Many sci-fi films focus on a future or alternate world. Sometimes they involve aliens, mysticism, or mythical creatures. Others are more psychologically disturbing and cerebral. There are so many different types of sci-fi movies that even those who aren’t into traditional sci-fi can find one they like.
This month, the three sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in March come from three different decades: the 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s. They are all very different from one another as well, so you’re sure to find something that fits your interest. In each case, they’re movies worth rewatching too.
Vanilla Sky (2001)
In this sci-fi psychological thriller, a remake of the 1997 Spanish movie Open Your Eyes, Tom Cruise plays David Aames, a man in prison who wears a prosthetic mask. He was disfigured following an intentional car crash caused by a lover named Julie (Cameron Diaz), who became jealous when she found him with a mysterious woman named Sofia (Penélope Cruz). In the present day, Aames is telling the story of his life to the court psychologist, Dr. Curtis McCabe (Kurt Russell).
Withdrawn and depressed, Aames’ life takes some strange turns, from his face being mysteriously repaired (then returned again to its deformed state) to Julie’s face appearing in photos with Sofia. What’s truly going on, however, is where the intrigue really lies with this movie. Vanilla Sky’s weird and wonderful moments have been subject to interpretation by viewers and critics alike, who have various theories about the meaning behind different moments throughout the plot.
The movie is one you can watch again and again and pick up on different details each time. Vanilla Sky polarized critics, but it earned several awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Diaz, meanwhile, was widely praised for her emotionally charged portrayal of a jilted lover.
Stream Vanilla Sky on Prime Video.
Waterworld (1995)
Yellowstone‘s Kevin Costner stars in this postapocalyptic action movie set in the year 2500. Polar ice caps have melted and the sea covers most of the Earth’s land. A mysterious character known as The Mariner (Costner) aimlessly sails the Earth, simply trying to survive. He meets a woman named Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and a girl named Enola (Tina Majorino), who Helen is tasked with guarding. Together, the trio try to escape a group of pirates known as the Smokers, who are led by The Deacon (Dennis Hopper) and believe Enola has a map to Dryland. They will stop at nothing to get it.
At the time of its release, Waterworld held the distinction of being the most expensive movie ever made. Eventually spawning a novel, video games, and even themed Universal Studios attractions in various countries, Waterworld is an exercise in cinematic extravagance. It’s worth at least one watch if you haven’t seen it already.
Stream Waterworld on Prime Video.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Based on the Jack Finney novel The Body Snatchers, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a classic sci-fi horror movie about two health inspectors, Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) and Matthew (Donald Sutherland), who discover that humans are slowly being replaced by alien duplicates. The creatures are attacking Earth to save their race because their own planet is dying. As perfect biological clones, it’s difficult to distinguish them from real people. But the one main difference is that these aliens do not possess empathy nor any sense of humanity. When Elizabeth and Matthew discover this, it’s a race to save humanity, and themselves, by finding and killing all the duplicates they can and stopping more from being spawned.
Also starring Jurassic Park‘s Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy, Invasion of the Body Snatchers has widely been praised for being even better than the 1956 adaptation of the story. From the performances to the concept to the intensity the whole way through — and without present-day CGI and visual effects — Invasion of the Body Snatchers is arguably on of the best sci-fi horror movies ever made.
Stream Invasion of the Body Snatchers on Prime Video.
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