12 Best Sci-Fi Movies Streaming For Free

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With so many streaming services crowding the market, it's easy to overlook the fact that several platforms don't require paid subscriptions. Perfectly legal, these online platforms offer a surprisingly robust library of popular shows and movies to stream. Services like Xumo Play, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Plex are free to use, and each have their own catalog of science fiction movies to check out. Often, these platforms are supported by ads, but the occasional commercial break is all part of the expected viewing experience.

Simply put, there are some true sci-fi cinematic gems that audiences can stream online for free through a variety of digital services. For anyone looking to avoid an overabundance of subscription fees to enjoy primo sci-fi flicks, these are great options. As ever, as licensing agreements change and expire, be aware that these selections are always subject to change. 

Here are the 12 best sci-fi movies streaming for free and where you can currently find each of them.

William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson's 1967 novel "Logan's Run" is an engrossing dystopian tale depicting a future after the collapse of modern society. By the 23rd century, the remnants of humanity have sheltered themselves in tightly controlled biospheres where they are terminated at the age of 30. Logan 5 (Michael York) flees this society when he learns of an outside sanctuary, accompanied by Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter). As the couple move to explore the outside world, they are pursued relentlessly by Logan's old friend Francis 7 (Richard Jordan).

"Logan's Run" mixes sci-fi camp with heavy dystopian elements that have inspired countless stories since. True to its title, the story is a propulsive one, with Logan and Jessica essentially on the road in the ruins of the old world for much of the movie. And while being a post-apocalyptic story of sorts, the cinematography and art design are richly colorful and vibrant, imbuing a unique personality into the movie. 

A camp classic that has held up for decades, "Logan's Run" is currently available to stream on Tubi.

The streaming rights to the "Star Trek" movies are currently licensed to Pluto TV, making it a must-visit for any fan of the franchise. This, of course, includes the 1982 classic "Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan," reuniting the cast of "The Original Series" once again. The movie features the return of Ricardo Montalbán as the villainous Khan Noonien Singh, who escapes from the remote planet Captain Kirk (William Shatner) exiled him decades prior. Swearing revenge, Khan lures an unsuspecting Kirk into a trap, making the bitter feud between them more personal than ever.

Made with a slashed production budget and a tight time crunch for filmmaker Nicholas Meyer, "The Wrath of Khan" is a miracle in how incredibly well it turned out. Though Kirk and Khan never come face-to-face, the intensity of their rivalry radiates across the movie's tense action sequences, including its heartbreaking climax. More than just spacefaring battles, the movie also contains philosophical musing about the nature of aging and duty, something that informs the entire story.

If there's any single "Star Trek" movie to stream on Pluto TV, "Wrath of Khan" is it, but fortunately, it's not alone.

One of the most successful Philip K. Dick adaptations was 1990's "Total Recall," directed by "RoboCop" filmmaker Paul Verhoeven. The movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Doug Quaid, a construction worker on Earth who repeatedly dreams of living a separate life on Mars. While trying to program recreational fantasies into his mind, Quaid unlocks a repressed memory of being a secret agent working for the tyrannical officials on Mars. Fleeing to Mars, Quaid becomes embroiled in a violent revolution to overthrow the corrupt bureaucrats as he tries to remember who he really is.

Schwarzenegger found a creative simpatico in Verhoeven, with the two delivering all the satirical humor and deliriously violent content that fit in their wheelhouse. At the same time, "Total Recall" isn't just a pile of mindless action and low-brow gags, but stands as one of Schwarzenegger's most mind-bending movies. This includes ongoing debates if what Quaid is experiencing is actually true or part of a mental simulation gone disastrously wrong. 

One of Schwarzenegger's best '90s movies, the 1990 "Total Recall" is currently available to stream on Pluto TV.

Masamune Shirow's manga "Ghost in the Shell" is one of the most influential cyberpunk stories of all time and has been adapted beautifully multiple times. The 1995 anime movie is still far and away the best realization of Shirow's immersive world on the screen, set in the dystopian future of 2029. By this time, humanity has embraced the widespread implementation of cybernetic enhancements, including neural links to the internet as the next stage in post-human evolution. Enhanced operative Motoko Kusanagi finds herself in the middle of a far-reaching conspiracy with implications for her entire world.

