Summer is in full swing and with it comes an exciting new slate of upcoming releases to look forward to! Of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga now in our rearview mirror are the next big sci-fi tentpoles on the horizon Deadpool and WolverineEli Roth’s adaptation of the popular looter-shooter series Borderlands, and Alien: Romulusthe latest installment in the long-running science fiction horror franchise, this time from Evil Death director Fede Álvarez!
If you’re looking for a great science fiction movie to watch at home immediatelydon’t worry though; we have you. This month’s roundup of the best sci-fi movies streaming on Netflix includes an Oscar-winning take on The King of Kaiju, a divisive yet sublime sequel to the defining cyberpunk franchises of the late ’90s and early 2000s, and a mind-boggling to yet bombastic Bollywood thriller.
Let’s see what this month has to offer!
Editor’s Choice: Godzilla Minus One
Image: Toho
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Form: Ryūnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada
When I first saw Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Godzilla In 2016, I didn’t think I’d ever see another Godzilla movie – let alone each Kaiju movie, period – that would meet the high standard it set. Takashi Yamazaki proved me wrong. Not only Godzilla Minus one An inspired reinvention of Toho’s nuclear, fire-breathing avatar of destruction, it’s a film that easily stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Anno and Higuchi’s aforementioned masterpiece.
Set in 1945, in the final weeks of World War II, the film follows the story of Kōichi Shikishima, a kamikaze pilot who abandons his duty, knowing that his sacrifice would do nothing to change the outcome of the war. After surviving a chance encounter with Godzilla, Kōichi returns to Tokyo to rebuild his life while dealing with his PTSD and survivor’s guilt. When Godzilla reappears several years later, Kōichi must rise up with an army of volunteers to save their city and put an end to the creature once and for all. If you were someone, like me, who was disappointed with how long it took for Godzilla to appear in Gareth Edwards’ 2014 film, put your fears to rest now; it doesn’t take much longer than 10 minutes before Godzilla Minus one manages to show the King of Monsters in the most spectacular and gruesome way imaginable.
But beyond that, the film is also a deeply moving human drama about one man’s quest to redeem his conscience and about a nation’s attempt to overcome a terrifying obstacle in the hope of a better future. It’s moving, brilliant and a must-see tribute to one of cinema’s most iconic characters. —Toussaint Egan
The Matrix Resurrections
Photo: Murray Close/Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Lana Wachowski
Form: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
As I assume was the case with many other fans of the Matrix trilogy, I was hesitant when I first heard that Lana Wachowski was returning to the series to direct a new film almost twenty years later. Even with the news that Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss would be returning to reprise their roles, I was still cautious. All those doubts were dispelled at the exact moment the score began and the green digital rain of the Matrix washed over the screen, pulling me back into a universe I loved, but seen from a different point of view.
The Matrix Resurrections is not The Matrix. It is not a retelling of the hero’s journey or of Neo’s heroic act of self-sacrifice to broker peace between humanity and the machines in the face of a common existential threat. It is, quite simply, a love story. A love story that turns into a funhouse mirror reflection of the opening moments of the original film, into an explosive rescue operation, and Than in a post-human heist movie, all in the service of reuniting two lost lovers who – despite everything they fought for – never quite got their happy ending. Do not look The Matrix Resurrections expecting this to be the case The Matrix But more. Instead, consider it the epilogue to one of the greatest sci-fi action series of all time, and a film from a director who will never be satisfied with repeating himself. -AT
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan
Image: Yash Raj Films
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Form: Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Prithviraj Sukumaran
First, to get some disclaimers out of the way: 2024 Bade Miyan Chote Miyan isn’t exactly one Good movie. The script is inconsistent and often baffling (including a bizarre in-character ad read for the Indian mobile game FAU-G by brand ambassador Akshay Kumar); it’s sci-fi in the way Marvel movies are (so barely); and it’s very jingoistic in the way blockbuster action movies can be. But it’s a fun, stupid, big-budget time. It’s just hard not to have fun watching a Bollywood version of one Bad boys-ish film starring Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar. That could be because I think Tiger Shroff is one of the most endlessly watchable movie stars in the world. Basically your mileage may vary.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyanwhich roughly translates to ‘Big Mister Little Mister’, shares a name with a 1994 Bollywood film directly inspired by Bad boys. That film is featured in this film, but also the shared affinity for it Bad boys, otherwise the two have little in common. While that movie is about two petty thieves who look exactly like two police officers and pull pranks, this version is about two super soldiers sent to save India from a catastrophic attack by a masked villain who wants to destroy the country… with science!
One of the most expensive blockbusters in the history of Bollywood, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was a historic flop at the Indian box office this year and was largely panned by critics. But if, like me, you’re interested in the state of global blockbusters and the idea of a Tiger Shroff-led Bad boys-like film appeals to you, consider checking it out. Just don’t have high expectations. —Piet Volk