Sci-Fi Sundays: The Ultimate Netflix Watchlist for Dad

Finding the right film for movie night with Dad – or a memorable pick for Father’s Day – can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. If your dad is a fan of big set pieces and fantastical worlds found in science fiction, Netflix is a galaxy unto itself, offering an infinite wealth of options that will warm Dad’s heart and yours. In that spirit, we have journeyed through the stars to bring you our top five science-fiction movies you need to watch, right now, on Netflix for the perfect Father’s Day binge.

Unraveling the Spider-Verse: A Father's Day Adventure

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)"

This is more than a movie. It’s a multiverse-spanning adventure for dads and kids alike The second movie in the series hits closer to home, showing Miles Morales’s ongoing struggle with the responsibility and identity that come with wearing the Spider-Man mantle. With its gorgeous, mind-blowing storytelling and energising spirit, Across the Spider-Verse becomes a movie that proves its predecessor, Into the Spider-Verse, wasn’t a fluke. It paved the way for something even more incredible. This entry within the Spider-Verse is suitable for the whole family. A movie that’s perfect for dads and kids, alike, it provides an engaging and stunning visual spectacle that’s guaranteed to be a hit with any multiverse-loving dad and kid duo. Netflix offers a great experience for families with this option.

THE MATRIX REIMAGINED: A Thoughtful Continuation

"The Matrix Resurrections (2021)"

For the dad who grew up watching the cyberpunk world of the first Matrix films, Resurrections is a familiar but fresh dive back into the Matrix universe. Neo’s struggle for control over his own fate and the very meaning of reality in this film might not be handled in exactly the same way as in its predecessors, but it is an appropriately nuanced evolution of its ideas about free will and reality, a high-octane continuation of the franchise’s central question – what does the nature of our reality mean? It’s a philosophically rich epilogue to the Matrix saga … for grownups. Streaming now on Netflix.

Touching the Stars with Humanity

"Starman (1984)"

Moving into a more gentle side of the genre, Starman is a delightful story of love and communication, in which we follow a visitor from another world as he comes to understand humanity through the eyes of a grieving widow. It’s a lovely, touching film with two great central performances. If there’s a dad out there who likes a bit of emotion with his sci-fi (and there definitely is) then you can’t go wrong with this.

A Satirical Blast: Galactic Battles and Self-Reflection

"Starship Troopers (1997)"

Starship Troopers is a wild ride, with the genre mashups of high camp and parody, plus the all-out action of total warfare, that satisfies a dad who reads The Onion and plays Total War but might feel like he just can’t get into Battlestar Galactica like his friends. Equal parts action movie and campy satire, Starship Troopers is a scathing critique of militarism and human nature wherein humanity wages war with a race of nasty insectoids that you can’t really root for, despite their evil tendencies. It’s a great ride of a film, complete with inter-galactic politics and big, dumb guns, but sprinkled with commentary about society’s tendency to view itself as the protagonist of its story. Rarely does a Netflix recommendation for me come through quite so well.

Comedy Meets Conspiracy

"They Cloned Tyrone (2023)"

And to round out our list, we suggest They Cloned Tyrone, a psychedelic sci-fi comedy mystery seen through the eyes of three mismatched heroes as they try to unravel a community conspiracy. Featuring Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris, the film is both a hilarious and topical ride that opens our eyes to issues in the black community. Dad humour meets sci-fi. Winner.

Understanding THE MATRIX

Never mind that The Matrix Resurrections (for which, full disclosure, I contributed a scene) caps off the saga that, perhaps more than any other sci-fi work, has defined the genre for years, impacting filmmaking and special effects, even narrative itself, on dozens of subsequent movies and series. The Matrix saga inspires us to rethink our own understanding of reality, freedom, and control – ideas resonant in a now fully digital world.

With this, we conclude our primer on the best sci-fi movies on Netflix for Father’s Day, one that has shown an abundance in style and substance for every kind of father. Whether it’s animated escapades and cerebral sequels, existential tearjerkers and cynical social satires, these movies are not only about time well spent together; they also offer an invitation to transverse media, perspectives, and emotions, and a fun way to connect with Dad that only the big screen can afford. So, turn on the TV, pass the popcorn and get cracking on these flicks that will entertain, inform, provoke and awe, making this Father’s Day one to remember.