Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres of movies, precisely because it often offers viewers so much variety and intrigue. Sci-fi movies can offer everything from big emotions and scares through to action, tension, intriguing mysteries and tons of big-screen spectacle moments; it really does offer the lot!
2026 is treating us sci-fi fans particularly well, too. We’ve already been gifted Lord and Miller’s take on “Project Hail Mary,” but there’s plenty more to look forward to. For example, we’re getting our first Star Wars movie in years, plus “Disclosure Day” and “Supergirl” and “The End of Oak Street” this summer, while “Dune: Part Three” is dropping on the same day as “Avengers: Doomsday” at the end of the year.
5 best sci-fi movies to stream on Paramount+ right now
‘Arrival’ (2016)
I’ve genuinely lost count of the number of times I’ve recommended “Arrival” both here on Tom’s Guide and just in real life. If you love sci-fi movies and you’ve somehow missed this emotional, engrossing watch.
Denis Villeneuve’s thought-provoking alien invasion movie sees the planet turned on its head when gigantic alien spaceships touch down at various locations across planet Earth. As panic builds across the world about these extraterrestrial visitors and their intentions, translator and linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is brought in to work out how to communicate with the “Heptapods.” And as the world teeters on the brink of conflict with the aliens, Banks and the rest of her team work to learn why they’re here before it’s too late.
Stream “Arrival” on Paramount+ now
‘Interstellar’ (2014)
While we’re all waiting to lay eyes on Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” this summer, sci-fi fans can find one of his many beloved films on Paramount+. Yes, the epic sci-fi adventure “Interstellar” is also on the streamer’s roster, and it is definitely worth checking out.
“Interstellar” is set in the future, wherein humanity is on the brink of extinction as the planet’s steadily being rendered uninhabitable. Amidst the chaos, a team of researchers is trying to develop a plan to save humankind… a plan that involves sending NASA pilot-turned-farmer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and a team of researchers through a wormhole and across the galaxy to see which of three new planets could be our new home.
Stream “Interstellar” on Paramount+ now
‘Minority Report’ (2002)
Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report” takes us forward in time to Washington D.C., in 2054. There, we meet John Anderton (Tom Cruise), the head of the “PreCrime unit,” a police department that uses info that comes from the visions of three clairvoyant people (“precogs”) to arrest and convict would-be murderers before they can carry out their crime.
When John finds himself accused of being the future killer of a man he’s never met, he’s forced to go on the run, avoiding his own colleagues as he tries to unravel the case that he’s tangled up in.
Stream “Minority Report” on Paramount+ now
‘Star Trek’ (2009)
Look, Paramount+ is the streaming home of “Star Trek,” and I couldn’t not shout out the legendary sci-fi franchise in some capacity, right? So, I figure I’d mention the Kelvin trilogy helmed by Chris Pine, as those films were my first encounter with the franchise, but you could easily sub in your preferred Trek era instead.
In J.J. Abrams’ first Star Trek feature, we follow a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) and their crew aboard the USS Enterprise as they confront a time-traveling Romulan (Nero, played by Eric Bana) from the future who is creating black holes.
Stream “Star Trek” on Paramount+ now
‘The Running Man’ (2025)
I’m rounding out the list with Edgar Wright’s 2025 take on “The Running Man.” This dystopian near-future sci-fi/action movie was a big hit when it came to Paramount+ earlier in the year, and it’ll fit the bill if you’re in the mood for an action-packed watch.
“The Running Man” sees angry, down-on-his-luck everyman Ben Richards (Glen Powell) taking part in a deadly, hugely popular gameshow in order to win the cash he needs to save his sick daughter. His task? Go on the run, dodging the lethal “Hunters” who are out to get him for 30 days. Early on his run, Ben proves to be more way more resilient and resourceful than anyone expected. That makes him both a huge hit with the show’s huge audience… and a huge threat to “The Network” that airs it.
Stream “The Running Man” on Paramount+ now
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