A veritable treasure trove of science fiction is available to watch on Amazon Prime; much is free to view with your standard subscription and even more is available if you feel like paying a little more. So settle back and soak up some superb sci-fi from the safety of your sofa.
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Movies
Arrival
Synopsis: When a fleet of 12 giant alien spacecraft arrive and gently hover over different locations around the world, a linguistics professor (Amy Adams) must lead a team of investigators struggling to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. However, paranoia and distrust from different governments threatens to not only bring the world to war, but also the destruction of the spacecraft themselves. It's a race against time to prove that the intent of these innocent and unaware aliens is not hostile, before humankind does its usual thing.
Why you should watch: This is by far one of the most believable first contact stories in contemporary sci-fi cinema. The aliens are so alien, their concepts so utterly weird and wonderful; writers Eric Heisserer and Ted Chiang and director Denis Villeneuve, together created one of the most masterful alien encounter movies ever seen on the big screen, because everything would be so totally different and difficult to comprehend. Strong performances, especially by Adams also go a long way to making this compelling viewing.
The Blackout
Synopsis: The Earth has been attacked by a mysterious force from space, but it's not like any attack you might imagine. The whole planet has been robbed of power and plunged into darkness; nothing works, anywhere…with the exception of a random circular area of eastern Europe, encompassing part of western Russia, southern Finland, Belarus and northern Ukraine. It turns out that the position of the Moon relative to Earth shielded this part of the world from the deadly energy weapon fired from far outside the range of lunar orbit. Now, as the actual alien invasion begins, military forces gather inside the "circle of life" in a desperate effort to save all life as we know it.
Why you should watch: This is a Russian indie sci-fi flick that is extremely enjoyable. It has high production values despite not having a blockbuster budget, the performances are good, and an unusual story with a good twist at the end makes this a solid sci-fi movie worth making time for.
Free with with a Shout! Factory TV trial
Encounter
Synopsis: Malik Khan, a decorated Marine (Riz Ahmed), goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from an strange, alien threat. As their journey takes them in increasingly dangerous directions, the boys will need to leave their childhoods behind. However, is this this threat real, or is it all in Khan's mind?
Why you should watch: If you have a thing for extreme close ups of insects, then this movie is definitely for you. If you enjoyed Invasion then you'll probably enjoy this; it's a beautifully filmed, character-driven sci-fi. OK, it has a few plot holes, and it even suffers from a few clichés, but thankfully, these can be fairly easily overlooked. You'll soon get drawn into the enthralling "is-he, isn't-he" plot, which is boosted further by phenomenal performances from Ahmed and Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada, who portray his two sons.
Free with Amazon Prime
Good Night Oppy
Synopsis: The film follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days, but it ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.
Why you should watch: This is an inspiring documentary by Ryan White and for those that aren't aware of this fascinating story, it will almost certainly prove to be insightful. Opportunity and Spirit were identical probes and travelled for over six months to reach Mars. Spirit was launched on July 7, 2003 and Opportunity followed three weeks later. Angela Bassett provides the narration and frankly her voice is like autonomous sensory meridian response and will effectively provide any calming sensation that might be required at the end of a particularly hard day at work.
Free with Amazon Prime
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Synopsis: Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns to his small town practice to find several of his patients suffering the paranoid delusion that their friends or relatives are impostors. At first he's skeptical, especially when the alleged doppelgangers are able to answer detailed questions about their victim's lives, but he's eventually persuaded that something peculiar is going on and becomes determined to find out what it is.
Why you should watch: This is truly classic science fiction and should be held in similar regard to other epic, groundbreaking sci-fi movies of the late 50s, including "The Day The Earth Stood Still," "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" and "The Thing From Another World." It's actually based on a serialized story by Jack Finney that appeared in Collier's magazine in November 1954 and was published in book form the following year. An uncomplicated plot together with incredible performances from McCarthy and the angelic Dana Wynter make this a case study in how to produce a thrilling sci-fi/drama screenplay featuring an early and extremely effective example of flashback storytelling.
Free with a trial of MGM+
Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary
Synopsis: Filmmakers and stars discuss the filming and social effects of "Galaxy Quest," a parody-of-sorts of "Star Trek: The Original Series" with insightful and entertaining commentary not only on science fiction, and the success of "Star Trek" itself, but on the real-life actors themselves.
