In defense of sci-fi, famed science-fiction author Theodore Sturgeon once said 90 percent of everything is crud. That might not sound like much of a defense, but it remains true of all things. Just look at Netflix; you'll probably want to add 10 percent of its catalog to your watchlist, at best—perhaps less when it comes to the speculative fiction (that's fantasy and sci-fi, for the uninitiated, plus we'll throw in some horrific horror).
Thankfully, Netflix isn't afraid to spend money on content. It wanted to have the next Game of Thrones and has mostly succeeded with Stranger Things.
But...what about spec fic movies? You know, the kind you and I and our fellow geeks flock to in droves? Where's Netflix's Alien? The Matrix? Blade Runner? Netflix isn't there quite yet. However, the list below includes guilty pleasures and some thrill-fests of FX-laden fiction. So pull up a La-Z-Boy, nerds. Time to get your geek on.
ARQ
In the vast landscape of sci-fi tropes, the Groundhog Day-style time loop is arguably the most popular—name one speculative fiction show that hasn't tried it. Movies love it, too—the best remains Edge of Tomorrow/Live. Die. Repeat.—and 2016's ARQ (one of the first Netflix originals) leans into it heavily. The time loop is caused by a "perpetual motion machine" because science. It's also a little claustrophobic, as almost the whole film has one location. ARQ stars Robbie "I'm not Green Arrow, that's my cousin" Amell and Rachel Taylor (from Marvel's Jessica Jones), who give it their all (which isn't really all that much), but with a twist or two, it's worth a gander.
Bright
Is Bright a great film? Nope, but it's the most expensive and star-studded (Will Smith) in Netflix history, and it's successful enough that Netflix green-lit a sequel almost immediately after it began streaming. The concept is clever: orcs, elves, and fairies are just another set of races in the future of Los Angeles. Smith is a cop who gets partnered with an orc (Joel Edgerton). The two of them stumble on a weapon of mass destruction on the streets: a magic wand. Sounds whimsical, but the director David Ayer—the guy behind Training Day and Suicide Squad—doesn't do whimsy.
The Discovery
This is the kind of speculation that speculative fiction is all about: imagine a world where someone proved the afterlife exists. Jason Segel plays the son of that man (played himself by Robert Redford), who's dealing with the ramifications of it just like the rest of humanity—many of whom are killing themselves to get there. The Discovery was directed by Charlie McDowell, who also helmed the incredibly interesting The One I Love. It also stars Rooney Mara and Jesse Plemons.
A Futile and Stupid Gesture
This is for geeks of perhaps a different stripe: comedy nerds. A Futile and Stupid Gesture is the story behind the launch of The National Lampoon by Doug Kenney, which molded writing and movies for decades back in the 1970s. Go watch it and then binge a few hours of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Gerald's Game
Some Stephen King novels come off as inherently un-filmable, but it's nice when someone tries one and hits it out of the park. That's the case with Oculus director Mike Flanagan's adaption of Gerald's Game, a sprawling book that takes place almost entirely in a single bedroom where a woman lies handcuffed to the bed, her partner Gerald dead on the floor from a heart attack. If you only know about this tale from the trailer above, know this: the dog is not the scariest thing. Oh my, no.
I Am Mother
This Australian import is about a future with only one human, being raised by a robot named Mother (voice by Rose Byrne). At least that's what the kid thinks. But Daughter grows up and their little slice of heaven—a post-apocalyptic high-tech bunker—gets a visitor. Which is always nice when it's an Oscar winner like Hillary Swank, but not so nice when Mother might turn out to be a homicidal AI.
Mute
Duncan Jones is the writer/director behind some of the best sci-fi of the last decade, including the sublime Moon and the time-loopy Source Code (don't hold Warcraft against him). Netflix was lucky to get him to deliver Mute—which takes place in the same story universe as Moon—even if most (not all) of the critics didn't like the final outcome. A cross between The Big Lebowski (if all the characters were sociopaths), Death Wish, and Blade Runner, the movie follow a mute bartender (Alexander Skarsgård) looking for his missing girlfriend.
Okja
It's a simple tale of an orphan girl named Mija protecting her pet. Except that never works out in movies. Especially here, where she's protecting a "super-pig" named Okja from a massive corporation that wants to turn him into the next wave of food. It's an adventure that hits all the marks and then some, delicately balancing its message while being highly entertaining.
The Perfection
In the world of eff-ed up horror, the most perfect of 2019 might have been The Perfection. Allison Williams continues to play against her type (that type as set by the TV Show Girls), as a cellist who was forced to leave her music school to care for a dying mother. When that death happens, she's free to return, but has been replaced by Logan Browning. What follows has to be seen to be believed, and even then you may not believe it, but you won't forget it.
When We First Met
Obviously, this Groundhog Day knock-off—another one!—isn't going to change much in the fantasy time travel sub-genre, but When We First Met does have one ace-in-the-hole: lead actor Adam DeVine (Workaholics, the Pitch Perfect franchise, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, The Righteous Gemstones) provides some comedy chops. Also present: serial time-looper Robbie "Firestorm" Amell, as the other guy in the love triangle.
Other Top Originals
For more, check out our picks for the best original: