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8 incredible sci-fi shows and movies new on Amazon Prime in May 2022

“I’m just a glorified extra, Fred. I’m a dead man anyway.”

by Robin Bea
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Magnolia Pictures
8. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

May 1

The most excellent time-travel series returns to HBO Max. Both Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey are well worth a watch, as is 2020’s Bill & Ted Face the Music, already on Prime Video.

Orion Pictures
7. Independence Day

May 1

A classic of the blowing-up-recognizable-landmarks genre, Independence Day is all spectacle — but when the spectacle is this good, what else do you need?

20th Century Fox
6. Europa Report

May 1

The found-footage sci-fi movie Europa Report manages to be both thrilling and smart. A group of scientists head to Jupiter’s moon Europa after detecting signs of life and finds way more than they were expecting waiting for them.

Magnolia Pictures
5. Galaxy Quest

May 1 (FreeVee)

One of the best sci-fi comedies ever, Galaxy Quest, satirizes fan culture while telling a compelling story all its own. A reboot of the cult hit about a TV cast mistaken for real heroes by aliens has been in and out of development for years.

DreamWorks
4. The Iron Giant

May 1 (FreeVee)

Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, The Iron Giant is an animated masterpiece about a lonely boy who befriends the titular mechanical giant. It just left HBO Max this month, but now it’s free to watch on Prime Video.

Warner Bros
3. The Wilds Season 2

May 6

The Wilds’ first season was a hit and things look even better in season two. The series follows a group of teenage girls (and a group of boys in season two) stranded on an island as unwilling subjects in a cruel experiment.

Amazon Studios
2. Night Sky

May 20

Starring Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons, Night Sky is a strange new series about a couple who discover a portal to another world in their backyard, and things only get more surprising from there.

Amazon Studios
1. Dredd

May 23 (FreeVee)

Violent, stylish, and focused, Dredd is a throwback action movie with a simple plot that’s executed perfectly. It captures the tone of the Judge Dredd comics and features some mind-blowing visual effects.

Lionsgate