Netflix: 5 must-see sci-fi movies and series
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Discover the catalog Netflix it is a necessary luxury. Autonomy demands great powers and great powers demand great responsibilities. That said, nothing fairer than enjoying all the stewardship in our hands and accepting the inevitable: nothing better than enjoying the weekend with an unmissable selection of series and movies ideal to enjoy alone or with the guys.
With that in mind, we dare: more than just random programming, why not deliver a selection of a topic of your choosing? If you are a science fiction enthusiast and don't really know where to start, this post is for you.
If this is not your case, nothing prevents this article from being of use to you, after all, there is everything: mystery, dystopia, intrigue and a hint of adventure, all of this in the best guise with two feet in the future and one hand in the past. Check out our selection of sci-fi favorites for your weekend:
5 must-see sci-fi series on Netflix
Stranger Things
A lost boy, telekinetic powers, a monster and an organization. These look like the elements of a good 80's classic. Goonies to Ghostbuster, ET the Extraterrestrial a Poltergeist, all the immortal classics that made the 80s one of the craziest and most prolific decades for science fiction are celebrated in a torrid nostalgic experience that is the worldwide phenomenon. Stranger Things, a Netflix original series that, until shortly, was the most watched series on the platform.
From monsters and evil organizations straight out of the pages of Stephen King to teenage love triangles that transpire to John Hughes classics, Stranger Things does not deny being a true mixed salad of pop culture references, without missing the chance to enhance the experience with a sound track to match.
The chords of Should I Stay or Should I Go cover the painful journey of Joyce (Winona Ryder) after the disappearance of her youngest son, Will (Noah Schnapp) under mysterious circumstances in Montauk, Long Island. As the police and family search for answers, their group of friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughin) delve into an extraordinary mystery involving a secret government experiment, supernatural forces and a runaway little girl, Eleven. (Millie Bobby Brown).
In its third season, Montauk's losers are far from finding a solution to the city's mysteries. Stranger Things is a Netflix original and its first two seasons are available on the platform.
3%
First Brazilian Netflix original series, at the time of its release, it became the most watched non-English language title on the platform. Dystopian in character, the Brazilian production borrows some concepts from classics of the genre like 1984 and Brave New World to reflect on a very close reality: ours.
In a society divided into castes and governed by the notion of privilege and meritocracy, the plot takes place in a world in which its inhabitants, when they turn 20, can sign up for a cruel selection process to go to the Side of There. Only three percent of applicants are approved and accepted into a better world.
3% has a third season confirmed and the first two are available on Netflix.
Lost in Space
In times of reinvention, this '60s classic not only gained the glory of presenting to a whole new generation, but also the pleasure of a revamp to better serve its narrative purposes.
We follow in the footsteps of a family at a real crossroads: in order to become pioneer settlers, it takes courage and unity to deal with the adversities of a journey off course. There's a lot of what fans liked in its first version here, from the strange familiar tune to the already frayed cliché of friendship between a boy and a machine.
More than just survival, Lost in Space allows itself to reflect on the flawed family relationships that persist over the decades. After all, human problems haven't changed all that much since the 60s.
Lost in Space There's a season available on Netflix.
Altered Carbon
Another Netflix original series, this plot has the best that an action-focused sci-fi work can offer. Set in the year 2384, in a futuristic San Francisco known as Bay City, a person's memories can be decanted into a disc-shaped device called a cortical stack, which is implanted in the vertebrae at the back of the neck.
These storage devices are of alien design and have been reverse-engineered and mass-produced. Theoretically it means that anyone can live forever, only the wealthiest, known as “Meths” in reference to Methusaleh, have the means to do so through clones and remote storage of their consciousness on satellites.
Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman / Will Yun Lee / Byron Mann), a political operative with mercenary skills, is the only surviving soldier of the Envoys, a rebel group defeated in an uprising against the new world order. 250 years after the Envoys are destroyed, his stack is broken out of prison by Methan Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), one of the richest men in the established worlds. Bancroft gives him the choice to solve a murder – his own – to have a new chance at life.
Altered Carbon It has one season and is available on Netflix.
Black Mirror
Long before joining the Netflix original catalog, Black Mirror drew attention for its unpleasant plots with eyes and feet in the future. The series, which is a frank collection of science fiction short stories, has taken the world by storm in a way that encapsulates its moral status as a whole. There are controversies and conspiracy theories that believe the quality of the series has been declining year after year since Netflix took over the mantle.
Regardless of beliefs, the consecration with San Junipero came in partnership with the platform, and, with a long interactive released last year and three more new episodes confirmed for June this year, are proof enough that, if it depends on Netflix, the criticisms have little affected the company's morale and its title, one of the true gems of its catalog.
Black Mirror has four seasons and an interactive feature available on Netflix.
Honorable Mention: Maniac
If there's a real asset to be celebrated in Maniac, it's its great ability to reference the literary universe and pop culture as a whole. In an unusual partnership between Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, the two actors combine forces and deliver an intense experience in the psychic depths of their characters, without losing the tone of humor.
