It’s mid-October and spooky season is almost over. If you’re looking for a great sci-fi movie to watch as a change of pace from your annual horror movie marathon, you’ve come to the right place.
As always, we’ve hand-picked Netflix’s streaming library to bring you the best sci-fi movies you can stream this October. This month, we’re introducing director Michel Gondry’s acclaimed classic starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, the best modern Star Trek movie ever, and a classic mech-animated film trilogy.
Let’s take a look at this month’s contents!
Editor’s Pick: Mobile Suit Gundam Trilogy
Image: sunrise
Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino, Ryoji Fujiwara
Cast: Toru Furuya, Hirotaka Suzuoki, Shozo Inozuka
Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most important series in the history of anime, if not the entire history of science fiction. Yoshiyuki Tomino’s military science fiction television series would redefine not only the subgenre of giant robot “mecha” anime, but also the way anime and anime-related products are marketed and sold to audiences.
Case in point: The Mobile Suit Gundam feature film trilogy consists of re-edited (and in some cases completely re-drawn) footage from the original 43-episode anime series. These compilation films capitalized on the sci-fi craze following the Japanese premiere of George Lucas’ Star Wars in 1978, reviving fandom for the series after the anime was canceled earlier that year. Achievements are recognized.
In other words, without these movies, the Mobile Suit Gundam series as we know it today would not exist. Historical significance aside, the compilation film trilogy is a thrilling, albeit abbreviated, way to experience the story of the original series that started it all. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the story of teenager Amuro Ray’s role in the war between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon, this is as good a place to start as the original TV anime itself. –Toussaint Egan
Image: Paramount Home Entertainment
Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban
Star Trek Beyond, the third film in the Star Trek Reboot Trilogy, is the most unique of these films, and perhaps the most definitive “Star Trek” of the three. This entry follows Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the rest of the crew of the USS Enterprise as they embark on a rescue mission where things are not as they seem.
While the other films in the trilogy have strong mystery elements, this one is all sci-fi action, which turned out to be a very natural fit for director Justin Lin, known for the Fast and Furious series. . . Lin injects a sense of energy and excitement missing from JJ Abrams’ work, making Beyond a little more fun than the previous two films. Add in Idris Elba as the villain Krall and you have the perfect combination for a great Star Trek adventure. —Austin Gosselin
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Image: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Director: Michel Gondry
Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst
The film depicts the tumultuous romance between Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), which eventually deteriorates so much that both parties resort to a technological solution that permanently erases them from their memories. We will explore solutions separately.
This clever little twist makes Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind a beautiful, melancholic love story in science fiction. You’ve probably already seen this movie at least once, but you probably need to watch it again. The brilliantly tragic screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (who played John Malkovich) gets even better on repeat viewings, with the audience almost believing they knew the twists and turns of Joel and Clementine’s relationship beforehand, and adding new wrinkles. Each reveals a new layer of love and bond between the two. Their friction with each other.
The weight of this film’s tragedy is felt no less strongly even when you know everything is about to happen, so there’s no reason not to revisit this modern classic. —A.G.
