The best science fiction movies to watch on Netflix in October

We are now halfway through October and that means the spooky season is almost over. If you’re looking for a handful of great sci-fi films to break up your annual horror movie marathon, you’ve come to the right place!

As always, we’ve scoured Netflix’s streaming library to bring you the very best sci-fi movies to stream this October. This month we have a critically acclaimed classic courtesy of filmmaker Michel Gondry starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, the best modern Star Trek film to date, and a classic trilogy of mecha anime films.

Let’s see what this month has to offer!

Directors: Yoshiyuki Tomino, Ryoji Fujiwara
Form: 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 not only redefine the subgenre of giant robot mecha anime, but also the way anime and anime-related merchandise were marketed and sold to the public.

Case in point: the trilogy of feature-length Mobile Suit Gundam films, consisting of re-edited (and in some cases completely redrawn) footage from the original 43-episode anime series. These compilation films are credited with reinvigorating 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: without these films, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise as we know it would not exist. Aside from their historical significance, the anthology film trilogy is an exciting, if abbreviated, way to experience the story of the original series that started it all. If you’ve ever been curious about 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

Director: Justin Lin
Form: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban

Star Trek continuesthe third film in the Star Trek reboot trilogy, it is both the most unique film 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 are not exactly as they seem.

While the other films in the trilogy are heavily mysterious, this one is all about sci-fi action, which proves to be a pretty natural fit for the director, Justin Lin, who is best known for his work on the Fast and Furious franchise . . Lin exudes a sense of energy and excitement that JJ Abrams’ entries lack Past a bit more fun than the previous two films. Add Idris Elba as the evil Krall and you have the perfect mix for a great Star Trek adventure. —Austen Goslin

Director: Michel Gondry
Form: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst

The film follows the tumultuous romance of Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), which eventually becomes so bad that both parties separately seek out a technological solution that will erase them from their memories forever.

This clever little twist makes it possible Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind come to sci-fi through a beautiful, melancholic love story. While you’ve probably seen this movie at least once, you’re probably ready for a new watch. Charlie Kaufman’s brilliantly tragic script (being John Malkovich) plays even better on repeat viewings, almost trusting the audience to know the twists and turns of Joel and Clementine’s relationship before they happen, each new wrinkle revealing a new layer to both their love and their friction with each other.

The weight of the film’s tragedy doesn’t feel any less harsh when you know it’s all about to happen, so there’s no reason not to revisit this modern classic. —AG