Out now on Netflix is Spiderhead, a sci-fi thriller directed by Joseph Kosinski who is just coming off what's looking to be the biggest hit of the summer with Top Gun: Maverick. The film stars Miles Teller as Jeff, an inmate who volunteers to partake in experimental tests involving emotion-altering drugs. The tests are overseen by brilliant yet unethical scientist Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth) in his secret facility dubbed Spiderhead.
Based on the short story “Escape from Spiderhead” written by George Saunders, Spiderhead is the latest sci-fi film to delve into themes of free will, the manipulation of science, and the God complex of mankind.
Here are 7 movies that fans of Spiderhead will enjoy!
The Island (2005)
The Island stars Ewan McGregor as Lincoln Six-Echo, a man struggling to live in an isolated, sterile compound governed by a strict set of rules, where the residents are told the outside world is too contaminated to support life. The only way out is to win a lottery where the prize is a one-way ticket to a pathogen-free island. When Lincoln discovers a conspiracy that turns his world upside down, he along with lottery winner Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) attempt to escape their dystopian existence.
Directed by Michael Bay, The Island blends science fiction parable and slick action thriller resulting in one of Bay’s better movies. A supporting cast that includes Michael Clarke Duncan, Sean Bean, and Steve Buscemi deliver strong performances, while sleek production design makes The Island an aesthetically pleasing watch.
The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
Based on true events, The Stanford Prison Experiment is a historical thriller that tells the story of a 1971 psychological experiment at Stanford University, where 18 male students participate in a prison simulation where they take on roles as prisoners and guards. The experiment is stopped after six days when the students playing the guards become abusive, including the experiment leader and psychology professor (Billy Crudup) playing the part of the warden.
Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, The Stanford Prison Experiment boasts an impressive cast including Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, and Olivia Thirlby, and received strong reviews on release as a thought-provoking thriller that will inspire strong reaction and debate.
High Life (2018)
Sci-fi thriller High Life tells the story of a group of criminals serving death sentences (among them Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth) who are sent on a space mission to extract alternative energy from a black hole. During the intergalactic journey, the prisoners take part in a human reproduction experiment run by a disturbed scientist (Juliette Binoche).
Directed by French director Claire Denis in her English language debut, High Life succeeds as a visually hypnotic and thematically challenging art-house sci-fi that is sure to confound some and intrigue others, a film that delves into the dark recesses of humanity when forced to the brink of madness.
Ex Machina (2014)
Ex Machina tells the story of Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a computer programmer for search engine company Blue Book, who is invited to stay with company CEO Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) at his mountain retreat. When Caleb arrives, Nathan asks him to evaluate the human qualities of an advanced humanoid that he created named Eva (Alicia Vikander), an artificial creature with its own ulterior motives.
The directorial debut of acclaimed screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina successfully presents its dense ideas in an engaging sci-fi thriller that is sleek in look and dazzling in its performances, especially from Vikander who gives soul to her portrayal of a machine made by men but refuses to be controlled by them.
The Platform (2019)
High concept sci-fi horror from Spain, The Platform presents a nightmare scenario set in a large, tower-style prison known as the “Vertical Self-Management Center” in which there is one cell on every floor with two prisoners in each cell. Every 30 days the prisoners are randomly selected and moved between floors, as they are fed via a platform filled with food that descends from the top floor to the lower levels.
Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, The Platform is an engrossing and innovative dystopian thriller that speaks to issues of class and politics, yet does so without sacrificing its gory grindhouse aesthetics. Released in 2019, The Platform surged in views during the midst of the Covid pandemic, the film no doubt touching a nerve with many who felt trapped within their own cells.
Fortress (1992)
Set in a dystopian future in which a one-child policy is strictly governed, Fortress tells the story of former war hero John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) who is hunted down and arrested when his wife becomes pregnant with their second child. Sentenced to serve hard time at the Fortress, a private maximum-security prison, Brennick must contend with ruthless warden Director Poe (Kurtwood Smith) while trying to find a way to escape.
Directed by the late great Stuart Gordon, Fortress works as an entertaining and gory B-grade sci-fi action thriller that makes great use of its futuristic prison setting and features fine performances from beloved action sci-fi actors Lambert, Smith, and Vernon Wells as a sadistic bully.
Snowpiercer (2013)
Set in a future world where an attempt to reverse global warming results in a worldwide ice age, Snowpiercer tells the story of humanity’s love survivors surviving aboard a train that speeds around the globe, and whose occupants are separated by class with the rich living in luxury in the front and the poor living in squalor in the back.
The English language debut of South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, Snowpiercer is a nightmare-inducing, violent, and madcap post-apocalyptic movie that is throbbing with political and social paranoia. Bong’s vision of a world gone to hell is frightening in its imagery and philosophy, while terrific performances from Chris Evans, John Hurt, and especially Tilda Swinton as a deranged interpretation of Margaret Thatcher, results in a sci-fi thriller unlike any of its kind.