Netflix has a lot of content, and it is easy to overlook much of what's on offer. Spectacular hidden gems lurk in the genre and subgenre listings that can get buried by bigger budget box office offerings and Netflix Originals. When it comes to sci-fi movies, the platform is filled with classics of the genre both new and old but often missed are the foreign language features which have a tendency to get buried at the bottom of the list.
Examining foreign language takes on typical sci-fi conventions in film can show audiences a new perspective on stories told before, new styles and narratives can be discovered that refresh a potentially stale trope. From claustrophobic French thrillers to romantic Japanese time travel, these foreign language sci-fi films may have slipped under the radar but are worth watching.
Shanghai Fortress
Released in 2019 and based on Jiang Nan's 2009 novel of the same name, Shanghai Fortress is a love story set to the backdrop of an alien invasion in the year 2042. Aliens have been laying waste to cities across the world in order to get a hold of an energy source known as Xianteng. Now it is Shanghai's turn to take the brunt of the attack and their forces must come up against a seemingly never-ending supply of alien robots intent on destroying them. Meanwhile, the developing love story between General Lin Lan and Pilot Jiang Yang drives the character side of the narrative.
Shanghai Fortress took 6 years to make and cost around $57 million US to complete, and it was a huge failure upon release. However, it is worth a second look. The special effects are truly great, and the action sequences are strong and absorbing. Scenes of Shanghai being almost reduced to dust are genuinely beautiful. Granted the story isn't that absorbing, but for fans of spectacle, Shanghai Fortress will satisfy.
Oxygen
Claustrophobic French sci-fi thriller Oxygen takes place aboard a space shuttle, specifically on Elizabeth Hansen (played by Mélanie Laurent) who has awoken in a cryo-pod with no memory of who she is or how she got there and with oxygen levels rapidly falling. Her only assistance and company come from an A.I. called M.I.L.O (Medical Interface Liaison Officer). Unfortunately, MILO won't open the pod without an authorization code, leaving Elizabeth frantically trying to connect with the outside world as hallucinations from lack of oxygen set in.
Oxygen is tense throughout, leaving Mélanie Laurent to carry the weight of the narrative almost entirely alone. Her panic is tangible and entirely believable. It's impossible not to feel for her as she fights for her life and uncovers the truth of her situation. It is difficult to go into too much detail about the plot without spoiling anything but the journey Elizabeth goes on and the peril she is in is sure to keep thriller fans engaged.
The Door Into Summer
Based on the Robert A. Heinlein novel of the same name, The Door Into Summer is a Japanese film following roboticist Soichiro Takakura who is pioneering robotics in 1995. His burgeoning company is robbed out from under him by a scheming girlfriend and business partner and in despair, Soichiro is put into cryosleep after being injected with insulin by his less than loving girlfriend in the hopes of being able to recover what he has lost in the future. He wakes up in 2025 and soon comes to realize he needs to get back to 1995 to undo the wrongs he has suffered and reunite with his adopted sister and cat Pete.
After he wakes up, Soichiro is surprised to be assisted by an android of his design named PETE. While it is inevitable that Soichiro will achieve his time travel goal, the journey is a fun and endearing one. Watching the threads come together in this slice of life sci-fi is a pleasant adventure and while it isn't action-packed for those that are craving a story, The Door To Summer delivers.
Cargo
Cargo is a quirky Indian Hindi language film that takes place aboard the spaceship Pushpak 634-A. Aboard the vessel, the astronauts assist with the process of transition - where dead people are reborn into new lives. Post-Death Transition Services is run by demons, who store and account for souls on computers. The effort is intended to repair relationships between humans and demons who have evidently experienced a kind of Cold War. The newly dead humans are the cargo of the title and Vikrant Massey is Prahastha, the main healer demon of the story.
The main story sees Prahastha having to learn to live with a new assistant Yuvishka (Shweta Tripathi)while navigating technological breakdowns and politics on Earth. Cargo is a strange film, with the visual feel of a Wes Anderson feature and a darkly comic tone which makes it stand out from the usual sci-fi fare you find on Netflix.
Space Sweepers
South Korean-made Space Sweepers follows a crew of space scavengers in the year 2092 as they struggle to navigate what to do when they discover a young humanoid robot by the name of Dorothy in a car they come across. The crew soon finds out that Dorothy harbors a terrifyingly powerful weapon of mass destruction within her and must decide who to hand her off to. Do they do the right thing and alert authorities or do they take the payday route?
What could have been a fairly paint-by-numbers space adventure instead turns into a comedic and heartfelt through the performances of the main cast and the addition of Bubs the android who is just as emotional as his human crewmates. The set pieces are solid, and the action is matched well by the effects and performances of the cast. Space Sweepers is definitely one to watch for fans that want a sci-fi tale with a little bit of everything.
