Watch Explorers (1985): stream Explorers (1985) on Hoopla, Kanopy, or rent on Apple TV+ or Fandango At Home. Compare all streaming options for this movie on WhereCanIWatch.tv.
Explorers
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Free on Hoopla
HD · Included
About
You can watch Explorers (1985) for free on Hoopla, rent on Apple TV+, or buy on Apple TV+.
Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.
Dreamy synth melodies and suburban wonder collide when three misfit geeks build a literal starship in their backyard. This nostalgic trip captures the exact moment childhood imagination transforms into a terrifyingly real cosmic voyage.
Trailer
Director
Joe Dante
Cast
Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson, Amanda Peterson, Bobby Fite, Dana Ivey, James Cromwell, Dick Miller, Bradley Gregg, Georg Olden
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6 options ranked by value · 🇺🇸 United States
Last verified 6 days ago
Explorers
You can watch Explorers (1985) for free on Hoopla, rent on Apple TV+, or buy on Apple TV+.
IMDb
6.3/10
Metacritic
Director
Joe Dante
Cast
Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson, Amanda Peterson, Bobby Fite, Dana Ivey, James Cromwell, Dick Miller, Bradley Gregg, Georg Olden
6 options ranked by value · 🇺🇸 United States
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spacecraft · dreams · washington dc, usa · space travel · bullying · alien · best friend · middle school · extraterrestrial life form · young love
Watch Explorers for free on Hoopla. Watch Explorers for free on Kanopy. Rent Explorers on Apple TV+. Rent Explorers on Fandango At Home. Buy Explorers on Apple TV+. Buy Explorers on Fandango At Home. Explorers is not currently available on Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+, Prime Video. Availability last verified July 15, 2026.