7 Best Sci-fi Movies You Didn’t Know Were Streaming on Max

From exploring the vast and unknown corners of space to pushing the laws of nature to their breaking point, sci-fi is a genre that is only limited by our imagination. Even since A Trip to Moon was released in 1902, sci-fi movies have continued to push boundaries and transport viewers to an unfamiliar world or an alternate reality with limitless technology. If you’re a sci-fi fan, then you probably know all about some of the biggest film releases in the last few years, such as the Dune film series and Alien: Romulus. But what about the best sci-fi movies streaming on Max that perhaps you weren’t aware of? Sometimes streaming services acquire the rights to movies that completely go under even the most dedicated fans. That’s where we come in.

From a few underrated sci-fi gems to a handful of classics that helped define the entire genre, Max’s current sci-fi movie library has enough content to keep you entertained for a lazy weekend or two. As any dedicated movie lover knows, sometimes a movie is so good that you’ll forget about it. It might not be fresh in your mind at all times but it’ll always be rattling around somewhere in your brain. There are also times that we might fall in love with a sci-fi movie but it just gradually gets lost in the shuffle. This list is designed to help get those movies back onto the active memory roster.

2001: A Space Odyssey

It would be perfectly understandable for someone to not realize that this iconic sci-fi movie found its way to the Max library in 2023. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey is based on a few of author Arthur C. Clarke’s works, including “The Sentinel” and “Encounter in the Dawn.” The bulk of the film follows a pair of astronauts, Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood), who journey through space in an attempt to reach Jupiter and investigate the presence of an alien monolith. The astronauts are joined by the sentient supercomputer HAL 9000, who is proves to be a dividing wedge between the two.

Despite being made nearly 60 years ago, 2001: A Space Odyssey still retains the title as the most influential sci-fi movie in Hollywood today; and one of the biggest Oscars snubs, as well. It’s hard to look at other movies centered around space travel and not see just a little 2001: A Space Odyssey in it. From the design of Discovery One to the revolutionary use of Hal, Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece continues to have an impact on the film industry. And who can forget the several iconic scenes that have been parodied over and over again? There may be an untold number of moviegoers out there who have never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, but they’ve seen movies and TV shows that it has inspired.

RoboCop

Having a robot is cool, but having a robot that fights violent crime and fires off catchy one-liners is even cooler. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, this 1987 sci-fi thriller takes a satirical look at 1980s corporate culture, police militarization, and sensationalist media with its dark humor, fake commercials, and laughably hyper-violent action set pieces. The film would go on to gross over $50 million at the box office, paving the way for two sequels and even a live-action TV series.

RoboCop is set in a near-apocalyptic Detroit, where street gangs have impunity and everyday people fear for their lives while walking to the grocery store. The nefarious corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a lucrative government contract to privatize the police force and bring peace back to the street. When Officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is severely injured by heartless criminal Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith), his mangled body is used by Omni to create the RoboCop prototype. With RoboCop now patrolling the streets, Detroit appears to be saved, but there’s an even greater threat lurking in the Omni boardroom.

Stalker

The film tells the story of an expedition led by a figure known as the “Stalker” (Alexander Kaidanovsky), a guide who illegally leads people through a hazardous wasteland to a mysterious restricted site into the Zone. The site is rumored to have supernatural properties and an ever-changing landscape. At the center of the Zone lies the Room, a place that is rumored to grant a person their deepest, most sincere wish. Stalker is directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, who is widely regarded as one the greatest filmmakers in cinematic history.

Similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stalker is one of the most influential films of all time, going well beyond just the sci-fi genre. The film’s themes, setting, and use of its minimalistic style have not only been replicated on screen but in video games as well. The 2007 game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was loosely based on the film, taking place in a dangerous and unpredictable wasteland. While Stalker doesn’t have the exciting action-oriented pacing of other sci-fi movies on this list, it’s a must-watch film for any lover of the genre.

