New Netflix movie Uglies has managed to secure the second top spot in the best streaming service's global top 10 most-watched movies list this week, with only the action thriller Rebel Ridge beating it.
Based on the novel of the same name by Scott Westerfeld, Uglies is set in a futuristic society where perfection is everything. Joey King plays Tally, a teen eagerly awaiting mandatory cosmetic surgery and to join the rest of society. However, when her friend goes missing, she goes on a journey that makes her rethink everything she thought she wanted.
Netflix is home to some of the best sci-fi movies, but it's safe to say that Uglies doesn't come close with its terrible 16% Rotten Tomatoes score at the time of writing. However, this hasn't stopped the dystopian book-to-screen adaptation from receiving over 20 million views worldwide. Uglies definitely isn't one of the best Netflix movies, though, so here are three sci-fi flicks that definitely are.
They Cloned Tyrone
- RT Score: 95%
- Age rating: R
- Length: 122 minutes
- Director: Juel Taylor
They Cloned Tyrone is a pulpy sci-fi comedy-mystery about an unlikely trio – street hustler Fontaine (John Boyega), washed-up pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), and an escort/wannabe detective Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris) – as they uncover a criminal government conspiracy in a fictional US town where some seriously eerie events are taking place.
At the time of its release, we wrote that "They Cloned Tyrone is the unusual sci-fi comedy movie that Netflix needs right now" with powerhouse performances from the three leading stars and stylishly influenced by blaxploitation movies of the 1960s. It may sound like the hit Netflix show Stranger Things, but They Cloned Tyrone is far from it and you can find out why in TechRadar's exclusive interview with Boyega.
Edge of Tomorrow
- RT Score: 91%
- Age rating: PG-13
- Length: 114 minutes
- Director: Doug Liman
Of course I had to include one of my favorite sci-fi movies Edge of Tomorrow, which has also made it onto Netflix's global top 10 list this week. It's become a cult classic within the genre and is a blockbuster that I, along with many other people, go back to ten years later (much like in the film itself).
Based on the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Edge of Tomorrow follows Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), a public relations officer for the military in a future where Earth is trying to stop an alien invasion. After being killed on the frontlines of a combat mission against the extra-terrestrial enemy, he starts reliving the same day all over again. He joins forces with soldier Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) to save the planet and change the outcome of the war as he constantly time loops around on his mission.
A sci-fi movie featuring Cruise is usually a winner and this intelligent action-packed epic is just another reminder that Edge of Tomorrow deserves a sequel with its heart-pounding special effects.
I Am Mother
- RT Score: 89%
- Age rating: PG-13
- Length: 114 minutes
- Director: Grant Sputore
I Am Mother stars Clara Rugaard as Daughter, a teenage girl who is the first of a new generation of humans to be raised by Mother (Rose Byrne), a robot whose purpose is to repopulate the Earth after mass extinction. However, the pair's relationship is upended when a stranger (Hilary Swank) arrives at their bunker with disturbing information about the outside world.
I watched I Am Mother a few years ago, but it's one that has stuck with me ever since with its compelling story, captivating special effects, and thrilling twists. It shares some similarities to 10 Cloverfield Lane, which is also another one of my favorites, so if you like high-stakes futuristic thrillers then I Am Mother is an ideal watch.
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