Gorgeously animated, "Ghost in the Shell" is one of the greatest anime movies ever made and one of the best cyberpunk films in any medium. Director Mamoru Oshii creates an evocative vision of the future, working with screenwriter Kazunori Itō on weaving in heady themes of what it means to be human and alive. This is coupled by some truly spectacular action set pieces highlighting the cyberpunk metropolis of New Port City and what the combatants' cybernetics are capable of. 

A haunting look at the future that feels both awe-inspiring and darkly prescient, "Ghost in the Shell" is a landmark project for the anime medium and is available to stream on Tubi.

Really, we could recommend any number of "Star Trek" movies to watch on Pluto TV, but we'll keep it to the two best in the film series. 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact" was the second outing of the "Next Generation" cast on the big screen and their finest cinematic adventure. The movie opens with Borg Collective traveling back in time to assimilate a vulnerable humanity in the 21st century when an attack on Earth fails. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) leads an obsessive effort to stop the Borg from overwhelming the Enterprise and ensure a historic spaceflight proceeds without interference.

Bringing plenty of sci-fi action without compromising the type of storytelling "Star Trek" is known for, "First Contact" is an all-around treat. Picard is far from the unwavering captain he's usually depicted as, blinded by his need for vengeance against the Borg who had previously traumatized him. The Borg themselves gain a deliciously wicked queen, played to the hilt by Alice Krige, providing a worthy adversary to the crew rather than Borg being portrayed as a techno-organic horde. 

Patrick Stewart's favorite "Star Trek" movie, "First Contact" is the cinematic franchise at its most accessible and entertaining.

French filmmaker Luc Besson's most ambitious movie remains 1997's "The Fifth Element," a delightfully quirky sci-fi action flick. Taking place in a cyberpunk vision of the 23rd century, cab driver Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) is forever changed when he meets Leeloo (Milla Jovovich). Genetically engineered to be the ultimate weapon, Leeloo faces a group of mercenaries led by the villainous Zorg (Gary Oldman). As Korben helps Leeloo stay one step ahead of her pursuers, they face a great evil coming to Earth that only she can neutralize.

"The Fifth Element" is a quixotic blend of unlikely elements, including Besson blatantly ripping off Plato, but somehow it all works on-screen. Willis leans into his usual action hero persona but gets to be a little wackier than usual given the overall narrative and its colorful presentation. Despite the major Hollywood talent involved, the movie also feels distinctly European in its themes and production choices, helping set it apart further. 

A movie that embraces the strangeness to create a memorably unique sci-fi story, "The Fifth Element" is currently available to stream on Tubi.

After working together on "Minority Report," filmmaker Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Cruise reunited for another sci-fi action movie, the 2005 adaptation of "War of the Worlds." Cruise stars as Ray Ferrier, a working-class father in New Jersey with a complicated relationship with his children. Ray's life is completely upended when extraterrestrial forces besiege the planet, completely undeterred by human weapons. Ray scrambles to escape the widespread devastation with his daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning), enduring harrowing close calls as they try to find safety.

It's a shame that Spielberg and Cruise haven't worked together more often, because "War of the Worlds" is their finest collaboration. Cruise works well as a character completely out of his element as a father, much less one expected to survive an all-out extraterrestrial assault. Elevating this is some of the most engaging cinematography and staging that Spielberg had used in years, particularly in scenes from Rachel's perspective. 

A complex and atypical blockbuster with Spielberg's usual focus on family, the 2005 "War of the Worlds" is currently available to stream on Pluto TV.

In 2006, filmmaker Richard Linklater crafted one of the most visually striking sci-fi movies in recent memory with "A Scanner Darkly." Adapting Philip K. Dick's 1977 novel of the same name, the movie is set in a near-future where the United States is overwhelmed with drug addiction. 20% of the country's population is hooked on a hallucinogenic known as Substance D, with undercover agent Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) infiltrating the syndicate behind the drug's manufacturing and distribution. As Arctor delves deeper into the criminal underworld, his own addiction to Substance D blurs his perspective on reality and the undercover identities that he maintains.

