There are lots of reasons to re-watch movies—the obvious being you love them so much, you just want to enjoy them again. There are also situations where a movie has so much going on, or whips out a big third-act reveal that upends all of act one, that you just soak in more when you go back for seconds.
Here are 10 recent sci-fi movies, all available on Prime Video (and other streamers as noted), that offer rewarding re-watches.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Re-watch last year’s Oscar darling and—since you already know just how wild and involved its multiversal adventure is going to get—let your googly eyes absorb its more subtle details, as well as its wonderfully realized performances. Watch on Prime Video.
Primer
A single re-watch of 2004 low-budget indie breakout Primer is actually not going to be enough if you really want to study its time-travel shenanigans. But be warned, multiple viewings could make you as obsessed as this fascinating movie’s increasingly unhinged protagonists. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
Inception
Christopher Nolan is known for his mind-bending movies, but 2010’s Inception is more fun—and, let’s just say it: far less confusing—than 2020’s Tenet. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a thief who infiltrates the dreams of his marks, a technique that spirals until neither he nor the audience can be sure what’s actually real or not. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
Interstellar
Keep your Nolan-fest going (ahead of his likely Oscar triumph for Oppenheimer) with this 2014 sci-fi tale, another mind-bender that offers reasons for a re-watch even beyond its story involving wormholes in space-time. That includes its excellent cast; the main character is played by Matthew McConaughey, who you might’ve been a tad sick of a decade ago—2014 was the height of his Dallas Buyers Club/True Detective era—but has kept a much lower profile ever since. Watch on Prime Video.
Nope
When you already know the full story of Gordy’s Home, you will better understand Nope’s opening sequence; you’ll also notice earlier clues to some of its more unsettling themes. Also, no matter how many times you watch you know which scene, Jean Jacket’s eating habits never become any less terrifying. Rent or buy on Prime Video; also streaming on Peacock.
The Edge of Tomorrow
The movie itself is a repeat of one day over and over—so if you know the gimmick from the get-go, and you already know where it’s going, you’ll have a greater appreciation of the choices Tom Cruise’s time-looping character makes along the way. Rent or buy on Prime Video; also streaming on Max.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Of course you’ve seen this 1968 Stanley Kubrick classic. But have you ever watched it with the mindset that the entire movie is actually all about food? You can’t un-think it one you do it. Rent or buy on Prime Video; also streaming on Max.
The Vast of Night
Released in 2019 but produced with the retro flair of a 1950s alien-invasion flick, The Vast of Night is worth watching again to appreciate all the period details, as well as that jaw-dropping scene built around a (mostly) single four-minute take. Watch on Prime Video.
Predestination
This 2014 thriller based on a Robert Heinlein story starsEthan Hawke and a pre-Succession Sarah Snook, and it’s one of those “now that you know the twist, go back and look for the clues” kind of movies—and in this case, the twist is particularly startling. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
Sunshine
As Danny Boyle and Alex Garland plot a fresh chapter in their 28 Days Later zombie series, here’s another horror tale (with a healthy dose of sci-fi) they made with Cillian Murphy. This 2007 movie—also starring Michelle Yeoh, Chris Evans, Benedict Wong, Mark Strong, and Rose Byrne—is set in 2057 and imagines a crew of astronauts trying to save the Earth by reigniting the sun… a mission that would already be dangerous enough without bringing additional monstrous elements into the mix. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
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