Movies

10 Sci-Fi Flicks to Stream on Netflix and Prime Video in November

10 Sci-Fi Flicks to Stream on Netflix and Prime Video in November
Image credit: Warner Bros, Entertainment Film Distributors

If you are looking to indulge in the sci-fi genre this month, you are sure to find something to your liking among the movies currently available.

The catalogs of the streaming services are constantly updated with new entries and some others are no longer available, so it can be quite annoying to keep track of what you can actually watch.

So, if you are a sci-fi fan and looking for some great entries in the genre to watch, here is a list of ten movies that are currently available on Netflix and Amazon Prime in November 2023.

1. Elysium (2013) - Netflix / Amazon Prime Video

Neill Blomkamp's 2013 dystopian sci-fi action was recently added to Netflix, so why not check it out for the first time or refresh your memory?

Set in the year 2154, when Earth is suffering from extreme pollution and overpopulation, so humanity's elite have left the planet to live on the Elysium space station, it follows Max Da Costa, portrayed by Matt Damon, a former criminal now working in one of the factories.

After a workplace accident exposes Max to a lethal dose of radiation, his days are numbered, and life-saving medical technology is only available on Elysium.

2. Snowpiercer ( 2013) - Netflix / Amazon Prime Video

Based on the French graphic novel series of the same name, the film is set in a post-apocalyptic world suffering from a new ice age.

The last surviving humans live on a massive train that constantly travels around the planet, but it has caused a massive divide in society, as the further you are from the head of the train, the worse the living conditions, which inevitably leads to a revolt.

3. Ghost in the Shell (1995) - Amazon Prime Video

Based on the manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow, this full-length anime directed by Mamoru Oshii is an absolute classic of the cyberpunk genre, almost as influential as the iconic Blade Runner (just don't confuse it with the terrible 2017 live-action adaptation).

Following Major Motoko Kusanagi, whose body has been largely replaced by cybernetics, as she hunts down a mysterious terrorist who hacks people's brains, it also delves into more philosophical dilemmas, such as the difference between a "living" mind and an artificial one.

4. I Am Mother (2019) - Netflix

Netflix originals tend to be hit and miss, but this 2019 film is a pretty solid sci-fi story with a couple of unexpected twists.

After an unnamed event wipes out humanity, an isolated facility begins its protocol to repopulate the planet using the stored embryos.

Once a girl known only as Daughter reaches her teenage years under the care of her robotic Mother, an unexpected visitor from the seemingly desolate outside world turns her whole world upside down.

5. Dune ( 2021) - Netflix / Amazon Prime Video

Denis Villeneuve's 2021 sci-fi epic has only recently become available on Netflix, and while the second installment is still four months away, this is a perfect opportunity to revisit this breathtaking adventure.

Set in the extremely distant future, the story follows Paul Atreides as he survives the fall of his House and takes his first step toward becoming a messiah who will completely change the balance of power in the universe.

6. Arrival (2016) - Netflix / Amazon Prime Video

Also directed by Denis Villeneuve, Arrival is much more grounded than the aforementioned space opera, focusing on the rather simple but often overlooked problem of making first contact with aliens without knowing their language.

When mysterious spaceships arrive on Earth, a team of scientists is immediately assembled to establish communication, but this task proves to be much more complex than they initially thought.

7. The Adam Project (2022) - Netflix

If you're looking for something a little more light-hearted, this sci-fi action comedy is a perfect movie for the evening, because while it's not the most thought-provoking movie ever made, it's a pretty decent and entertaining action comedy.

After a prototype time-traveling jet pilot Adam Reed, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, jumps back in time, he must team up with his 12-year-old self to prevent the dystopian future from happening.

8. Dredd (2012) - Netflix / Amazon Prime Video

Set in a dystopian, crime-ridden futuristic world where so-called Judges enforce the law on the spot, including instant death sentences, the film follows Judge Dredd, portrayed by Karl Urban, as he storms a mega-building controlled by crime lord Ma-Ma, played by Lena Headey.

While the story is fairly straightforward, Dredd is a non-stop thrill ride of visually stunning and bloody action, accompanied by a great dystopian atmosphere and a perfectly fitting soundtrack.

9. War of the Worlds (2005) - Netflix / Amazon Prime Video

Another recent addition to Netflix, this modern classic, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the 1898 novel The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, chronicles an alien invasion of Earth.

After massive alien tripods begin appearing all over the world, a simple working man, Ray Ferrier, portrayed by Tom Cruise, does everything he can to protect his family amidst the ongoing chaos.

10. Project Power (2020) - Netflix

In the near future, a new drug gives its user superpowers for five minutes, which naturally leads to a chain of disasters and horrific crimes.

While searching for the source of the drug, detective Frank Shaver, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, meets the mysterious Art, portrayed by Jamie Foxx, who may be the key to discovering the origin of the drug.

While not a masterpiece by any means, Project Power is still a fun take on the superpower theme with a dash of sci-fi.