Solarbabies (1986): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1986, Solarbabies is an action, adventure and science fiction film directed by Alan Johnson, running about 94 minutes. “From a distant star a powerful and mystical force comes to Earth. And for those brave enough to follow, it will change their lives forever.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In a future in which most water has disappeared from the Earth, we find a group of children, mostly teenagers, who are living at an orphanage, run by the despotic rulers of the new Earth. The group in question plays a hockey based game on roller skates and is quite good. It has given them a unity that transcends the attempts to bring them to heel by the government. Finding an orb of special power, they find it has unusual effects on them. They escape from the orphanage (on skates) and try to cross the wasteland looking for a place they can live free as the storm-troopers search for them and the orb.

Who’s in it. Solarbabies stars Richard Jordan as Grock, Jami Gertz as Terra, Jason Patric as Jason and Lukas Haas as Daniel, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.3/10, Solarbabies has proved divisive with audiences. It went on to earn $1.6M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel and Philo and rent or buy it from Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Solarbabies page.

If you liked it. Fans of Solarbabies tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.