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Fantastic Planet

Directed by directed by René Laloux, Fantastic Planet is an animated sci-fi movie that’s as original as it is surreal. The film takes place on the planet Ygam, inhabited by the massive and blue-skinned Draags, an advanced and highly intelligent alien species. They keep Oms, who are essentially humans, as pets. But things aren’t so great for wild Oms, who are hunted down and exterminated. The story follows Terr, a young Om who is raised by a Draag child but later escapes into the wilderness. He then joins a group of wild Oms, who are struggling to survive under Draag oppression. As the Oms gather in greater numbers, the launch a revolution that could change the way of life on Ygam forever.

Once again, much like Stalker and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Fantastic Planet is regarded as one of the most influential sci-fi films of all time. With its fever dream feel and thoughtful themes of oppression and power, Fantastic Planet is a one-of-a-kind watch that separates itself from anything else. Despite being released in 1973, this film began its exhausting production 10 years earlier, with a story inspired by the 1957 novel Oms en série. But considering the end result is one of the most iconic sci-fi movies in history, it appears it was all worth the effort.

Godzilla

Directed by Ishirō Honda, Godzilla is the groundbreaking Japanese kaiju film that launched one of the most iconic franchises in cinema history. While the destruction and 1950s aesthetic are entertaining, the film is a moving allegory for the dangers of nuclear weapons and the devastation of war following the conclusion of World War ll. While there may be bigger and more stylish films in the franchise, the original Godzilla is impossible to overlook when weighing its impact and contribution to the genre. Yeah, it might be obvious that the monster is just a guy in a suit destroying a miniature city, but you can’t argue that it just hits differently than today’s modern CGI.

The film takes place after a series of mysterious shipwrecks leave the population on high alert. But they are unprepared for the emergence of a giant prehistoric creature from the ocean who launches an attack on Japan. A group of scientists led by Dr. Yamane (Takashi Shimura) attempts to understand the monster while the military struggles to stop Godzilla’s seemingly endless destruction. As both sides race to find a solution to stop the monster, they must prepare for the worst.

Splice

Splice follows two ambitious genetic engineers, Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley), who specialize in splicing DNA from different species to create new hybrid organisms. When their research funding is threatened to be pulled, the duo secretly push ethical boundaries by adding human DNA into one of their experiments. The end result is Dren (Delphine Chanéac), a rapidly growing, and highly-intelligent humanoid creature who possesses animal-like traits, including a tail, wings, and even amphibious abilities. As Dren continues to evolve, Clive and Elsa soon learn that they may be in over their heads and that will soon find out the consequences of playing God.

This 2009 sci-fi film from director Vincenzo Natali might just be one of the best sleeper hits currently on Max. Splice offers up a sense of dread that slowly builds throughout the entire movie, almost like watching a car crash in slow motion. You know that things are going to end horribly for Clive and Elsa, but it’s a blast watching them slip further and further down a seemingly endless pit of despair and destruction.

Dredd

Dredd follows the titular Judge Dredd (Karl Urban), the legendary, no-nonsense enforcer of pure and impartial justice. Dredd is assigned to evaluate rookie Judge Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), who possesses psychic abilities that inflate her potential as a judge. Their patrol leads them to Peach Trees, a massive 200-story slum tower controlled by Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), a ruthless drug lord distributing a new narcotic called Slo-Mo. When Dredd and Anderson arrest one of Ma-Ma’s key associates, she locks down the entire building, forcing them into a brutal, non-stop fight for survival as they battle through heavily armed gangs to reach the top floor and take her down.

Dredd is the type of movie that might not have any deep or philosophical themes woven into its story, but it is a must-watch sci-fi movie on Max for any fan of intense action and impressive gore effects. You also really have to give a truckload of credit to Urban for this film. Not only did he not remove his helmet in the movie, but he managed to paint a permanent scowl on his face throughout the entire 95-minute runtime. His performance is perfectly contrasted by the naive and well-meaning energy of Thirlby’s Judge Anderson. And let’s not forget just how slimy Headey portrays Ma-Ma. It all works so well that it was a downright shame that we never got a chance at a sequel.