In the current streaming wars, it is difficult to find a reliable service that still offers genre films. The proliferation of original content and franchises has made the most prominent names generic when viewers are looking for something of value. Additionally, some of these services are not as comprehensive in terms of content. After HBO’s evolution to Max, we feared that the change would have a detrimental impact on the titles they had previously offered. Below are the best sci-fi movies on HBO Max.
To address this concern, we examined the Max catalog and selected some of the top science fiction titles available to stream today. Science fiction is one of the most sought-after genres in the world, yet the catalogs are continually saturated with fantasy and horror, which are cousins to science fiction. Despite this, we managed to find some of the best zombie movie gems on HBO Max as well as the best thrillers to watch.
The Fly
 | The Fly | |
| Genre Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi | Runtime 1 Hour 36 Minutes | |
| Director David Cronenberg | 7.6/10 | |
| Cast Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz | ||
The Fly is a 1982 American science fiction film, renowned for its remarkable special effects and its captivating story. The plot follows the journey of an eccentric scientist (Jeff Goldblum) who invites a journalist (Geena Davis) to observe the development of his pioneering teleportation machine. As Brundle tests the machine on himself, he unknowingly inserts a fly into the machine.
This causes the device to separate his molecules and realign them into the second pod, while simultaneously realigning the fly’s molecules on a general level on the opposite side of the machine. Subsequently, the scientist undergoes a series of harrowing emotional and physical transformations as he gradually turns into a human.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | |
| Genre Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Runtime 2 Hours 10 Minutes | |
| Director Matt Reeves | 7.6/10 | |
| Cast Dylan Clark, Jason Clarke, Judy Greer | ||
For many years, the franchise has been a staple of popular culture, but the latest installment of the franchise continues to provide a modern interpretation of the classic narrative. With the help of cutting-edge effects and a new cast, this film follows up on the first film of the rebooted universe.
Set in the decade following the rise of the apes, the world has been ravaged by the Simian Influenza, which has wiped out the majority of humanity. Led by Caesar, the apes have now set up a colony in San Francisco’s Muir Woods, and their existence and the existence of the humans remain in a delicate equilibrium, with the potential for a conflict erupting at any moment.
Limitless
 | Limitless | |
| Genre Sci-Fi, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 45 Minutes | |
| Director Neil Burger | 7.4/10 | |
| Cast Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish | ||
Limitless stars Bradley Cooper as Edward, a struggling writer who finds himself in a race against time to find a way to stop the effects of a mysterious pill on his brain. The movie explores the potential of what could be achieved if we could unlock the full power of the human mind, giving us super intelligence. But as power often corrupts, this pill comes with some shocking side effects.
Using the pill to boost his brain, Edward is initially able to perform mind-boggling feats of intelligence. But soon, he learns there is a chilling catch: once he starts taking the pill, he cannot stop or he will die. In a race against time, Edward must use his newfound super intellect to either save himself or find a way to never take the pill again.
Spaceballs
 | Spaceballs | |
| Genre Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi | Runtime 1 Hour 36 Minutes | |
| Director Mel Brooks | 8.4/10 | |
| Cast Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis | ||
If you’re a fan of science-fiction movies, you owe it to yourself to watch Spaceballs. Released in 1987, it’s a Mel Brooks comedy that mainly parodies the original Star Wars trilogy, but it also makes references to almost every other major sci-fi franchise out there. In it, Bill Pullman’s Lone Starr and John Candy’s Barf are on a mission to save Princess Vespa from the evil Spaceballs.
If you’re not a Star Wars fan, you’re in luck! Like all great parody movies, Spaceballs works just fine in a vacuum, and it’s full of some of the most popular Mel Brooks jokes ever made. There’s an overall sense of absurdity that you can’t help but laugh at, and you’re guaranteed to have a great time with characters like “The Pizza the Hutt” and “Dark Helmet”.
The Blob
 | The Blob | |
| Genre Horror, Sci-Fi | Runtime 1 Hour 26 Minutes | |
| Rated Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., Russell S. Doughten Jr. | 6.3/10 | |
| Cast Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe | ||
Do you want to know what’s in The Blob? Well, the title is a bit of a clue. The Blob was released in 1958 and Steve McQueen was in his first lead role in a science-fiction movie set in the late fifties. Steve McQueen plays a couple of teenagers who are living a high life in a small Pennsylvania town. When a giant jellyfish-like creature lands on Earth, their lives take a turn for the worse.
As the movie progresses, the jellyfish-like monster grows bigger and bigger, consuming more and more of everything it touches. There was a remake of the movie in 1988 that upped the ghoulishness of our jellyfish-like villain, but the original is still pretty good.
The Iron Giant
 | The Iron Giant | |
| Genre Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi | Runtime 1 Hour 26 Minutes | |
| Director Brad Bird | 8.1/10 | |
| Cast Eli Marienthal, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Aniston | ||
The Iron Giant was Brad Bird’s directorial debut before he was cast in The Incredibles. Set during the Cold War, the story follows a young boy, Hogarth, who discovers a giant robot in the woods near his home. As questions begin to be asked by an anxious U.S.
Government agent, Hogarth’s ability to conceal the giant’s presence may finally come to an end. The film was a box office disaster, to say the least. Despite this, the film gained critical acclaim both during and after its release, becoming a beloved childhood staple across the country. The Iron Giant remains one of the best directorial debuts in Bird’s modest filmography.
Signs
 | Signs | |
| Genre Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 46 Minutes | |
| Director M. Night Shyamalan | 6.8/10 | |
| Cast Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin | ||
In light of recent news coverage of alien abductions, Signs is a film that feels oddly timely. Released in 2002, it stars Mel Gibson as an ex-priest living on a Pennsylvania farm with his family. Things are going according to plan until crop circles pop up in the cornfield.
The family’s paranoia escalates as evidence of alien life begins to spread throughout the farm. Despite the movie’s focus on alien life, Signs does a great job of making the threat of a space-faring invasion as invisible as possible. It taps into the audience’s imagination and paints a picture of a full-scale invasion that you may not be prepared for.
Wrapping it up!
Max has some of the best catalogs out there, from Turner Classic Movies to Warner Bros, so it’s a great place to check out the history of any genre, and science fiction is no exception. But if you’re looking for something a bit more sci-fi-y, Max has you covered. It’s got space operas from the ’90s such as Cypher, sci-fi blockbusters from the ’50s, and sci-fi movies that explore the clash of cold tech and hot humanity. Check out our list of the best teen movies on HBO Max right now!
