7 Great Sci-Fi Movies to Watch if You Loved The Boroughs

Netflix rose to prominence as a streaming service, largely due to the success of its original shows, especially Stranger Things. Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things captured the feel of 1980s movies with its story of a small town uniting against a supernatural danger, blending science fiction and horror. Hoping to replicate that success, Netflix has invested in similar shows like Locke & Key and Wednesday. However, the new sci-fi series The Boroughs comes the closest to matching the Stranger Things formula. It’s produced by the Duffer Brothers and created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who previously worked on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

The new series, The Boroughs, is set in a beautiful New Mexico retirement community where something terrifying begins hunting the residents, stealing their life force. The show follows Alfred Molina, playing a man coping with loss, as he teams up with his neighbors – played by Alfre Woodard, Geena Davis, Clarke Peters, Denis O’Hare, and Bill Pullman – to fight back against the creature. It blends spooky, otherworldly horror with a warm, small-town feel, exploring the challenges of aging and what we leave behind. The story is told in a similar style to classic adventure films like those from Amblin Entertainment and Steven Spielberg, featuring a group of unlikely heroes who rise to face a supernatural threat. If you enjoyed all eight episodes of The Boroughs, there are plenty of other movies that offer a similar experience.

7) The World’s End

Edgar Wright’s The World’s End, the final film in his Cornetto Trilogy, brings together Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and other familiar actors for a pub crawl that quickly turns into a fight for survival against an alien invasion. The movie follows Gary King (Pegg), a man in his forties who refuses to grow up, as he convinces his old, now-distant friends to return to their hometown of Newton Haven. They aim to finally complete a twelve-pub crawl they started—and failed to finish—twenty years before. As they stumble between pubs, they realize the town has been secretly taken over by alien duplicates controlled by a mysterious force. They’re forced to fight their way to the last pub, all while the world around them falls apart. Beneath the fast-paced action and comedy, the film explores themes of nostalgia, addiction, and the challenges of getting older.

6) Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Before directing the beloved classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg redefined how flying saucers were portrayed on film with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The movie follows Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), an everyday working-class man whose life is disrupted after he sees strange lights in rural Indiana. He becomes consumed by unsettling visions of mountains he doesn’t recognize. The story also connects with Jillian (Melinda Dillon), a single mother whose son is seemingly taken by the visitors, and Claude Lacombe (François Truffaut), a French scientist attempting to make contact with them. In Close Encounters, Spielberg expertly blends the ordinary details of suburban life with breathtaking visuals, enhanced by John Williams’ famous five-note theme and Vilmos Zsigmond’s stunning lighting, creating an atmosphere that’s both unsettling and filled with a sense of wonder.

5) Jules

I recently saw Jules, and it’s a really charming film. It’s about Milton, an older man living a quiet life, when suddenly an alien lands right in his backyard! This blue-eyed visitor needs help, and soon Milton gets some unexpected allies in his friends Sandy and Joyce. They all work together to keep the alien safe from some overzealous government types. What I loved most is that the movie isn’t really about the alien; it’s a beautiful story about feeling invisible as you get older and how finding someone – or something – to care for can give you a new sense of purpose. It’s a clever take on the classic sci-fi theme, and honestly, it really touched me.

4) Super 8

J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 is a loving tribute to the films of Steven Spielberg. Set in 1979 Ohio, the movie centers on Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) and Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning), who are making a zombie film with their friends when they accidentally film a devastating train crash. This crash unleashes a mysterious and dangerous creature, and as people and pets start disappearing, the kids begin to investigate. Armed with their Super 8 camera, bikes, and some homemade fireworks, they stumble towards the truth. What makes Super 8 special is how it grounds its exciting creature effects in the real emotions of growing up – dealing with loss and experiencing first love. Abrams doesn’t just copy Spielberg’s style; he demonstrates a real understanding of what makes small-town science fiction so captivating.

3) batteries not included

Matthew Robbins directed Batteries Not Included, which started as a story for the Amazing Stories TV series. He developed it into a touching movie about the challenges faced when neighborhoods change. The film follows a group of determined elderly tenants – including diner owner Frank Riley (Hume Cronyn) and his wife Faye (Jessica Tandy), who has dementia – as they fight to save their rundown East Village apartment building from a greedy developer. When things look hopeless, two small alien spaceships arrive, not to threaten, but to fix the building and help the residents. Released in 1987, the film stands out because it focuses on the personal struggles of aging and community, rather than typical alien invasion themes. Its heartwarming message of resilience and cooperation between different beings makes it a great choice for viewers who enjoy science fiction with older characters.

2) Cocoon

Ron Howard’s Cocoon tells the story of Art, Ben, and Joe, three elderly friends living in Florida who discover a local swimming pool with incredible, otherworldly properties. As they spend more time in the pool, they begin to feel younger, regaining their health, vision, and zest for life. What makes the film so memorable is its respectful and adventurous portrayal of aging, avoiding jokes and focusing instead on themes of love, competition, and heartfelt farewells. Cocoon also prompts viewers to consider what sacrifices they would make to enjoy more healthy years with those they care about, using its science fiction setting to explore the challenges of making difficult, but ethical, choices.

1) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial essentially defined how science fiction could be set in ordinary suburban neighborhoods, using an alien as a way to tell a deeply emotional story about growing up. The film centers on Elliott, a lonely boy dealing with his parents’ divorce, who finds a stranded alien in his shed. Their initial fear quickly turns into a beautiful friendship, as Elliott and his siblings work together to protect the alien from the government and help him contact his home planet. With its sense of childlike wonder and the idea that amazing things can happen anywhere – even on quiet suburban streets – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became incredibly influential and remains a beloved sci-fi classic.

2026-05-24 22:15