Netflix subscribers are running out of time to rediscover an underrated sci-fi blockbuster on the streamer. The streaming giant has a pretty impressive science fiction catalog that grew in March with the arrival of the first three Jurassic World movies and is set to add even more titles in April with films like Lucy and A Quiet Place Part II. As fans eagerly await those arrivals and delve into other currently streaming titles, they only have a week left to stream another sci-fi film.
A blockbuster status doesn’t always make a hit, and even high-grossing box office successes can be slept on. That was certainly the case for Elysium, Neill Blomkamp’s 2013 dystopian sci-fi action movie set in 2154 starring Matt Damon as a terminally ill factory worker on a ruined, overpopulated Earth who attempts to break into the exclusive, luxurious space station Elysium. Faced with living up to the high expectations set by Blomkamp’s earlier socially conscious sci-fi film District 9 in 2009, Elysium faltered in comparison and ultimately went down as an underrated sci-fi movie of the era that is worth revisiting on streaming. Unfortunately, Elysium, which grossed $286 million, is scheduled to exit the platform on April 1st, giving subscribers just a week left to stream it.
Elysium Is a Hidden Gem of 2010s Sci-Fi
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The 2010s marked the start of a new golden era for sci-fi, characterized by a fusion of high-concept intellectual stories, groundbreaking visual effects, and mainstream dominance. But in a string of standout movies like Interstellar, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Arrival, Elysium remains a hidden gem. The movie was met with mixed reviews from critics and audiences and currently holds a 64% critic score and 58% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but there’s a strong case for the movie being a film that was unfairly judged upon release and deserves a second look.
Just like District 9, Elysium is sci-fi grounded in gritty realism. The movie pulls back on the polished aesthetic of typical space-age sci-fi to use the two-world dichotomy of the overcrowded, polluted Earth and the luxurious space habitat of Elysium to deliver intense social and political commentary on wealth disparity, healthcare inequality, and immigration. Blomkamp excels at bringing his dystopian future to life, blending documentary-style gritty realism with high-tech sci-fi, to craft a world that feels tangible and lived-in. The movie does a great job at painting a compelling vision of a bleak future and class disparity, but it doesn’t sacrifice impressive, high-budget visual effects or explosive action sequences.
Where to Stream Elysium After It Leaves Netflix?
Sic-fi fans will want to stream Elysium while they still can, as its streaming future is in limbo. The film is currently only available on Netflix, and it hasn’t yet appeared on the April streaming lineups of rival services. If Elysium does stop streaming, the movie will still be available to rent or purchase online.
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