The 17 best sci-fi movies on Hulu

Best sci-fi movies on Hulu
Best sci-fi movies on Hulu
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Chris Willard/Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection, Courtesy NEON, 20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Cristin Milioti in 'Palm Springs'; Christopher Abbott in 'Possessor'; 'Akira'

There's nothing new under the sun, but out in the galaxy is a different story. Whether you're looking for good, old-fashioned escapism, postapocalyptic dramas, or a cerebral premise to tickle your intellectual fancy, sci-fi films are designed to deliver. So scroll through this list, all you first-time space explorers and seasoned navigators of dystopian worlds. Because regardless of your level of sci-fi proficiency, you're sure to find something you like on EW's picks for the best sci-fi films currently streaming on Hulu, as of October 2023.

<i>No One Will Save You</i> (2023)

Alien invasion thrillers have often centered on communities rallying together, but this new sci-fi spook-fest takes an intriguingly different direction. Kaitlyn Dever plays Brynn, a recluse who fights back when an alien enters her home, and must continue to do so all on her own. As the unnerving film goes on, we learn why she's been made an outcast by her community, stemming from an unforgivable decision made in her past. Featuring bracing action sequences, a committed Dever, and a commendable tactic to go dialogue-free for a vast majority of the film, No One Will Save You is an unpredictable thrill ride that epitomizes the classic narrative technique of show, don't tell. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch No One Will Save You: Hulu

Director: Brian Duffield

Cast: Kaitlyn Dever

Related content: Why home-invasion movie No One Will Save You has lots of aliens but no dialogue

Kaitlyn Dever in 'No One Will Save You'
Kaitlyn Dever in 'No One Will Save You'

<i>Alien</i> (1979)

Ridley Scott's Alien was the one that started it all for a franchise that would spawn sequels, comics, video games, and more. Before any commercialization, though, there was this terrifying sci-fi thriller, which finds Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her fellow crew members aboard the space tug Nostromo investigating a spacecraft in disrepair, only to find it contains menacing, bloodthirsty aliens. And, as the iconic tagline states, "In space, no one can hear you scream." With the threat of the alien Xenomorph around every corner, the original Alien is arguably more horror than traditional sci-fi, but the innovative effects and dark, gritty vision of the future have had an influence on the science fiction genre for decades to come. —K.J.

Where to watch Alien: Hulu

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto

Related content: Inside the making of Alien's iconic, nightmare-inducing eggs

Sigourney Weaver in 'Alien'
Sigourney Weaver in 'Alien'

<i>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</i> (2011)

After an attempt to reboot the Planet of the Apes franchise proved ill-fated in the hands of Tim Burton, a new series of films starting with this 2011 installment proved decidedly more successful. Rise of the Planet of the Apes explores the origins of the primate revolution, in which chemist Will Rodman (James Franco) raises Caesar, an ape with genetically enhanced intelligence who uses his wits to eventually take down the human race. The film deftly explores the slippery slope of experimenting with nature, and how lack of understanding can give rise to deadly consequences. Featuring state-of-the-art visual effects and yet another fiercely committed motion capture performance from Andy Serkis as Caesar, Rise is a gripping start to a series that would only become more visceral with 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes. A fourth film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is planned for 2024. —K.J.

Where to watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Hulu

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Andy Serkis

Related content: Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Did anyone else feel weird rooting for the monkeys?

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Rise of the Planet of the Apes

<i>Chronicle</i> (2012)

The age-old conflict of using one's powers for good or evil is given the found footage treatment in this acclaimed sci-fi thriller. Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan star as a trio of high school students whose discovery of a mysterious glowing object leads to each of them gaining telekinetic powers. Despite their good intentions at first, DeHaan's Andrew eventually uses his abilities to lash out at those around them, taking drastic actions that spiral out of control. What results is a fascinating cautionary tale that also makes great use of its handheld-camera conceit, from revealing character moments to its destructive climax. "Chronicle," praised EW's critic in 2012, "is the most original and excitingly executed wow-factor-meets-handheld-video feature since Blair Witch itself." —K.J.

