Best alternate reality movies you can stream right now

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Genre Fantasy, Action, Adventure

Stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Directed by Sam Raimi

Alternate reality and Marvel’s promotion of its “multiverse” go hand in hand. In the second Doctor Strange caper, the eponymous superhero must battle against one of his former allies, the Scarlet Witch, who is consumed by grief over the life she discovered she could’ve led in another reality of her own (see: WandaVision). The movie continuously distorts one reality from another, which could be a psychological trip for some viewers. Also, while not a horror movie, it is one of the scarier Marvel movies since the company’s cinematic universe came to be more than a decade ago. Doctor Strange doesn’t have the same goofy charm as other Marvel heroes, but the film is a fascinating case study in how alternate realities could dictate our own lives.

Source Code (2011)

Genre Thriller, Science Fiction, Mystery

Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga

Directed by Duncan Jones

watch on Amazon

The alternate reality of Source Code is more akin to time travel, as U.S. Army Captain Captain Colter Stevens tries to identify the terrorist who sparked a train explosion, placed inside the same eight-minute sequence repeatedly. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Stevens, putting in a strong performance as always. The movie is a sci-fi extravaganza, but characters are given the room to breathe, creating a more layered, human story. Comparisons to the time loops of Groundhog Day are obvious, but Source Code manages to play with expectations in a much more confounding way.

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

Genre Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comedy

Stars Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler

Directed by Boots Riley

watch on Netflix

This movie is in the realm of heightened reality, ready to make viewers of all stripes uncomfortable. Sorry to Bother You stars Lakeith Stanfield as a Black marketer who adopts a white accent in an attempt to succeed at his job. From there, corporate conspiracies begin to unfold and capitalism is on the chopping block as the American Dream comes into focus for Cash Green. There’s plenty of political satire to go around, but the most unnerving part of the film is when the artificial reality of the film feels just as real as the “true” reality.

Tron: Legacy (2010)

Genre Adventure, Action, Science Fiction

Stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde

Directed by Joseph Kosinski

watch on Disney+

The sequel to the campy 1982 Tron, Tron: Legacy carries the story into the 21st century. Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn, and the story follows his adult son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), as he’s transported into the “Grid,” a light-filled VR world. The plot leaves something to be desired, but the visuals are fantastic, as is the music from Daft Punk. The production design of the film is worth the watch alone.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Genre Adventure, Action, Comedy, Fantasy

Stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart

Directed by Jake Kasdan

watch on Starz

This movie is more similar in tone to Ready Player One than to the original Jumanji. In this 2017 reboot, a group of teenagers are transformed into video game avatars as they struggle to survive the perils of the classic game, a la the Robin Williams classic. What the film lacks in emotional depth and character development it makes up for in fun and comedic debauchery, thanks to the solid tandem of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, with a rare splash of Jack Black for good measure. Thankfully, this is not nearly as scary as the original, making it an easier family watch. Its sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, came out in 2019. A third installment is likely on the way.

The Matrix (1999)

Genre Action, Science Fiction

Stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss

Directed by Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

watch on HBO Max

The Matrix is far from the first film to look at alternate realities, but it may be the most well-known and most influential. At the turn of the century, the Wachowskis delivered the first movie of a trilogy (recently rebooted) that upended all expectations of science-fiction movies. The original film follows Neo as he discovers his world is just a simulated reality, built to harvest energy from humans. Some of the most iconic scenes in cinema history stem from The Matrix, such as the red pill versus blue pill conundrum, and the use of bullet time to enhance action scenes. The sequels and resurrection of the franchise don’t match the caliber of the original, but all are worth streaming if you’re ready to get lost in a new reality for an entire day.

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Genre Science Fiction, Thriller

Stars Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz

Directed by Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber

watch on HBO Max

One of the most oft-repeated sentiments in stories involving time travel is that it’s better to learn to live with the past and be grateful for your present. Things, after all, could always be worse. But what if the trauma you suffered as a child is unthinkable? Shouldn’t you get a pass when it comes to the conventional time-travel rules? Not according to The Butterfly Effect. Ashton Kutcher stars in the thriller as Evan, a college student whose childhood trauma includes sexual abuse and almost being murdered by his own father. So when Evan discovers that reading his childhood journal somehow gives him the ability to return to the past and change what happened, he goes for it. But the more he does it, the more unpredictable alternate futures he creates — each one more disastrous than the one before it. Worse still, years of contradicting memories begin pulverizing his mind. While critics weren’t the biggest fans of The Butterfly Effect, audiences clearly parted ways with reviewers and helped pave the way for 2006’s The Butterfly Effect 2 and 2009’s The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations.

