3 best Prime Video sci-fi movies to stream right now

Ethan Hawke in Gattaca — (Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

Few movie genres are as instantly immersive as science fiction, what with its technological marvels, interstellar oddities and alien thrills. And though you can find a whole galaxy's worth of sci-fi titles across the best streaming services, Prime Video has a particularly stacked sci-fi movie library for your curious perusal.

Given the sheer sprawl of those sci-fi options, though, it can make it hard to know where to start, which is why we're highlighting three of the best sci-fi flicks that you can stream now on Amazon's streaming platform. This trio of titles showcases the sheer breadth and variety of the science-fiction genre, from a quirky Oscar-winning monster movie to a cult-favorite dystopian thriller to a sci-fi horror film centered on an alien invasion.

'Poor Things'

POOR THINGS | Official Trailer | Searchlight Pictures - YouTube

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A freaky, feminist ode to the O.G. sci-fi tale "Frankenstein," 2023's Yorgos Lanthimos-directed "Poor Things" sees leading lady Emma Stone — whose wonderfully weird and brazenly wild performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress — as Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe).

Living as a hybrid creature with the brain of a newborn transplanted into an adult body, Bella yearns to explore the world, so she runs off with the debauched lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) on a journey of self-discovery, sexual awakenings and cerebral advancement.

Along with classic Frankensteinian horror elements, the stunningly rendered and wildly imaginative film displays plenty of steampunk sci-fi sensibilities (it also took home Oscars for best production and costume design) as we see Bella experience real liberation for the first time.

Watch "Poor Things" on Prime Video now

'10 Cloverfield Lane'

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE | Official Trailer - YouTube

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In "10 Cloverfield Lane," — the 2016 science-fiction thriller directed by Dan Trachtenberg (in his directorial debut) and produced by J. J. Abrams — a young woman named Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up after a car accident to find herself in a bunker underground with two unknown men (played by John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr.)

As if that weren't cause for concern enough, the men inform her that the world above them has become uninhabitable due to an apocalyptic attack.

What follows is a heart-pounding survivalist sci-fi drama where Michelle has to internally weigh whether she's better off remaining in the bunker, despite her unsettled feelings about the men and their motives, or if she should escape and face the mysterious threats lurking outside.

Watch "10 Cloverfield Lane" on Prime Video now

'Gattaca'

GATTACA [1997] – Official Trailer (HD) | Now on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital - YouTube

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Delving into the ethical implications of genetic engineering and genetic determinism, 1997's "Gattaca" centers on Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), a man living in the "not-too-distant" future as "In-Valid", i.e., a person conceived naturally and therefore more susceptible to genetic disorders.

To overcome such genetic discrimination and realize his dream of traveling into space with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, Vincent successfully assumes the identity and DNA of a genetically perfect space navigator (played by Jude Law) — that is, until a murder marks Vincent as a suspect and the investigation threatens to expose his deception.

Watch "Gattaca" on Prime Video now

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Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York.

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