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Hulu’s post-2015 sci-fi films offer more than visuals; they’re deep, genre-defying narratives.
Titles like Arrival and Palm Springs explore time, identity, and survival.
Originals such as The Assessment and No One Will Save You push sci-fi in fresh directions.
If you believe science fiction is still trapped in a galaxy far, far away, Hulu’s post-2015 catalog could change your mind. The genre has changed, it’s tighter, more self-aware, and more attuned to contemporary phobias. Whether artificial intelligence, climate dystopia, loneliness, or emotional collapse in space, these movies are where our fears and dreams are headed.
We’ve selected ten top-notch movies from Hulu’s contemporary sci-fi library that not only entertain but also make you think. From bare-bones survival thrills to boundary-pushing romance epics, these sci-fi movies define the human condition in an ever-evolving cosmos.
Here are ten titles that combine great storytelling with great big ideas, and should be on your watchlist tonight.
At first blush, Arrival is about space aliens. However, director Denis Villeneuve turns a standard ‘first contact’ premise into a profoundly philosophical movie about language, time, and grief. Amy Adams stars as Louise, a linguist recruited by the military to decipher an alien alphabet.
What she finds alters not only world diplomacy but also her perception of individual tragedy. It’s a quietly restrained, deeply felt tale that redefined the possibilities of mainstream science fiction and won an Oscar and several critical awards.
This Hulu original was an overnight cult hit. Starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs recontextualizes the time-loop cliche, but rather than having to save the world, it explores the horror of purposelessness and emotional decay.
What begins as a quirky wedding comedy gradually disintegrates into a witty exploration of purpose, relationships, and self-destruction. Wry, cynical, and finally hopeful, it’s one of the wisest rom-coms in years, with a time-travel twist.
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Forget gadgets. Prey brings the Predator franchise back to the 1700s, where a young Comanche warrior woman named Naru (Amber Midthunder) battles a fearsome alien predator. What makes Prey unique isn’t the more streamlined action; it’s the character development, Indigenous inclusion, and beautiful cinematography. Director Dan Trachtenberg presents a new spin on an old franchise, showing that sometimes less really is more.
Boss Level propels Frank Grillo into a crazy, time-looping day of bullets, bombs, and sword-wielding baddies. Stuck in the loop for some unexplained reason, his character must battle his way to the truth, and perhaps even to redemption.
The premise is hyperbolic, but the movie anchors itself in emotional tension, particularly in the tense father-son relationship. Groundhog Day meets Deadpool comes to mind, with a heart waiting to be discovered under all the guns.
In this dark survival story, androids, previously household servants, have risen across the world. Pregnant Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) has to cross treacherous AI-dominated areas to an asylum.
Mother/Android is less interested in world-making and more interested in sheer emotional investment: how much a person will do to save the next generation. It’s a dark, lugubrious trip, but based on real questions about automation and care, and the future.
A minimalist space drama, Long Distance tracks a solitary asteroid miner (Anthony Ramos) marooned following a comms blackout. With no means of returning home, he must face his past, his choices, and, maybe, his hold on reality. The film's strength lies in its restraint.
There are no monster aliens or flashy rescues, just silence, sandstorms, and mental disintegration. Imagine The Martian, but with a more introspective and subdued tone.
Set in a sanitary near-future, The Assessment envisions a world in which citizens are required to take psychological tests to demonstrate their worth to the government. Those who do not pass are ‘reassigned.’
Half Black Mirror, half Gattaca, the film is a critique of our increasing fixation on emotional intelligence tests, algorithmic recruitment, and therapeutic lexicon as means of control. Unnervingly subdued, it is not hyperactive, but the stakes are horrifying.
This daring extraterrestrial invasion thriller makes a big creative gamble: nearly no talking. Kaitlyn Dever plays Brynn, a lone wolf who fights off alien invaders in her house and her head. The absence of dialogue doesn’t sabotage the narrative; it heightens it. With acutely focused camerawork, chilling sound design, and physical acting up front and center, the film is an eerie study in paranoia, trauma, and survival.
From its neon look to its musical breaks, O’Dessa is unlike anything else on Hulu. Sadie Sink stars as a roving outlaw on an epic quest through a devastated world where only love, memory, and music survive.
Picture Mad Max combined with a rock show and sentimental verse. It’s daring, divisive, and guaranteed to be a cult hit.
Initially released in 2014 but revived for audiences after 2015 in upgraded formats, Edge of Tomorrow stands as one of the most creative sci-fi action movies of the last decade.
Tom Cruise keeps dying, rebooting, training, and doing it all over again during a battle against time-bending extraterrestrials, while Emily Blunt steals the spotlight as a tough-as-nails war heroine. Clever, explosive, and never-to-be-tired.
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The best science fiction doesn’t just predict the future; it interrogates the present. Hulu’s post-2015 lineup fully embraces this. Whether it’s the grief-laced linguistics of Arrival, the dystopian dread of The Assessment, or the cathartic absurdity of Palm Springs, these films reflect the emotional and ethical puzzles we’re already facing.
So, if you’re looking for your next great watch, skip the shallow effects and tune into one of these deeply humane sci-fi stories. Because the future, it turns out, feels a lot like now.
1. What makes Hulu’s sci-fi catalogue stand out post-2015?
Hulu’s recent sci-fi lineup blends cerebral storytelling with emotional depth, moving beyond tropes to explore identity, technology, survival, and human connection in bold, contemporary ways.
2. Are these Hulu sci-fi films suitable for casual viewers?
Yes, many titles like Palm Springs and Prey offer high entertainment value while still delivering thoughtful narratives, ideal for both genre fans and general audiences.
3. Do these films focus more on action or emotion?
While some titles are action-heavy (Boss Level, Prey), others like Arrival or Long Distance lean into emotional, psychological, or philosophical sci-fi for a more introspective experience.
4. Is Edge of Tomorrow new on Hulu post-2015?
Though released in 2014, Hulu reintroduced it post-2015 with enhanced edits and growing popularity, making it a modern must-watch in the platform’s current sci-fi catalogue.
5. Are there original Hulu sci-fi productions on this list?
Yes, films like Palm Springs, No One Will Save You, and The Assessment are Hulu originals, offering fresh, exclusive narratives not available on other platforms.
