Inverse

You know that person who's impossible to shop for? That's me. The secret, though, is pretty simple: I'd rather unwrap a weird, wonderful gift that fits my personality than something expensive that could've been for anyone. That’s the idea behind this list. It’s packed with amazing finds you'd never think to search for, but once you spot them, you'll know exactly who would love them. The best part is that everything is under $20.

Star Trek’s most ambitious show is returning. Starfleet Academy Season 2 is set to return in 2027, and we’ve already got a ton of details about what this next batch of episodes will look like. While it’s true that Starfleet Academy Season 2 will be the final voyage for this series and crew, there’s still a huge story waiting for Trek fans of all generations.

Every item on this list has a surprisingly practical reason to exist, whether it saves you time, prevents a mess, makes something you already own work better, or eliminates one of those minor inconveniences you've been tolerating for years. These are the kinds of clever finds that won't just get used once and left forgotten in a drawer — prepare to develop some very strong feelings about objects you'll suddenly be reaching for all the time.

A mysterious forest. A kidnapped child. An evil sorceress. They’re all the ingredients of the kind of classic fantasy epic that has been the staple of children’s stories for eons: Labyrinth, The Last Unicorn, The Neverending Story — you name it. But what else is there to do with this formula? How can one possibly make it novel in a landscape crowded with high-concept, high-speed animated movies?

Like its titular monster, Godzilla Minus One is an unstoppable juggernaut ready to take over the world. Originally released in Japan on November 3, 2023, Takashi Yamazaki’s epic monster movie continued to build momentum as it expanded overseas into different markets, earning raves from critics and fans as it went.

Every good hero needs an even better villain: although it’s perhaps a little cliché, it’s been a golden rule of storytelling for almost as long as we’ve been telling stories. Beowulf needs Grendel, the Fellowship of the Ring needs the insurmountable forces of Sauron, the Rebel Alliance needs the oppressive threat of the Galactic Empire.

Netflix has thousands of movies, and it’s easy to get paralyzed by your options. This is especially true for science fiction movies, because you’re not just selecting a story, but an entire universe. From dystopias to alien invasions to psychological thrillers, finding what’s worth watching in Netflix’s vast sci-fi library can be daunting. Thankfully, we’re here to help. You already know the big names in sci-fi, but here are 10 hidden gems currently streaming on Netflix.

Animated movies take a notoriously long time to make, but it’s been hard going through life without a new Brad Bird picture to look forward to. If you came of age during Pixar’s heyday, you absolutely came away with one of his films on your favorites list; not for nothing, he also directed Tom Cruise in what’s probably the greatest Mission: Impossible stunt of all time.

It’s a rivalry spanning decades and thousands of miles: that of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner he’s eternally chasing. But, curiously, whenever Coyote stares hungrily at the Roadrunner as his latest harebrained scheme causes him to go flying by, that hunger looks a lot like intense, carnal yearning. And even stranger, Roadrunner always smiles so happily whenever he sees Coyote fly by, seconds from gaining yet another crushing injury.

Start watching Wes Craven’s Deadly Friend without knowing anything beyond the title and the filmmaker, and it appears to be a movie about a killer robot. BB looks like a cross between Short Circuit’s Johnny 5 and the Nintendo accessory R.O.B., and is the creation of teenage prodigy Paul Conway (Matthew Laborteaux).