You don’t need to redo your entire budget to accommodate another streaming subscription just because you’re searching for a really good sci-fi movie. Tubi has tons of options for anyone in the mood for everything from terrifying artificial intelligence stories to a little end-of-the-world chaos. Whatever your personal taste, these five movies are a great place to start. And did I mention that they’re totally free?
Dark City (1998)
A mysterious city with secrets
Dark City begins when John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a hotel bathtub with no memory of who he is. Things get even stranger when he discovers he’s wanted for a series of murders. As he tries to piece together his past, he starts to uncover the truth about the mysterious city he calls home and the figures known as the Strangers.
Dark City does two things at once. It keeps you guessing about what’s really going on and makes you want to pay attention to every little detail. The film’s shadowy streets and strange architecture also give it a distinctive look, making the whole thing feel like a nightmare John can’t wake up from. I also think Sewell does a great job of portraying John’s desperation.
- Release Date
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February 27, 1998
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Alex Proyas
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Rufus Sewell
John Murdoch
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William Hurt
Inspector Frank Bumstead
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Kiefer Sutherland
Dr. Daniel P. Schreber
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Jennifer Connelly
Emma Murdoch
Ex Machina (2014)
An experiment with artificial intelligence
In Ex Machina, programmer Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a competition that earns him a visit to the home of his company’s CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). After he gets there, Caleb is asked to take part in an experiment with a fancy humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander). What starts as a basic evaluation eventually becomes more complex as Caleb tries to understand Nathan’s creation.
Ex Machina does a great job of making you question whether Ava is actually as innocent as she seems. You spend so much time trying to figure her out that it’s easy to forget Nathan might be playing his own game, too. And the way the film keeps shifting the balance between all its characters makes you wonder who’s manipulating who.
- Release Date
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April 24, 2015
- Runtime
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108 minutes
- Director
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Alex Garland
The Fifth Element (1997)
An adventure through the future
If you’re in the mood for something with a little more personality, The Fifth Element is a fun choice. Set in the 23rd century, the movie follows former soldier and taxi driver Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), whose life takes a weird turn when a woman named Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) falls into his cab. He soon finds himself helping her locate four ancient stones that could save the world.
Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod was the entire reason I loved The Fifth Element as a kid (and still do btw). He’s ridiculously flamboyant and always seems to be at full volume, which makes him a brilliant addition to the movie. The film also has a wonderfully over-the-top approach to its futuristic setting. Between the unusual fashion and strange characters, it’s a nice change of pace if you’re tired of serious sci-fi movies.
- Release Date
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May 7, 1997
- Runtime
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126 minutes
- Director
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Luc Besson
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Bruce Willis
Korben Dallas
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The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
A climate disaster pushes humanity to its limits
The Day After Tomorrow follows climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), who’s been warning people about the dangers of climate change. But his concerns become a terrifying reality when a series of extreme weather events sends the planet into a new ice age. With everything on the brink of destruction, Jack sets out to rescue his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is stranded in New York.
Disaster movies that aren’t afraid to go completely overboard are the best. And The Day After Tomorrow certainly delivers on that front. The scenes of New York being swallowed by freezing temperatures are still pretty impressive, even if some of the science is a little hard to take seriously. Gyllenhaal also makes Sam an easy character to root for.
- Release Date
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May 28, 2004
- Runtime
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124 Minutes
- Director
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Roland Emmerich
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-
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Emmy Rossum
Laura Chapman
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Snowpiercer (2013)
The last survivors are trapped aboard a train
Snowpiercer takes place after a failed climate experiment leaves Earth frozen and almost uninhabitable. The few remaining survivors live aboard a massive train that travels around the world, with passengers divided by their social class. But Curtis Everett (Chris Evans) and the other people stuck in the train’s poorer sections have had enough of their living conditions and decide to launch a rebellion.
I didn’t expect a movie with a near-constant train setting to be so entertaining. But Snowpiercer really makes it work. Some of the characters are completely over the top, and Tilda Swinton looks like she’s having a great time playing the eccentric Minister Mason. It’s also pretty wild seeing how the people at the front of the train live like royalty while everyone else is just trying to survive.
- Release Date
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August 1, 2013
- Runtime
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127 minutes
- Director
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Bong Joon Ho
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Song Kang-ho
Namgoong Minsu
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A little something for every sci-fi fan
From the mind-bending mystery of Dark City to the mild silliness of The Fifth Element, the movies on this list are the perfect example of just how different sci-fi can be. Some of these stories will make you question everything, while others are happy to just toss you into the middle of a disaster or a full-blown rebellion. That’s what makes the genre such a popular pick because there’s always something different to get lost in.