Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is still hovering near the top of the streamer’s most-watched list, but it’s been out for a few weeks, meaning many folks have probably finished it by now. If you yearn to keep those alien-invasion-scientific-mystery vibes going, here are 10 sci-fi movies that share some similar flavors.
Jodie Foster stars in this 1997 Carl Sagan adaptation about a SETI scientist obsessed with scanning radio emissions from space—until, after years of study, she’s stunned to intercept a signal from deep in the stars. Her character’s journey is quite a bit different than that of 3 Body Problem’s Ye Wenjie... but there are some obvious parallels too. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 sci-fi saga follows a linguist (Amy Adams) who struggles to find a way to communicate with the enigmatic aliens who’ve arrived on Earth to share an important message. (Unlike 3 Body Problem, the message is thankfully not “You are bugs.”) Stream on Paramount+, Apple TV+, and Pluto TV.
What if 3 Body Problem’s San-Ti were already on Earth, and set about oppressing humanity by using advanced tech that alters the way people view reality? You might get a scenario much like John Carpenter’s 1988 They Live—a movie that also contains the single greatest fight scene in cinematic history. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
In 3 Body Problem, Earth has the advantage (sort of; a lot of chaos certainly ensues) of knowing that aliens are en route to invade. That’s not the case in No One Will Save You, in which a troubled woman living in self-imposed exile (Kaitlyn Dever) must figure out a) what the hell is going on, and b) how to survive the experience. Stream on Hulu.
M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 crop-circle extravaganza isn’t without flaws—the whole “aliens who are allergic to water invade a planet nearly covered in water” is a big one—but it has some deeply terrifying moments. The birthday party video is right up there with 3 Body Problem’s dire warning on any list of genuinely chilling sci-fi moments. Rent or buy on Prime Video; stream on Sling TV.
In a small New Mexico town in the 1950s, a radio DJ and a switchboard operator become increasingly aware that something very strange is wreaking havoc on their old-school technology. Together, they race to solve the mystery—and while it’s on a much smaller scale than 3 Body Problem’s global scramble, it similarly examines what happens when otherworldly forces disrupt means of communication that people depend on. Stream on Prime Video or Freevee.
No disrespect to Keanu Reeves, but you’re much better off watching the 1951 original rather than the 2008 remake. Robert Wise directs Michael Rennie as Klaatu, who comes to Earth with his terrifying robot Gort with a warning: if you’re irresponsible with nukes, you’ll be very sorry. The Day the Earth Stood Still features an actual reference to the three-body problem, but most people remember the movie’s fun-to-say alien catchphrase before anything else (see clip above). Rent or buy on Prime Video.
3 Body Problem’s San-Ti head to Earth with a massive fleet of ships, announcing their impending arrival with big, flashy, worldwide messaging. The invader in Jordan Peele’s 2002 Nope, Jean Jacket, is a lone wolf who lurks hidden among the clouds... slurping up prey whenever the urge strikes. Which intimidation tactic is more effective? Frankly, it’s a toss-up. Stream on Peacock.
The title is generic, but this 2004 Julianne Moore-starring thriller gives us aliens (or some kind of malevolent entities referred to as “them”) whose curiosity about humans leads them to conduct exceptionally awful experiments, including trying to make Moore’s character forget that she ever had a son. The San-Ti don’t understand the idea of “lying,” but they might approve of this cruelty anyway. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
This 2014 thriller shares 3 Body Problem’s themes of “scary-smart people in over their heads” and “reality should not look like this, but somehow it does.” The Signal follows a trio of MIT students whose road-trip detour to track down their hacker nemesis instead entangles them in an increasingly freaky scenario that may involve Area 51, and features Laurence Fishburne as a scientist who’s not what he seems. Rent or buy on Prime Video.