Stowaway

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, Stowaway is available in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Anna Kendrick — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

There is a reason Stowaway keeps coming up in conversation. What makes Stowaway work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. A three-person crew on a mission to Mars faces an impossible choice when an unplanned passenger jeopardizes the lives of everyone on board. Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2021. The rules of Stowaway's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Sci-fi fans who want ideas alongside the spectacle will find Stowaway genuinely rewarding. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Anna Kendrick grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.