5 Best Sci-Fi Action Movies You Can Only Stream On Netflix

Netflix has dipped its toe into all manner of genres, with results that have been hit or miss. That's what you get when you're a massive streaming service with money to burn and a platform to dump all your content on. Two genres the company regularly dabbles in are science fiction and action, with ample examples of smushing those genres together. That's how we ended up with shows like "Stranger Things" and "Squid Game." 

Sometimes, though, the stories Netflix wants to tell are too big for television and need extra oomph from movie-standard spectacle and added star power to boot. Think "The Old Guard" and "War Machine", for example. With that in mind, we've compiled a collection of the best sci-fi action movies Netflix has to offer. Some you've likely already seen and others could have slipped under the radar. So without further ado, here's a movie manifest composed of ghostly apparitions, alien tanks, and Ryan Reynolds letting his co-stars talk for longer than 15 seconds.

Following their collaboration in "Free Guy," Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy reunited for a time-traveling Netflix movie, "The Adam Project." Reynolds plays a time-traveling scientist, Adam Reed, who, in an effort to save his wife (Zoe Saldaña) from being killed, goes back in time but, through some miscalculations, ends up crossing paths with his younger self instead. From there, it's a race against time, with both the young and old Reed trying not to break the space-time continuum, while potentially stopping a tragic family loss from ever happening. 

A fun little action-packed adventure, the film also marks a "13 Going On 30" reunion with Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo as Adam's parents. The real highlight, however, is scene-stealing scamp Walter Scobell, in what would be his breakthrough big role. Throw in some decent special effects, and a good bit of back and forth between Reynolds and his young protege, and "The Adam Project" is a serviceable bit of sci-fi action for audience members who appreciate time-traveling fun. It also makes a case for getting excited about Shawn Levy's upcoming "Starfighter" flick, one of the most exciting "Star Wars" projects currently in development.

James Badge Dale is a character actor who has proved his worth in the likes of "Iron Man 3" and "World War Z." In 2016, he got his time in the spotlight with the lead role in supernatural sci-fi shooter "Spectral." Directed by Nic Mathieu and penned by screenwriter George Nolfi, who had previously adapted "Adjustment Team", a Philip K. Dick short story, into a Matt Damon sci-fi movie.

"Spectral" takes place in Moldova, which has been torn apart by civil war. To make matters worse, sinister ghostly apparitions are haunting the area, killing anyone they come into contact with. From here, an "Aliens"-style showdown unfolds as Dale's eager scientist and his crew of roughnecks try to figure out what they're up against and bring a different kind of firepower to fend them off. 

While the CGI creatures are good, the real stars of the show are the costume and weapon design that gets put into force to keep the "Aratare" at bay. There are elements from other movies here, like "Doctor Who" and Alec Baldwin's forgotten "Final Fantasy" flick. Given how Netflix has tried to build its own franchises with "Extraction" and "Rebel Moon", "Spectral" feels like a world that vanished into the ether and shouldn't have.

Charlize Theron has proven time and again that she can hold her own in an action sequence thanks to the likes of "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Atomic Blonde." In 2020, she stepped into the shoes of someone who had been doing it for centuries with the comic book adaptation, "The Old Guard." Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film follows Andy (Theron), who is known in the history books as Andromache of Scythia. In the present day, she operates as a mercenary with a team of immortals, who enlist a new recruit just in time to be betrayed by one of their own.

Somewhere between Netflix's "Extraction" series and "Highlander," "The Old Guard" is a great bit of sci-fi fun that spotlights Theron as the no-nonsense heroine she can deliver so effortlessly. Joined by the supporting talents of Matthias Schoenaerts, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Kiki Layne as the Old Guard's new member, it makes for an action-packed two hours of watch time. One piece of advice: Queue up the sequel from 2025 only if you really want to, as it unfortunately isn't as good as the original.

Alan Ritchson seems to be on a mission to become the modern-day action hero, and with films like "War Machine," we're going to absolutely let him. This Netflix sci-fi action project comes from director Patrick Hughes ("The Expendables 3," "The Hitman's Bodyguard") and sees Ritchson as a nameless soldier whose final rite of passage into the U.S. Army Rangers is interrupted by an artificially intelligent tank-like weapon that is not of this world. 

Taking from the blueprint of "Predator" and "Tron," "War Machine" quickly goes through the motions of killing off the weakest members of the herd, leaving Ritchson and a handful of heroes to hold their own against a monstrous machine. With few weapons at their disposal, they have to use their wits and old-fashioned warrior spirit to make it back in one piece. If you're a fan of Ritchson thanks to his stint as "Reacher" in the Prime Video series, then "War Machine" really feels like a no-brainer.

Coincidentally, the film  requires very little brain matter to be enjoyed, as it harkens back to the classic action-heavy cheese fests of yesteryear and delivers by the bucket load. Standout set pieces involve a tank chase that has our heroes getting splattered in cinematic fashion, and a cliffhanger ending that'll have you itching for a sequel.

Another film that is full of franchise potential, thanks to the fleshed-out world it built, is "Project Power." Arriving on Netflix in 2020, the movie was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, and was set in a world where a special street drug grants the user superhuman abilities for five minutes. Jamie Foxx is a former soldier living in New Orleans who finds himself entangled in the affairs of a young girl dealing in the power drug and a police officer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) on the case of cracking its origins.

With both Foxx and Levitt well-versed in superhero worlds, the two do a good job with their respective stories in this world that feels like it has more to offer than what we get. Joost and Schulman have a good eye for superpowered set pieces, with the five-minute time-limit throwing an interesting element into the mix. Admittedly, the script might've needed work, but with all the movies that Netflix is capable of churning out at a relentless pace, revisiting the "Project Power" universe with the same directors and a new batch of characters to take the pill, would be a venture worth taking.