The best science fiction movies to watch on Netflix in December

It's never a bad time to pick out your new favorite sci-fi movie, so why not watch a few new ones before the holidays? Netflix has a lot of great sci-fi choices to choose from, but this month we're looking at some surprising choices that you might not expect.

As the end of the year approaches and Godzilla hype sweeps the world, we have a pick worthy of the King of Monsters, as well as something to prepare you for Netflix's upcoming space opera epic and a movie from just a few years ago, which you may not have come across yet.

Editor's Choice: Love and Monsters

Director: Michael Matthews
Form: Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker

Post-apocalyptic stories have a nihilism problem. It's understandable how they get there: the end of the world sucks, therefore the circumstances (and people) at the end of the world must also suck. Station Eleven was a nice antidote to this The last of us problem, and while Love and monsters doesn't quite reach the soaring highs of the first, it's a post-apocalyptic story that eschews its tired view of humanity for a tale of self-discovery and found family.

This variant of the apocalypse saw all cold-blooded creatures on Earth turned into monsters. The film features strong creation work (it was nominated for an Oscar for visual effects) and the premise offers some fun opportunities for creative monsters derived from recognizable creatures – frogs, ants, crabs, worms, etc.

The story follows Joel (Dylan O'Brien), the loser cook of a post-apocalyptic bunker, where everyone but him is linked together. Chronically terrified Joel misses his ex (Jessica Henwick) and decides to venture into the terrifying world to reunite with his lost love. Along the way, he teams up with a dog far more capable than him and a group of fellow survivors (including the ever-reliable Michael Rooker).

Love and monsters comes from director Michael Matthews (the neo-western Five fingers for Marseille) and writer Brian Duffield (No one will save you). It has been newly added to Netflix and has quickly risen to the platform's top 10. If you can get past the hit-or-miss opening, you'll be treated to a different twist on life after the apocalypse. —Piet Volk

Godzilla vs. Kong

Image: Legendary entertainment

Director: Adam Wingard
Form: Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry

With the excellent Apple TV Plus series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters halfway through his run, Godzilla Minus one making its way through theaters and looking electrifying Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on the way early next year, now is the perfect time to catch up on the MonsterVerse.

Godzilla vs. Kong is exactly what it should be. It's an absolutely beautiful film about two giant monsters fighting each other, and it knows it doesn't really have to be more than that. Sure, it's fun and funny, and the human characters are solid enough, but when it comes down to it, what matters most is Kong running through the beautiful neons of the Hollow Earth and Godzilla kicking his ass later in the movie. . —Austen Goslin

Man of Steel

Image: Warner Bros.

Director: Zack Snyder
Form: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon

I know. A superhero movie isn't necessarily what you're looking for if you're looking for science fiction, but with the release of Rebel Moon In a few weeks, it is worth remembering that Zack Snyder has already made a pretty excellent science fiction film about an alien defending a planet.

Even more important than the fact that Earth's greatest hero is an alien himself is the opening of Man of Steel is one of the most impressive sci-fi films and world-building in recent memory, superhero film or otherwise. Snyder's vision of Krypton is beautiful and fascinating enough to support an entire film on its own. But as it stands, Snyder creates an incredible race of aliens that feels like one of the most believable representations of Kryptonians yet. And that alone should merit a sci-fi rewatch for this underrated Superman classic. —AG