Interstellar brought us everything from complex cinema sci-fi, deep fabulous aesthetics and a strong, lyrical and fundamental theme revolving around the love of a father, all over again then get ready for another fabulous space journey. This list will detail ten fantastic films that will leave the audience as awe inspired as they were when watching Interstellar while giving them a different perspective of the human race in regards to the vastness of the cosmos.
Top 10 movies like interstellar
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968):
Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is perhaps the first and one of the most potent examples of a cinematic experience that uses stunning visuals and the viewers’ imagination as a story that revolves around humanity’s evolution and possible interactions with extraterrestrial intelligence through technosigns. It has an engaging narrative that is told cryptically, starting with monkey-like beings, and ending with space exploration trips past the Jupiter system. Packed with symbolism and philosophical questions, 2001: A Space Odyssey really is a film which begs to be watched time and time again and leaves people simply questioning what they have just witnessed.
2. Arrival (2016):
Contact may not be as close knit between humans and aliens as one might hope for, but Arrival still manages to breathe fresh life into the trope of first contact with extraterrestrial beings. An amazing grammar genius woman portrayed by Amy Adams, named Louise Banks, is given the challenge of interpreting a new language of aliens who arrived on earth in gigantic black cubes. When time turns into a fuzzy edge, Louise’s power is up against the clock in order to stop human race from reading alien race wrong and creating a full-fledged interstellar war. In terms of a speculative cinema, Arrival is a highly stimulating picture that invites viewers to confront their own assumptions about the potency of words, the concept of time and the notion of intersubjectivity while acknowledging vast cultural disparities.
3. Gravity (2013):
Gravity is possibly one of the most stunning survival films that can be appreciated on a screen and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The main character played convincingly by Sandra Bullock is Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer going through her first mission in the space, after which she loses her spaceship and remains alone in outer space with a paralyzing feeling of fear and hopelessness. When oxygen and supplies are low and danger is imminent, it is up to Dr. Stone to exercise all the content courage she can muster to come up with ways to return to Earth. Shot with the patient hand of an maestro, Gravity is an intense and moving drama-tragedy that establishes the triumph of man entering the extraterrestrial world of boundless opportunities.
4. The Martian (2015):
This novel by Andy Weir and originally published in 2011 is a real masterpiece full of the spirit of a man. This action movie stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney –an astronaut stranded on the desolate planet of Mars after his team assumes him dead. Cool-driven, resourceful and mute, there is only one man stranded in the Mars: Mark Watney, an American astronaut who has to wait for a rescue that may take years to come. This book is a perfect example of the ability of a man, who has hope within him, and who, no matter of the situation, never gives up. It is a movie that will see you feel overjoyed as Watney tricks all the hurdles that come his way.
5 Sunshine (2007):
As bleak as the prospects of finding and rekindling the dying sunlight, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine offers representations of sacrifice, optimism and tentativeness of life as shown in this postcard-like scene. It is the last century, and the sun is looking like it is going to black out, so a selection of astronauts is sent on a very dangerous mission to use nuclear bomb to re-ignite the sun. The presence of the physical aspect of space and its related perils is complemented by the psychological side of the crew’s essential mission. Indeed, the film under discussion is thought-provoking as well as it is a deep, complex picture based on heavy themes and distinguished by magnificent manners of portraying the great orb which is the sun.
6. Moon (2009):
But Moon, directed by Duncan Jones, is a truly independent science fiction movie, which might not be appreciated by those who only like their films served fast and with an instant twist. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays modest medical engineer Chris Johnson who shares the base with Sam Bell, a rangy Sam Rockwell portraying an astronaut, who is only three months away from his contractually mandated remote lunar mining stint for helium-3. Before Sam accompanies Kerr to the unborn Earth and West to be with his family, things get weird as he realizes that he starts seeing visions and the true nature of the mission is revealed. Moon is a film that is rich in such elements as suspense, mystery, and a dark ambiance, framing concerns of solitude, greed, and authenticity.
7 Ad Astra (2019):
Ad Astra directed by James Gray is philosophical in its course and addresses issues of isolation, the role of a father, and a son, and the universe that both enclose. The story revolves around Roy McBride played by Brad Pitt is an emotionally tormented astronaut who is selected for a dangerous mission in the deepest parts of the solar system to find his missing father, Clifford McBride, who was a celebrated astronaut that was sent on a mission beyond the outer limits of the solar system years ago but was never heard from again. Ad Astra, is an amazing movie that captures the sterility and grandeur of space, a lonely trip, and the Vietnam undertone that is set forth along with an intriguing look into the dynamics of a fractured family.
8 Solaris (1972):
Solaris is a philosophical science fiction directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, who loves using atmospheric shots and long scenes in his works. An exploration of a psychologist who has been sent to a space station around a certain planet that seems to have a tendency of reflecting the subject’s psychologic problems and wishes reflecting them. Of the crews that are visiting the facility of clients or even other tourists who are interested in watching various forms of entertainment. The movie is more narrative, contemplative, and even mysterious and very philosophical because conceptual at the same time it unfolds sub-plots regarding the themes of memory, guilt and preservation of the human spirit. Hence, I believe that Solaris is not a movie which can merely be watched and then described in line with some clear subject matter; it is a movie which demands contemplation of some sort. If there are any associations with cinematographic genres, this work is best classified as surrealistic in some of aspects though the given show is watched with a certain dose of discomfort, as well as with interest incited by the director.
9. Dark City (1998):
Dark City is a neo-noir science fiction movie directed by Alex Proyas, and it also contains an intriguing element of flipping reality and mind-blowing cinematography. The viewer is introduced to the main protagonist – John Murdoch – who wakes up one day in an unfamiliar city with no recollection of who he is and what he has been doing. He soon learns that Strangers—benevolent beings capable of erasing people’s memories and subsequently changing their ways of thinking—govern the city. Since it is now focused in the action and adventure genre, John’s quest to discover the truth about his existence and the world around him is met with a conspiracy that affects the whole city. Dark City is a tall memorable visual film, including the plot which is mysterious and challenging to understand at times.
10. Gattaca (1997):
Gattaca is a science fiction film with intricate ideas written by Andrew Niccol that aims to address a highly sensitive issue of genetic determinism, prejudice, and human spirit. It is an imaginative techno-thriller with Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) trying to become an astronaut in a world where eugenics is the order of the day, he was naturally reproduced and thus a lowly ‘replica’. Vincent uses a black-market identity to go against orders and become what his genetic makeup was not capable of being. Overall, Gattaca is a very beautiful looking movie with a strong and well resonating message within it about the human spirit and dreams from the get go.
Conclusion
The following ten films may encompass different species of science fiction and yet they all imply discovery, travel, and the pedestrian human concept of going further than the horizon. Thus, collect some popcorn, turn out the lights, and prepare for the interstellar space mission in the galaxy of cinema!