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12 thrilling sci-fi movies coming to HBO Max in October 2021

“Be excellent to each other.”

by Robin Bea
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
12. Bill & Ted

October 1

Time travel comedies Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey are both back this month. They make a perfect double-feature distraction from the Halloween horror season.

11. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

October 1

This remake no one asked for is an extraordinarily silly special effects spectacle and not much else. Come for the straight-faced corniness, stay for Brendan Fraser running from dinosaurs.

10. Super 8

October 1

Super 8 is a pastiche of Spielberg blockbusters, but it’s an extremely effective one. Go in expecting some aggressive heartstring-tugging and you’ll be in the right mindset for this feel-good monster movie.

9. Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans

October 1

Versions of the Teen Titans from different animated series duke it out in this extremely well-reviewed action-comedy. If you have any familiarity with the JV superhero team, this one should be on your radar.

8. The Book of Eli

October 1

The Book of Eli’s religious overtones make it a bit of an oddball, but a rare genre performance from the great Denzel Washington makes it worth a second look.

7. The Invisible Man

October 1

Elisabeth Moss gives an incredible performance in The Invisible Man, selling the psychological horror of being stalked by a threat no one can see.

6. The Running Man

October 1

This loose Stephen King adaptation stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a contestant on the run from a deadly reality show. It’s not Arnie’s best, but it’s still wildly entertaining.

Michael Ochs Archives/Moviepix/Getty Images
5. 12 Monkeys

October 1

With its unfortunately relevant premise of going back in time to stop a deadly plague, 12 Monkeys is a must-watch sci-fi classic. It’s as bizarre as you’d expect from Terry Gilliam, with great performances from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.

4. Underwater

October 1

Kristen Stewart deserves better than the middling reviews for Underwater. While it’s a bit derivative and plodding, Underwater’s third-act twist is worth sticking around for.

3. Warm Bodies

October 1

The idea of a zombie romantic comedy (zom-com?) might sound impossible to pull off, but Warm Bodies manages it, thanks in part to a great starring performance from Nicholas Hoult.

2. Voyagers

October 8

A crew of space colonists bred to be unquestioning workers revolts in what’s basically a sci-fi retelling of Lord of the Flies. Voyagers was trashed in early reviews, but could still be worth it for some mindless fun.

1. Dune

October 22

One of the year’s most anticipated movies, Dune, hits theaters and HBO Max in October. Even if you’re not a fan of the book, it’ll be worth seeing whether this is the adaptation that finally hits the mark.