How to watch Independence Day on Independence Day

Independence Day (1996)
(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Happy 4th of July! What better way to celebrate if you're a sci-fi fan than watching the movie "Independence Day" on the day itself. 

If you're wanting to stream the alien invasion thriller starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum then you're in luck as the movie is available on numerous platforms. Two streaming platforms that boast a good range of sci-fi content that include the 1996 blockbuster are Amazon Prime and Hulu.

Naturally, this day only comes around once a year and that means it's the perfect excuse to watch the movie, whether it's the first, fourth or hundredth time. If sci-fi movies are you're thing (and we're sure they are) you'll want to check out our great round-ups of the best sci-fi movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime, Netflix and Disney Plus

The movie itself is a bit of a classic when it comes to sci-fi blockbusters, with a star-studded cast, a great storyline and the fact you have the perfect excuse to watch it every year. The movie is set in the days building up to July 4 as communication systems around the world start to falter with alien interference. 

It's later learned that there are numerous alien spaceships on course for Earth, which were first thought to be meteors, and they do not come in peace. Destroying the cities of New York, Los Angeles and Washington as well as London, Paris and others, survivors are sent out in convoys towards area 51 where they must come up with a plan to defeat the enslaving alien species. July 4th becomes humanity's Independence Day, not just America's. 

If you haven't already got an Amazon Prime or Hulu subscription, you should consider getting one and not just because of this movie. Amazon Prime can boast most of the "Alien" franchise as well as blockbusters like "Apollo 13" and Hulu is the home of TV shows like "The Orville" and a "Futurama" reboot.  

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Alexander Cox
E-commerce Staff Writer

STAFF WRITER, E-commerce — Alex joined Space.com in June 2021 as staff writer covering space news, games, tech, toys and deals. Based in London, U.K. Graduating in June 2020, Alex studied Sports Journalism in the North East of England at Sunderland University. During his studies and since his graduation, Alex has been featured in local newspapers and online publications covering a range of sports from university rugby to Premier League soccer. In addition to a background in sports and journalism, Alex has a life-long love of Star Wars which started with watching the prequel trilogy and collecting toy lightsabers, he also grew up spending most Saturday evenings watching Doctor Who. 

Contact Alexander: E-Mail Twitter