20 Hidden Sci-Fi Movie Gems You Can Watch On Netflix

12. Paycheck

A peculiar one this, for Paycheck stalled the Hollywood career of a major director despite having everything going for it (on paper at least). A short story from legendary science fiction king Philip K. Dick, an all-star cast (Ben Affleck, the always great Uma Thurman, Aaron Eckhart) and legendary Hong Kong (though he was born in Southern China) director John Woo should've made for a rousing success, but the film, which is admittedly flawed in many places, was poorly received, effectively killing John Woo as a commercial filmmaker stateside in the process (he hasn't made anything of note since).

Despite this, there are things in Paycheck to admire, and the first-act in particular is fairly impressive. Affleck (in his much-maligned period of acting) and Thurman have a believable chemistry and carry the film well enough, and the bones of the story, such is the source, are promising and intriguing (the production design is also fantastic).

It's true that Paycheck loses its way, and it's by no means a classic, but it's still worth checking out, especially for Woo completists, the director having vehemently defended the picture in the DVD commentary.