Where to watch Chronicle: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Josh Trank

Cast: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw

Related content: Chronicle: the movie that made special effects special again

Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, and Dane DeHaan in 'Chronicle'
Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, and Dane DeHaan in 'Chronicle'

<i>Melancholia</i> (2011)

The all-too-real anxiety surrounding the end of the world looms large in this Lars von Trier-directed sci-fi drama, in which a rogue planet is predicted to collide directly with Earth. The true power of Melancholia, though, is in its portrayal of depression, as Kirsten Dunst's Justine experiences on the day of (and after) her disastrous wedding at her sister and brother-in-law's castle. Justine's feelings of impending doom lead to her accepting the apocalypse, contrasting with her sister Claire's (Charlotte Gainsbourg) growing existential fear. Von Trier may be known for his provocative style, but as EW's critic wrote, the director sets aside his need to shock here, "to create striking visual tableaux that, in their majestic simplicity, convey a profound emotional depth that transcends words." —K.J.

Where to watch Melancholia: Hulu

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Lars von Trier

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, Brady Corbet, Cameron Spurr, Charlotte Rampling, Jesper Christensen, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Kiefer Sutherland

Related content: Oscar ignores Melancholia: Why?

Kirsten Dunst in 'Melancholia'
Kirsten Dunst in 'Melancholia'

<i>Elysium</i> (2013)

In the year 2154, Earth has been ravaged by pollution and over-population, resulting in severe class distinctions, with only the wealthy able to live in an orbiting space station with nearly unlimited resources. Dying parolee Max (Matt Damon) tries to reach Elysium in the hope of healing his illness, while Defense Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) does everything she can to prevent earthlings from immigrating to the station. Elysium was director Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to District 9. While his second film didn't quite reach the universal praise of his Oscar-nominated debut, EW's Owen Gleiberman wrote in his review, "Elysium confirms the talent — for razory mayhem and shocking satire, for the crazed spectacle of future decay — that Blomkamp showcased in his amazing first feature." —K.J.

Where to watch Elysium: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner

Related content: Elysium: About that ending...

Matt Damon in 'Elysium'
Matt Damon in 'Elysium'

<i>Infinity Pool</i> (2023)

Dread is the name of the game in Brandon Cronenberg's latest horror-infused sci-fi offering, following the success of 2020's Possessor. Alexander Skarsgård and Cleopatra Coleman play a couple on vacation in a fictional country, where a deadly accident leads to them learning of its peculiar justice system: All crimes are punishable by death. However, wealthy offenders can pay a significant sum to have themselves cloned, and must watch their duplicate be executed. Infinity Pool falls into a familiar white-people-causing-trouble-on-vacation genre, which, as EW's critic observes, is "having a bit of a moment" lately between The White Lotus and Triangle of Sadness. Those who appreciate such social satires will find similar commentary here, just with more blood and guts and another go-for-broke performance by scream queen Mia Goth. —K.J.

Where to watch Infinity Pool: Hulu

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman

Related content: Mia Goth says her latest horror outing Infinity Pool is a 'wild, wild film'

A still from 'Infinity Pool'
A still from 'Infinity Pool'

<i>Slash/Back</i> (2022)

"These aliens messed with the wrong girls," reads the tagline for this underrated Canadian sci-fi adventure. The film centers on pre-teen Maika (Tasiana Shirley) and her friends whose ordinary summer in the Inuit hamlet of Pang is rudely interrupted by an alien invasion. But these girls, as the tagline indicates, know just what to do to ward off the invaders, protecting the home they sometimes take for granted. Slash/Back fits in nicely with other tweens vs. the world properties like Stranger Things and The Goonies, with a dose of horror and cultural specificity to differentiate it from the films to which it lovingly plays homage. —K.J.

Where to watch Slash/Back: Hulu

Director: Nyla Innuksuk

Cast: Tasiana Shirley, Alexis Wolfe, Nalajoss Ellsworth, Chelsea Prusky, Frankie Vincent-Wolfe, Rory Anawak, Kristian Bruun, Shaun Benson

Related content: 17 TV/movie alien invasions

Nalajoss Ellsworth in 'Slash/Back'
Nalajoss Ellsworth in 'Slash/Back'

<i>I Think We're Alone Now</i> (2018)

In this low-budget indie drama, Peter Dinklage stars as a man who assumes he's alone in his small town after a sudden apocalyptic event in which a large portion of the population suddenly disappears. He eventually meets a fellow survivor (Elle Fanning), with whom he shares a reluctant bond, and later learns that they're not, in fact, alone. Directed and shot by Reed Morano (an Emmy winner for directing the pilot of The Handmaid's Tale), I Think We're Alone Now focuses on the human response to cataclysmic events more so than the event itself. "I like the post-apocalyptic genre, but it's been done a million times, and I was looking for something a little bit weird, or just a little bit different tonally," Morano told EW in 2018. "I saw this opportunity to tell a post-apocalyptic story that breaks a lot of the conventions of storytelling in that genre." —K.J.

