10 Excellently Weird Sci-Fi Movies to Stream on Peacock

Cheryl Eddy
·3 min read
Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia
Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia


Melancholia

Peacock has a great horror selection—with a healthy dose of sci-fi and cult movies too. Building on io9's earlier lists of recommendations for the streamer, here are 10 sci-fi movies that span various decades but all deliver a certain freaky unease.

Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)

Eight years before he made Mandy, Panos Cosmatos announced his arrival as a filmmaker fully capable of making origami out of your brain with this trippy, visually striking, synth-scored exploration of far-out research and psychic powers. Watch on Peacock.

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Based on Whitley Strieber’s best-seller—whose “non-fiction” status helped elevate it into the realm of cultural phenomenon—Communion stars Christopher Walken as a man deeply traumatized by an alien encounter. Does he go full Walken? You know he does. Watch on Peacock.

Dark Star (1974)

Not every project that begins as a student film gets a theatrical release—and then ascends to permanent status as a cult-beloved classic after its arrival on home video—but not every project is the directorial debut of John Carpenter, or the screenwriting debut of Dan O’Bannon. Watch on Peacock.

Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

Julien Temple (The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle) directed this romp about a trio of candy-colored aliens who find excitement and romance when they crash-land in Southern California. It would already be fun based on that alone, but it’s also a) a musical, and b) boasts a cast that includes Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, and Julie “Cause I’m a Blonde” Brown. Watch on Peacock.

Freejack

As io9 once wrote in a retro review, Freejack is a terrible movie except for Mick Jagger’s majestically campy performance. You’ve been warned, and you’re welcome. Watch on Peacock.

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

Legendary producer Roger Corman tapped an young up-and-comer named James Cameron (who’d previously worked with Corman on 1980's Battle Beyond the Stars, which is also streaming on Peacock) as the production designer and second unit director on this sci-fi horror tale. Galaxy of Terror tips its helmet rather obviously to Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien, but it also foreshadows Cameron’s own 1986 Aliens, too. Watch on Peacock.

Melancholia (2011)

Whatever you think of controversial filmmaker Lars von Trier, this 2011 entry in his edgy filmography is one of the most gorgeous apocalyptic tales ever created. Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg play sisters with a prickly relationship who reconnect (sort of) as the end of the world approaches, thanks to a rogue planet named “Melancholia” that’s on a collision course with Earth. Watch on Peacock.

Pulse

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2001 manifestation of millennial dread is the still creepiest movie ever made about internet ghosts; it’s also one of the eeriest movies ever made, full stop. It may be nearly 25 years old now, but its cautionary messages about the future and unsettling imagery will get under your skin nonetheless. Watch on Peacock.

Trancers (1984)

Filmmaker Charles Band is now best-known for the Puppet Master series and schlockier horror fare (including Evil Bong and its many sequels), but this 1984 sci-fi noir about a 23rd century detective named Jack Deth (heh) who time-travels to the ‘80s in pursuit of a psychic criminal just might be his most cult-beloved. Future Oscar winner Helen Hunt co-stars as Jack Deth’s punky sidekick. Watch on Peacock.

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