12 Best Sci-Fi Movies You Can Watch Online For FREE

The classics you might not know you can watch for nothing...

By Troy Schulz /

Cabin fever is not fun - neither the movie nor the mental condition - and right now, a lot of us the world over are stuck inside our abodes whether we want to or not.

Advertisement

It's a difficult time, but the one silver lining is that we are at the zenith of entertainment platforms. You can't get moved for them at the minute with streaming giants really pulling their weight to offer us content at a reasonable price.

Thing is though, those platform costs can rack up when everything is split by studio, and having to pay for Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime (without even considering specialists like the excellent Shudder) can make a dent in your wallet.

So it's great to discover that free platform Tubi offer a multitude of titles (with commercials in the US) that you can watch at home now. And the sci-fi offerings on there are great...

12. Total Recall

And from the sublime to the silly, and oh is it glorious. If the previous entries were lovingly-crafted meals full of nuanced and varied textures and tastes, then Total Recall is a massive cheeseburger. But it's a really really really good cheeseburger. Total Recall is on par with the first two Terminators and director Paul Verhoeven's own RoboCop as one of the best sci-fi action films ever made, and probably one of the best practical effects movies ever made.

Advertisement

From the elaborate and incredibly-animated makeup realizing the Martian mutants, to the miniatures that still stand up some 30 years later, to the production and set design that still manages to feel futuristic and otherworldly even now. And that's not even getting into the action.

Arnold Schwarznegger, in all his snarling, quipping glory is at the top of his game in set-pieces that stay just as thrilling even on repeat viewings (sometimes even more so). The rest of the cast is equally great, with especially memorable turns from a pre-Basic Instinct Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside in all his bassy-voiced, ice-cold glory. It's like the jacked, slightly unhinged cousin of Blade Runner, and it's amazing for it.

Advertisement