It should also come as no surprise that Paramount+ has tons of excellent sci-fi movies since the streamer is probably best known for its massive collection of Star Trek shows and movies, including tons of originals. If you’re looking for some great sci-fi movies to watch this summer, here are five you definitely need to check out.
Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epicInterstellarturned into a downright phenomenon after it was released. The movie centered around humanity trying to escape a dying Earth and the story was heavily influenced by the concept of time dilation. To be completely honest, it’sa lot. With how complicated the story and physics are behindInterstellar, tons could have gone wrong with the movie. It could have been too complicated and confusing for audiences to understand, or so dumbed down that it felt boring and stale.
Nolan was able to perfectly walk this tightrope by consulting with scientists and engineers before filming, ensuring that the movie was rooted in sound science. Most notable among the scientists involved was Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Kip Thorne, as well as physicist Lisa Randall and even Steven Spielberg’s dad, Arnold Spielberg, who was an esteemed engineer.
Helping bring the story to life were Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, and even a very young Timothée Chalamet. The film went on to gross over $773 million at the box office and is perfect for anyone in the mood for a big-budget, high-minded blockbuster hit.
Star Trek (2009)
Withall the Star Trek content on Paramount+, it would be hard for any sci-fi fannotto watch some of it. The 2009 reboot film is a great place to start because, not only is it a more modernized retelling, but it’s also an important piece of Star Trek history. During the 2000s, Star Trek hit a lull. The franchises felt stuck in the 80s, and audiences grew bored. From 1987-2005, there had always been a Star Trek series or movie in active production.
However, by the time the final episode ofStar Trek: Enterpriseaired in 2005, hardly anyone was watching. Airing on the UPN network (which by that point had become a sad joke on the brink of collapse),Enterprisewasn’t in the Nielsen Top 10. Or the Top 50. or even the Top 100. Instead, itranked as the 150th seriesof the 2005 season, airing virtually unnoticed by the general public.
2009’sStar Trekbrought in some much-needed fresh blood. Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring a new, younger cast including Chris Pine, Zoe Saldaña, and Zachary Quinto, the movie proved to be a hit, becoming the highest-grossingStar Trekmovie ever, being surpassed only by its sequels.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Another great movie for Trekkies (or anyone who loves a good laugh) isGalaxy Quest. It’s a smart parody ofStar Trekthat centers around the cast of the fictitious sci-fi seriesGalaxy Quest. As the cast goes fromconvention to conventionspeaking to fans, they end up accidentally being mistaken for actual intergalactic heroes by a group of real aliens who are under attack.
Serving as both a hilarious parody and an honorable nod toStar Trek, the movie is incredibly funny and full of heart. Helping bring the story to life is its fantastic cast that includes Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen, Sam Rockwell, Missi Pyle, and the late Alan Rickman. Trekkies andStar Trekalums have spoken about how hilariousGalaxy Questis, withGeorge Takei jokingly callingthe film “a chillingly realistic documentary.”
Fans of the film have a lot to look forward to as well. Originally, the movie was supposed to receive an Amazon Prime sequel series which went into pre-production in 2015. However, Rickman’s death in 2016 put the series on pause. But in the spring of 2023, Paramount+ announced that it had begun pre-production on its ownGalaxy Questseries, so fans can hopefully see more in the coming years.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
When a race of parasitic aliens arrives on Earth, they begin to take the shape of humans with the hopes of colonizing the planet after sucking all the resources out of their homeworld. The movie was adapted from the classic 1955 novelThe Body Snatchersand starred Donald Sutherland, a young Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Nancy Cartwright, who would go on to star inAlienthe following year.
The film was so successful because it blended elements of horror and psychological thriller, forcing the audience to constantly question who is real and trustworthy, and who is just an alien decoy. The film is also somewhat iconic thanks to itsoften-parodied and memed scream scene.
Invasion of the Body Snatchersreceived rave reviews, ranking higher than the originalBody Snatchersfilm from 1956, and currently holds a highly-respectable 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. It went on to be a box office hit and spawneda little-known but just as good 1993 remakeand a slew of reboots and films inspired by the premise, likeInvasionfrom 2007.
The Faculty (1998)
Another great body-snatching movie isRobert Rodriguez’s 1998 cult classic,The Faculty. Blending concepts fromTheBody Snatcherswith a similar story calledPuppet Masters (and injected with a massive dose of ’90s cool thanks to a script byScreamwriter Kevin Williamson),The Facultywas a unique movie that combined sci-fi and horror. In the film, the faculty at a small-town high school in Ohio become infected by a parasitic alien. Using their influence and power over the students, they attempt to infect the entire student body and their families.
The only ones who can stop them are a ragtag group of teens played by then-newcomers Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, and Clea DuVall, among others. On top of the young cast, the movie was loaded with even more famous faces, including everyone from Jon Stewart and Selma Hayek to Bebe Neuwirth, Piper Laurie, and Famke Janssen.
Despite never achieving the box office glory of other ’90s horror hits likeScreamandI Know What You Did Last Summer, Rodriguez’sThe Facultyhas developed a massive cult following and received numerous retrospectives. It’s also had a number of special screenings throughout the years. Later in 2023, it’s even going to screen at theTexas high school where it was filmed.
