The most influential sci-fi film of all time, with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating, is now streaming for free

Few films are as influential, iconic, and - if the 2024 film Megalopolis is anything to go by - as challenging to recapture as 1927’s Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang. Although the 2024 film, helmed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Adam Driver, isn’t a direct remake, it attempts to find some of the same magic, but sadly fails in the process, sitting at 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, further proving the legendary status of the original that currently sits on 97%.

Thanks to Amazon Prime, Metropolis is now available to stream, much to the joy of cinephiles and Letterboxd subscribers everywhere. So as long as you have a Prime membership, which will also get you plenty of discounts and free games over Prime Day in July, you can check out one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made for free.

Metropolis (1927) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers - YouTube

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The film remains a groundbreaking milestone in cinematic history. This silent-era German expressionist sci-fi flick is widely celebrated for its visionary storytelling, pioneering special effects, and striking architectural set design – it may not seem that way now, but remember this came out in 1927, and has influenced wider cinema ever since.

It takes place in a sprawling futuristic city grimly divided between the wealthy elite and the oppressed working class. Metropolis explores themes of class struggle, industrialisation, and the need for compassion in a mechanised world, all things that are still abundantly relevant today.

The story centres on Freder, the privileged son of the city’s mastermind, and Maria, a prophetic figure who seeks to bridge the divide between the head (the planners) and the hands (the workers) through the heart (compassion and unity). The film famously introduces a humanoid robot, one of cinema’s first, whose transformation and chaos drive much of the film’s dramatic tension.

Despite a troubled release and significant cuts after its premiere, Metropolis has been rediscovered and restored over the decades, most notably in the 2010 reconstruction that brought lost footage back to life. The version of the film on Amazon is also restored, so it’s never looked better.

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