The Quintessentially American Sci-Fi Disaster Action Classic That Helped Define an Entire Decade Is Coming to Netflix

To say that the 1990s were a decade filled with great science fiction movies would be an understatement. Fans were certainly eating good back then thanks to movies like The Matrix, Gattaca, 12 Monkeys, Starship Troopers, Stargate, and the many Star Trek sequels that captured the imagination as filmmakers gave us their take on what the future might look like. Of course, we can’t forget about the movies that undoubtedly defined the decade, such as Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, and a sci-fi disaster classic heading to Netflix next month.

Released in 1996, Independence Day was director Roland Emmerich’s take on what a hostile takeover of the planet might look like through the eyes of a collective group of freedom fighters. Despite being of German descent, Emmerich gave us one of the most quintessential American movies ever made, filling it with patriotism, military might, and a view that positions the United States as the emotional center of the globe.

It wasn’t straight-up propaganda in the sense that it was sponsored by the government, but for all intents and purposes, Independence Day can be seen as one of those movies that definitely hearkens back to the sci-fi films of the 50s when everything was about the fighting spirit of America. Look no further than Bill Pullman’s roaring speech before the final battle that’s framed as a war cry for global unity, but in reality taps into what it means to be a citizen fighting for your country.

Featuring a star-studded cast that includes the likes of Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, and Vivica A. Fox, Independence Day was a certified blockbuster upon its release on July 3, 1996. It would go on to become the highest-grossing movie of the year, taking in $817 million at the box office. In the decades since, it’s become one of the most memorable movies in history, the synopsis for which reads:

“In the epic adventure film Independence Day, strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world’s major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived; its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.”

‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Failed to Capture the Magic of the First Movie

Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day

20th Century Fox

As expected, Independence Day eventually received a sequel in 2016 titled Independence Day: Resurgence. Taking place 20 years after the events in the first movie, Emmerich returned to the director’s chair for the follow-up, sans Will Smith, who had dropped out of the project to film Suicide Squad instead. As such, massive script changes were needed, and things fell apart pretty quickly, which led to the movie failing to recapture the same magic as the original.

Even with the inferior sequel, however, Independence Day still stands alone as a phenomenal sci-fi disaster flick, even if it can be a bit heavy-handed at times with all the patriotic imagery. Look for it to touch down on its new streaming home of Netflix beginning Feb. 1, 2026.