From Interstellar to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the 2010s was a great decade for sci-fi at the cinema. The decade delivered some of the best sci-fi movies in recent memory, many reaching high critical acclaim and box office success. The 2010s also saw a few hidden gems, including a criminally underrated sci-fi film that is about to stop streaming on Peacock.
Peacock subscribers are running out of time to stream Ad Astra, James Gray’s 2019 sci-fi film starring Brad Pitt as Roy Richard McBride, an astronaut who embarks on a mission to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father unravel the truth behind a mysterious power surge that threatens the stability of the universe. The movie, which grossed over $135 million worldwide, joined Peacock on January 1st but seems poised for just a month-long streaming window on the NBCUniversal stream. Ad Astra is already on the “leaving Peacock soon” list, meaning it will likely be removed at the end of January.
Ad Astra Is a Slow-Burn Odyssey Across Space and the Human Psyche
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Ad Astra carved its own space in the sci-fi genre, trading the high-octane spectacle and fantastical elements of many space epics for a quieter, more grounded, and introspective portrayal of space travel and solitude. The movie plays out like a slower, more introspective Interstellar, but rather than focusing on exploring new worlds or battling aliens, Ad Astra is more focused on the inward trip of McBride, and the vastness of space simply serves as a stunning backdrop for what becomes an exploration of masculinity, emotional detachment, and isolation. While the movie features high-stakes action scenes, like a moon rover chase and a zero-gravity fight, Ad Astra is ultimately driven by McBride’s emotional struggle to reconnect with his father.
Ad Astra’s slow-burn, introspective pace didn’t connect with all viewers, the movie only holding a rotten 40% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning it went down as a criminally overlooked sci-fi film. However, if you go into it with patience for a slow-burn, atmospheric drama, it’s a beautiful and rewarding movie. Ad Astra even holds a “Certified Fresh” distinction on Rotten Tomatoes with a high 83% critic score and earned high praise for its breathtaking, realistic cinematography, Pitt’s powerful performance, and the way it successfully functions as a psychological character study set in the context of a space epic.
Where to Stream Ad Astra After It Leaves Peacock?
We don’t know where Ad Astra will end up following its removal from Peacock. The movie hasn’t appeared on any of the February 2026 content lineups for the major platforms, and Peacock is currently the film’s only streaming home. If the movie does disappear from streaming altogether, which currently seems likely, fans will still be able to rent or purchase it online, and it’s possible it will reappear on streaming in the coming months.
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