EntertainmentMoviesSci-Fi MoviesNetflixThe 10 best sci-fi movies on Netflix to watch right nowWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesSci-Fi MoviesNetflixThe 10 best sci-fi movies on Netflix to watch right nowWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Netflix)
In this list of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix you will find everything we love about the genre, from mind-bending space odysseys to visually spectacular kaiju films. Science fiction allows us to expand our collective imagination and think beyond our reality, which can be both enlightening and incredibly entertaining.
That’s the beauty of the genre, and the reason why some of thebest sci-fi moviesare also considered some of the best movies of all time. Here, we dive into Netflix’s vast catalog to find those gems you need to add to your watchlist as soon as possible.
Whether it’s an action epic in space, an apocalyptic thriller that hits too close to home, or a dystopian cautionary tale that delivers important lessons about our reality, there is something for everyone. Our aim with this list of best Netflix sci-fi movies is to cover all the bases.
So, if you’re looking for your next sci-fi fix, one of thebest streaming servicesout there has plenty of exciting titles that you can summon a sandworm with. Let’s boldly go where no person has gone before to see what are thebest Netflix moviesavailable to all you intergalactic fans this month.
10. Spaceman
(Image credit: Netflix)
Year:2024Director:Johan RenckAvailable on:Netflix US/UK
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Check out ourSpaceman reviewfor more details on this gem.
Spaceman$10.04at Amazon$16.61at Amazon
Spaceman
$10.04at Amazon$16.61at Amazon
$10.04at Amazon
$16.61at Amazon
9. The Platform
(Image credit: Netflix)
Year:2019Director:Galder Gaztelu-UrrutiaAvailable on:Netflix US/UK
This Spanish dystopian thriller is definitely one of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix, and one of the most inventive and unexpected too. The story is set inside of a mysterious industrial platform formed of 333 floors, with two inmates on each floor. Once a day, a moving platform packed with food descends through the middle of the vertical structure, allowing the residents to eat as much as they want for a few minutes. Those who are placed in the first floors know they will survive for at least one month until the distribution changes. Those below are forced to deal with starvation.
The Platform creates its own world of rules and mysteries as the protagonist insists in always doing the right thing, thinking collectively instead of selfishly. Soon, this fascinating plot leads us to explore real-life issues such as the unfair distribution of wealth and the dangers of overconsumption. If you’re looking for a challenging watch, this is one for you.
For more information, read ourreview of The Platform.
8. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
(Image credit: Netflix)
Year:2021Director:Michael RiandaAvailable on:Netflix US/UK
Having missed cinemas due to the pandemic and ended up straight to streaming, this gem is often overlooked. With an expressive style with its character designs and environment, the results are fun and incredibly inventive, especially when it’s poking fun at dysfunctional families (and how awesome they can be) and our screentime addictions. But whatever you do, just don’t upset the Furbies!
Need more animation in your sci-fi filled life? Check out ourThe Mitchells vs the Machines review.
7. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
(Image credit: Lionsgate)
Year:2013Director:Francis LawrenceAvailable on:Netflix UK
There may be a nervous trepidation with sequels on whether they can live up to the goodness of their first film. Thankfully, Catching Fire – the second installment of Suzanne Collins’s YA dystopian books – not only blows away its predecessor but is the best film in the franchise. Following on from their joint (and traumatizing) victory in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) settle back into life in District 12.
Read ourThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire reviewif you need moreinformationon this battle royalefranchise.
6. Annihilation
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)
Year:2018Director:Alex GarlandAvailable on:Netflix UK
When her husband Kane (Oscar Issac) disappears and returns mysteriously after an expedition to ‘The Shimmer’ – the result of a crash-landed meteor that is affecting life organisms on Earth, Lena is called in to investigate. As most sci-fi epics go, expect to be weirded out with Portman on point as ever. Seriously, every movie fan should experience this one at least once, so add it to your streaming queue if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s also one of thebest action movies on Netflix, so what are you waiting for?
5. Okja
(Image credit: Netflix)
Year:2017Director:Bong Joon-hoAvailable on:Netflix US/UK
4. NOPE
(Image credit: Universal)
Year:2022Director:Jordan PeeleAvailable on:Netflix UK
Jordan Peele never misses, and in NOPE, he ups the horror ante with his spin on alien abductions. Starring Daniel Kaluuya (OJ) and Keke Palmer (Emerald), when the brother-and-sister team notices some strange happenings on their family farm, they devise a plan to capture the impossible – a proof-positive sighting of a UFO. In true Peele fashion, the social commentary always proves to be the key selling point, where Black culture is given space to be the focus and heart where it hasn’t been traditionally awarded in the past.
Here, the filmmaker pulls back the curtain to tackle the lack of recognition for Black creatives in the systemic industry guilty of erasing their legacy. But NOPE also offers plenty of scares and spectacle that has rightly placed the director on the map as one of the bold voices in cinema today. Also, it’s worth noting that NOPE isn’t just one of the best sci-fis on the streaming service, it’s also one of thebest Netflix horror movies, so definitely check it out.
