October is supposed to belong to horror. Slashers, haunted houses, killer clowns, the whole pumpkin-spiced package. So why did aliens top the charts? According to JustWatch’s Top 10 Streaming Charts for U.S. movies (Oct. 1–31), the #1 spot went to a UFO movie. The #10 spot went to another one. Horror filled the middle, sure. But sci-fi movies streaming at both ends of the list tell a story. Apparently, America wanted first contact with its candy corn. Let’s break down the sci-fi side of JustWatch’s October chart and where you can stream these movies right now.
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Table of Contents
- JustWatch’s October Chart at a Glance
- Disclosure Day: Spielberg Goes Back to the Skies
- Project Hail Mary: The Feel-Good Alien Movie That Won’t Quit
- Two Very Different Kinds of First Contact
- Backrooms: The Sci-Fi Horror Wild Card
- Why Sci-Fi Keeps Winning on Streaming
- Where to Stream Them Right Now
JustWatch’s October Chart at a Glance
JustWatch tracks what millions of people search for and click on across streaming services. That makes its streaming charts a solid snapshot of what viewers actually wanted to watch. Here’s the full October top 10 for U.S. movies, with the sci-fi entries called out. You can check the latest rankings yourself on the JustWatch streaming charts page.
| Rank | Movie | Where to Stream | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disclosure Day | Peacock | Sci-fi |
| 2 | Obsession | Peacock | Horror |
| 3 | Backrooms | HBO Max | Sci-fi horror |
| 4 | The Invite | HBO Max | Comedy |
| 5 | Hokum | Hulu | Horror |
| 6 | Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | MUBI | Horror |
| 7 | Halloween | Fubo, Philo, AMC+ and more | Horror |
| 8 | Green Room | Netflix and more | Horror thriller |
| 9 | Animals | Netflix | Thriller |
| 10 | Project Hail Mary | Prime Video and more | Sci-fi |
Yes, horror owned the middle of the chart. Even a 1978 slasher muscled its way in, because of course it did. But look at the bookends. The JustWatch streaming charts opened and closed with aliens. Add Backrooms and its reality-bending lore, and sci-fi claimed three of the ten slots. That’s not bad for a genre that supposedly takes October off. Here’s why each one landed on the list.
Disclosure Day: Spielberg Goes Back to the Skies
Disclosure Day is Steven Spielberg’s return to the genre that made him a legend. It’s his first sci-fi movie since Ready Player One in 2018. David Koepp, his Jurassic Park collaborator, wrote the screenplay from Spielberg’s story. Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor lead the cast, with Colin Firth along for the ride.
The film hit theaters on June 12 and earned about $241 million worldwide. Critics were mixed, to put it nicely. Space.com called it a close encounter that doesn’t quite make contact. Ouch.
So how did Disclosure Day top the October streaming chart? Timing helped a lot. Peacock dropped it exclusively on October 9, right in the middle of the month. That gave it a fresh-arrival bump that older titles couldn’t match. Plus, it’s Spielberg doing UFOs again. Anyone who grew up on Close Encounters was going to press play.
Disclosure Day streaming on Peacock also turned it into a perfect spooky-season alternative. It’s eerie and mysterious without being a full-blown horror movie. That’s the sweet spot for families who can’t agree on what to watch. Some want scares. Others want spectacle. Spielberg gives you a little of both.
Project Hail Mary: The Feel-Good Alien Movie That Won’t Quit
Here’s the impressive part. Project Hail Mary hit theaters way back on March 20, 2026. It’s been streaming for months. Yet it still cracked JustWatch’s October top 10. That’s staying power.
Ryan Gosling stars as a science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship. He has no memory and one job: save Earth. Then he meets Rocky, an alien engineer who instantly became everyone’s favorite movie character of the year. The film adapts Andy Weir’s bestselling novel. It’s the same author who gave us The Martian.
Project Hail Mary was a massive hit, earning roughly $683 million worldwide. Its streaming path was a little winding, though. It hit digital rental on May 12 and streamed on MGM+ starting June 18. Then it landed on Prime Video on July 3.
That Prime Video move put it in front of a huge subscriber base. Months later, people are still discovering it, or rewatching it. Honestly, Rocky alone is worth the rewatch. Project Hail Mary streaming this late in the year proves that a crowd-pleaser never really leaves the chart.
