Loved ‘Project Hail Mary’? Here are the 7 best sci-fi movies to stream next
Loved ‘Project Hail Mary’? Here are the 7 best sci-fi movies to stream next
These movies capture the same mix of adventure and emotional stakes that make ‘Project Hail Mary’ such a great watch.
Tara and I saw “Project Hail Mary” over the weekend and man, oh man, are you in for a treat. The numbers it’s doing at the box office aren’t a fluke. Based on the book by Andy Weir (who you will see again later on this list), this movie is funny, fun, entertaining, and shows us the best of what humankind (and alien-kind) has to offer. It’s my favorite movie of the year by far, and it got me in the mood for more space and sci-fi adventure. So I put together my personal ranking of the best sci-fi adventure movies you can stream right now. No spoilers here, just enough info to help you pick what to watch next. Go for launch!
Top 7 sci-fi adventure movies on streaming right now
No. 7: ‘Mercy’ (2025) | Prime Video
“Mercy” throws you into a near-future Los Angeles where the entire justice system is run by AI. Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) helped build it, which makes things awkward when he wakes up strapped to a chair, accused of killing his wife. He’s got 90 minutes to get his “guilty meter” below 92%, or he’s done.
The movie basically plays out in real time, with him digging through surveillance feeds and trying to outsmart the system he created. It leans hard into that screen-life style, which doesn’t always hit, but I was locked in just watching him scramble while the AI calmly judges every move. Rebecca Ferguson voices the system, and she’s got that eerie, emotionless tone that makes everything feel even more tense. If you like tech-heavy thrillers with a conspiracy angle, this one works.
Mercy
In the near future, a detective stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has ninety minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced AI Judge he once championed, before it determines his fate.
No. 6: ‘Armageddon’ (1998) | Tubi
“Armageddon” is about as subtle as a sledgehammer, and honestly, that’s why it’s fun. The setup is classic: a massive asteroid is heading straight for Earth, and NASA decides the best plan is to train a group of oil drillers to go into space and blow it up. Bruce Willis leads the crew, and the whole thing is just chaos in the best way.
You’ve got space stations, explosions, slow-motion hero shots, and a stacked cast with Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and Steve Buscemi. The science makes zero sense, but that’s not really the point. This is pure blockbuster energy, perfect for when you just want to watch people save the world with power tools.
Armageddon
When an asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, NASA honcho Dan Truman determines the only way to stop it is to drill into its surface and detonate a nuclear bomb. This leads him to renowned driller Harry Stamper, who agrees to helm the dangerous space mission provided he can bring along his own hotshot crew. Among them is the cocksure A.J. who Harry thinks isn’t good enough for his daughter, until the mission proves otherwise.
No. 5: ‘The Adam Project’ (2022) | Netflix
“The Adam Project” is basically that childhood idea of meeting your future self, but turned into a full movie. Ryan Reynolds plays a pilot from 2050 who crashes back into 2022 and ends up teaming up with his 12-year-old self. They’re trying to fix the future, deal with some pretty heavy personal stuff, and stop a tech villain along the way.
It’s got that throwback adventure vibe, kind of like “Back to the Future” but with more jokes and CGI. The cast is great, too, with Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldaña all showing up. But the real hook is Reynolds playing off Walker Scobell, who absolutely nails the younger version of him. It’s funny, a little emotional, and just an easy watch.
The Adam Project
After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future.
No. 4: ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014) | Rent with Prime Video
If “Groundhog Day” had power armor and aliens, you’d get “Edge of Tomorrow.” It’s basically a time loop movie set inside an alien war. Tom Cruise plays a guy who dies within minutes of hitting the battlefield, then wakes up and has to relive the same day over and over again.
Each time, he gets a little better, a little smarter, a little closer to figuring things out. Emily Blunt plays this legendary soldier who trains him, and their dynamic is a huge part of why the movie works. It’s intense, but also weirdly funny because you watch him fail over and over again. This is one of those movies that actually gets better on rewatch, which feels kind of perfect given the whole premise.
Edge of Tomorrow
Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again… and again - as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.
No. 3: ‘Interstellar’ (2014) | Paramount+
“Interstellar” is big, emotional, and very Christopher Nolan. Earth is basically falling apart, so a team heads through a wormhole to find a new home for humanity. Matthew McConaughey plays a pilot who leaves his kids behind to go on this mission, and that emotional thread really drives the whole movie.
You’ve got black holes, time dilation, massive space visuals, all the big sci-fi ideas. But at its core, it’s really about a father and daughter trying to stay connected across impossible distances. It’s one of those movies that sticks in your head after you watch it, especially once you start thinking about how time works in the story. If you haven’t seen it, watch it because it’s one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time.
Interstellar
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
No. 2: ‘The Martian’ (2015) | Rent on Prime Video
“The Martian” is just a great survival story. Based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir (if you watch the movie and love it, definitely read the book!), Matt Damon plays an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars after his crew thinks he’s dead. Instead of falling apart, he just starts solving problems one by one. Growing food, making water, figuring out how to communicate. It’s very methodical, but in a satisfying way. Back on Earth, NASA is scrambling to bring him home, so you get both sides of the story-building tension at the same time.
What I like most is the tone. These movies can get really heavy, but Weir packed the book with a lot of humor, and it translates perfectly onto Damon’s performance. It’s basically “Cast Away” in space, but with way more science. If you watch “Project Hail Mary” and want something in that same tone, watch “The Martian” next!
The Martian
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
No. 1: ‘Predator: Badlands’ (2025) | Hulu
“Predator: Badlands” surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to actually care emotionally in a “Predator” movie, but this one pulls it off. It follows a younger Predator, basically trying to prove himself after being cast out. He ends up on this brutal planet and teams up with a damaged android, which gives the movie a totally different dynamic than you’d expect.
There’s still plenty of action and chaos, but there’s also this underlying story about learning what it means to protect instead of just dominate. That shift gives the whole thing a little more weight. It feels fresh without losing what makes these movies fun. If you checked out on this franchise a while ago, this is the one that might pull you back in.
Predator: Badlands
Cast out from his clan, a young Predator finds an unlikely ally in a damaged android and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.