By Chris Snellgrove | Published 47 seconds ago There are plenty of post-apocalyptic movies out there, but most of them share the same problem: by the end, you feel just as hopelessly miserable as the characters onscreen. Far too many directors think that the key to this genre is simply giving us scene after scene of bleak despair. What audiences really want is a movie that uses a fictional future apocalypse as a lens to help us understand our present day. If you’re ready for the kind of post-apocalyptic film filled with both crunchy philosophical questions and killer action sequences, then it’s time to stream the Tom Cruise film Oblivion on Netflix . The Plot And Cast Of Oblivion In the futuristic world of Oblivion, Earth is uninhabitable. We follow the misadventures of the last two people on the planet as they explore the post-apocalyptic wasteland while trying to stay one step ahead of violent and mysterious scavengers. After a NASA astronaut crashes on the planet, however, it sets off a wild story of technology, clones, and identity that bridges the past and the future in a poignantly haunting way. Action legend Tom Cruise is the main star of Oblivion. He’s joined by some fairly big names, including Morgan Freeman , whose gentle authority lends the film a sense of grounded vulnerability. The film also stars Olga Kurylenko (best known to action lovers for her role in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace) and Golden Globe-winning character actor Melissa Leo. Finally, the cast includes the talented Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, still best known for his scene-stealing performance in Game of Thrones . Audiences And Critics Are Mixed At the box office, Oblivion earned a respectable $287.9 million against a budget of $120 million. Those aren’t exactly Marvel numbers, but the film’s profit is a reminder that there’s still money to be made from smart, cerebral sci-fi thrillers. Unfortunately, the modest box office success didn’t exactly translate to critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes , Oblivion has a critical rating of 53 percent. In general, critics felt the story was relatively weak but that it was anchored by great production value and a standout performance from Cruise. The film also has a Popcornmeter rating of 61 percent, meaning that it (barely) edged into “fresh” territory with audiences if not with critics. Oblivion Is Worth Your Time The movie obviously didn’t win over the majority of critics, so why should you stream Oblivion today? The story feels truly original, helping the film stand out effortlessly amid some very crowded genres. Make no mistake, this is the movie you put on for friends who think there are no new sci-fi or post-apocalyptic stories to be told. Additionally, Oblivion is one of those movies that will give you something to think about long after you’ve turned off the TV and gone to bed. On the sci-fi scale, this is more Star Trek than Star Wars in terms of delivering a thoughtful and introspective story. That admittedly makes it a terrible “turn off your brain” film, but it’s ideal to watch if you want something to think about, even as you process one action sequence after another. Related: Battlestar Galactica Creator’s Sci-Fi Horror Series Is Worth Streaming And Has A Wild Twist The smart storytelling of Oblivion doesn’t keep it from delivering some killer action scenes, some of which even put Cruise’s awesome Mission: Impossible stunts to shame. These scenes are spaced out nicely to keep the audience engaged. Whenever you think you’re in danger of tuning out, you’ll get some high-octane action to help secure your attention. Due to the aforementioned high production value, these scenes, like the rest of the movie, are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Will you find Oblivion as refreshingly revolutionary as I did, or will you want to turn it off and go watch Star Wars instead? You won’t know until you stream it on Netflix for yourself. Afterward, you may never look at anything from the moon to the man in the mirror the same way ever again. Related Topics: Source: https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/scifi/oblivion-netflix.html