David Bowie's Cult Classic '70s Sci-Fi Movie Is Streaming For Free

When it comes to '70s sci-fi movies everyone should watch at least once, look no further than "The Man Who Fell to Earth." Nicolas Roeg's cult classic stars David Bowie as Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien who visits our planet to get water for his drought-stricken world. Underneath the surface, though, is a thought-provoking essay that probes humanity. The film is currently available to stream for free on Tubi and CWTV, so now is the perfect time to check it out.

While it is a must-see flick for sci-fi buffs, "The Man Who Fell to Earth" isn't for everyone. Like many of the all-time great sci-fi films, it doesn't spoon-feed viewers. The story is simple, but Roeg's non-linear approach makes for a mind-bending experience that's difficult to decipher. Every viewer will probably come out of it with their own interpretation of the film's deeper themes, but that's what makes "The Man Who Fell to Earth" so interesting.

One reading is that the film is about displacement and outsiders trying to fit into foreign cultures. That's quite fitting for "The Man Who Fell to Earth," a movie that stands out as unique in the realm of sci-fi cinema. It might lack the action and excitement of the alien invasion movies of the '70s, but viewers seeking a thoughtful sci-fi movie should check it out.

"The Man Who Fell to Earth" is a weird movie, but its 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes indicates that the cult classic has more fans than naysayers. However, most critics agreed that David Bowie gave an out-of-this-world performance as an extraterrestrial visiting our strange planet. "Since no one could reasonably be expected to recognize an extra-terrestrial, what this means is that Bowie's presence and performance suggest qualities that are recognized as common denominators of difference, of alienness, of –- in fact –- non-humanness," the BFI noted.

"Bowie's performance is riveting, drawing on his history of mime to play a man who is almost, but not quite, one of us," TimeOut wrote. If nothing else, "The Man Who Fell to Earth" is a reminder of how talented Bowie was in various mediums. His music career speaks for itself, but his performance here proves that he was also an incredible actor. So, why not head on over to Tubi or CWTV and see his performance for yourself?