Related: 'Galaxy Quest 2' is 'a fabulous script' according to Tim Allen
Why you should watch: Who isn't a fan of "Galaxy Quest"? It's often called the second best "Star Trek" movie ever made (after "The Wrath of Khan" of course) and you might think you know all the trivia connected with the making of "Galaxy Quest," but this documentary made by the Screen Junkies team will still surprise you. The cast talk about their experiences making the movie and how close the TV series actually came, before the tragic, untimely departure of the great Alan Rickman. You'll laugh and you'll cry a little bit, but most of all, you'll enjoy the best movie about fandom in another, new way as a result of watching this documentary. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub, Justin Long, Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, Rainn Wilson, Missi Pyle and Dean Parisot, all share their thoughts on this epic sci-fi comedy.
Free with a Paramount+ trial on Prime
RoboCop (1987)
Synopsis: Set more or less in the present day, a giant corporation steps in to take over the running of local law enforcement following a strike by police officers responding to worsening personal safety conditions. Meanwhile, a prototype cyborg police officer is also being developed that requires the participation of a human subject, all they need is "some poor schmuck to volunteer." When it turns out that the CEO of said Evil Corporation is in cahoots with the Crime Boss of the whole city, events take a deadly turn for everyone involved.
Why you should watch: This is a contemporary classic. The over-the-top violence and less-than-subtle sub-themes are all an extremely accurate representation of the capitalist-fuelled culture that we've created for ourselves. All the while, it successfully retains a moving storyline as writer and director Paul Verhoeven masterfully intertwines action, well-written dialogue and very dark humor. Plus solid performances from Peter Weller, fresh from "Buckaroo Banzai," along with Nancy Allen, Miguel Ferrer, Ronny Cox, Dan O'Herlihy and the legendary Kurtwood Smith.
Free on Amazon Prime
Starship Troopers
Synopsis: Set in the near future, the human race lives in a fascist, militaristic age and is at war with giant alien bugs that live on the other side of the galaxy. In the movie, we follow three friends Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien), Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) and Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris) as they each have their own adventure once they've signed up for military service. Joining them are Dina Meyer, Clancy Brown and Michael Ironside.
Why you should watch: Based loosely on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein, the film, like the book, is a commentary – and arguably a satire – on a number of socio-political themes, including militaristic philosophy and right-wing political irony. It also has an underlying anti-war message, but on top of all that is an amazing and extremely entertaining movie by Paul Verhoeven, the man who also gave us "RoboCop," "Total Recall" and "Hollow Man." Like those other sci-fi smash hits, "Starship Troopers" features Verhoeven's unique brand of over-the-top brutality, which is not only comical, but is intended to ridicule violence. The movie also spawned a few sequels, but you're better off ignoring those.
Free with Amazon Prime
The Tomorrow War
Synopsis: Set in the present day, a group of time-travelling soldiers from the future appear during the Qatar World Cup final and announce that in just 30 years in the future, all of mankind is on the brink of annihilation by race of particularly unpleasant aliens. Among those chosen to travel forward in time is former soldier (naturally) and schoolteacher Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) who teams up with both seasoned veterans and raw recruits to save the human race.
Related: 'The Tomorrow War' won't win any awards, but it's watchable
Why you should watch: This is very much a popcorn sci-fi blockbuster, equal to the likes of "Independence Day" or "Battle: Los Angeles," and in fact you will notice the influence of other sci-fi movies like "The Thing" or "Edge of Tomorrow" and "Millennium" throughout. And while this won't win any awards for the story writing, it's wanton destruction on a massive scale.
Free with Amazon Prime
War of the Worlds (2005)
Synopsis: Tom Cruise plays a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father, but not long after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a weekend visit, a peculiar and powerful lightning storm suddenly starts in the skies above New Jersey. What follows is the extraordinary battle against Martian invaders seen through the eyes of a dysfunctional American family struggling to stay alive in this contemporary adaptation of H.G. Wells classic sci-fi story.
Why you should watch: Here's the thing: once you get past the absurd part of the plot that has the Martian tripod war machines having been buried on Earth, then this is actually a pretty good movie. Cruise is frankly brilliant and so is Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins, it's just such a shame that Justin Chatwin's character is so incredibly annoying. There is a massive underlying theme reflecting on the events of 9/11, but thankfully it's not too obvious and Steven Spielberg handles the set pieces as you'd expect, with creative cinematography and masterful direction.
Free with a Paramount+ trial on Prime Video
What We Left behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Synopsis: Showrunner Ira Steven launched the fundraising campaign a couple of years ago and what followed was an incredible tribute documentary looking at the history of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" that features interviews with almost every member of the cast, including Nana Visitor, Terry Farrell, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig and Andrew Robinson. Sadly though, Avery Brooks' contribution is limited to archive footage.