With an aesthetic from the 1980s, although set in a future time, Maniac detaches itself from realism and leads the audience on fantastic journeys, which suggest a lot about the empty and virtual existence of today's society. It does this through the duo's routine and trauma.
In the plot, both Owen (Jonah Hill) and Annie (Emma Stone) feel out of place in their environment. They also have in common the idea of not belonging to the family. Lonely and depressive, they end up becoming guinea pigs for a drug that promises to cure mental disorders.
Maniac It has one season and is available on Netflix.
5 must-see sci-fi movies on Netflix
Ex Machina
Ex Machina it's one of those rare films that keep Tarkovsky's Solaris more company than 2001: A Space Odyssey, which, in other words, uses and abuses the genre to go further and deliver real emotional gems. Responsible for definitively introducing the likes of Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac to Hollywood, this science fiction fable is, for all intents and purposes, disturbing.
While there is a whole guise of romance, Ex Machina understands that the time for love has passed and it is necessary to live with both feet on the ground. Here there is a real plot of manipulation and betrayal, even if, at first, there is a conviction of a possible and complicated romance. There's not much to say other than the promise of an interesting experience, to say the least.
Ex Machina is available on Netflix.
Wall-E
Wall-E when placed alongside the likes of Monsters Inc and Toy Story it looks pale and some might even say, forgettable. But don't get attached to these false impressions, after all, the themes dealt with by Wall-E go far beyond the so-called easy formulas.
Exciting and emotional, this sci-fi work from Pixar delivers everything that made the studio famous: captivating characters, a script with no loose ends, a touching soundtrack and, to top it off, a few moments to wipe away tears and reflect.
Pixar's most profound film stands out for its poetry, its transparent humanity and for a vision as singular as the loving eyes of its protagonist.
Wall-E is available on Netflix.
Star Wars franchise
It is impossible to talk about any science fiction film and leave out one of the most important franchises in the genre. Such is its importance and its imagery that the sale of its rights snatched no less than a few billions for George Lucas's account, making the mind behind the whole mess of a Galaxy so far away a true treasure of pop culture.
No need to explain the entire journey of Anakin Skywalker and his son Luke afterwards. Even so, it is worth remembering that, even more than forty decades separating the original film, its urgencies are still current and that its heroes are still needed. After all, young rebels are capable of revolutionizing an Empire.
All titles from Star Wars franchise are available on Netflix, with the exception of The Last Jedi, the latest release in Disney's new trilogy.
Back to the future
If there's another classic that cleverly embraces the concept of time, it's definitely the journey of Marty McFly and Emmett “Doc” Brown. Another one that needs no introduction, the film trilogy chronicles all the conflicts resulting from the ambitions of Doc and his stylized machine of the future DeLorean.
It is up to Marty, in a desperate act, to serve as a pawn in all of his eccentric friend's endeavors, learning a little more about himself and also about his descent and his roots. There is a very strong vent for the theme of ancestry here, and this is one of the real driving forces that move the narrative.
Much more than learning that decisions have consequences, Marty begins to forgive his family, whose notion of failure was, at first, ingrained in the foundation of his character. Meanwhile, the lesson for Doc is that, much more important than understanding human history, is writing our chapter on it.
A Back to the Future Trilogy is available on Netflix.
Annihilation
Annihilation is a good reminder that the ideal formula for a good science fiction movie is mystery and suspense. These are the main forces that move biologist Lena (Natalie Portman), who, after her husband's disappearance, searches for answers and accepts to be part of a group of military scientists who enter "The Shimmer", an area sealed off by the government during about three years and classified as a chemical disaster zone.
During this time, a secret agency known as Southern Reach sent several expeditions to try to find out the truth about Area X, but all teams failed and only one person returned, in this case, Lena's husband (Oscar Isaac).
Now, the group will find a living and colorful forest, where they quickly realize that everything there is different from what they have seen, like different plants and mutated creatures. During the days that pass, the group of women formed by Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Anya (Gina Rodriguez), Josie (Tessa Thompson), Sheppard (Tuva Novotny) and Lena will face several challenges to reach the lighthouse, but not all of them will make it there.
Annihilation is a Netflix Original movie and is available on the platform.
Honorable Mention: Operation Big Hero
There is a real challenge to be overcome in Big Hero 6 and this is not the external one. The great battle to be won is the battle against ourselves and victory is only possible with a strong base of allies. This is the most valuable lesson Hiro can learn at the end of the day.
In the futuristic city of San Fransokyo, robotics ace Hiro Hamada and the robot Baymax assemble a team of inexperienced warriors to face the enemies that threaten the peace of the place. But much more than that, Big Hero 6 is a narrative about the value of family, friendship and also about grief and healing, one of the most arduous journeys to be undertaken throughout our lives.
Big hero operation is available on Netflix.
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