Ryan Gosling returns to steal our hearts in the highly anticipated adaptation of Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary,” which touches down in theaters on March 20, 2026. The critics are already smitten, judging by its 94% Rotten Tomatoes score. Tom’s Guide own streaming writer Malcolm McMillan called “Project Hail Mary” one of this year’s best movies so far. I enjoyed Weir’s last big-screen adaptation, “The Martian,” well enough and I’ve been ride or die with Gosling since “The Barbie Movie,” so I plan on catching it in theaters even if sci-fi usually isn’t my jam.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the genre. I just have precious little tolerance for bad sci-fi movies. You know, the kind that Hollywood churns out a couple of every year, half-baked stories you’ve seen a million times before, usually buoyed by a few big names and eye-watering budgets. (Yes, I’m looking at you, “The Electric State.”)
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‘I Am Mother’ (2019)
The vibe: Cozy dystopia that unravels into psychological thriller territory
If your fascinated by the last-ditch effort to save humanity at the heart of “Project Hail Mary,” “I Am Mother” deserves a spot on your watchlist. Set entirely in a high-tech bunker, a robot known as “Mother” (voiced by Rose Byrne) raises a human girl, “Daughter” (Clara Rugaard), with the goal of restarting civilization. As Daughter grows up, she begins to question her reality and Mother’s teachings about the outside world, and their sterile peace is shattered when a wounded woman (Hillary Swank) shows up on their doorstep.
Watch “I Am Mother” on Netflix now
‘Okja’ (2017)
The vibe: A Ghibli movies that devolves into a “Black Mirror” episode
“Okja” is worth checking out if you haven’t already, especially if you’re partial to artsy foreign films. The 2017 Korean movie directed by Bong Joon-ho (whom you’ll likely recognize from “Parasite” fame) follows Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), a young girl who embarks on a rescue mission to save her genetically modified “super pig” named Okja froma predatory corporation. It’s definitely more grounded than “Project Hail Mary,” centering around devastatingly human systems rather than space-faring adventures, but the emotional core is the same: two very different beings relying on each other to survive.
Watch “Okja” on Netflix now
‘District 9’ (2009)
The vibe: Found footage war documentary with aliens
For a movie about aliens coming to Earth, “District 9” is a surprisingly grounded sci-fi movie. It’s practically the gold standard for aliens that feel biologically distinct and culturally complex. Starring Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James, it centers on the fallout of a spaceship landing over Johannesburg filled with buglike aliens, refugees of a dying planet. Decades later, they’ve become second-class citizens relegated to slums. When a lowly paper pusher (Sharlto Copley) delivers eviction notices, he’s exposed to a strange alien fuel that mutates his body, forcing him to team up with some unlikely allies to survive. South African Director Neill Blomkamp has a flair for crunchy sci-fi that’s unmatched in the industry.
Watch “District 9” on Netflix now
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