Why you should watch: If you're a fan of "DS9" than this is a must-watch; not only are the insights intriguing and often emotional, but the fictional first episode of a hypothetical new series, crafted together in a writers room packed full of the best writers in "Star Trek" is inspired. There's a look back at the early reviews (and how negative they were), the casting decisions and the issues faced throughout production. This documentary also marks the first time any footage from "DS9" has been remastered in high definition including a portion of the main battle sequence from "Sacrifice Of Angels" (S06, E06).
Free with ads on Amazon Prime
TV shows
Babylon 5
Synopsis: Ten years after the Earth-Minbari War, Commander Sinclair takes command of a giant five-mile-long cylindrical space station, orbiting a planet in neutral space, next to a strategically vital hyperspace gate. At a crossroads of interstellar commerce and diplomacy, Sinclair — and later Captain Sheridan — must establish peace and prosperity between various interstellar empires, all the while fighting forces from within the Earth Alliance. It is a precarious command, particularly given that sabotage led to the destruction of Babylon stations 1, 2, and 3 and 4 vanished without trace.
Why you should watch: Simply put, this is one of the greatest science fiction television shows ever made. A mind-blowing cast including Michael O'Hare, Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan, Stephen Furst, Jerry Doyle, Peter Jurasik, Claudia Christian and Andreas Katsulas, plus countless others, bring this moving sci-fi saga from the mind of J. Michael Straczynski to life. "Babylon 5" first aired in February 1993, and over the course of five and a half years, it changed television sci-fi forever. We're not going to mince words here, the series is brilliant. You will laugh, you'll definitely cry and you will absolutely be forever enlightened as you follow a mind-blowing story that unfolds across time and space.
Free on Amazon Prime
The Expanse
Synopsis: A police detective in the asteroid belt, the first officer of an interplanetary ice freighter, and an earth-bound United Nations executive slowly discover a vast conspiracy that threatens the Earth's rebellious colony on the asteroid belt. Along the way, evidence of alien life is discovered and a series of ring gates located near Uranus are unlocked that lead to totally new locations through the universe. Meanwhile, the major factions in the Solar System (Earth, Mars, the Outer Planets Authority and the Belters) fight amongst themselves and ultimately threaten all life on Earth.
Why you should watch: "The Expanse" has well and truly earned its place among the titans of TV sci-fi, up there along with "Battlestar Galactica" and "Babylon 5." It's by far the most cerebral sci-fi currently on television. You can catch up on everything that happened in Season 1 to 3 here, and a lot happened. Then you can catch up with everything that happened in Season 4 here. Personally, we believe seasons 1 and 2 were ever so slightly better than 3 and 4, but that doesn't in any way mean they're not worth watching. Then along came Seasons 5 and 6 and blew everyone's socks off. It is brilliant. The plot is incredibly complex and engaging and the individual performances are exceptional.
Free with Amazon Prime
Fallout
Synopsis: Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, "Fallout" is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird and highly violent universe waiting for them. From executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the creators of "Westworld," starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten and Walton Goggins.
Why you should watch: This is a standalone story that happens to be set in the "Fallout" universe...that also happens to include a ton of little Easter eggs, for those who have enjoyed the video games...but because it doesn't rely on any existing characters, you don't need to have played the games to enjoy this. And enjoy it you will. This and "Silo" on Apple TV are by far, the best we've ever seen in the sensational, but sparsely populated sub-genre of Post-Apocalyptic Nuclear Shelter Sci-Fi. The production value on this show is breathtaking and Walton Goggins excels.
Free with Prime Video
The Man in the High Castle
Synopsis: Loosely based Philip K. Dick's novel, this alt-history story looks at what the world might look like if World War II had ended differently. In this dystopian scenario, the Axis powers won the war, leading to the USA being divided into three zones: Imperial Japanese, Nazi and a buffer zone between the two. Despite the oppression, hope emerges when some mysterious cans of film turn up that seem to show a parallel world — and even more bizarrely, footage of different versions of the same people. A woman, Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) believes the films contain the key to freedom and is determined to find their elusive guardian — the man in the high castle.
Why you should watch: Alt-history is a difficult genre to perfect without descending into a cascade of clichés. If you're a fan however, you should definitely check out the works of Harry Turtledove, a writer who nails it every single time. This show can be hard going at times and the Juliana Crain character can be extremely frustrating. That said, Rufus Sewell, who plays Obergruppenführer John Smith, is magnificent to watch. There are four seasons, and yes, the show does dip a little bit in the middle, but it picks up in the fourth season. Stick with it.