Where to watch I Think We're Alone Now: Hulu

Director: Reed Morano

Cast: Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning, Paul Giamatti, Charlotte Gainsbourg

Related content: Reed Morano first woman to win for directing a drama at Emmys in 22 years

Peter Dinklage in 'I Think We're Alone Now'
Peter Dinklage in 'I Think We're Alone Now'

<i>I'm Your Man</i> (2021)

What if a robot who looked exactly like a human could fulfill your every need? And what if that humanlike robot looked like Dan Stevens? In Maria Schrader's fascinating German-language film, Maren Eggert's Alma ponders this and other moral quandaries. After agreeing to participate in a three-week study in which she is to report her findings of living with the robot, Tom (Stevens), Alma finds herself having conflicting feelings about her new deferential partner. I'm Your Man received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, along with accolades from various organizations. EW's Leah Greenblatt praised Schrader's direction, calling her "too clever and melancholic to let her gentle, off-kilter Man dissolve into breezy happily-ever-afters. Instead, the movie offers something much truer to life: a love story that ends, perhaps, just when it's begun." —K.J.

Where to watch I'm Your Man: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Maria Schrader

Cast: Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Sandra Hüller

Related content: Dan Stevens was excited to visit the Beast's library while filming Beauty and the Beast

Dan Stevens and Maren Eggert in 'I'm Your Man'
Dan Stevens and Maren Eggert in 'I'm Your Man'

<i>Akira</i> (1988)

Few animated films have packed as much of a punch as Akira, based on the manga series of the same name. The film follows Kaneda, the leader of a biker gang in Neo-Tokyo, which is now thriving after a psychic "Esper" destroyed Tokyo in 1988. Kaneda's best friend, Tetsuo, gains the same psychic abilities after a motorcycle accident, leading Tetsuo down a path of destruction that some fear could result in history repeating for Neo-Tokyo. Akira's release in the late-'80s was a watershed moment in animation, especially for anime crossing over to the U.S. As EW's Marc Bernardin wrote in 2001, "Akira was unlike anything Americans had seen before — at least, Americans who hadn't scoured comic book and sci-fi conventions for bootleg videos of Japanese anime." —K.J.

Where to watch Akira: Hulu

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo

Cast: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Taro Ishida, Tesshō Genda, Mizuho Suzuki

Related content: Spotlight on Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo

Kaneda in 'Akira'
Kaneda in 'Akira'

<i>Possessor</i> (2020)

Andrea Riseborough is renowned for her ability to shapeshift as a performer, which takes on new meaning in this acclaimed sci-fi horror film. The Oscar-nominated actress plays Tasya Vos, an assassin who uses an innovative machine that allows her to inhabit other people's bodies and carry out her bloody tasks. This has gradually caused difficulties in living her own life as she is plagued with violent memories. She experiences her biggest challenge yet when she possesses a man (Christopher Abbott) who unexpectedly regains control, trapping Vos' consciousness in his body. Director Brandon Cronenberg revealed to EW that he devised the film from his own emotional experience of the press campaign for his previous film, Antiviral (2012). "You end up performing another version of yourself, this kind of media-self that then goes off and has its own weird life online without you," he explained. —K.J.

Where to watch Possessor: Hulu

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Related content: Watch the trailer for Brandon Cronenberg's sci-fi thriller Possessor

Andrea Riseborough in 'Possessor'
Andrea Riseborough in 'Possessor'

<i>Little Fish</i> (2020)

A pandemic-era movie filmed before the coronavirus pandemic, Little Fish tells the emotional story of a couple living with the threat of a spreading virus that attacks memories. Olivia Cooke plays Emma, who whose husband Jude (Jack O'Connell) is gradually losing his ability to remember. Through it all, Emma tries to remind him of their love, even when his fate starts to become inevitable. EW's Mary Sollosi wrote in her review that, while the film doesn't quite achieve the highs of 2004's similar memory-wiping romantic dramedy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, "that doesn't mean Little Fish isn't a worthy complement, its sci-fi conceit giving its central question a poetic shape." —K.J.

