All Sci-Fi Movies and Shows You Can Stream This Week at Home or Watch in Theaters, Including ‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’

A packed week for science fiction brings a classic anime time-twister back to theaters, a survival thriller’s next chapter on streaming, a fresh installment in the Xenomorph saga, and Marvel’s First Family landing online. Below, you’ll find concise rundowns with plot background and confirmed creative teams so you can jump in already knowing who’s who and what’s what.

Dates and services are included inside each entry so you can quickly see when and where to watch, while the rest focuses on story setup, cast, and key filmmakers. No fluff—just the essentials fans usually end up searching for anyway.

‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’ (2006)

Mamoru Hosoda’s coming-of-age sci-fi follows high-schooler Makoto Konno, who discovers she can leap back through moments of her day—only to learn that small changes can ripple into serious consequences for friends Chiaki Mamiya and Kousuke Tsuda. The feature is based on Yasutaka Tsutsui’s novel and scripted by Satoko Okudera, with character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and music by Kiyoshi Yoshida. It returns to theaters in a 4K restoration on September 27, 2025.

Produced at Madhouse and originally released by Kadokawa Pictures, the Japanese voice cast features Riisa Naka (Makoto), Takuya Ishida (Chiaki), and Mitsutaka Itakura (Kousuke). Hosoda’s direction grounds the time-loop conceit in everyday detail, and the restored presentation highlights the film’s hand-drawn backgrounds and naturalistic lighting.

‘Alice in Borderland’ (2020– )

This live-action adaptation of Haro Aso’s manga follows Arisu and Usagi as they navigate deadly games in a deserted, parallel Tokyo known as the Borderland, where survival depends on beating elaborate, suit-coded challenges. Directed by Shinsuke Sato, the series stars Kento Yamazaki (Arisu) and Tao Tsuchiya (Usagi), with returning players from earlier seasons alongside new faces. The Season 3 premiere arrives on Netflix on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

Season 3 picks up after the Queen of Hearts showdown and teases the “Joker,” setting up a new round of mind-bending trials that continue the source manga’s logic of card-based objectives. The production’s large-scale set pieces and puzzle-box rules return with Arisu and Usagi at the center of the escalating stakes.

‘Alien: Earth’ (2025)

Set years before the events surrounding off-world encounters, this series from creator and showrunner Noah Hawley opens with a mysterious craft crash-landing on our planet that pulls soldiers, corporate fixers, and civilians into first contact with an evolving threat. The ensemble includes Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, and Timothy Olyphant, with executive producers including Hawley and Ridley Scott. A new episode drops on September 23, 2025, on FX, with streaming available on Hulu in the U.S.

Drawing on franchise DNA—body horror, corporate machinations, and survival procedure—the story expands the timeline and locations beyond deep space while retaining the meticulous focus on containment and consequences. Music duties are handled by Jeff Russo, with cinematography contributions from Dana Gonzales and others shaping the grounded, terrestrial look.

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ (2025)

Marvel Studios’ take on Marvel’s First Family is directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay credited to Peter Cameron, with a cast featuring Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm), alongside Julia Garner and Ralph Ineson in cosmic roles. The story charts the team’s origin and early missions, culminating in a confrontation linked to the Silver Surfer and Galactus. It begins streaming on September 23, 2025, on major digital platforms.

Early aggregated scores list a critics’ rating of 87% and an audience score of 91%, and the film is positioned as a gateway into the team’s broader corner of the universe, introducing key relationships and scientific themes central to Reed’s leadership and Sue’s force-field dynamics. Character work emphasizes Johnny’s impulsiveness and Ben’s transformation, rounding out the core quartet as they face world-threatening stakes.

Got more picks for the week, or thoughts on these? Drop your takes in the comments so everyone can compare watchlists.