit of the disaster films from the 1970s and led to a resurgence of sci-fi movies as well.
Ex-fighter pilot Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) is the unlucky guy who gets to be president when the fate of the entire world is at stake. Thankfully, Whitmore rises to the occasion with one of the most rousing speeches put to film. Will Smith (Bad Boys: Ride or Die) and Jeff Goldblum (Wicked) also star as Captain Steven Hiller and David Levinson, respectively. President Whitmore may be the leader that humanity needs, but Steven and David have to take the fight to the aliens themselves.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Metacritic: 79%
IMDb: 8.0/10
Rated: G
Duration: 112m
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Drama, Action
Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter
Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes may have better special effects than the 1968 original, but the original film has a much better story that was co-written by The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. This movie also gave Charlton Heston one of his most famous roles as George Taylor, an astronaut from Earth who crashes on an unknown world where apes are the dominant species.
Ape scientists Dr. Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) and Dr. Zira (Kim Hunter) are sympathetic to Taylor even before they discover he can speak. Regardless, another ape scientist, Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans), will do almost anything to silence Taylor and prevent him from learning the secret of the Planet of the Apes.
Predator (1987)
Metacritic: 47%
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rated: R
Duration: 107m
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Thriller
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo
Directed by: John McTiernan
Contemporary critics of Predator dismissed it in 1987, but it has since gone on to become recognized as one the all-time great sci-fi action movies. It’s also one of the few films to give Arnold Schwarzenegger an on-screen nemesis who is even more intimidating than he is. The Predator (Kevin Peter Hall) is given no name in the movie, and this alien hasn’t come to Earth to make friends. Instead, he’s hunting people.
Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), his CIA contact Al Dillon (the late Carl Weathers), and the rest of Dutch’s mercenary team find out the hard way that they’ve become the prey to this killer from another world. They may be skilled soldiers by Earth’s standards, but the Predator is toying with them as he picks them off one-by-one.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Metacritic: 82%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 140m
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, War
Stars: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Karin Konoval
Directed by: Matt Reeves
The Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy comes to a strong conclusion in War for the Planet of the Apes. After years of conflict with humans, Caesar (Andy Serkis) has lost almost all compassion for his rival species, especially after humans killed his wife and child. That’s why Caesar is so slow to warm up to Nova (Amiah Miller), a mute human girl who is befriended by his right-hand orangutan, Maurice (Karin Konoval).
Before Caesar can lead the apes to sanctuary, he’ll have one last battle to fight against the Colonel (Woody Harrelson), a man whose brutal tactics may allow humanity to retain their hold on the Planet of the Apes.
The Creator (2023)
Metacritic: 63%
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 134m
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars: John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
After an extended absence from theaters, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards helmed and co-wrote The Creator. Tenet’s John David Washington stars as Sergeant Joshua Taylor, a soldier in humanity’s war against an overpowering AI force. Years after losing his wife, Maya Fey (Gemma Chan), to an AI attack, Taylor is given a new mission that may decide the outcome of the war.
Taylor’s goal is to find and destroy a new AI weapon, Alpha-O, which has the ability to control any technology remotely. But much to Taylor’s shock, the weapon is actually Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), a child-like AI he decides to take under his protection regardless of the consequences.
Alien (1979)
Metacritic: 89%
IMDb: 8.5/10
Rated: R
Duration: 117m
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm
Directed by: Ridley Scott
2024 marks the 45th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s Alien, and it remains one of the best sci-fi/horror films of all-time. The story focuses on the ill-fated crew of the Nostromo, a spaceship that investigates a strange transmission during their interstellar journey. What they find is the body of a long-dead humanoid-like alien and a facehugger that leaves the ship’s executive officer, Kane (John Hurt), with an alien growing inside of his body.
No amount of Pepto-Bismol is going to save Kane when the xenomorph bursts from his body. Unfortunately for Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), and the rest of the crew, the xenomorph is more than capable of hunting them down one by one.
Dual (2022)
Metacritic: 62%
IMDb: 5.8/10
Rated: R
Duration: 95m
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars: Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul, Beulah Koale
Directed by: Riley Stearns
Karen Gillan plays a dual role in Dual, as Sarah and her double. In the near future, Sarah is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and she allows herself to be cloned to spare her boyfriend, Peter (Beulah Koale), and her mother, (Maija Paunio), from the emotional pain of losing her. But when Sarah miraculously recovers her health, she is horrified to discover that the clone has already taken over her life. Sarah’s mother and Peter even prefer the clone to the real Sarah! And by law, only one Sarah can survive. That’s why Sarah has one year to train herself, with the help of Trent (Aaron Paul), to fight her clone in a battle to the death.
Crimes of the Future (2022)
Metacritic: 67%
IMDb: 5.9/10
Rated: R
Duration: 107m
Genre: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Scott Speedman
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Ah, David Cronenberg. Never change. Crimes of the Future is Cronenberg’s first sci-fi film in two decades, and you really shouldn’t watch this movie while eating. It goes the full Cronenberg with disgusting sci-fi body horror. Viggo Mortensen stars as Saul Tenser, a man whose Accelerated Evolution Syndrome makes his body constantly produce new organs. So in this near future, Saul constantly has his organs removed as a piece of performance art by his partner, Caprice (Léa Seydoux). This actually sexually excites National Organ Registry agent Timlin (Love Lies Bleeding‘s Kristen Stewart), and it leads Saul into an even darker corner of the body modification underground.
Boss Level (2021)
Metacritic: 56%
IMDb: 6.8/10
Duration: 101m
Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars: Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Every morning is the same morning for Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) in Boss Level, and each of those mornings he wakes up to the same assassin burying a machete in his headboard and a small army of colorful killers waiting for him outside. No matter what he does, Roy can’t manage to survive past 12:47 p.m., and that doesn’t change until a clue from his estranged wife puts him on the right path. Time loop movies are nothing new. Films like Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, and even Hulu’s own Palm Springs have turned the idea of living the same day over and over again into a subgenre all of its own. What sets Boss Level apart is the dark humor and perfectly over-the-top violence with which the story is told. It’s an action-packed and fun way to spend an hour and a half, with lots of blood and lots of laughs.