If you’re looking to escape reality into a sci-fi world this week, then look no further than Prime Video. The popular streaming service has plenty of excellent sci-fi picks within its extensive movie library, and I’ve combed through the collection to find the three worth watching right now.
My picks this week range from one of the most celebrated (and unflinchingly bleak) sci-fi movies of the 21st century to a claustrophobic thriller set in an underground bunker. But if you’re looking for something a tad more upbeat, there’s also a grand adventure that is perfect for “Stranger Things” fans, and it isn’t shy about its Spielbergian inspiration either.
The Prime Video catalogue can be a bit of a pain to sift through (Amazon, please improve your UI... ), so I’ve collected together the three best sci-fi movies on the platform that any self-respecting genre fans should watch.
‘Children of Men’ (2006)
In 2006, Alfonso Cuarón crafted one of the most technically impressive sci-fi movies of all time, and almost two decades later, “Children of Men” remains a stunning cinematic achievement. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, it’s a genre pioneer with its use of single-shot film techniques replicated in numerous movies since. But underneath its technical excellence is a gripping dystopian thriller that explores a bleak vision of the future where humanity is on the verge of extinction and society as we know it has crumbled.
Set in a world where no children have been born for 18 years due to mass infertility, Theo (Clive Owen) is a cynical government bureaucrat in a totalitarian Britain. He is forced to become an unlikely savior when his estranged ex-wife (Julianne Moore) recruits him to escort a refugee named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to safety. The wrinkle is that Kee is pregnant, making her perhaps humanity’s last hope for survival. Gripping from the start, “Children of Men” is a stunning sci-fi thriller that feels alarmingly plausible.
Watch "Children of Men" on Prime Video now
‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ (2016)
Director Dan Trachtenberg’s “Predator: Badlands” hits theatres next week, but the filmmaker cut his teeth on 2016’s “10 Cloverfield Lane,” and this sci-fi movie is far more than a cheap spin-off. It’s a claustrophobic horror-thriller with a scene-stealing turn from John Goodman. Let’s just say the typically charismatic actor is anything but cuddly in his role as the controlling Howard Stambler. Thriving on a sense of paranoia and unpredictability, the only blemish here is a pretty weak third act, but everything before the limp conclusion is utterly gripping.
After an argument with her fiancé, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) gets into a car accident on a rural country road. She awakens chained up in an underground bunker, trapped in this small space with two men: Howard and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). They explain to her that an alien attack has rendered the surface uninhabitable, and the bunker serves as a haven. But as cabin fever sets in, Michelle starts to wonder if she’s being told the truth, and whether the true monster isn’t actually locked underground with her.
Watch "10 Cloverfield Lane" on Prime Video now
‘Watch the Skies’ (2022)
“Watch the Skies” is an enjoyable multidimensional romp with a cast of lovable misfits at its core. It may draw inspiration from many other places — from Steven Spielberg's “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to more modern influences like Netflix’s “Stranger Things" and "Interstellar" — but the film combines all of these influences into a fresh adventure with plenty of excitement, a few twists and a lot of heart.
Denise (Inez Dahl Torhaug) is a rebellious teenager in foster care searching for answers about her father. Convinced he isn't really dead, but was instead abducted by extraterrestrial forces, she joins forces with a quirky UFO-hunting club full of outcasts, and together they set about finding the truth. This hunt for Denise’s father leads them on a high-stakes adventure that goes beyond the boundaries of our known reality.
Watch "Watch the Skies" on Prime Video now
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