The best sci-fi movies to watch on Netflix in February 2024

Greetings, Polygon readers!

We’re just a few weeks away from the premiere of Dune: Part Two, the second part of Denis Villeneuve’s science fiction epic based on Frank Herbert’s acclaimed book series. However, you don’t have to wait that long to enjoy great sci-fi movies because we’ve compiled a list of the best sci-fi movies available on Netflix in February. This month we have a post-apocalyptic action thriller starring Ma Dong-seok Train to Busan Fame, a dystopian drama about a father and son living in a squat, co-directed by Daniel Kaluuya (Exit, No) and a classic kaiju mecha action drama from Guillermo del Toro!

Let’s dive in and see what this month has to offer!

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Editor’s Pick: Badland Hunters

Photo: Cha Min-jung/Netflix

Director: Pig Myeong-haeng
Pour: Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Jun-young

When you’re looking for a great science fiction film to watch, sometimes you’re looking for a thoughtful meditation on humanity’s role in the galaxy, with hard science elements and beautiful, almost fantastical cinematography. Another time you look for Ma Dong-seok, who makes a complete fool of himself in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Badland Hunter is for the other times.

A (soundingly bizarre) sequel to the serious apocalyptic earthquake drama Concrete utopia, Badland Hunter is a Mad Max-esque story about a hulking man who takes care of his found family and destroys anyone who gets in his way (including a mad scientist who conducts some twisted experiments). True, it doesn’t reach the lofty heights of Ma’s work Train to Busan or the Roundup films, he’s such a reliably entertaining and charismatic movie star that it’s easy to enjoy the B-movie experience. (And director Heo Myeong-haeng, a former stuntman, who will direct the upcoming film The summary: punishmentknows exactly how to shoot the big man’s action sequences.) It’s one of Netflix’s standout international releases of 2024 so far, and a fun time for people looking for popcorn-worthy sci-fi. —Pete Volk

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The kitchen

Photo: Chris Harris/Netflix

Directors: Kibwe Tavares, Daniel Kaluuya
Pour: Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jnr

Although it is Exit Star Daniel Kaluuya’s feature film directorial debut, The kitchen premiered on Netflix last month to little more than a handful of reviews. That’s a shame because the film itself is great. Actor and songwriter Kane Robinson plays Izi, a man who lives alone in a residential property colloquially known as “The Kitchen” in a dystopian London where social housing has been all but eliminated.

While working at a funeral service, Izi meets Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman), a young boy who is grieving the recent loss of his mother. Izi suspects that the boy is actually his own estranged son and reluctantly takes Benji in just as the property is about to be attacked by the police. A poignant, character-driven science fiction drama about a father and son living in a world that is crumbling to its core. The kitchen feels like a film that directly confronts the austerity politics of contemporary London. Robinson and Bannerman deliver great performances, and the world-building of the kitchen itself feels believable and full of nuance and dimension. –Toussaint Egan

Pacific Rim

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Pour: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi

If you’re a fan of kaiju and giant robots, you have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. Dawnrunner, writer Ram V and artist Evan Cagle’s new sci-fi comic series about a mecha pilot battling interdimensional creatures in Central America, is expected to have its first issue out in late March. Right after, Godzilla x Kong: The New EmpireThe latest installment of Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse will be released in theaters, followed shortly thereafter by the streaming premiere of Kaiju #8Production IG’s new sci-fi action anime about a man who gains the ability to transform into a superpowered humanoid kaiju.

If you’re looking for a way to get a jump on kaiju season early, what better way than checking out Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 love letter to the genre. Pacific Rim has amassed a significant following in the decade-plus since its premiere, largely thanks to the film’s spectacular mecha designs and equally breathtaking action sequences. It’s a visually stunning and outrageously entertaining sci-fi action drama that’s charming and impressive to watch. -THE