We’re midway through October now, which means that spooky season is almost over. If you’re looking for a handful of great sci-fi films to watch to break up your yearly horror movie marathon, you’ve come to the right place!
As always, we’ve sifted through Netflix’s streaming library to bring you the very best sci-fi movies to stream this October. This month, we’ve got a critically acclaimed classic courtesy of filmmaker Michel Gondry starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, the best modern Star Trek movie to date, and a classic trilogy of mecha anime films.
Let’s take a look at what this month has to offer!
Editor’s pick: The Mobile Suit Gundam trilogy
Directors: Yoshiyuki Tomino, Ryōji Fujiwara
Cast: Tôru Furuya, Hirotaka Suzuoki, Shôzô Îzuka
Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most important franchises in the history of anime, if not the history of science fiction as a whole. Yoshiyuki Tomino’s military sci-fi TV series would go on to redefine not only the subgenre of giant robot “mecha” anime, but the way in which anime and anime-related merchandise were marketed and sold to audiences.
Case in point: The trilogy of feature-length Mobile Suit Gundam films comprised of re-edited (and in some cases, completely redrawn) footage from the original 43-episode anime series. These compilation films are credited for resuscitating the series’ fandom following the anime’s cancellation earlier that year by capitalizing on the sci-fi fervor in the wake of the Japanese premiere of George Lucas’ original Star Wars in 1978.
In short: Were it not for these movies, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise as we know it today would not exist. Aside from their historical significance, 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 been curious 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 movie in the Star Trek reboot trilogy, is both the most unique of the movies, and probably the most definitively “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 aren’t exactly as they seem.
While the other movies in the trilogy are heavy on mystery, this one is all about sci-fi action, which turns out to be a pretty natural fit for its director, Justin Lin, who’s best known for his work on the Fast and Furious franchise. Lin imbues a sense of energy and excitement that J.J. Abrams’ entries lack, making Beyond a little more fun than the previous two movies. Add in Idris Elba as the villainous Krall, and you have the perfect mixture for a great Star Trek adventure. —Austen Goslin
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Image: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Director: Michel Gondry
Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst
The film follows the tumultuous romance of Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), which eventually gets so bad that both parties separately seek a technological solution that will wipe it from their memory forever.
This clever little twist lets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind come to sci-fi by way of a beautiful, melancholic love story. While you’ve likely already seen this movie at least once, you’re probably due for a rewatch. The brilliantly tragic script from Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) plays even better on repeat viewings, almost trusting that audiences know the twists and turns of Joel and Clementine’s relationship before they happen, and letting each new wrinkle reveal another layer to both their love and their friction with one another.
The weight of the film’s tragedy doesn’t hit any less hard when you know it’s all coming, so there’s no reason not to revisit this modern classic. —AG