The 5 best sci fi movies to watch on Netflix and more in July 2023

It’s July, and we’re barrelling through the summer movie calendar, with exciting new releases like Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part OneThen, Indiana Jones and Dial of DestinyLight up the screens of cinemas across America. More big-budget releases like BarbieYou can also find out more about the following: OppenheimerThe movie is expected to be released later in the month. But if you’re looking for something closer to home to watch, look no further — there’s plenty of great movie on streaming to watch from the comfort of your couch.

We select five new science fiction films each month for you to stream at home on Netflix or other platforms. In this month’s selection, you will find new movies that have just been released on streaming services, along with films by directors who already have new work in the works. You can also enjoy deeper cuts, off the beaten track, which are certain to please.

65

Sony Pictures Releasing

Year: 2023
Run time: 1h 33m
Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Cast: Adam Driver Ariana

It’s a question as old as archaeology itself: What You can also find out more about the following:Who killed the dinosaurs? Y’know, aside from the ginormous meteor that struck the site of what is now known as the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It’s kinda like the question of who You can also find out more about the following:The answer to this question is Egyptian slave labour, which unfortunately was the case. Anyway, in Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ sci-fi action debut, the answer is an ancient alien astronaut named Mills (Adam Driver) who crash-landed on Earth 65 million years ago after taking a job to pay for his daughter’s medical treatment.

After rescuing Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), the only other survivor of the crash, Mills is forced to fight his way through a myriad of prehistoric predators in order to reach his ship’s escape pods — the sole remaining means of returning back to his home world — before that big hulking meteor I mentioned earlier strikes the planet. Although the original premise of 65 is way more convoluted than it has any reason to be, Beck and Woods’ film is serviceably entertaining sci-fi romp all in all, anchored by an unsurprisingly strong lead performance by Driver, cool action sequences, and cool alien technology.

65You can stream the movie on Netflix. Rent it on Amazon, AppleThen, Vudu.

Annihilation

Universal Pictures

Year: 2018
Run time: 1h 55m
Director: Alex Garland
Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson

Alex Garland’s adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s eco-horror novel is one of the director’s better works (though Ex MachinaStill reigns supreme (sorry). Natalie Portman is Lena. She’s a biology prof who accepts an invitation to join an expedition in Shimmer. It’s an anomalous zone on the Western panhandle, Florida, filled with mutated plants and creatures caused by a meteor impact. Searching for answers to her husband’s inexplicable disappearance, Lena is confronted with a world of fantastical horrors beyond her wildest fears and forced to confront disturbing questions about herself and humanity’s own future.

Explore the causes of self-destruction and depression. AnnihilationSonoya mizuno, an actor who has worked with Garland on several occasions, gives one of its most memorable performances in any sci fi movie from the decade. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, frightening, and most of all bizarre sci-fi drama with strange creatures and even stranger secrets, AnnihilationThis is the solution.

AnnihilationNetflix offers a streaming service. You can also rent it from Netflix. Amazon, AppleThen, Vudu.

Arrival

Paramount Pictures

Year: 2016
Run time: 1h 56m
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner & Forest Whitaker

Based on Ted Chiang’s 1998 short story “Story of Your Life,” Denis Villeneuve’s ArrivalIt is not. Dune director’s first foray into hard science fiction and easily ranks as one of his best. The film stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. Louise Banks, a linguistics teacher in the U.S. Government’s first contact team is led by Amy Adams. With a beautiful score composed by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson — his last collaboration with Villeneuve before his death in 2018 — this romantic sci-fi tale finds something fresh to say about the intrinsic power of language and communication.

ArrivalYou can stream the movie on Prime Video. Rent it on Amazon, AppleThen, Vudu.

Belle

GKIDS

Year: 2021
Run time: 2h 4m
Director:Mamoru Hasoda
Cast: Kaho Nakamura, Ryō Narita, Shōta Sometani

Mamoru HsodaWolf Children, Summer WarsReturning with another sci-fi animated fantasy, in the form Belle. The film follows Suzu, a reserved and quiet teenage girl mourning the loss of her mother who retreats into the immersive online world of “U,” inadvertently becoming a famous pop idol by the name of Belle. When one of Belle’s concerts is disrupted by a monstrous user known only as “Dragon,” Suzu sets out to learn more about this mysterious person with whom she can’t help but feel she shares a deep and profound connection.

The setting of “U” feels like the culmination of Hosoda’s career-long fascination with the internet and social media, a dazzling unreal metropolis populated by colorful avatars and gigantic whales with speakers encrusted in their backs. It is a story about trusting yourself to be open to others, and loving them for their true selves despite appearances. Belle is totally the film for you if you’re aching for a fantastical sci-fi musical drama bursting with heart.

BelleYou can stream the movie on Max. Rent it on Amazon, AppleThen, Vudu.

Johnny Mnemonic – In Black and white

Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Year: 1995
Run time: 1h 36m
Director: Robert Longo
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren, Takeshi Kitano

Robert Longo’s directorial debut gets a bum rap. Sure, it’s not exactly the cyberpunk landmark that either Blade RunnerThe following are some examples of how to use The MatrixIt’s not as good as it could be but there is a certain charm to the film that makes for a fun experience. Johnny Mnemonic suffered from significant post-production edits that siphoned out the more satirical and tongue-in-cheek tone of Longo’s original vision in the pursuit of something more conventional, and as a result it feels like a film split between two different directions. The black-and-white version of the theatrical cut, supervised by Longo himself, is closer to the director’s intended vision and makes for a more satisfying and surreal watch.

Keanu Reeves stars as Johnny, a “mnemonic courier” who transports sensitive information between powerful clients via an implant in his brain. Johnny, who accepts one final job to recover his lost memories of childhood, becomes entangled in a plot that involves unscrupulous corporations, ruthless Yakuza, biohackers and omnipotent artificial intelligents. Dolph is also a delightfully hammy assassin, with a preference for Biblically inspired murders. What could you do? You can also check out our other blog posts.Do you at least want to take a look?!

Johnny Mnemonic – In Black and whiteYou can stream the movie on Criterion Channel.