Free with Amazon Prime
Night Sky
Synopsis: The series centers around Franklin and Irene York, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They've carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks' quiet existence is quickly upended, and the mysterious chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.
Why you should watch: It's very much a character driven story, with almost all the focus on Sissy Spacek's and J.K. Simmons' characters as they struggle with getting old. If you enjoyed "Invasion" on Apple+ last year, then you'll definitely enjoy this. It's slow paced, but the incredible performances easily carry this and it will be interesting to see where exactly the writers take us.
Free with Amazon Prime
The Peripheral
Synopsis: Sometime in the near-future in a small town in rural America and focuses on Flynne — a young woman whose only escape from the daily grind is playing advanced video games — and her older brother, Burton. Flynne (yes, it's a nod to "Tron") is such a good player, that her brother often lets her play for him, whenever money is at stake and they need it. But when a mysterious new prototype system, with full body sensory capability, is sent to him, he let's her use it first...and it opens up a dangerous, but exciting, new world full of adrenaline and adventure.
Why you should watch: This one has proved divisive with its audience and here's the simple truth: if you enjoyed shows like the monotonous, meaningless and utterly overrated "Westworld" or even "Lost," then you might like this. It's based, very loosely, on the 2014 book of the same name written by William Gibson. However, the equally overrated Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy were executive producers, which explains why this is such a monumental train wreck and it's a damn shame, because Gibson's novel is excellent — as you'd expect — and the first three episodes actually showed promise. Sadly, not even Chloë Grace Moretz or Gary Carr could save it.
Free with Amazon Prime
Red Dwarf
Synopsis: The deep space mining vessel Red Dwarf suffers a radiation leak that kills all 1,100 of the crew apart from one, Dave Lister (Craig Charles). Far from being the most motivated human being onboard, Dave’s role on the Red Dwarf was to unclog the nozzles on the chicken soup vending machines. He survives as a result of being placed in a cryogenic chamber as a punishment for having a cat on board with authorization. He awakes three million years later to find, everyone long since dead, the cat has evolved into a sentient biped (Danny John-Jules) and his only companionship comes from the ship’s computer Holly (Norman Lovett then Hattie Hayridge), Lister’s old bunkmate, Rimmer (Chris Barry) who had been reduced to being a hologram and Kryten, a burnt out Series 3000 mechanoid (Robert Llewellyn)
Why you should watch: "Red Dwarf" remains a masterclass in how to write science fiction comedy. It’s not only one of the funniest shows to ever have been produced in the UK, but it has influenced writing in many other shows, including “The Orville.” The first season is a little slow, but the show quickly picks up speed and begins to truly excel at season 4. That said, it plummets in quality over seasons 7, 8 and 9, but the rebooted seasons, 10 to 14 are once again a return to form.
Free with a trial of BritBox
Space: 1999
Synopsis: Moonbase Alpha is a research colony nestled in the Lunar crater Plato. Along with scientific study, it also monitors silos of atomic waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side. On September 13th 1999, disaster strikes; a build up of magnetic energy causes an explosive chain-reaction of the waste, blasting the Moon out of Earth's orbit and off the plane of the ecliptic, out of the Solar System. The inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha are trapped, unable to return to Earth and wander the galaxy on their unique celestial spacecraft.
Related: Documentary about the Eagle transport launches Kickstarter campaign
Why you should watch: From the mind of Gerry Anderson, who also gave us "Thunderbirds," this one benefitted from an amazing cast, including the phenomenal Martin Landau, together with Barbara Bain and Nick Tate. The first season is currently available to watch and while many of the practical effects look dated today, don't forget that this show — and especially the first season — contained some pretty horrific scenes, in particular, "Dragon's Den" (S01, E08), that mentally scarred many young sci-fi fans at the time.
Free with ads on Amazon
Stargate SG1
Synopsis: Set a few years after the movie and following the successful mission to the planet Abydos, the Stargate program was shut down. Or it was, until someone dials the stargate and the System Lord Apophis and two Jaffa warriors unexpectedly enter the Cheyenne Mountain complex; they kidnap a poor USAF officer and quickly retreat, suggesting there's a much bigger threat in the galaxy than was first perceived. Col. O'Neill is brought out of retirement to lead a new expedition back to Abydos to find an old friend — Dr. Jackson, a new enemy — the Goa'uld and 214 glorious episodes of Naquadah-fuelled action and adventure.
Why you should watch: This is one of the best, long-running sci-fi shows ever produced for television with an impressive 214 episodes ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" only managed 176) plus two spin-offs, each with characters that you quickly become invested in, great plots, comedy, drama and well-written dialogue. All of which results in all-round, high-quality sci-fi entertainment. In all honesty, you should watch this to enhance your enjoyment of "Stargate Atlantis" (below) as that was really the peak of this franchise. "Universe" too was also exceptional and it took the show in a completely new direction, but it was the success of this show that enabled those two to be made.
