Best Netflix Movies If You Love Star Wars

From screenwriter and director David Lynch, Dune (1984) is a space opera for the ages. Based on Frank Herbert’s epic book series, the film follows Paul Atreides, a young heir to an empire who must traverse complex galactic politics and the dangerous desert planet of Arrakis in order to save his people. Attempts at a Dune movie had been made before, but none materialized.

After Lynch’s The Elephant Man was released in 1980, the director was courted for several projects, including the original Star Wars finale, Return of the Jedi. He eventually landed the Dune job, intending the film to be split into two parts.

It was consolidated into one for budgetary reasons, resulting in a bloated box office bomb. Dune has since become a cult classic, and while it is not exactly Star Wars, it is a definite gem of film history on Netflix.

If you love Star Wars and horror, Doom may be the movie for you. This largely forgotten 2005 film unites Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, and Dwayne Johnson early in their respective careers as they fight genetically mutated monsters at an abandoned Mars research facility.

Based on the popular first-person shooter video game of the same name, Doom takes goofy sci-fi fun to dark and gory territory, all wrapped in the hyper-stylized trends of 2005. The movie was not received well upon its release but is worth revisiting nearly 20 years later.

If you think Star Wars would be even better if it had more monsters, check out Doom on Netflix.

Star Wars is full of ships doing battle. If that is your cup of tea, then Battleship was made for you. Based on the old school game, this 2012 film channels major Transformers energy, right down to director Peter Berg’s attempts at emulating Michael Bay-style destruction.

It follows a cast led by Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson, Rihanna, and Taylor Kitsch. When a fleet of alien ships starts wreaking havoc on Earth, human battleships respond in a high-octane, tactical battle royale.

Nostalgic and new all at once, Battleship has high-tech warfare akin to the biggest fights in Star Wars, and the movie is churning away on Netflix now.

Vin Diesel has played a lot of iconic roles, but Riddick may be one of his best. Released in 2013, Riddick is the third live-action entry in the franchise following the warrior who sees in the dark.

This film picks up with Riddick after he is stranded on a desert planet. Bounty hunters and vicious alien monsters then attempt to hunt him down. If that premise doesn’t delight Star Wars fans, there may not be anything on Netflix that can.

Riddick also marks a team-up for Vin Diesel and Dave Bautista before they ever suited up for Guardians of the Galaxy, another film heavily influenced by Star Wars.

For a film that harkens back to the glory days of Star Wars and the films of George Lucas’s buddy Steven Spielberg, look no further than The Adam Project. This Netflix original stars Ryan Reynolds as a pilot from the future who crash lands in the present, forcing him to team up with his 12-year-old self to complete a dangerous mission.

Joined by fellow Marvel stars Zoe Saldana and Mark Ruffalo, Ryan Reynolds brings action, comedy, and heart to this sci-fi extravaganza. Balancing touching family drama with plenty of dazzling sci-fi set pieces, The Adam Project makes for one crowd-pleasing blockbuster.

Ready for another happy landing? After Earth stars father and son duo Will and Jayden Smith as rangers who crash land on Earth 1000 years after humanity left the planet. A volatile climate remains, and a host of creatures evolved to kill human beings. This sci-fi effort from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has now landed on Netflix.

After Earth was a box office and critical failure, but as with any M. Night movie, it is worth forming one’s own opinions. It is full of space travel, interesting ships, strange and futuristic cultures, and the strong bond of family. 

There is clear Star Wars inspiration in this film so for Netflix users looking to satisfy the craving for a galaxy far, far away, After Earth could be the next best thing.