For more information on this spooky sci-fi, read ourNOPE review.
3. They Cloned Tyrone
(Image credit: Netflix)
Year:2023Director:Juel TaylorAvailable on:Netflix US/UK
Read more in ourThey Cloned Tyrone review!
2. Arrival
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)
Year:2016Director:Denis VilleneuveAvailable on:Netflix UK
Want to explore thebest Netflix thrillers? Check out ourArrival reviewfor more close encounters.
Arrival$22.59at Amazon$22.59at Target
Arrival
$22.59at Amazon$22.59at Target
$22.59at Amazon
$22.59at Target
1. Godzilla Minus One
(Image credit: Toho)
Year:2023Director:Takashi YamazakiAvailable on:Netflix US/UK
No amount of atomic breath can dislodge Godzilla Minus One as one of the best Godzilla films ever made. Following in the footsteps of Ishirō Honda’s 1954 film, Godzilla again serves as a metaphor for the dangers of atomic war and a heart and soul-battle for Japan’s future. It follows kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (RyunosukeKamiki) fleeing from duty. After surviving Godzilla’s wrath on a Japanese air base, he returns home to discover his parents had died in the bombs in Tokyo. Filled with survivors' guilt, he tries to reacclimatise to a new life while the threat of Godzilla still looms.
The King Titan himself has never felt so intimidating. While there are many entertaining entries in the Godzilla franchise, Yamazaki’s grounded film easily bucks the trend providing plenty of sincerity and emotions throughout. Like its 1954 predecessor, it sides with its human characters as they wrestle through the moral complexities of how to respond to something seemingly unstoppable. Its presentation is stunning in color, fully deserving of its Academy Award for ‘Best Visual Effects.’
For more information on our top pick for the best sci-fi movie on Netflix right now, read ourGodzilla Minus One review.
After more streaming picks? Check out our lists of thebest fantasy movies on Netflix, and thebest shows on Netflix.
TOPICSBest List
TOPICS
CATEGORIESNetflixStreaming ServicesStreaming Services
CATEGORIES
More about sci fi moviesAmid Oscar buzz, Zoe Saldana opens up on her new perspective on Hollywood and why she’s only really proud of Avatar and Emilia Pérez: “I think I just have to accept who I am as a creative person"32 movies that spawned iconic internet memesLatestI can’t lie - my Christmas plans including using this 480Hz monitor to play Overwatch 2 at ridiculous speedsSee more latest►
More about sci fi moviesAmid Oscar buzz, Zoe Saldana opens up on her new perspective on Hollywood and why she’s only really proud of Avatar and Emilia Pérez: “I think I just have to accept who I am as a creative person"32 movies that spawned iconic internet memesLatestI can’t lie - my Christmas plans including using this 480Hz monitor to play Overwatch 2 at ridiculous speedsSee more latest►
More about sci fi moviesAmid Oscar buzz, Zoe Saldana opens up on her new perspective on Hollywood and why she’s only really proud of Avatar and Emilia Pérez: “I think I just have to accept who I am as a creative person"32 movies that spawned iconic internet memes
More about sci fi movies
Amid Oscar buzz, Zoe Saldana opens up on her new perspective on Hollywood and why she’s only really proud of Avatar and Emilia Pérez: “I think I just have to accept who I am as a creative person"32 movies that spawned iconic internet memes
Amid Oscar buzz, Zoe Saldana opens up on her new perspective on Hollywood and why she’s only really proud of Avatar and Emilia Pérez: “I think I just have to accept who I am as a creative person”
Amid Oscar buzz, Zoe Saldana opens up on her new perspective on Hollywood and why she’s only really proud of Avatar and Emilia Pérez: “I think I just have to accept who I am as a creative person”
32 movies that spawned iconic internet memes
32 movies that spawned iconic internet memes
LatestI can’t lie - my Christmas plans including using this 480Hz monitor to play Overwatch 2 at ridiculous speedsSee more latest►
Latest
I can’t lie - my Christmas plans including using this 480Hz monitor to play Overwatch 2 at ridiculous speeds
I can’t lie - my Christmas plans including using this 480Hz monitor to play Overwatch 2 at ridiculous speeds
I can’t lie - my Christmas plans including using this 480Hz monitor to play Overwatch 2 at ridiculous speeds
See more latest►
Most PopularWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changesForget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory2024 was the year The Legend of Zelda lived up to its name, and the result was a bit like mixing rock salt and floral nectar
Most PopularWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changesForget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory2024 was the year The Legend of Zelda lived up to its name, and the result was a bit like mixing rock salt and floral nectar
Most PopularWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changesForget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory2024 was the year The Legend of Zelda lived up to its name, and the result was a bit like mixing rock salt and floral nectar
Most Popular
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé
17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding”
Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas
Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far
One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength
How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future
I’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games
The Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier”
Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes
Forget AAA: this year, all I wanted to do was optimize my conveyor belts in Satisfactory
2024 was the year The Legend of Zelda lived up to its name, and the result was a bit like mixing rock salt and floral nectar
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”