Netflix movies have been setting viewership records this summer. KPop Demon Hunters is now the streamer’s most popular animated film ever. Plus, Golden, one of the film’s singles, is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, Happy Gilmore 2 generated the biggest U.S. opening weekend for a Netflix film with 46.7 million views.
Aside from the in-demand movies, Netflix offers an eclectic selection of entertaining movies, especially in the sci-fi genre. One of our top picks this month is The Lost World, the underrated sequel to Jurassic Park.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Weird Science (1985)
John Hughes penned three scripts in 1985: National Lampoon’s European Vacation, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science. The latter two, which he directed, fall under Hughes’ memorable coming-of-age movies in the ’80s. The link between the two films is Anthony Michael Hall, who stars in both. In Weird Science, Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith play Gary and Wyatt, two nerdy teenagers who want to be popular. One night, the duo creates the perfect woman on Wyatt’s computer.
After a magical power surge, the boys’ creation comes to life as Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), a beautiful superhuman who serves Gary and Wyatt. With Lisa by their side, the teens gain the confidence they need to throw a party in hopes of winning over their high school crushes. Despite being inferior to The Breakfast Club, Weird Science is a funny and charming version of a Frankenstein story.
Stream Weird Science on Netflix.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
From the late ’90s through 2008, Brendan Fraser was a legitimate action star thanks to The Mummy franchise. One month before The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was released in August 2008, Fraser headlined Journey to the Center of the Earth, an updated adaptation of Jules Verne’s 1864 novel of the same name. Professor Trevor Anderson (Fraser) embarks on an expedition to Iceland with his 13-year-old nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson), to search for his missing brother.
With the help of an Icelandic guide (Anita Briem), Trevor discovers Verne’s novel is a legitimate map to the center of the Earth. Although they reach the Earth’s center, the trio realizes they must escape or face the same tragic fate as Trevor’s brother. Fraser’s stoicism and comedic timing stand out in this sci-fi adventure film that kids will love.
Stream Journey to the Center of the Earth on Netflix.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
What more can be said about Jurassic Park? The movie remains a landmark achievement in sci-fi filmmaking. The sequel was never going to reach the heights of the original. However, The Lost World: Jurassic Park deserves more credit for being an exciting blockbuster. Four years after the events in Jurassic Park, the greedy capitalist, Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), becomes the new CEO of InGen.
Feeling like there’s a market for dinosaurs, Ludlow sends a group of mercenaries to Isla Sorna, aka Site B, to save the remaining dinosaurs in hopes of opening Jurassic Park in California. Learning about InGen’s new plans, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) recruits Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) and a small team to disrupt Ludlow’s mission. Even with inferior characters, Steven Spielberg’s sequel still soars when the movie features numerous battles between man and dinosaur. Those pesky raptors remain as terrifying as ever.
Stream The Lost World: Jurassic Park on Netflix.
Lost in Starlight (2025)
South Korean filmmaker Han Ji-won successfully helmed a sci-fi anime romance made for adults in Lost in Starlight. Set in 2050, Lost in Starlight explores the budding relationship between Nan-young (Kim Tae-ri) and Jay (Hong Kyung). Nan-young is an astronaut who dreams of leading an expedition to Mars. Jay is a musician and handyman. After Jay agrees to fix Nan-young’s record player, the two begin spending more time together.
What starts as a worker-client relationship eventually transforms into a loving partnership. For the first time in her life, Nan-young might have something to live for other than a life in space. Lost in Starlight puts some of your favorite adult dramas to shame because of its moving depiction of love and affection.
Stream Lost in Starlight on Netflix.
Sound & Fury (2019)
Sturgill Simpson is no ordinary country singer. The Grammy-winning artist is more of an outlaw musician, like Johnny Cash, than a traditional country singer, like Garth Brooks. Simpson is fearless in his pursuit of new sounds, experimenting with different genres along the way. In 2019, Simpson released his fourth album, Sound & Fury, accompanied by a dystopian Netflix anime movie of the same name.
Set to the songs on the album, Sound & Fury follows an enigmatic driver who battles several deadly opponents in a post-apocalyptic world. Think of Sound & Fury as Mad Max mixed with anime. The result is an impressively unique visual album that could stand alone as a triumphant anime film.
Stream Sound & Fury on Netflix.
