Like all good things, the time of these 11 sci-fi movies streaming on Netflix must come to an end, and the end for them is December 31. At the beginning of each month, Netflix typically takes a bunch of movies and TV shows off the streaming platform and replaces them with a new batch of projects. This keeps the library fresh while allowing Netflix to not pay endless licensing fees for movies that people aren’t watching.
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However, the majority of Netflix subscribers undoubtedly don’t watch everything that Netflix has to offer each month, meaning that many of these projects are missed. An unusually large batch of popular sci-fi movies are being taken off of Netflix at the end of December, so fans of the genre need to watch these 11 movies while they still have the chance.
11) Battleship
In the wake of Barbie‘s box office success, companies like Hasbro are attempting to turn all kinds of toys and board games into profitable film franchises. However, one of Hasbro’s most notable failed attempts at this is streaming on Netflix right now: 2012’s Battleship.
Directed by Peter Berg, the film adapts the classic board game as a gritty action sci-fi movie. It stars Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgård as Navy officers who discover that aliens have invaded Earth. The U.S. Navy must team up with Japanese forces in order to take on the invaders and save Earth.
The story of 2012’s Battleship is a far cry from its source material, making it a bit of an online joke since its release. The film was a box office failure, making $303 million against a $220 million budget, as well as a critical failure, holding 33% on Rotten Tomatoes.
10) Cowboys & Aliens
2011’s Cowboys & Aliens is another sci-fi movie that was the subject of a lot of jokes upon its release, but the film’s campy nature has earned it a cult following. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Daniel Craig as a gunslinger who has to unite a Western town in order to face an alien threat. Harrison Ford, Paul Dano, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, and Walton Goggins are also featured in the sci-fi western’s surprisingly star-studded cast.
Cowboys & Aliens was notable for its unique premise, but it was a box office failure. The movie earned $174.8 million on a budget of $163 million, and it has 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. While the film isn’t a masterpiece, it is still a fun watch, and is worth seeing before it leaves Netflix in a week.
9) Deep Impact
1998’s Deep Impact is a popular sci-fi movie from director Mimi Leder, with it starring Elijah Wood, Morgan Freeman, and Tea Leoni. The film follows a journalist as she discovers that the government has been covering up the fact that a comet is heading toward Earth, with it likely dooming the planet. The government then responds by coming up with a plan to take care of the comet, with a team of astronauts hoping to blow it up before its too late.
Deep Impact was made notable by the involvement of Steven Spielberg, who was an executive producer on the film. It was a box office success, making $349.5 million against a budget of $80 million. However, it didn’t fare as well critically, as Deep Impact currently holds 45% on Rotten Tomatoes.
8) Idiocracy
One of the most critically divisive satirical films in recent history is also leaving Netflix at the end of the month: Idiocracy. Mike Judge’s 2006 film stars Luke Wilson as Joe Bowers, a loser who takes part in an experiment where he will be put into hibernation for a year. He is forgotten about, not being awoken until the year 2505. After arriving in the future, Joe discovers that the average human intelligence has decreased so much that he is now the smartest person on Earth.
The film was a box office failure due to it not getting a major theatrical release, earning only $495,000 against a budget of $2.4 million. However, it gained a cult following upon its DVD release. The movie holds 71% on Rotten Tomatoes as of the writing of this article, proving that viewers still love the comedic sci-fi movie.
7) K-PAX
2001’s K-PAX is possibly the most obscure film on this list, meaning that most viewers should check it out before it leaves Netflix. Directed by Iain Softley, the film stars Jeff Bridges as a psychiatrist who takes on a patient played by Kevin Spacey who claims to be an alien from the distant planet K-PAX. The psychiatrist begins to question his own rationalizations of the patient’s explanations as the case goes on, leading to an interesting psychological sci-fi story.
K-PAX was a box office failure as well, grossing only $65 million on a budget of $68 million. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and it is rarely talked about today. However, it gained a bit of a spotlight when it was added onto Netflix, and sci-fi fans should definitely check it out before it leaves.
6) Limitless
2011’s Limitless comes from director Neil Burger. The adaptation of the novel The Dark Fields stars Bradley Cooper as a writer who takes an untested drug that gives him enhanced mental acuity. This catches the eye of a powerful businessman played by Robert De Niro, who hopes to take advantage of this drug in order to increase his wealth.
The movie was a box office success, earning $161.8 million against a budget of $27 million. Limitless‘ critical reception was mostly positive, with it sitting at 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. The sci-fi thriller still has a few days left on Netflix, so interested viewers should definitely check it out.
5) Star Trek
2009’s Star Trek is the first entry in the modern movie series, and many fans of the franchise considered it to be a great start. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the film follows Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk as the USS Enterprise takes on a Romulan commander who could destroy mankind.
The film was a small box office success, earning $385.7 million against a budget of $150 million. However, it was successful in revitalizing the Star Trek franchise, with multiple sequel movies, TV shows, and spinoff projects being produced since 2009. It is also one of the most critically successful Star Trek projects, earning 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. This makes it a great starting point for fans who want to get into Star Trek, although there isn’t much longer to do it.
4) Star Trek: Beyond
The third film in the modern Star Trek movie series is also leaving Netflix soon, that being 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. Directed by Justin Lin, this entry sees the Enterprise crash land on a dangerous alien planet, where they must fight off its hostile inhabitants and escape. The movie made $343.5 million against a budget of $185 million, and has 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
3) Terminator 2: Judgement Day – Masterpiece
James Cameron’s 1991 classic Terminator 2: Judgement Day is almost universally praised as the best Terminator movie, and one of the best action movies of all time. The sequel sees a new shape-shifting Terminator go back in time to kill John Connor, with a repurposed T-800 being sent back in time by the resistance to protect him and his mother, Sarah Connor.
Terminator 2 is the standard that all Terminator movies and almost all sequels are held to. The film is considered by many to be James Cameron’s magnum opus, and every subsequent Terminator movie has attempted to recapture Judgement Day‘s magic. The film has 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and made $520.9 million against a budget of $102 million, cementing it as a major box office success.
2) Tenet
While Christopher Nolan’s recent films have seen him delve into the genres of historical biopics and fantasy epics, his 2020 film Tenet saw him return to the familiar space of mind-boggling sci-fi. The divisive film stars John David Washington as an unnamed protagonist, with him traveling forward and backward through time in order to prevent World War III.
Some critics cite Tenet as being too confusing, as it definitely doesn’t have an easy plot to follow. However, it still has interesting visuals, a unique concept, and great performances. On top of that, it is one of the films credited with saving theaters after the COVID-19 Pandemic, with it earning $365.9 million against a budget of $205 million.
1) The Martian – Masterpiece
Along with Alien and Blade Runner, The Martian is one of Ridley Scott’s many sci-fi masterpieces. The film stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars after a mission gone wrong. Presumed dead, Watney must figure out how to survive, let NASA know that he is still alive, and get back home.
The film has 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and is considered to be one of the best sci-fi movies of the 2010s. It truly delves into the science part of science fiction, taking the concept of someone living on Mars to its full extent. The film made $630.6 million against a budget of $108 million, and this sci-fi masterpiece will be leaving Netflix at the end of December.
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