One of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the 21st century is about to stream for free. Like most genres, sci-fi is usually dominated by major blockbusters and big franchises. The likes of The Predator and Alien have both found comebacks in 2025, while Dune finally received a worthy adaptation this decade, thanks to Denis Villeneuve. But sci-fi is also notorious for housing some serious hidden gems that fans only discover many years later. One such sci-fi hidden gem, 2009’s Moon, is about to get the attention it deserves on free streaming.
Moon will stream for free on Tubi in January 2026. If you haven’t heard of the movie before, we’ll forgive you, as it had a surprisingly limited release considering the A-list talent involved with the movie. Sam Rockwell leads the film as Sam Bell, an astronaut working on a solitary lunar mine. With his three-year shift about to end, his chances of coming home are thrown into disarray following a near-fatal medical incident. Alongside Rockwell (who delivers one of his best performances in the movie), Moon also stars Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Benedict Wong, Kaya Scodelario, and Matt Berry. The official synopsis reads:
“Astronaut Sam Bell’s (Sam Rockwell) three-year shift at a lunar mine is finally coming to an end, and he’s looking forward to his reunion with his wife (Dominique McElligott) and young daughter. Suddenly, Sam’s health takes a drastic turn for the worse. He suffers painful headaches and hallucinations, and almost has a fatal accident. He meets what appears to be a younger version of himself, possibly a clone. With time running out, Sam must solve the mystery before the company crew arrives.”
Moon opened in a handful of theaters in 2009 and grossed just $9 million worldwide. However, audiences and critics absolutely adored the movie, and newcomers to the movie have recently sung its praises on Rotten Tomatoes. The film holds an 89% user score on RT, with a slightly stronger critics’ rating of 90%. “Astonishing performance by Sam Rockwell. Just an absolutely amazing and poignant story. Character and storytelling shine,” wrote one RT user, while another proclaimed Moon to be, “[In] my top 5 sci-fi movies of all time.”
‘Moon’ Has a Far Worse Sequel
Moon was a sleeper hit in 2009. Duncan Jones directed the film and co-wrote the script with Nathan Parker. Nine years later, Jones returned to helm a secret sequel, 2018’s Mute on Netflix. Anyone who’s seen Mute will quickly tell you it’s not a good movie. The film sticks with the futuristic concept, following a bartender who searches for his missing “lady-love” (which is the actual wording in the official synopsis), taking him deeper and deeper into Berlin’s criminal underbelly.
To say Mute was torn apart by critics would be an understatement. The film holds a rotten 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were completely divided on the movie, giving it a 47% rating.
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