The first thing anyone talks about when it comes to "A Scanner Darkly" is its rotoscoped visual presentation, imagining a very different future for animation. All the actors are visibly identifiable and the environments around them look real enough, but everything feels just slightly off. This underscores Arctor's identity crisis and blurred lives as he loses himself to his investigation and Substance D. 

An underrated neo-noir flick that stands out from Linklater's usual oeuvre, "A Scanner Darkly" is currently available to stream on Tubi.

The movie that put filmmaker Duncan Jones on the map was the 2009 indie movie "Moon," starring Sam Rockwell. Rockwell plays Sam Bell, who leads a solitary and prolonged existence on the moon overseeing mining operations from a base on its surface. Bell's perception of his occupation and life itself are challenged when he encounters a living duplicate of himself in a crashed lunar rover. This leads the Bells to investigate the full nature of their mission and how much of what they thought of their lives is actually true.

"Moon" is a delightfully grounded sci-fi story, something that feels spiritually inspired by the lo-fi genre movies from the '70s. Given its premise, the movie is also an excellent showcase for Rockwell's acting talents as he carries the bulk of the film. Barely clocking in at over an hour and half, this a movie that moves briskly to its dream-like finale after establishing its core premise and setting. 

Maintaining a clinical detachment to its characters and still arguably the best movie Jones has crafted to date, "Moon" is currently available to stream on Xumo Play.

South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp got his start with the 2009 movie "District 9," produced by Peter Jackson. Set in a near-future Johannesburg, the movie has Earth visited by extraterrestrial refugees, derisively called prawns for their physical appearance. Sequestered into ghettos and treated horribly by human authorities, Wikus (Sharlto Copley) is among the bureaucratic figures who harass the refugee communities. However, when Wikus is infected by a strange discharge that gradually transforms him into a prawn, he teams up with Christopher Johnson (Jason Cope), a defiant prawn, to find a way to restore his diminishing humanity.

In contrast to its otherworldly premise, "District 9" contains a strong verisimilitude that effectively grounds the entire movie. Blomkamp initially stages the movie like a documentary before rocketing up the action as Wikus and Johnson finally fight back against their human oppressors. The movie also catapulted Copley to Hollywood, rightfully so given the full nuanced range of his performance, evolving from cruel bureaucrat to a man desperately clinging to his literal humanity as he tries to earn redemption. 

Still Blomkamp's best movie by a significant margin, "District 9" is currently available to stream on Xumo Play.

South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho's first major Hollywood project was an adaptation of the French comic book series "Snowpiercer." The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that has completely frozen over, with humanity sheltering on a high-speed bullet train constantly running to avoid freezing. A strict social hierarchy divides the population between the train cars, with the impoverished oppressed by the ruling class. Fed up with being treated as if they were subhuman, Curtis Everett (Chris Evans) leads a jailbreak from the old world order ruled by those in the upper train cars.

While Bong Joon Ho's American projects might not be as universally celebrated as his work in his native Korea, "Snowpiercer" holds up as one of his better sci-fi movies. That the movie is as good as it is after post-production meddling by notorious producer Harvey Weinstein is a wonder in itself. But even with its European source material and Hollywood production, many of Bong's recurring themes are present, most notably the growing class divide and unequal distribution of wealth. 

A gritty and grounded tale of post-apocalyptic liberation in a claustrophobic setting, "Snowpiercer" is available to stream on Plex.

After the tepid response to 2018's "The Predator," the sci-fi action franchise was in dire need for a revitalization. Fortunately, it got significant course-correction and then some with the 2022 entry "Prey," originally released straight to Hulu. Set in the early 18th century, the movie follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a warrior with the Comanche in North America. A rite of passage hunt is completely upended by the sudden appearance of a Predator hunting human prey, with Naru stepping up to turn the tables on it.

"Prey" really is an effort for the Predator franchise to get back down to its basics, blending a revisionist Western with a bloody monster movie. Filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg keeps his movie lean and mean, tying just enough into the overarching mythos without distracting from telling a tautly paced thriller story. The movie also provides Midthunder with a star-making turn, determined and unwavering, yet vulnerable all at once as her character faces a threat beyond her comprehension. 

After its initial stint on Hulu, "Prey" is currently available to stream on The Roku Channel.