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As we start an especially stressful week in the United States, it’s important to take brain breaks—and nothing says “self-care” like “sci-fi” around these parts. The characters in these films are all facing their own agonizing challenges, of course, but they’re doing it millions of miles from Earth, so at least they have that to cling to. Here are 11 sci-fi films to stream when you need a space vacation… in the next few days, or anytime.
The Martian (2015)
Directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Drew Goddard (adapted from the Andy Weir novel), this multi Oscar nominee boasts just as much talent in front of the camera, too. Matt Damon stars as an astronaut accidentally left behind during a mission to Mars; he’s forced to “science the shit” out of his survival until he can be retrieved, with characters played by Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, Mackenzie Davis, Sean Bean, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Peña, and more anxiously monitoring his potato-fueled progress. (Streaming on Max)
Europa Report (2013)
Ecuadorian filmmaker Sebastián Cordero and screenwriter Philip Gelatt (who co-wrote and co-directed 2021 animated standout The Spine of Night) collaborated on this chilling found-footage tale whose apparent realism makes the “fiction” part of its “science fiction” all the more nightmarish. A crew (including Sharlto Copley and Daniel Wu) heading to one of Jupiter’s moons decides to press on even after they lose their communication link with Earth—among other mishaps—meaning they are truly alone when they make a shocking discovery upon arrival. (Streaming on Netflix)
Stowaway (2021)
Toni Collette, Anna Kendrick, and Daniel Dae Kim play a three-person crew on a long-haul mission to Mars—and Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4) is the engineer who, due to a pre-flight mishap, accidentally tags along. His surprise presence would already be a strain on their carefully calibrated supplies, but things become far more urgent in this survival story when they begin losing their most precious resource, breathable air, at an accelerated rate. (Streaming on Netflix)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Sure, it starts on prehistoric Earth, but Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece then travels to the moon and then “beyond the infinite.” And if ever a movie exists to remind humanity of how very small their place really is in the grand scheme of the universe, 2001: A Space Odyssey is it. (Streaming on Max)
Dark Star (1974)
Before director John Carpenter changed the horror genre forever with Halloween—and co-writer Dan O’Bannon changed the sci-fi genre forever with Alien—they worked together on this indie sci-fi comedy about an interstellar mission plagued with mishaps both mechanical and existential. O’Bannon also stars as one of the crew members, and Carpenter supplies a score that sets the tone for his electronic compositions for future films. Sure, the special effects are dated, especially compared to the earlier 2001—but for an ultra low-budget early ’70s project that started out as a student film, they look pretty fantastic. (Streaming on Prime Video)
Event Horizon (1997)
Alien, speaking of, is obviously the classic “haunted house in space” movie. But Event Horizon, starring Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne, carves out its own place of terror; there’s no hissing monster in this one, just the horrifying depths achievable by twisting the human mind. Also: a black hole, a literal trip to hell, and several jaw-dropping moments of body horror. (Streaming on MGM+)
Solaris (1972)
The 2002 George Clooney/Stephen Soderburgh remake tried, but it couldn’t quite replicate the gorgeously bleak feeling that permeates every frame of Andrei Tarkovsky’s original film, based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem. A feel-good movie this is not, but if you want to take your thoughts far away—say, to deep space, where the most perplexing kinds of emotional breakdowns occur—this is your best bet. (Streaming on Max)
All 3 Dune Movies
Arrakis awaits in Dune (2021), Dune: Part Two (2024), and—because why not?—Dune (1984) too. If ever there was a time to drown yourself in Frank Herbert-adapted movies, now is an ideal time, especially since limited prequel series Dune: Prophecy hits HBO and Max later in November. (Streaming on Max)
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