Parallel (2018)

Genre Science Fiction, Fantasy

Stars Martin Wallström, Georgia King, Alyssa Diaz

Directed by Isaac Ezban

watch on Amazon

Reminiscent of 1990’s Flatliners, the thriller Parallel likewise asks a high cost from its heroes for traveling to where they shouldn’t. Not long after finding a mysterious mirror in their attic, four housemates discover that the mirror inexplicably leads to parallel universes. Two of the housemates use it to steal intellectual property, another to find a way to mend fences with his father, while one just wants to use it for sexual conquest. In each case, the housemates learn they must pay increasingly darker tolls for using the strange mirror, and it won’t be long before the cost is too high.

Palm Springs (2020)

Genre Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction

Stars Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons

Directed by Max Barbakow

watch on Hulu

What starts off as nothing more than a goofy rom-com becomes a lot more interesting in 2020’s Palm Springs. Things are getting steamy between Sarah (Cristin Milioti) and Nyles (Andy Samberg) when the latter is shot by an arrow. Injured and warning Sarah to stay away, Nyles crawls into a nearby cave. Sarah ignores the warnings, follows Nyles, and suddenly, they’re both pulled into a powerful vortex. Sarah wakes up, and it’s the morning of November 9 — which is impossible because it just was November 9. An interesting twist on the time-loop trope, Palm Springs is much more than a Groundhog Day clone through superb writing and a much darker tone. The nihilism that just about anyone would experience in such a weird turn of events comes through a lot more clearly in Palm Springs while still proving hilarious.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Genre Drama, Family, Fantasy

Stars James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore

Directed by Frank Capra

watch on Amazon

This holiday mainstay probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you consider alternate reality movies, but considering the premise, it certainly fits the bill. It is, after all, an alternate timeline that is revealed to the despondent George Bailey (James Stewart) as he considers suicide. When Bailey pleads to have never been born, the wingless angel Clarence (Henry Travers) deposits him in a new version of Bedford Falls, where his absence leaves it a much more depressing place. Not only is It’s A Wonderful Life often considered one of the greatest films of all time in spite of bombing at the box office, but it also stands out as a life-affirming entry in an otherwise often dark list.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Genre Fantasy, Drama, Mystery

Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, James Duval

Directed by Richard Kelly

watch on HBO Max

Donnie Darko may very well take you more than one screening to wrap your head around. At first, Donnie Darko seems like nothing but an off-kilter tale about a mentally ill teenager and his disturbing hallucinations. But as the story unfolds, the titular hero proves to be experiencing something potentially apocalyptic involving time travel, destiny, and the creepiest rabbit suit you’re likely to see in this or any other dimension.

Coherence (2013)

Genre Thriller, Science Fiction

Stars Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon

Directed by James Ward Byrkit

watch on Amazon

Coherence is a wonderful hidden gem. Initially, the film gives us nothing more than friends gathering for a dinner party. After a comet passes overhead, however, things start going sideways as doubles of people and places appear. We don’t want to say too much because what keeps you teetering on the edge of your seat all through Coherence is the mystery of exactly what is going on.

Superman: Red Son (2020)

Genre Science Fiction, Animation, Action

Stars Jason Isaacs, Amy Acker, Diedrich Bader

Directed by Sam Liu

watch on HBO Max

What if, rather than landing in Kansas, the ship carrying the infant Kal-El came down in the Soviet Union? That’s the premise of the excellent animated movie Superman: Red Son, based on the 2003 DC Comics mini-series of the same name. In Red Son, Superman works for Joseph Stalin — until the Kryptonian takes the reins of the Soviet Union for himself. Along with getting to see altered versions of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and more, what’s most intriguing about Red Son is that while Kal-El is essentially the same guy, he is so not the same guy. In other words, this Superman is, at heart, a good man, but one raised to believe in the teachings of Stalinism. The animation and the flying and the punching may be the main reason to watch this one, but it also offers an interesting argument for how our beliefs are formed not by individualism but by the random chance of where we’re raised.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Source Code (2011)

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

Tron: Legacy (2010)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

The Matrix (1999)

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Parallel (2018)

Palm Springs (2020)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Coherence (2013)

Superman: Red Son (2020)

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