Last Call

6 spectacular sci-fi movies leaving HBO Max in January 2022

“I can’t help thinking that somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man.”

by Robin Bea
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6. Ghost in the Machine

Ghost in the Machine’s digital serial killer plot feels even more ludicrous today than when it was released. But its ‘90s tech paranoia and poorly aged special effects make for a fun watch.

5. The Double (2013)

Based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novella, The Double is a dark comedy directed by The IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade. In The Double, an office worker discovers he has a doppelgänger who’s doing a much better job of living his life.

4. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Planet of the Apes is a sci-fi classic about — well, the title sort of gives it away. Based on a 1963 novel, the original film spawned a long-running series and created some of the most famous images in sci-fi film history.

United Archives/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
3. Escape from the Planet of the Apes

The third film in the Planet of the Apes series transports two of the original’s main ape characters to modern-day (circa 1971) America. The rest of the series is also leaving HBO Max this month, but there’s a steep decline in quality outside the two entries mentioned on this list.

United Archives/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
2. Project X (1987)

While we’re talking about apes — Project X is a sci-fi comedy starring Matthew Broderick and a chimpanzee. If you somehow need more information, it involves a top-secret Air Force experiment and monkeys flying airplanes.

1. Underwater

Underwater didn’t make much of a splash, as critics were unimpressed by the movie’s slow pace and unoriginal plot. However, it’s stylish enough to be worth checking out, and Kristen Stewart is as watchable as ever.