Free with Amazon Prime
Stargate: Atlantis
Synopsis: Basically, this is a spin-off from the incredibly popular "Stargate SG1" and incorporates many of the same characters as it takes place concurrently with the events towards the end of the "SG1" series run. More stargate addresses have been found, including some now that are in a completely different galaxy. Upon exploring these, a fantastic city has been discovered at the bottom of an ocean on a planet in our nearest neighboring galaxy. Turns out that it was constructed by the "ancients" — the same race who originally built the stargates.
Why you should watch: If you thought Jack O'Neill was cool, just wait until you meet John Sheppard. Seriously, this guy has a composure that makes test pilots look like anxiety-ridden teenagers. This second spin-off hits the ground running and only gets better. In particular, the developing relations between Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and his team, Ronin Dex (Jason Momoa, oh yes), Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell) and of course Dr. Rodney McKay, played by the brilliant David Hewlett. Every season of this sci-fi surpasses that last, until the very end (season 5) when you'll be left wanting more. This is probably the most rewatchable sci-fi ever made for television.
Free with Amazon Prime
Stargate Universe
Synopsis: Following a surprise attack on the Alpha Site, a group of soldiers and civilians have little choice but to use a stargate address that incorporates the "ninth chevron" taking them to a deserted space cruiser built by the Ancients millions of years ago that itself is billions of light-years away from Earth. With little or no control of the ship, the team encounters new races, new technology and new enemies as the runaway ship travels to the far ends of the universe.
Why you should watch: "Battlestar Galactica" changed sci-fi forever; suddenly dark, gritty and more mature sci-fi was all the rage — it was a renaissance — and the makers of the "Stargate" franchise didn't want to be left behind. The result was a new spin-off totally unlike any other "Stargate" show and it was brilliant. A totally new situation gave the writers the opportunity to lay the groundwork for some extremely complex and captivating relationships set onboard this ancient spacecraft hurtling through the heavens. The ongoing friction between Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) and Col. Young (Louis Ferreira) was just one of many well-written sub plots. Sadly "Universe" was cancelled after just two seasons, but it should consider itself up there with some of the best sci-fi TV has given us.
Free with Amazon Prime
Tales From the Loop
Synopsis: A small backwater town has a scientific research facility built underneath it, exactly like the Large Hadron Collider at the CERN facility that lies on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland. But the people of this town experience all kinds of weird events and strange phenomena. Each episode follows one townsperson, or a particular group of townspeople, and their experiences with "the loop."
Why you should watch: What an incredibly brilliant idea. Why wouldn't a super-accelerated particle smasher designed to uncover the mysteries of the universe not create super-weird events and interdimensional portals?! The premise of this show is quite possibly one of the most simple and effective we've ever seen. Using the existing notion of a sub-atomic research facility, which we're all already familiar with, as a frame for a "Twilight Zone"-style, "X-Files"-esque, episodic show featuring stories about the "strange and unexplained" is genius. In a senseless waste of a genuinely promising idea, this show was tragically never renewed for a second season.
Free with Amazon Prime
Upload
Synopsis: When a computer programmer Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell) dies prematurely, his socialite girlfriend pays the expensive fee to have his consciousness uploaded to the exclusive Lake View resort for the recently deceased. However, depending on what she chooses to accept to pay for, he finds some simple elements of his life are restricted. As Nathan adjusts to digital heaven, he begins to develop feelings for with his customer service representative in the real world, Nora (Andy Allo). She is struggling with the pressures of her job, her dying father who does not want to be uploaded and her own growing feelings for Nathan while slowly coming to believe that Nathan was murdered.
Why you should watch: "Upload" was with a doubt one of the highlights of 2020; creator Greg Daniels ("Parks and Recreation" and "The Office") did a phenomenal job of creating a believable, dark comedy, set in the very near future, with so many worryingly realistic plot elements. Sadly though, the second season lacks the less-is-more magic that Season 1 had and takes the story into a very different place. That trend continues with the third season...and, much like Netflix's "Lost in Space" the show has gradually deteriorated in quality over three seasons, but since we're currently in a sci-fi drought on television, be thankful, even for this.
Free with Amazon Prime
So there you have it! A look at our picks for the best sci-fi movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime. You can sign up for Amazon Prime here. After the 30-day free trial, a subscription costs $12.99 per month or $119 for the year.
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