{"id":1099252,"date":"2026-01-26T19:52:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=510127"},"modified":"2026-01-26T19:52:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:52:34","slug":"the-best-sci-fi-movies-to-watch-on-netflix-this-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/the-best-sci-fi-movies-to-watch-on-netflix-this-january\/","title":{"rendered":"The best sci-fi movies to watch on Netflix this January"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2025 is well underway, and there\u2019s a whole lot of exciting new sci-fi releases on the horizon to look forward to. Star Trek: Section 31<\/a><\/em>, The Gorge<\/em>, and Mickey 17<\/a><\/em> are slated to hit streaming and theaters within the next couple of months, to say nothing of all the other films slated for release in the latter half of the year<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking for the best sci-fi to watch from the comfort of your home right now<\/em>, though, you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/p>\n

This month, we\u2019ve got a two-part modern epic of a sci-fi masterpiece, a much-maligned (but fascinating) star vehicle set in a post-apocalyptic future, and an American-produced adaptation of a French graphic novel by one of the greatest Korean directors of our time.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at what this month has to offer!<\/p>\n

\n

Editor\u2019s pick:\u00a0Dune and Dune: Part Two<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Director:<\/strong> Denis Villeneuve
Cast:\u00a0<\/strong>Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson<\/p>\n

Denis Villeneuve\u2019s two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert\u2019s sci-fi epic<\/a> is a masterpiece for our time. The story of Paul Atreides, the scion of a powerful noble family in a spacefaring far future, is both far-fetched and elemental: a fantastical depiction of the perils of seeking revenge, the ennobling power of love, and the perils of faith co-opted by the agenda of imperialism. The film\u2019s rendition of the desert planet of Arrakis, the native Fremen, and the colossal sandworms are spectacular, as is nearly every performance on screen, though especially Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet and Zendaya. If you haven\u2019t witnessed Dune<\/em> yet, consider this your sign to do so \u2014 and if you\u2019ve seen Dune<\/em> already, consider this your opportunity to experience it again. \u2014Toussaint Egan<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Waterworld<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Director:<\/strong> Kevin Reynolds
Cast:<\/strong> Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Jeanne Tripplehorn<\/p>\n

Continuing this post\u2019s theme of environmental extremes, the wrongly maligned 1995 epic Waterworld <\/em>is more or less about what it sounds like: The polar ice caps have melted, sea levels have risen, and the world is almost entirely covered in water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s action follows Kevin Costner as a man simply known as \u201cThe Mariner\u201d who sails the world aimlessly. Now, if you\u2019re thinking that this kind of sounds like a Mad Max rip-off with water instead of sand, you\u2019re technically correct, at least on paper. But in practice, Waterworld <\/em>is so much more fascinating, and its world is uniquely bizarre and beautifully rendered \u2014 a fact that led the production to go astronomically and infamously over budget. And Costner turns out to make for a perfect post-apocalyptic cipher. Removed from its reputation as one of recent Hollywood\u2019s most infamous disasters and an ill-fated attempt to start a franchise, Waterworld <\/em>remains a pretty incredible adventure movie in the vein that rarely if ever gets made anymore \u2014 which admittedly is due at least in part to Waterworld <\/em>itself. \u2014Austen Goslin<\/em><\/p>\n

Snowpiercer<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Director:<\/strong> Bong Joon-ho
Cast:<\/strong> Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton<\/p>\n

Bong Joon-ho\u2019s sci-fi action movie about the remnants of humanity surviving aboard a massive post-apocalyptic train is just as excellent today as it was back in 2013. The film follows Curtis (Chris Evans), who leads the poor passengers at the back of the train on a rebellion to take control of humanity\u2019s locomotive arc, in hopes of creating a better, more equitable place for all the passengers aboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Curtis\u2019 band of fighters making their way from the back of the train to the front plays like a horizontal version of The Raid<\/em>, with all kinds of bizarre and ridiculous characters dotting their path to the leading car. While the class metaphor may not be quite as intricate here as it is in director Bong\u2019s Best Picture winner Parasite<\/em> from a few years later, the lack of subtlety allows him to wield the concept like a sledgehammer rather than a scalpel, creating one of the angriest and most interesting hidden gems of the 2010s. \u2014AG<\/em><\/p>\n

2025 is well underway, and there\u2019s a whole lot of exciting new sci-fi releases on the horizon to look forward to. Star Trek: Section 31, The Gorge, and Mickey 17 are slated to hit streaming and theaters within the next couple of months, to say nothing of all the other films slated for release in the latter half of the year. If you\u2019re looking for the best sci-fi to watch from the comfort of your home right now, though, you\u2019ve come to the right place. This month, we\u2019ve got a two-part modern epic of a sci-fi masterpiece, a much-maligned (but fascinating) star vehicle set in a post-apocalyptic future, and an American-produced adaptation of a French graphic novel by one of the greatest Korean directors of…<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1099253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1099252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"\nThe best sci-fi movies to watch on Netflix this January | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"2025 is well underway, and there\u2019s a whole lot of exciting new sci-fi releases on the horizon to look forward to. 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