Sci-fi can be whatever it wants to be, which means no matter what you enjoy, there’s a sci-fi that will have you hooked. Spaceships and aliens, parallel universes and alternate timelines, high-tech gadgets and apocalyptic advancements in technology are all fair game in sci-fi. And while that can make it hard to separate the good from the great, we’ve done our best to narrow this list to the very best of the best sci-fi movies and series that are streaming right now.
The Peripheral
If you weren’t all aboard the bandwagon for The Peripheral when it premiered in October, there’s no time like the present to catch up. With Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher and Jack Reynor as Flynne’s brother Burton, this mind-and-time-bending thriller depicts a near-future world where VR technology is used to connect the present with a dystopian future. We won’t go into spoilers here because the show is still fresh, but trust us when we say that The Peripheral masterfully blends sci-fi tropes with elements of the best thrillers and mysteries, and each episode will have you on the edge of your seat wanting more.
The Expanse
Prime Video saved The Expanse from cancellation at the hands of another network, and thank god for that, because it’s one of the greatest sci-fi shows ever made. Set in the near future when Earth, Mars and the oppressed Outer Planets Alliance are on the brink of war, The Expanse follows the crew of the Rocinante — James Holden, Naomi Nagata, Amos Burton and Alex Kamal — as they get caught up in the conflict, which is shaken to its core with the discovery of an enigmatic alien lifeform that changes everything they know about the universe. Expect realistic depictions of space travel (it sucks), badass Martians in power armour (hello, Bobbie Draper!) and standout performances by Cara Gee, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Keon Alexander.
Star Trek: Picard
Patrick Stewart returns to his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard — except now, the ex-Starfleet admiral is retired, living on his family’s vineyard and still mourning the death of his friend Data. When a synth who claims to be Data’s daughter visits him, he’s drawn into the synth’s fight for their right to exist. Star Trek: Picard also shows the character coming to terms with some of his past actions and reuniting with former crewmates, including Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, who are all struggling with their own issues.
The Man In the High Castle
The Man In the High Castle might look like a historical drama at first glance, but its sci-fi roots run deep. Based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, one of the most influential sci-fi authors of the last century, the show is set in a parallel universe where Germany won WWII. When Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) watches a film that shows the Allies winning the war, she begins to question reality and eventually meets a group of resistance fighters who claim they’re trying to restore this universe.
Jupiter Ascending
Channing Tatum is a space himbo in Jupiter Ascending. Perfect. No notes! He plays Caine, a genetically engineered half-human, half-canine soldier in this space opera written, directed and co-produced by the Wachowskis. Mila Kunis plays Jupiter, a cleaner on Earth with endless bad luck who is unknowingly a key figure in the intergalactic royal family. It’s a visually beautiful movie that’s a lot of fun to watch with a big bowl of popcorn.
Jumper
This underrated sci-fi action flick stars Hayden Christensen as a man with the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. He mostly uses his power to jump into bank vaults and enjoys a lavish lifestyle on stolen riches until the Paladins, a shadowy organisation sworn to kill “Jumpers”, begins hunting him. He teams up with another Jumper, played by Jamie Bell, to defeat the Paladins and protect his girlfriend who’s played by Rachel Bilson.
Tales From the Loop
Inspired by the retro-futuristic paintings of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, Tales From the Loop follows the interconnected lives of the residents in a town built on top of the Mercer Centre for Experimental Physics, a facility that houses a machine called the Loop. Researchers at the facility want to “make the impossible possible” and the show details their mind-bending attempts through classic sci-fi tropes like time travel, body swaps, parallel universes and digital consciousnesses.
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