3 severely underrated sci-fi movies free on Prime Video right now ‣ Diverse Daily

Science fiction never gets old, and I mean that quite literally. While we’re living on the hockey-stick curve of exponential technological evolution, even some of the earliest, grainiest sci-fi stories are loaded with ideas and concepts that we haven’t been able to bring to reality quite yet.

Whether it’s an old Star Trek or Doctor Who episode, or even Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the best part about sci-fi stories is the timeless questions they ask. Well, the best part is actually when they’re free. Luckily, as long as you subscribe to Amazon Prime Video, you can watch these three fun, timeless, or exciting sci-fi flicks at no extra charge.

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Cowboys and Aliens

Alien invasion story set in the wild, Wild West

If you’re a fan of Westerns and alien movies separately, well, hold onto your hats. Jake Lonergan (played by Daniel Craig) wakes up on his back in the Arizona desert without a clue as to who he is or how he got there — just that the strange metal contraption locked to his wrist isn’t anything like he’s ever seen before. He starts getting clues when he walks into a tumbleweed town already filled with confrontational characters, including Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), a powerful figure who rules the town with more of an iron fist than any law enforcer, and Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde), a woman who knows more than she’s letting on.

While the concept sounds goofy — the cowboys shouldn’t stand a chance — it’s an exciting and gritty blockbuster Western that makes alien invaders feel like just another dangerous outlaw in a place where the strongest always have to watch their backs. When the town comes together to face the extraterrestrial enemy after it figures out what they’re truly there for, well, it’s pretty apparent that the town is only big enough for one intelligent species.

Cowboys & Aliens

Release Date: July 29, 2011
Runtime: 135 minutes
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk

Battleship

People vs. aliens again — but this time… it’s the Navy

Battleship might not be as underrated as the other two on this list, but it’s absolutely underappreciated. It’s a big, loud, action-filled alien invasion movie loosely based on the Hasbro game Battleship. It follows Alex Hopper (played by Taylor Kitsch), a cocky and impulsive naval officer who finds himself in a terrifying position of power when naval war games with the Japanese Navy in Hawaii turn deadly fast — except their opponent is extraterrestrial. But he doesn’t back down from the challenge, and neither does his crew.

While this sci-fi flick is more of a fun, rah-rah patriotic movie with enough explosions to celebrate the Fourth of July alone, it’s incredibly entertaining and clever in a way that brings the Battleship game to life to outsmart the aliens and their deadly weaponry. The cast is stacked with actors like Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Liam Neeson, and more, and it’s absolutely worth the watch.

Battleship

Release Date: May 18, 2012
Runtime: 131 minutes
Director: Peter Berg
Writers: Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber

Taylor Kitsch
Lieutenant Alex Hopper
Alexander Skarsgard
Commander Stone Hopper
Rihanna
Petty Officer Cora ‘Weps’ Raikes

Twelve Monkeys

Time travel paradoxes

This 1995 sci-fi thriller is about James Cole (Bruce Willis), a convict in 2035. He lives in a bleak future where most of humanity was wiped out by a deadly virus of unknown origin years before. If he wants to earn parole, he must go on a dangerous mission — all the way back to 1996 — by means of time travel.

His goal is to collect information about the outbreak before it happens in order to prevent it. But, of course, things go awry. As he travels deeper into the past, disorientation takes over and Cole’s own mental state becomes another antagonist. He must determine what’s real and what’s not while facing apocalyptic stakes as well as a group called the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, which is shrouded in all kinds of suspicious mystery.

If you’re into time travel, all its paradoxes, and a little psychological thrill sprinkled into your bleak science fiction, Twelve Monkeys should jump to the top of your watch list this week.