There's something almost indescribably special about campy sci-fi movies. They're fun. They're ridiculous, and at times, they feel like a warm, comfortable blanket on a cold night. If that sounds like your ticket, then you're in luck. JustWatch TV, JustWatch's new streaming service, is filled with sci-fi B-movie gems.
If you need recommendations for your next "bad movie" watch party, or just want something silly to unwind with after a long day of work, here are five sci-fi B-movies you can watch now on JustWatch TV. And the best news is that most of them are free!
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
If you're a major The X-Files (1993) fan like me, then you may also know Plan 9 from Outer Space as Fox Mulder's favorite movie. If not, then you probably just know it has one of the worst movies ever made. (Sorry, Ed Wood.) Those looking for absurd sci-fi with more of a horror feel will love this one, considering it involves aliens resurrecting the dead on Earth to prevent humans from using a doomsday weapon and destroying themselves. Yeah, okay, that makes sense.
Director Ed Wood, known for other genre schlock like 1955's Bride of the Monster (also available on JustWatch TV), puts his all into this ridiculous idea and never lets the shockingly low budget deter him. At only 80 minutes long, Plan 9 is the perfect choice for a B-movie watch party. It's campy, fun, and loaded with movie-making faux pas, like visible strings attached to spaceships. You'll even get performances from Vampira (Maila Nurmi) and Bela Lugosi.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
Nothing goes together quite like Santa Claus and space, right? Well, as Santa Claus Conquers the Martians proves, this particular pairing might be a bit underrated. In this sci-fi comedy favorite, a group of Martian leaders abduct Santa Claus from Earth to keep their Martian kids entertained… I guess? Listen, this is most definitely an absurd movie, but there is a vein of satire here if you dig deep enough.
Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) and Elvira's Movie Macabre (1981), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians remains an enduring favorite among purveyors of "so bad, it's good" cinema. While you may want to wait for the holidays to roll around to give this one a try, don't sleep on it, because it's a genuine blast.
Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968)
Perhaps my favorite review for Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women comes from FilmFantatic.Org, where it's called "frightfully sub-par." However, as the review also goes on to say, "you'll likely never be bored." Both statements are true. Planet of Prehistoric Women is a Frankenstein-esque mash-up of the Soviet space film, Planet Bur (1962) and new scenes added by an uncredited Peter Bogdanovich. Bizarre? You bet it is.
As a result, Planet of Prehistoric Women is a campy delight filled with that trademark '60s retro-futuristic flair and plenty of blonde women in scantily dressed clothes. The story itself is right in the title. When a group of astronauts lands on Venus, they must face off against dinosaur-like creatures and those aforementioned scantily dressed women. If that plot synopsis already has you chuckling, Planet of Prehistoric Women is for you.
Barbarella (1968)
While Barbarella's bigger budget doesn't technically make it a B-movie in that category, everything else about it is wonderfully campy. There's a reason it remains one of Jane Fonda's most loved roles, despite everything else that the actress has been in. The plot itself is simple enough, with Fonda's sexy space agent (yes, that's a job in this universe) assigned to track down Dr. Durand Durand (Milo O'Shea) and his dangerous Positronic Ray.
What ensues is a surreal, psychedelic adventure that leans into cheesy sci-fi tropes and sexploitation themes. Don't let all the sexiness fool you, though. Reevaluations of Barbarella prove how smart the movie is. Parody and subversion sit below its layers… or lack of layers. Honestly, it's worth watching for that alone. Sitting somewhere between the "male gaze" and "female empowerment," Barbarella remains a fun yet complicated sci-fi romp steeped in '60s nostalgia.
Doomsday Machine (1972)
As another movie blasted by Elvira's Movie Macabre, that should tell you (almost) everything you need to know about Doomsday Machine. Like Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women, Doomsday Machine has a messy production story, with parts of the movie shot in 1967 before completing shooting in 1972 with an entirely different cast and set. You know, normal things.
Spinning out of the nuclear panic of the '60s, Doomsday Machine follows a US space crew whose mission to Venus is interrupted by the discovery that China has destroyed Earth with the titular "doomsday" device. Compiled in part by using stock footage from NASA and music from Forbidden Planet (1956), Doomsday Machine carries that "so bad, it's good" charm with a brighter, more '70s-infused style.
