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HBO Max’s Raised By Wolves is the best thing to happen to the sci-fi genre in years. The wild series is not only a completely original concept steeped in lore, mysticism, and human emotion, but a welcome return to the crunchy, weird, old-school sci-fi of the ’70s and ’80s. We’re talking milky androids, phallic space ships, creepy monsters, and twisted parental relationships. Raised By Wolves is serving all that and then some, thanks to the visionary direction of executive producer Ridley Scott and creator Aaron Guzikowski.
But Raised By Wolves is only one show. And its first season is going to be over soon. What are you going to watch after Raised By Wolves Season 1 wraps on October 1? How about plenty of weird sci-fi classics on HBO Max?
If Raised By Wolves is exactly your speed of sci-fi, then you’re in super duper luck. Right now, HBO Max has one of the most robust science fiction libraries out there. The streaming service boasts classics like Alien, Blade Runner, and 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as some off-beat picks care of the Criterion collection. These 9 films represent must-watch sci-fi, bonkers imagination, and a sea change back to the cerebral storytelling that defined the genre before it went corporate and mainstream.
Here are 9 films to watch on HBO if you love Raised By Wolves.
'2001: A Space Odyssey'
Arguably the greatest film made about space exploration, twisted A.I.s and the human spirit, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is a mind-melting work of art. You want incredible special effects? This film’s got them. An android who can murder humanity? That, too. A meditation on the meaning of life? Hells yeah! Whether you’ve never seen it or haven’t caught it in years, 2020 is the perfect time for some 2001.
'Alien'
Arguably the film with the most DNA in common with Raised By Wolves, Alien was the movie that put director Ridley Scott on the map. A glorious horror film about the paranoia of parenthood, quarantining, and untrustworthy androids, Alien follows what happens when a human space mission stumbles upon alien life. What they think is a quirky discovery soon portends their doom.
'Aliens'
James Cameron’s follow up to Ridley Scott’s Alien is as vital a sci-fi horror film as the original. Cameron’s work goes full throttle on the threat of the alien foes and reframes Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley as a mama bear. After being hired by a corporation to help tackle an alien infestation, Ripley finds her true purpose in protecting the blighted settlement’s only survivor: a little girl.
'Blade Runner'
Ridley Scott’s own sci-fi follow up to Alien was a completely different, but still seminal, look at a future full of androids. Blade Runner is a gritty, noir-inspired tale of a “Blade Runner” named Decker (Harrison Ford) who is tasked with hunting down rogue androids, known as replicants. The question that has haunted Decker — and viewers — for decades? Is he a replicant? Or a human?
'Dune'
Messy, audacious, and overweighted with lore, David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune is as loved for its flaws as it is dragged for them. The first ever attempt at adapting Frank Herbert’s beloved sci-fi opus for the screen, Dune features a mix of electric performances, eye-popping visuals, and outlandish choices. At the center of this stylistic maelstrom? A mother trying to raise her son, Paul, to harness mystical powers and conquer a desert planet. Like all esoteric sci-fi, it’s not for everyone. But if it’s for you, then you know it f*cking owns.
'Fantastic Planet'
One of HBO Max’s many Criterion collection titles, Fantastic Planet is a 1973 French film adaptation of Stefan Wul’s cult sci-fi novel Oms en série. Set on an alien world where humans are considered pets or vermin and huge aliens known as Draags reign supreme, Fantastic Planet follows one “Om” as he comes of age as a Draag girl’s pet. Later he joins a tribe of other humans and he shares what he has learned. The whole film is an eye-popping spectacle that will leave you bewitched.
'Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior'
Mad Max: Fury Road rightfully gets respect as one of the best films of the ‘10s, but its roots are in George Miller’s very first follow-up to his dystopian hit. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is a bleakly beautiful look at humanity on the brink. Mel Gibson’s Max is a stoic rambler who finds a cause worth fighting for when he discovers an orphan child at the center of a raucous fight. What it lacks in lore, The Road Warrior makes up for in ass-kicking ambiance.
'Solaris'
No, not the 2020 George Clooney movie. We’re talking the original Russian Solaris. The 1972 film is not only one of the most influential science fiction films, but also one of the most surprisingly beautiful. The film follows psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis) as he embarks on a mission on a space station orbiting an alien world called Solaris. Upon his arrival, Kris is met by his wife, Hari (Natalya Bondarchuk). The problem? Uh, Hari’s been dead for 10 years. And every time Kris tries to get rid of this “fake” Hari, she comes back.
'Ad Astra'
The newest entry on this list, James Grey’s Ad Astra is a thrilling return to the old school approach to sci-fi. Brad Pitt plays an astronaut facing an all-too-personal mission: traveling to space to see if his father, who disappeared on a mission to Neptune, is still alive and sane. The film is a mix of heady introspection, which we love, and gripping action, which we also love.