Want the source material? Grab Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary novel. Physical media fans can pick up the Project Hail Mary 4K Ultra HD, which arrived August 11.
Two Very Different Kinds of First Contact
Disclosure Day and Project Hail Mary are both first contact movies. That’s where the similarities end. Put them side by side, and you get two completely different moods.
Disclosure Day plays the mystery card. It’s about secrets, cover-ups and the question of what happens when the truth comes out. The tension comes from not knowing. It’s classic Spielberg wonder with a dose of paranoia mixed in.
Project Hail Mary goes the opposite direction. It’s hopeful, funny, and surprisingly emotional. The alien isn’t a threat. He’s a buddy. The whole film runs on friendship, problem-solving and a lot of science nerdery. It feels closer to The Martian than to The X-Files.
So which version did October audiences prefer? Based on the JustWatch rankings, Disclosure Day wins on interest. But that’s not quite a fair fight. Disclosure Day was the brand-new streaming arrival. Project Hail Mary was the months-old favorite still hanging around. Both first contact movies found an audience, just at different points in their run.
Our take? You need both. Watch Disclosure Day when you want to feel uneasy. Then watch Project Hail Mary when you want to believe aliens might actually be cool.
Backrooms: The Sci-Fi Horror Wild Card
Technically, Backrooms belongs in the horror pile. But this one has sci-fi DNA all over it. It’s about people trapped in an endless maze of empty, fluorescent-lit rooms outside normal reality. That’s an alternate-dimension story wearing a horror costume.
Backrooms started as an internet creepypasta. Then Kane Parsons turned it into a viral YouTube series on his Kane Pixels channel. A24 noticed and gave him a feature film. Parsons directed it at just 20 years old, with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve leading the cast.
The result shocked everyone. Backrooms opened May 29 and became A24’s highest-grossing film ever. Not bad for a movie about scary office carpet. It began streaming exclusively on HBO Max on September 25. That set it up perfectly for an October run on the streaming charts.
The Backrooms movie works because it blurs the line between sci-fi and horror. You get the dread of a haunted house with the rules of a parallel universe. That combo clearly hit with October viewers. And yes, A24 has already brought Parsons back for Backrooms 2. The rooms aren’t done with us yet.
Why Sci-Fi Keeps Winning on Streaming
So why do sci-fi movies keep showing up on streaming charts, even during horror month? We’ve got a few theories.
- Rewatch value. Sci-fi movies reward a second viewing. You catch clues, Easter eggs, and world-building details you missed the first time.
- Spectacle at home. Big sci-fi films feel like events. Streaming lets you recreate that on the couch, snacks included.
- Something for everyone. Not everyone in the house wants a slasher. Sci-fi offers thrills without the nightmares.
- Fresh arrivals. Disclosure Day landed on Peacock in October. New streaming drops always get a big bump.
There’s also a simple truth here. Spooky season isn’t only about gore. It’s about the unknown. And nothing says “unknown” like a sky full of UFOs or a hallway that never ends. Sci-fi taps into the same feelings as horror, just with more spaceships.
The JustWatch streaming charts back that up. Three of the top ten movies had sci-fi roots. That’s a strong showing in a month built for scream queens and masked killers.
Where to Stream Them Right Now
Ready to plan your own sci-fi movie night? Here’s where to stream the sci-fi side of JustWatch’s October chart. Streaming deals shift often, so double-check before you settle in.
- Disclosure Day (2026): Streaming exclusively on Peacock.
- Project Hail Mary (2026): Streaming on Prime Video, with other options listed on JustWatch.
- Backrooms (2026): Streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
Want to go full Spielberg after Disclosure Day? Pair it with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It’s the perfect double feature. Grab the Close Encounters of the Third Kind 4K for the best home viewing experience. Finished Project Hail Mary and craving more Andy Weir? Pick up The Martian next.
October was supposed to be horror’s month. Instead, the aliens showed up and took the top spot on JustWatch’s streaming charts. Disclosure Day brought the mystery. Project Hail Mary brought the heart. Backrooms brought the existential dread of endless hallways. Together, they proved that sci-fi movies streaming at home can hold their own against any slasher. Spooky season may belong to horror. But this year, the sci-fi crowd crashed the party and stayed for snacks.
Team Disclosure Day or Team Project Hail Mary? Sound off in the comments and tell us which first contact movie won you over.
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