Where to watch Little Fish: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Chad Hartigan

Cast: Olivia Cooke, Jack O'Connell, Raúl Castillo, Soko

Related content: Little Fish: Read the short story that inspired the movie

Jack O'Connell and Olivia Cooke in 'Little Fish'
Jack O'Connell and Olivia Cooke in 'Little Fish'

<i>Dual</i> (2022)

Sarah (Karen Gillan), a terminally ill woman, agrees to be cloned for the benefit of her loved ones in this sci-fi satire. After she unexpectedly lives, she returns to her regular life only to discover that her boyfriend and mother prefer her "double." When Sarah's double makes it clear that she intends to stay in the picture, the original Sarah decides to challenge her according to the law: a duel to the death. The film, which also stars Aaron Paul, Theo James, and Beulah Koale, was well-received when it premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. While similar to 2021's Swan Song, in which Mahershala Ali plays similarly double roles, Dual is much more biting than its mournful counterpart, with a fun pair of performances from Gillan. —K.J.

Where to watch Dual: Hulu

Director: Riley Stearns

Cast: Karen Gillan, Beulah Koale, Theo James, Aaron Paul

Related content: Jumanji: The Next Level's Karen Gillan on becoming an accidental action star

Aaron Paul and Karen Gillan in 'Dual'
Aaron Paul and Karen Gillan in 'Dual'

<i>Palm Springs</i> (2020)

Essentially an updated Groundhog Day for the 21st century, Palm Springs centers on a pair of Millennials who are sucked into a time loop. Andy Samberg plays Nyles, who has grown carefree after being stuck in the loop for ages, while Cristin Milioli is Sarah, who is experiencing its benefits and downsides for the first time. The duo grows closer (and fall out) through their endlessly repeating days, with Sarah resolving to find a way out of the loop through a dangerous experiment. Juggling the various tones of this high-concept romantic comedy could've resulted in disaster, but the film manages to nimbly toe the line of bittersweet romance and absurdity. The film earned numerous awards in 2021, including the Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy, the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay, and more. —K.J.

Where to watch Palm Springs: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Max Barbakow

Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons

Related content: The 23 best time travel movies of all time

Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg in 'Palm Springs'
Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg in 'Palm Springs'

<i>Save Yourselves!</i> (2020)

Indie sci-fi films may not be as rare a cinematic breed as they once were, but to find one that adds an indie rom-com vibe and still successfully balances the scales is a straight-up unicorn of the celluloid. However, Save Yourselves! manages to make it work, thanks to winning performances by John Paul Reynolds (Search Party) and Sunita Mani (GLOW) as a young Brooklyn couple who decide to unplug for a week in the woods and regain their intimacy, only to discover belatedly that Earth is under alien attack. Some have summed up the film in three words — "Hipsters vs. Aliens" —  which is as accurate as it is succinct, but it also fails to take into consideration the great manner in which Reynolds and Mani play off each other, as well as how successfully they each hold viewers' attention when they're flying solo in certain scenes. —W.H.

Where to watch Save Yourselves!: Hulu

Directors: Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson

Cast: John Paul Reynolds, Sunita Mani, Ben Sinclair, John Early, Jo Firestone, Johanna Day

Related content: 'Life is cringey and humiliating, but also beautiful': A Search Party oral history

Sunita Mani and John Reynolds in 'Save Yourselves!'
Sunita Mani and John Reynolds in 'Save Yourselves!'

<i>Prey</i> (2022)

Set in 1719 (268 years before a sleeveless Arnold Schwarzenegger battled his first alien), Prey is a prequel to the Predator franchise and the fifth film released chronologically. The movie follows Naru (Amber Midthunder) a Comanche medicine woman with aspirations of someday becoming as fierce a hunter as her brother. When Naru witnesses a Predator landing in the Great Plains, she interprets it as a call to action and plans to protect her tribe by tracking and killing the invader. The film employs a cast of primarily indigenous actors — and one former professional basketball player, Dane DiLiegro, attacking the role of Predator while wearing a suit so heavy, and restrictive, he told EW he was "essentially shooting this movie blind." His discomfort, endured in service of director Dan Trachtenberg's vision for the film, paid off, making this film and its villain feel, as Trachtenberg describes it, "far scarier, way more alien-creature-like, ferocious and feral." —W.H.

Where to watch Prey: Hulu

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers
Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, Bennett Taylor

Related content: Prey star Amber Midthunder shuts down movie's haters

Amber Midthunder in 'Prey'
Amber Midthunder in 'Prey'

Related content: