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The 30 best space movies

Head to infinity and beyond with the greatest intergalactic odysseys of all time

From the time the movies were invented, filmmakers have been dreaming of outer space. Mankind hadn’t even figured out how to get off the ground yet when Georges Méliès imagined voyaging to the moon, and in the century-plus since, many other directors have taken audiences on trips far deeper into the cosmos. To infinity and beyond, you might say.

It’s no wonder, really. The concept of space is vast enough to allow for the exploration of all sorts of big ideas. What is mankind’s place in the universe? What lies outside our tiny little rock – and do we really want to know what’s out there? For that reason, the ‘space movie’ exists as its own genre beneath the wider umbrella of science fiction. And so, we’ve decided to rank them. Here are our picks for the 30 best movies about that big, overwhelming, sometimes frightening, sometimes beautiful void above our heads.

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The best space movies

1.  2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

• Science fiction

Director: Stanley Kubrick 

Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood

Many argue that this film is cinema’s GOAT – us, among them – and its enduring status is partly down to ideas around artificial intelligence and technology that have only become more prescient with every passing year. But few sci-fi films have embraced the look, feel and experience of space travel with this level of baked-in, world-building cool. Kubrick had three production designers on the case and got big brands like IBM, Dupont and Nikon to imagine what their products might look like in an interstellar future. Major props, too, to Douglas Trumbull’s eye candy stargate sequence, which helped ensure that late-‘60s stoners were the first audiences to take it all to their hearts.

2.  The Martian (2015)

• Action and adventure

Director: RIdley Scott

Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor

After dividing audiences with Prometheus , Ridley Scott’s return to space was a heel-turn from his previous horrors. Thanks in huge part to a script by The Cabin in the Woods writer Drew Goddard and an endearing performance by Matt Damon as a marooned astronaut, The Martian is a bracing survivalist yarn with a reliable charm. In fact, Damon’s affability scored it an unlikely Best Comedy nod at the Golden Globes. And those laughs are vital in a film detailing a scientist slowly starving himself on a distant planet as his friends risk their lives to rocket through space to save him. 

3.  WALL-E (2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton

Cast: (voices) Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Ben Burtt

Only half of Pixar’s environmentalist parable-slash-intertechnological love story actually takes place in space, and most of those scenes are set aboard the galaxial Noah’s Ark keeping mankind alive after destroying the planet. But its moment among the stars is an absolute stunner. After breaking out of the spaceship’s airlock, the titular sentient trash compactor – aided by a fire extinguisher – and his Alexa-esque paramour twirl, spin and criss-cross each other in a zero-gravity Astaire-Rogers ballet that jerks tears and raises goosebumps in equal measure.    

4.  Star Wars (1977)

Director : George Lucas

Cast : Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness

Has any film more perfectly channelled our fascination with space? It’s easy to forget how truly mesmerising A New Hope is when it ditches its fantastical planets and takes to the sky. It’s not just the dogfights of the climax, either. Much of the film plays out as an intergalactic road trip at warp speed, but it also slows down for a quick game of chess as stars drift past the window. By the end, you find yourself looking skyward, imagining the possibilities – not unlike Luke Skywalker himself, as he stares out beyond Tatooine’s twin suns and dreams of his destiny.

5.  The Right Stuff (1983)

Director: Philip Kaufman Cast: Sam Shepherd, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn

Philip Kaufman’s boy’s own adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s nonfiction classic is every bit as stirring as Top Gun , though the tale of the US Mercury’s astronauts seldom gets its due. It also begs the question: how is it that movie astronauts are so often depicted as introverted nerds when we’ve seen Sam Shepard’s wildchild Chuck Yaeger breaking the sound barrier and the other Mercury astronauts strutting like the rock stars of their day? Truly, our understanding of space – and the cocksure punks who sought to tame it – remains woefully out of touch.

6.  A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Director: Georges Méliès

Cast: ​ ​Georges Méliès

All sci-fi movies – hell, pretty much all of modern effects-led cinema in general – begins here. But we don’t include Georges Méliès’s groundbreaker out of historical obligation. Well over a century later, the film displays an imagination in both storytelling and effects that wows even today, especially when you consider that not even the aeroplane existed yet. Surely, when the first astronauts made it to that big rock in the sky, they half-expected to find harpoon-wielding insectoids there to greet them.  

7.  Outland (1981)

Director : Peter Hyams

Cast : Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Clarke Peters 

Essentially High Noon in space – but with 100 percent more splattered heads, thanks to the wonders of explosive decompression – this Sean Connery-starring space western unfolds above and below one of Jupiter’s moons, where a mining operation becomes the nucleus of a drug-fuelled mystery full of violence and depravity. The film shares a lot of DNA with Alien  thanks to its advanced effects and claustrophobic sets; only here, it’s humans doing the eviscerating... and a lot of it. 

8.  Galaxy Quest (1999)

Director: Dean Parisot

Cast: Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver

A comedy is often only as strong as its reverence toward what it’s lampooning. A love of Star Trek ’s Gene Roddenberry shines through in every moment of this corker about the cast of a  Trek knockoff enlisted to save the denizens of a faraway planet. The plot is essentially a sci-fi version of  Three Amigos! , but the game cast – particularly Alan Rickman and a young Sam Rockwell – sell every uproarious gag, while the effects work updates the ‘60s camp while keeping the cartoonish charm front and centre. 

9.  Moon (2009)

Director: Duncan Jones

Cast: Sam Rockwell

While much of Duncan Jones’s ( Source Code ) meditative sci-fi takes place on the lunar surface, Moon  spends plenty of time with Sam Rockwell’s spaceman gazing at the stars and to the distant Earth like a blue-collar Major Tom. Rockwell has never been better in this small-scale tale of space madness (or is it?) about a helium farmer on a three-year lunar stint, accompanied only by his own personal HAL. Jones’s quiet gem embraces the all-engulfing nature of space, crafting something of a desert-island movie in the cold black void. 

10.  Event Horizon (1997)

Director: Paul WS Anderson

Cast: Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, Kathleen Quinlan

Derided for its relentless sadism upon release, Paul ‘Not PT’ Anderson’s trippy space saga has had an overdue reassessment and is emerging from the wormhole as a certified cult film. Part ‘ The Shining in space’, part ‘ Interstellar in hell’, Event Horizon ’s tale of misbegotten astronauts transported straight into the seventh circle isn’t for the squeamish. But for those who can stomach the viscera, it’s a wild ride through the gore-spattered corridors of an extremely haunted space station. Never has the cold vacuum of space seemed more welcoming than the supposed sanctuary of an airlock. 

11.  Treasure Planet (2002)

• Family and kids

Director: Ron Clements & John Musker

Cast: (voices) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson, Martin Short

Disney dared to do something different with its sci-fi take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate classic ‘Treasure Island’. Audiences didn’t respond to its hybrid of hand-drawn and CG animation, or storytelling that ditched princesses in favour of something a little more space-age and weird, but Treasure Planet is full of gorgeous celestial flair. The juxtaposition between old-school tall ships and cutting-edge interstellar animation remains dreamlike in its beauty. Plus, it beats the hell out of Mars Needs Moms . 

12.  Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Director: Nicholas Meyer

Cast: William Shatner, Ricardo Montalbán, Leonard Nimoy

The eye-popping space battles and serene galactic imagery. The mind-controlling space eels. The introduction of the Kobayashi Maru test. The tear-soaked space funeral. The goddamn mind-controlling space eels . The Wrath of Khan stands tall above all the USS Enterprise’ s cinematic adventures for many reasons, but chief among them is its deference to space itself – the franchise’s spiritual home. The reboot might have more advanced ships and shinier effects, but this was the moment Trek matched Star Wars in terms of pure awe in the abyss. 

13.  Starship Troopers (1997)

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Cast: Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Jake Busey

For millennia, humankind has gazed to the heavens and wondered what life exists beyond the stars. Paul Verhoeven has an answer, and it’s a horde of vengeful, snot-spewing insectoids. The Total Recall director’s return to space is a feature-length satire of fascist propaganda films that also plays like a stunning action spectacle, goopy horror romp and white-knuckle actioner. Verhoeven spends considerable time above the battlefield as a fleet of space cruisers discovers rather quickly that their ships are no match for bug bogeys and the unforgiving vacuum of space in graphic detail. 

14.  Interstellar (2014)

Director : Christopher Nolan

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway

There’s a lot going on both above and below the ground in Christopher Nolan’s heady but divisive space odyssey, but this is a film that’s done its homework. And once Matthew McConaughey’s astronaut-farmer takes to the skies, all the film’s whiteboard-scribbling science lessons pay off with the most dazzling – and scientifically backed – renderings of space travel since 2001: A Space Odyssey . Say what you will about the film’s father-daughter narrative (Muuuuuurph!!!!), but even the most ardent detractor will be floored by Interstellar ’s cosmic imagery.

15.  Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Director: James Gunn

Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista

The MCU’s first proper trip to the cosmos takes its cues from Star Wars and The Ice Pirates in equal measure. But it also carves a unique impression into cinematic space lore thanks to its fantastic worlds and gleeful depiction of space travel. The sequel arguably nails the sensation of gravity-defying antics better, capping things off with a space funeral that trounces The Wrath of Khan . But director James Gunn’s original is the kind of film that knows damn well that a scene of eye-popping space psychedelics all but demands to be scored to Bowie’s ‘Moonage Daydream’ (of course), then delivers in kind.

16.  Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm

No other film captures the contradiction of space being at once infinitely vast and frighteningly claustrophobic than Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror masterpiece. It’s an oddly small picture, given its influence and iconic special effects, but the movie’s true genius is in how it maximises its small budget, turning a spaceship into a haunted house and the infinite void of the universe into a deep, dark wood. And the big, bad wolf has never been this terrifying. 

17.  Apollo 11 (2019)

• Documentaries

Director : Todd Douglas Miller

Strap yourself to the side of the thundering Apollo 11 rocket as it careers into, and beyond, the Earth’s atmosphere in a spectacular doc that makes great use of hitherto unseen Nasa footage. The mission, of course, successfully plonked two Americans on to the Moon’s surface and then unplonked them again, thereby winning that bit of the space race with the Soviet Union, but there’s nothing triumphalist in director Todd Douglas Miller’s thrilling recreation – just a lot of quiet professionalism, teamwork and fearless men in helmets. When it gets into space and the 70mm footage does its thing, it makes you wish you’d actually followed up on that childhood ambition to become an astronaut.

18.  Gravity (2013)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney

Some were disappointed when Alfonso Cuarón followed up 2006’s Children of Men – a masterpiece of dystopian world-building with big ideas about hope, faith and the future of humanity – with the simple story of an astronaut marooned in space. Of course, there’s nothing all that simple about poor Sandra Bullock’s situation. With her craft destroyed by orbiting debris and her partner (George Clooney) having floated off into the void, home appears both tantalisingly close and unimaginably far away. The movie is a technical marvel, but even on the small screen, it’s breathlessly tense – not since Alien has the infinite expanse of the universe felt so claustrophobic.

19.  First Man (2018)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast : Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler A true-life astronaut drama that soars for the heavens but finds its deepest emotions at the kitchen table, this reimagining of what Neil Armstrong was contending with at the time of the Apollo 11 mission will have you ugly crying before anyone can so much as bob across that lunar surface. Ryan Gosling reunites with his La La Land director, Damien Chazelle, to humanise the now almost mythical Armstrong in his grief for his young daughter, with a just-holding-it-together Claire Foy as the moonwalker’s wife. For the majority of its runtime, First Man is earthbound. But when it finally touches down on the moon, it’s cinematic magic: a moment of wonderment, solitude and an overwhelming sense that you’re right there too.

20.  Ad Astra (2019)

Director : James Gray

Cast : Brad Pitt, Ruth Negga, Tommy Lee Jones Directed with a lust for adventure by The Lost City of Z ’s, James Gray,  Ad Astra (‘to the stars’) follows Brad Pitt’s spaceman across the galaxy to track down his ornery dad (Tommy Lee Jones), who may or may not be trying to wipe out humanity from a space station near Neptune (spoiler: he is). The journey sits somewhere between the old Star Trek movies in its stargazy philosophising and the rebooted ones in some of zero-g action sequences that suck the air from your lungs. There’s also an awesome space-buggy chase across the moon and a bit with psychotic space baboons. We are here for them both.   

21.  Forbidden Planet (1956)

Director : Fred M Wilcox

Cast : Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis It’s Shakespeare in space – this iconic sci-fi is an intergalactic take on The Tempest – as a group of galactic travellers led by a straight-shooting Leslie Nielsen fall into the lap of megalomaniac boffin (Walter Pidgeon) on the remote planet of Altair 4. Cutting-edge effects presented in widescreen CinemaScope – the flying saucer remains cool AF – make this a true landmark not just in space flicks, but sci-fi genre as a whole. Don’t take our word for it: Gene Roddenberry cites it as a major influence on Star Trek .

22.  Silent Running (1972)

Director: Douglas Trumbull

Cast : Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts A direct inspiration for WALL-E and about as eco-conscious as science-fiction can get, this enduring classic shows that 2001: A Space Odyssey SFX maestro Trumbull could tell his own stories too. And this one follows a single astronaut (Bruce Dern) and his three adorbs robot pals, Louie, Huey and Dewey, as they drift through space, doing a spot of gardening and trying to stay sane in the face of mankind’s extinction. Heavy themes, sure, but treated with loads of heart and a philosophical spirit that echoes especially loudly in an era of climate crisis. 

23.  Solaris (1972)

Director : Andrei Tarkovsky

Cast : Donatas Banionis, Natalya Bondarchuk

Since remade by Steven Soderbergh, the original Tarkovsky Solaris is definitely the place to start when it comes to enigmatic, brainy affairs set in the far reaches of the universe. A cosmonaut (Lithuanian actor Donatas Banionis) is haunted by his dead wife as his spaceship orbits a mysterious planet. But is the planet creating embodiments of the ghosts haunting the poor man’s subsconscious, a bit like when Ray Stantz accidentally summons the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in Ghostbusters ? With its eerie visuals, it makes for a dreamlike journey to the far reaches of the human psyche.

24.  First Men in the Moon (1964)

Director : Nathan Juran

Cast : Edward Judd, Martha Hyer, Lionel Jeffries This monster-filled space adventure came out five years before man actually set foot on the moon and you can only hope Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong weren’t watching, because the moon landing itself is a trainwreck. The ‘in’ part of the title is key: this is a Journey to the Centre of the Earth -style caper that has a crew of heroically under-prepared Brits discovering all sorts of things that don’t want to be discovered beneath the lunar crust. You will learn nothing at all about space but the giant stop-motion critters, animated by the great Ray Harryhausen, are a lot of fun.

25.  For All Mankind (1989)

Director : Al Reinert Six moon landings are ticked off in Al Reinert’s iconic doc, all accompanied by Brian Eno’s cosmic score (if space had sound, it’d definitely sound like Brian Eno). It makes the perfect non-fiction double bill with the more recent Apollo 11 – a window into the experience of being on the moon and looking back at earth. ‘A spiritual presence was there,’ says one NASA astronaut of those lunar vibes. ‘We were not alone.’ Haunting and hard to shake, this is proof that sometimes real life can be as spectacular as science fiction.

26.  Sunshine (2007)

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh Director Danny Boyle positions his mindtrip space flick as a midway point between 2001: A Space Oydssey and Alien – a fusion of thrills and thinky bits that culminates in a third act that gets close to melting down as it draws close to the sun. You could probably throw Armageddon into that mix – a self-sacrificing crew of astronauts heads into space to save humanity from annihilation – although it’s a lot more believable (Boyle put his cast through astronaut training) and a lot less tub-thumping. The vast planetary vistas glimpsed from the decks of the Icarus II make a suitably awe-inspiring backdrop from its stellar cast (Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans et al) to come apart at the seams.

27.  Apollo 13 (1995)

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinese

So much more than its famous ‘Houston, we have a problem’ catchphrase, Apollo 13 harkens back to the glory days of white-knuckle, PG-rated entertainment. An ensemble tribute to the power of group problem-solving, it has Howard fully embracing a ‘70s aesthetic and the storytelling of the era to craft a timeless middlebrow crowd-pleaser with an almost surgical focus on the imperiled mission at hand. 

28.  Contact (1997)

Director: Robert Zemeckis 

Cast: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, John Hurt

We’d have loved to include Denis Villeneuve’s magical, melancholy Arrival  on this list but it takes place entirely within Earth’s atmosphere. Instead, try this big, ambitious drama from Back to the Future ’s Robert Zemeckis based on a book by sci-fi seer Carl Sagan. Contact ’s heart is in a similar place, and like Arrival ’s protagonist played by Amy Adams, it is female-led, steers clear of macho ideas of hostile aliens and cocks an ear to new voices from far beyond our solar system. Zemeckis, who loves to push visual boundaries, images space travel as a dizzying acid trip full of wormholes, whirlpools and mind-bending geometries. It’s one of those rare movies that should come with motion sickness tablets.

29.  Dark Star (1974)

Director : John Carpenter

Cast : Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich, Brain Narelle

There’s no film version of The Muppet’ s ‘Pigs in Space’ sketch, but John Carpenter’s debut, set during the 22nd century, delivers the next best thing: A hippie movie hopped up on its own counter-cultural sense of the absurd (there’s a talking bomb) and a pisstake-y irreverence. It’s the perfect antidote to bombastic science-fictions that get lost in their own self-importance – a lo-fi whoopie cushion that invites you aboard its titular spacecraft to hang out with four fargone astronauts and indulge in a little space surfing.

30.  High Life (2018)

Director : Claire Denis

Cast : Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin Myriad mysteries abound in this deliriously bonkers space oddity from French auteur Claire Denis ( White Material ) that co-stars Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche as an interstellar inmate and his scientist jailer. The human body and its function gets a rare exploration in this context – space flicks rarely spend this much time over their characters’ sexual needs in zero gravity ( 2001: A Space Odyssey does not have a Fuckbox) – and its themes of reproduction, incarceration and experimentation play out in a space with its own realities. Go with it, in other words, and be rewarded with a space journey unlike any other.

The 100 best sci-fi movies

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10 great films about space travel

To infinity and beyond... Celebrate 60 years of human spaceflight with our countdown of awe-inspiring space movies.

By  Brogan Morris

Since its earliest days, cinema has been fascinated by the idea of space travel. Some 67 years before Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, Georges Méliès took audiences there with 1902’s Le Voyage dans la lune. Considered cinema’s first sci-fi, Méliès’ film sees explorers crash into Earth’s closest neighbour in a rocket shot out of a cannon, and then proceed to do battle with the insectoid inhabitants.

Today, with the benefit of another century-plus of scientific understanding, the space film looks very different. Space travel in the movies is constantly evolving. In the space race era, space movies looked forward to a utopian future. In the 70s, a murkier vision reflective of growing real-world social and political distress took hold. And then, post-Star Wars, a more fantastical and action-packed take on life in space became the norm.

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In the last decade, cinema’s view of space travel has shifted again. While the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and reboots of the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises have emphasised the adventure, many others, including Gravity (2013) and The Martian (2015), have addressed the potential perils of space travel becoming more commonplace in an age of renewed exploration. Meanwhile, an increasing number of films, among them Interstellar (2014) and this year’s upcoming Voyagers, are asking whether, if humankind exhausts the Earth, we might find a new home on a planet B.

The same basic curiosity, however, endures from the days of Méliès: what are we going to find out there among the stars? And how might the answers change the way we see the world – or ourselves?

Ikarie  XB -1 (1963)

Director: Jindrich Polák

Made in a period when a limitless future was typically imagined for extraterrestrial travel, one in which food would be magically plentiful and no star system would be too distant, Ikarie XB -1 injected some scientific and psychological realism into the space film. Adapted from Stanislaw Lem’s novel The Magellanic Cloud, Czech director Jindrich Polák’s film finds a crew travelling at light speed to a potentially life-harbouring white planet orbiting Alpha Centauri.

Although resources and leisure time are ample aboard the Ikarie, the journey is not without consequence. The trip will seem like 28 months to the crew, but the nature of relativity means their loved ones will be 15 years older when they return to Earth. Meanwhile, cabin fever (and a heavy dose of space radiation) brings some crew members to the edge of sanity. Ikarie XB -1 was a clear influence on 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), with Stanley Kubrick calling it “a half step up from your average science fiction film” – which amounts to a ringing endorsement from the perfectionist filmmaker.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

A film that showed what was possible in sci-fi cinema, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 continues to be a touchstone for any picture that deals in space exploration. The story was a result of almost two years of intensive discussions between Kubrick and his co-writer, sci-fi novelist Arthur C. Clarke, and it took even longer to execute, with the director beginning filming in December 1965 and only finalising the film’s effects in March 1968.

Whether it’s a commercial flight to the moon or a classified long-range mission to Jupiter, 2001 luxuriates in its space sequences, majestic ballets of sound and movement set to classical music. Stanley Kubrick might famously never have won a best director Oscar, but he did take home one Academy Award, for 2001’s visual effects – and rightfully so. More than half a century on, the film’s depiction of space travel – realised practically through a combination of model work, huge sets and precise photographic projection – remains flawless.

Silent Running (1972)

Director: Douglas Trumbull

Some time in the future, Earth has become a climate-controlled utopia, free of disease and poverty. But it’s one which apparently has so little use left for nature that its last forests are now kept in geodesic domes orbiting Saturn. On the ship Valley Forge, botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) obsessively tends to three of these vast gardens when the order comes in to destroy them – an order Lowell disobeys by murdering the rest of the crew and piloting the ship out into deep space.

There’s a hangover of 1960s idealism to Silent Running. 2001 effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull’s directorial debut includes flower-power interludes featuring music by Joan Baez, while a multicoloured trip through Saturn’s rings has shades of an acid experience. The overriding tone, though, is one of new 1970s pessimism. Ultimately, Lowell‘s environmentalist dream sours, the peace he initially finds out in the cosmos soon giving way to loneliness and guilt over his killing for a fruitless ‘greater good’.

Star Wars (1977)

Director: George Lucas

Although sci-fi cinema generally went in a more mature direction in the 1970s, George Lucas’s empire-building third feature took a refreshingly opposite approach. Opening on an epic battle among the stars and climaxing with an even bigger one, Star Wars would present a universe where man (and Wookiee) has mastered space travel, with a quick leap from one habitable planet to the next possible at the mere push of a button.

Taking inspiration from pre-space race pulp sci-fi comics and film serials, Star Wars pays no mind to real physical or existential concerns about space travel. “Star Wars is a fantasy, much closer to the Brothers Grimm than it is to 2001…The word for this movie is fun,” said Lucas at the time. Still, not even this proto-blockbuster could totally escape the influence of the 70s, with its beat-up freighters and junky ship interiors suggesting a more hardscrabble life in space than Flash Gordon ever knew.

Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott

By the time Ridley Scott made this landmark sci-fi horror, space travel had become so routine in the movies it seemed almost anyone could do it. In Alien, the astronauts are blue-collar types complaining about bonuses and food. Their latest job is towing 20 million tonnes of mineral ore back to Earth. It’s only the threat of suspension of wages that convinces the crew of the Nostromo to make their fateful detour to a nearby ‘primordial’ moon, from which they unwittingly bring back to the ship the universe’s deadliest apex predator.

From there, Scott’s film becomes a spacebound haunted house picture, as H.R. Giger’s nightmarish xenomorph eliminates the crew one by one. Alien would be followed by a number of sequels, prequels and regrettable franchise crossovers, with all but one of them set primarily on terra firma. What makes the original so uniquely frightening is how impossible escape seems for its protagonists: what awaits the crew beyond the confines of the ship is no less hostile to them than their ravenous intruder.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Director: Ron Howard

Released in a fallow period for the space movie, Apollo 13 is itself about a period in which, post-Neil Armstrong, space travel had suddenly become passé to a world preoccupied with problems on the ground. In Ron Howard’s telling of 1970’s doomed Apollo 13 adventure, it isn’t until astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) find themselves in mortal danger on their way home from an aborted moon landing that the TV networks even start giving the mission any airtime.

Made just years before CGI would become de rigueur for the space movie, Apollo 13 is an impressively practical spectacle. Bolstered by digital effects, the film makes extensive use of spacecraft miniatures and replica sets. Most impressively, to achieve scenes of weightlessness, Howard shot aboard the so-called ‘Vomit Comet’, a modified NASA training aircraft that – for 20 seconds at a time – would place the actors in a simulated zero-G environment.

Sunshine (2007)

Director: Danny Boyle

To save Earth from the chill of a solar winter, a crack team of scientists are despatched to the heart of our solar system on a flying bomb named Icarus II (the first Icarus having become lost after it flew literally too close to the sun). Their mission: to nuke our dying star back to life. Sunshine may have the absurd premise of a Michael Bay movie, but it also has the combined scientific and philosophical imagination of screenwriter Alex Garland and science advisor Brian Cox.

What happens when a crew of diverse credos and fallibilities embarks on a long-distance space voyage? A clash of passion and pragmatism leads to regular fights between sensitive physicist Capa (Cillian Murphy) and surly engineer Mace (Chris Evans). A miscalculation by navigator Trey (Benedict Wong) destroys biologist Corazon’s (Michelle Yeoh) precious oxygen garden, leaving him suicidal and her bereft. Faced with the desolate blackness of endless space, some crew members fall under the spell of the blazing sun. But where one sees a merciless, overwhelming celestial body, another finds God.

First Man (2018)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Following Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) from his days as a test pilot through NASA training to his historic walk on the moon, First Man is a twofer: a dramatisation of the space race from the American side as well as a revisionist biopic of a mythical figure. Here the Apollo astronauts are portrayed as everyday suburban joes – husbands and fathers whose unique attributes allowed them to do remarkable things in their time, with Armstrong the most ordinary of the bunch.

Similarly deglamorised are the recreations of historic NASA space flights, which situate the viewer inside the cockpit from Armstrong’s point-of-view and depict early spacecraft as shockingly primitive, all creaking metal and analogue tech. The docu-style brings verisimilitude, but Justin Hurwitz’s ghostly score and some fluid space scenes see there’s also a musical grace to La La Land filmmaker Damien Chazelle’s fourth feature. It’s a poetic film about unpoetic men.

Aniara (2018)

Directors: Pella Kagerman and Hugo Lilja

Released the same year as Claire Denis’ unsettling space oddity High Life, Aniara is that film’s somehow even more despairing cousin. Adapted from Harry Martinson’s epic poem, Pella Kagerman and Hugo Lilja’s film traps the viewer inside a luxurious civilian transport meant for Mars but which – following an accident – is left cruising through space, rudderless and without any way to turn around.

In time, the micro-society on board the Aniara disintegrates, High-Rise-style, with passengers first embracing hedonism and cultish new religions. Then, as resources and hope of salvation both dwindle, they succumb to despair. This is one of a number of sci-fi films this century to depict mass space transportation gone horribly awry, but where Aniara differs from the likes of Pandorum (2009) or Alien: Covenant (2017) is that its horror is entirely existential. So many films about space travel end with characters triumphing over harsh odds and ultimately finding meaning in the void. Not this one.

Ad Astra (2019)

Director: James Gray

Ad Astra is a sci-fi Heart of Darkness that is, in essence, another contemplative drama about one of director James Gray’s trademark troubled men. In this case, the customary angst and father issues go to an astronaut in the shape of a never-more-fragile Brad Pitt. On a mission from US Space Command, Pitt’s Major Roy McBride planet-hops through a solar system in the early stages of colonisation to track down daddy Tommy Lee Jones, a brilliant scientist last heard from 16 years prior, circling Neptune.

Gray’s lonely, cynical vision of late 21st-century space as a commercialised wild west makes for a spectacular backdrop to a tale of familial discord. In this future, you’ll find a branch of Subway on the moon and audiovisual displays made to simulate the wonder of Earth inside Mars’ underground bunkers. You’ll also find warring tribes figuring out new ways to kill each other in a low-gravity environment. On Earth or in space, in Ad Astra humans continue to be stubbornly human.

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The 27 Best Movies About Space, From "Landscape With Invisible Hand" to "Asteroid City"

Updated on 8/19/2023 at 2:40 AM

When Earth gets to be too much, there's nothing quite like heading to the stars with an unforgettable space movie. Hollywood's fascination with outer space has led to an abundance of movies featuring astronauts and aliens. From Sandra Bullock's anxiety-inducing journey of survival in 2013's "Gravity" to the nostalgia of 2005's kid-friendly flick "Zathura," the best movies that take viewers out of this world run the gamut from realistic to fantastical.

It's not surprising that Hollywood has found an endless fount of inspiration by exploring what happens when humans go to space . . . or when space comes to them. Sometimes that means watching a brilliant character devise a way to survive in an inhospitable environment (think Matt Damon in "The Martian"), and other times it means looking at Earth from a new perspective (just like Natalie Portman's astronaut character in "Lucy in the Sky"). Then there's the prolific subgenre of films all about aliens, including adorable ones like Stitch from "Lilo & Stitch" , dictatorial ones like those in "Landscape With Invisible Hand," and explicitly bloodthirsty ones like the human-hunting predators in "Prey."

The one thing all space movies have in common is a fascination with the unknown. There's still so much people don't understand about the vastness of the universe, but thankfully, there are plenty of films out there committed to letting viewers explore space from the comfort of their couch with a big bowl of popcorn. Ahead, check out our roundup of the best space movies.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Landscape With Invisible Hand"

"Landscape With Invisible Hand" takes place in a universe where aliens have taken over Earth — and they happen to have an unusual fascination with human love. Two teens (Asante Blackk and Kylie Rogers) decide to start filming their relationship for the aliens' consumption in order to earn extra money, and soon they find themselves bankrolling their entire families — though things get complicated once their relationship starts to fall apart.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Asteroid City"

Like many films that feature extraterrestrials, Wes Anderson's star-studded "Asteroid City" is more concerned with humanity than with aliens, though that doesn't mean alien life isn't a critical part of the story. The movie's plot largely revolves around a play-within-the-film about a town hosting a camp for brilliant, space-obsessed teens. When an alien appears in a large nearby crater and steals a bit of a fallen meteorite, the camp's attendees find themselves quarantined by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Additional extraterrestrial events ensue.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "WALL-E"

Few other movies about space have ever been this adorable, or this prophetic. "WALL-E" tells the story of a little robot left to clean up the ruins of Earth after it's destroyed by environmental catastrophe. When he falls in love with a robot called EVE who hails from an orbiting starship, he winds up traveling to space to find her, and together they decide to attempt to save what's left of WALL-E's home planet.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "The Martian"

Mark Watney (Matt Damon) has the worst day ever when his fellow astronauts assume he's dead and leave Mars without him in "The Martian." With limited supplies and little hope for survival, Mark has no choice but to rely on his engineering skills and wry sense of humor to keep him going as he tries to make contact with Earth. As he fights to survive on Mars, his colleagues are busy trying to find a way to bring him home, making this a nail-biting journey for all of the characters involved.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Interstellar"

Directed by Christopher Nolan, "Interstellar" is a twist-filled, thought-provoking film about the sacrifices one man makes in hopes of finding Earth's inhabitants a new home. The movie stars Matthew McConaughey as Cooper, a NASA pilot who is sent through a wormhole to visit three planets as he searches for one that can sustain human life. While McConaughey gives a wonderful performance, it's the jaw-dropping visuals and science of the movie that will keep you glued to your seat until the credits roll.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Lucy in the Sky"

Loosely inspired by the true story of astronaut Lisa Nowak, "Lucy in the Sky" stars Natalie Portman as the titular Lucy, an astronaut who is so changed by her experience in space, she can't seem to readapt to life on Earth. As Lucy throws herself into training so she can make a return trip, she begins to have hallucinations as she continues to feel disconnected from life on Earth. Then when she discovers her husband is having an affair, her mental health takes another hit as she unravels.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Gravity"

Few films are quite as anxiety-inducing as "Gravity," starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer, and Clooney is a seasoned astronaut named Matt Kowalsky. Early in the film, the pair go on what's supposed to be a routine spacewalk, but when their shuttle is destroyed, they end up floating alone in the vastness of space.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Apollo 13"

Based on the actual events surrounding the Apollo 13 mission, "Apollo 13" is a star-studded '90s film that still holds up today. The cast includes Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and the late Bill Paxton as a trio of astronauts whose journey is off to a safe start until an oxygen tank explodes. Things get intense from there as a mix of technical problems and interpersonal drama puts the crew in a dangerous position.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Zathura"

"Zathura" is basically "Jumanji" in space but the 2005 movie is still a total romp. In addition to starring a young Kristen Stewart and Josh Hutcherson, the film also features Dax Shepard as a baby-faced astronaut. The movie kicks off with Stewart's character put in charge of babysitting her little brothers, but when the boys find the magical game of Zathura, their entire house rockets into space.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "2001: A Space Odyssey"

"2001: A Space Odyssey" is an undeniably trippy film, but it also might be the definitive space movie, depending on who you ask. The 1968 movie features an eerie story of A.I. gone wrong that's even more relevant now than it was then. But there's more to the story than a fearful astronaut begging Hal to open the pod bay doors. There's also an extended journey through space and time that's still inspiring lively debates about its meaning among movie fans to this day.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Solaris"

Clooney just can't resist a good space movie. In addition to playing a supporting role in "Gravity," he also starred in 2002's remake of the '70s film "Solaris." The "Ocean's 11" actor plays a psychiatrist who is sent to investigate the strange behavior of the crew aboard a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. However, it doesn't take long for the psychiatrist to begin experiencing the unexpected effects of the planet on his psyche too.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Tides"

Also known as "The Colony," "Tides" is as much about environmental awareness as it is about the wonders of space. Set after a global event wipes out most of Earth's population, those humans who survived now live on a space colony. Unfortunately, the planet's radiation has rendered them infertile, which leads a group of astronauts to venture back to Earth in hopes that humanity can return to its ravaged homeland.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "3022"

"3022" is a thoughtful sci-fi film that's as emotional as it is gripping. Set in the future, a group of astronauts lives on a space station where they maintain Earth's first space colony. Their mission leaves each of them dealing with a variety of stress-related issues, which begin to spiral out of control when they suspect they have witnessed an event that may have ended life on Earth as they know it. The film stars Omar Epps, Kate Walsh, Miranda Cosgrove, and Angus Macfadyen.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"

Directed by Steven Spielberg, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" remains one of the most iconic films about aliens making contact with humans ever made. The movie stars Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary, a man whose belief that he's made contact with extraterrestrials becomes all-consuming. Soon, his drive to connect with the aliens once more leads him on an adventure that takes him away from his family and toward the unknown.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "First Man"

Based on the true story of Neil Armstrong, "First Man" is an intimate look at the process behind the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Ryan Gosling stars as Armstrong, who begins the movie believing he'll be grounded after the death of his daughter. Instead, he is accepted into the Gemini 8 program which eventually leads to him becoming the first person to set foot on the moon. In addition to Gosling, the rest of the cast includes Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "High Life"

Robert Pattinson shows off his dramatic acting chops in "High Life." The 2018 film features dark themes, as a group of criminals are used as unwilling test subjects on a space mission that sends them hurtling toward a black hole. Pattinson stars as Monte, a man who is serving a life sentence for murdering his friend who killed his dog. As the situation around him becomes increasingly violent, Monte soon becomes the caretaker of a baby girl born in space.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Alien"

The 1979 horror classic "Alien" kicked off a franchise of successful films and introduced the world to Sigourney Weaver's heroic Ellen Ripley. The claustrophobic movie kicks off with a space crew being awakened halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. What they don't expect is for their time on the ship to leave one of their own infected by an alien creature that will wreak havoc on the crew.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Hidden Figures"

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, "Hidden Figures" tells the true story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three Black mathematicians whose brilliant work helped the United States take a major step forward in the space race. Even as they faced racism and sexism, the trio's calculations and tireless dedication to NASA's mission made it possible to launch John Glenn into orbit.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Armageddon"

"Armageddon" is hardly the most realistic space movie, but the big-budget disaster film remains a blast to watch. That's thanks in large part to the work of stars like Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Owen Wilson, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan. Willis stars as a driller who's recruited by NASA to join a ragtag team on a mission to drill a hole in an asteroid heading toward Earth and detonate a nuclear bomb before it makes contact.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Prey"

Released in 2022, "Prey" is a brilliant prequel to the "Predator" movies set in 1719, when one of the human-hunting aliens lands in the Great Plains. The story focuses on Naru, a Comanche woman played by Amber Midthunder, who is determined to prove herself as a hunter. However, she never expected her test to involve fighting against a futuristic alien as she does her best to protect her people from their dangerous extraterrestrial visitor.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Men in Black"

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are a dream team in "Men in Black." The 1997 blockbuster stars Smith as Agent J, a man who is recruited by a secret government agency that monitors alien life on Earth. Jones is Agent K, an old pro at the job who isn't too pleased to be stuck with the rookie — especially when he and his new partner discover a dangerous alien plot threatening all of humankind.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Event Horizon"

This spooky space movie is an unsettling journey into the unknown. In "Event Horizon," a space crew is sent to investigate the sudden return of a long-missing ship. At first, the ship appears to be abandoned, but the crew quickly realizes that they're not alone. What's more, whatever befell the previous residents of the ship is now preying on them as well. The 1997 film stars Laurence Fishburne, Joely Richardson, and Sam Neill.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Nope"

Jordan Peele's 2022 horror/sci-fi film "Nope" is the perfect blend of genres. Two siblings who train horses for Hollywood productions are disturbed by an unidentified flying object they spot hovering over their ranch. To say much more would be spoiling Peele's fun. Just know you're in for something special thanks in part to the talented cast led by Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Lilo & Stitch"

Disney will soon be releasing a live-action version of "Lilo & Stitch," but the 2002 animated movie will always hold a special place in the hearts of Disney fans. The movie is first and foremost a story about family, as little Lilo attempts to adjust to living with her big sister after the death of their parents. But it's also a charming sci-fi film thanks to the presence of the wonderfully chaotic alien, Stitch, who helps bring the sisters together.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Arrival"

What would a visit from extraterrestrials really be like? This is the question posed by "Arrival," the 2016 film starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. Adams plays linguistics professor Louise Banks, who's tasked with unraveling the language of the mysterious aliens who have landed on Earth. Soon her mission leads to a deeper understanding of not only the visitors but also of the capabilities of humans.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century"

"Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century" is inarguably one of the best Disney Channel Original Movies of all time for the fashion alone. Zenon is a normal 13-year-old girl who happens to live on a space station in the year 2049. But when she gets into trouble with the station's commander, she's sent to live with her aunt on Earth as punishment. And let's just say it takes the Earthlings a little bit of time (and some fun dance numbers) before they learn to appreciate Zenon's quirkiness.

Best Space Movies Featuring Aliens and Astronauts: "E.T."

Another Spielberg film, "E.T." is a moving story of friendship and a nostalgic favorite for anyone who came of age in the '80s. The story follows a young boy named Elliott, who meets a sweet alien he dubs E.T. The two become fast friends, but the government is hunting E.T. This leads to the little boy embarking on a big adventure to get E.T. home again — no matter how much it breaks his heart to say goodbye.

The 47 Best Space Movies of All Time

To infinity and beyond.

The film industry has long been obsessed with outer space—even before men walked on the moon. In fact, the first film on space dates all the way back to 1902 with the French silent film, A Trip to the Moon . Since then, we’ve come a long way from the days of outerwordly black-and-white movies made with cardboard cutouts. Nowadays, the best movies about space travel push the boundaries of special effects and the human imagination, which is why we love them so much. 

Now, let’s get one thing straight about space movies: You don’t have to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy them. While some films take us Earthlings to new planets inhabited by new creatures (I’m looking at you Star Trek !), other films are no work of fiction at all— First Man and Apollo 13 are based on very real stories and will leave you shook to the core. 

So the next time you’re in need of a little escape from the issues that plague our world, look no further than this list of the best space movies. Each film on this list will take you somewhere you’ve never been before, all without leaving your couch. These films all reference space in some shape or form, but they also range in subject matter and genre—so whether you prefer a comedy or drama, we’ve got you covered. Ahead in no particular order, are 47 films that will take you to a galaxy far, far away. 

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

In 1968, Stanley Kubrik's  2001: A Space Odyssey  debuted to underwhelming reviews. Years later, the film became a cult-classic for cinephiles and sci-fi fanatics.  2001  takes you on the ultimate trip. I'm not saying you should be stoned while watching this, but I'm not  not  saying that.

WATCH IT 

Interstellar (2014)

Christopher Nolan's  Interstellar , which features a star-studded cast — Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, Michael Caine, and a young Timothée Chalamet, to name a few — is easily one of the most successful space movies of the decade. The film follows Cooper (McConaughey) who's on a journey through the galaxy to find a potential new home for humankind.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

Planning a trip that's out of this world? Don't panic.  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy  (2005) has you covered. Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, and Sam Rockwell make this hilariously dysfunctional cast heroes of the galaxy. This movie has everything: singing dolphins, a two-headed president, and the answer to the eternal question—what is the meaning of life?

WALL-E (2008)

WALL-E  tells the story of the last robot left on an uninhabitable Earth filled with trash. Relatable, no? Though dialogue is limited, the film is visually stunning and a sentimental. Come for the Pixar animated cuteness, stay for the feels. 

Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999)

Zetus Lapetus! This Disney Channel Original Movie is a standout in the collection of space cinema. Zenon (Kristen Storm) has been grounded by her parents...to Earth. When trouble strikes on the space station, Zenon has to save her parents and best friend Nebula (Raven-Symoné) before it's too late. Let us not forget the  special performance  by intergalactic superstar Prota Zoa.

Space Jam (1996)

NBA legend and one of the greatest athletes of all time, Bugs Bunny, stars opposite Michael Jordan in this 1996 sports cinematic masterpiece. Bunny and his cartoon comrades take Jordan out of basketball retirement to defeat theme park owner, Swackhammer (Danny freakin' DiVito!).

WATCH IT  

Alien (1979)

From the space auteur Ridley Scott, this first film in the  Alien  franchise is as gripping as it is visually captivating. Ellen Ripley (Madame Sigourney Weaver) and her copilots attempt to escape an extraterrestrial who's boarded their spacecraft. The film's biggest takeaway? Always listen to a woman when she has a plan!

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

When this movie debuted, everyone thought  Chris Pratt is...hot?  In this Marvel film, Star-Lord (Pratt) joins fellow convicts Rocket the Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Drax, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Groot (Vin Diesel) to return a stolen orb to safe hands and, well, save the galaxy.

The Star Wars Franchise

Jedis, Droids, Wookiees, oh my! The 9+ films in the  Star Wars  franchise are the most successful in the galaxy, so we are contractually obligated* to put them on this list. If you haven't seen any of them by now, what asteroid have you been living under?

*Not obligated whatsoever

Hidden Figures (2016)

Hidden Figures  tells the story of unsung NASA heroes Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—three Black women who fast-tracked the space race and helped launch man into orbit for the first time. Are we surprised women were behind one of NASA's most successful events? Absolutely not...but we love to see it!

Arrival (2016)

Amy Adams is a linguistics professor called to lead a team of scientists attempting to communicate with an alien spaceship that landed on Earth. Her performance is breathtaking (talk about Oscars  robbery ), especially considering her main co-star was...an alien.

Moon (2009)

If you love Sam Rockwell,  Moon  is a slow-burn movie you'll need to see. Did I fall asleep midway? Sure. But when I woke up and restarted, I was glad I did. Astronaut Sam Bell (Rockwell) is finishing up a three-year assignment when an accident causes him to see double. Trouble ensues when Rockwell faces a clone of himself onboard. I hate when that happens!

Men in Black (1997)

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are the secret agents sworn to keep the Earth safe from all things extraterrestrial. Man vs. alien, what could possibly go wrong? A lot! Only thing this movie is missing? Sigourney Weaver!

Blade Runner (1982)

The original  Blade Runner , another Ridley Scott classic, follows Deckard (Harrison Ford) who's sent to Earth on the hunt for escaped Replicants. When he falls in love with a Replicant woman, things will never be the same.

Ad Astra (2019)

Did I watch this movie just to see Brad Pitt look like a disgruntled hot zaddy in a space uniform? Maybe, what of it?  Ad Astra  follows Pitt's character as he searches for an answer for his missing astronaut father. It's gripping and beautiful. Brad Pitt's best performance? No, but what compares to Brad  Burn After Reading  Pitt?

Solaris (1972)

This Russian film in which Kris Kelvin starts seeing his late wife aboard the space craft is a cult-classic. This psychological thriller was later remade in 2002 starring George Clooney. I watched the remake; stick to the original. 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One  could be grouped in with the  Star Wars  franchise, but Felicity Jones is just too badass in this movie to not recognize it on its own!  Rogue One  is set just before  A New Hope  and follows Jyn Erso (Jones) as she leads the rebel alliance to steal plans to the Death Star. We love to see galactic feminism!

Gravity (2013)

Director Alfonso Cuarón's cinematic masterpiece,  Gravity ,   is awe-inspiring and  completely unrealistic . The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in my worst nightmare—alone and floating aimlessly in outer space. You'll be on the edge of your seat the whole time riding that anxiety high.

First Man (2018)

First Man  is the story of Neil Armstrong's (Ryan Gosling) journey to space with the support of his wife (Claire Foy). The film depicts Armstrong's spacewalk and the advancements of mankind. It's...slow, but Foy's performance is gripping and Gosling is not too bad to look at! 

The Martian (2015)

If you thought the world was short on films about white male astronauts, think again!  The Martian ,   based on the best-selling novel, follows an astronaut (Matt Damon) stranded on Mars as he attempts to stay alive. Think  The Circle  except its Damon talking to his webcam about his plants. 

High Life (2018)

From director Claire Denis,  High Life  is trippy masterpiece. Robert Pattinson attempts to survive an endless mission in outer space. It's artistic and definitely not made for the faint of heart.

Star Trek (2009)

Based on the hit 1960s TV series, the first  Star Trek  movie in the 2000s trilogy follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) on a journey to the final frontier. If you watched the show, it's nostalgic glory. If not, sit back and watch sexy Pine take control.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Based on the true story of the Apollo 13 mission, Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon's characters fight to stay alive when malfunctions take place mid-mission.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

One of the best films in the Marvel franchise (@ me, I dare you!),  Thor: Ragnarok  finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a junk planet, the name of which I honestly can't remember. He tries to save Asgard alongside Hulk (hot daddy Mark Ruffalo!), Loki, and Valkyrie. Directed by Taika Waititi ( JoJo Rabbit, What We Do in the Shadows ), this movie will make you laugh out loud.

Lucy in the Sky (2019)

Lucy in the Sky  follows astronaut Lucy Cola (Natalie Portman) on her mission to space. The film is a slow-burn, but visually stimulating and a cult favorite.

Prometheus (2012)

Another Ridley Scott sci-fi thriller!  Prometheus  stars Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender as they search for other sentient beings in the universe. What could possibly go wrong?

Treasure Planet (2002)

Based on  Treasure Island , this animated film is about a treasure hunt across the galaxy in a space ship. Sails included.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

This indie-flick stars David Bowie as an extraterrestrial who's found his way to Earth and falls in love with a human while trying to save his home planet. The '70s weren't necessarily the prime decade for cinema, but Bowie is iconic in this film. It will make you think,  What did I just watch?

Armageddon (1998)

When an asteroid is destined for Earth, who better to save the day than Billy Bob Thorton and Bruce Willis? Also starring Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler,  Armageddon  is one of sci-fi's favorite space movies. The best part of the film? Aerosmith's original song, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

One of the original space films,  The Day the Earth Stood Still  is an essential watch for sci-fi cinephiles. Chaos ensues when an alien, alongside his large robot, visits Earth to deliver a message that will change all of humankind. This movie was remade in 2008 with a young Keanu Reeves. Still, watch the original.

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, and yes, Madame Sigourney Weaver star in this 1999 space comedy about TV astronauts forced by aliens to help save their planet. It's funny in the "you had to see it in the '90s" sort of way.

I Am Mother (2019)

I Am Mother  is the story of a young girl raised by a robot. When an outsider (Hilary Swank) arrives, the girl is forced to decide between who to believe: her robotic caretaker or a fellow human.

Avatar (2009)

When James Cameron's  Avatar  came out in 2009 ,  did I see it in 3-D IMAX? Yes. Does it need five sequels and a Disney World Theme Park? Absolutely not. Let me sum up this film in a few words: war, blue, alien sex. Still, it was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Californians are under attack by flying saucers in this 1959 cult classic. Their plan? Resurrect corpses of a Hollywood cemetery in a Frankenstein-style fashion.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

In  A Wrinkle in Time , based off the beloved Madeleine L'Engle novel, two young kids travel the universe in search of their missing father. Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah help the children on their mission. The film itself is a visual marvel, hair and makeup are iconic to say the least, but the performances fall flat and it doesn't match the hype.

Spaceballs (1987)

For those who loved the '80s,  Spaceballs , the famous parody of  Star Wars,  pokes fun at every sci-fi movie made. It's okay to love it—even not ironically.

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

If you haven't seen  Jupiter Ascending , now is not the time. Mila Kunis is Jupiter Jones, an alien, opposite Channing Tatum, who is half canine, half human. (I wish I could make this up.)

Coneheads (1993)

From the  SNL  sketch to the big screen,  Coneheads  follows a family of aliens who've found a home in Jersey and try to live a normal life. Another film with a cult-following, this movie caters to lovers of old  SNL  and Dan Aykroyd .

It Came from Outer Space (1953)

The 1953 classic film depicts an alien invasion. Townspeople begin to disappear and are replaced by alien versions. Think:  Invasion of the Body Snatchers  meets  The Twilight Zone . An essential watch for space cinephiles.

The Astronaut's Wife (1999)

A former astronaut (Johnny Depp) returns to Earth after a mission but isn't quite the same. His wife (Charlize Theron) begins to notice his strange behavior, and drama ensues.

LIFE (2017)

LIFE  stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Renolds in this sci-fi thriller in which a new life form begins to develop aboard the International Space Station. 

October Sky (1999)

Jake Gyllenhaal has weirdly been in a lot of movies about space. In October Sky, he plays the real NASA scientist Homer Hickham, who was inspired to go into rocketry after the Sputnik launch. 

Dune (2021)

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya make this movie worth the watch alone, but the action in this sci-fi flick is pretty cool, too. We couldn't tell you exactly what goes down in the movie (the plot is a tad complicated) but think of it as Game of Thrones set across the universe. Instead of fighting over the Iron Throne, the warring families are fighting over... spice? 

Contact (1997)

There's nothing like watching a badass woman lead in a male-dominated field. Jodie Foster stars as Ellie, a scientist who uncovers an intergalactic message and has to work to discover its meaning. It's an eerily creepy watch, but one that will have you questioning what exactly is beyond our planet. 

Adapted from Iain Reid’s 2018 novel of the same name, this movie is a bit like an extended episode of Black Mirror : It tells the story of a married couple, Hen and Junior—played by Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal—who learn that Junior has been chosen to travel to space for a trial run of a new space colony. In his place, Hen will have a robot who looks and acts like Junior to keep her company. It’s as much a portrait of a complicated marriage as it is an unsettling sci-fi tale, and Ronan’s quiet performance bridging the two is particularly perfect.

Passengers (2016)

If you can get past the murky morality of this movie’s premise—a man (Chris Pratt) who wakes up on a spaceship traveling to a new planet proceeds to wake up a fellow traveler (Jennifer Lawrence) after becoming smitten with her video profile, essentially condemning her to die with him before the ship arrives at its destination—it’s essentially a tale of finding love in a (truly) hopeless place, as the great prophet Rihanna foretold.

Lightyear (2022)

This 2022 Pixar flick took a very meta approach to the “origin story” trend. It’s not, as you might expect, the story of the toy Buzz Lightyear before he met Woody and the gang. Instead, it’s the story of the fictional human astronaut Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans), who was the subject of a kids TV series in the Toy Story universe, after whom Andy's beloved Buzz Lightyear action figure was modeled. Confused yet?

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30 Most Underrated Space Movies You Need To Watch

Ever since the 1902 short film "A Trip To The Moon" saw a rocket smash into the face of the lunar surface, Hollywood has been enamored with stories set amidst the stars. While science fiction movies can encompass many different kinds of remarkable stories, from time travel tales to futuristic dystopian post-apocalypses, stories set in outer space hold a special fascination for the audience and are a touchstone of the genre. Whether they're grounded tales of astronauts seeking out intelligent life or fantastic alien battles between good and evil, some of the biggest films of all time have taken place far from Earth among the vast and endless reaches of the cosmos.

But for every "Star Wars," there's a forgotten, underrated space movie that was swallowed up by the bigger box office hit. For ever "Interstellar," there's another unheralded independent drama about an astronaut that deserves more attention. You've seen "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and "The Martian," and now it's time you take a look at some more movies you may have missed, overlooked because they weren't lighting up the box office charts, or buried in an avalanche of streaming titles. From a 1972 ecological sci-fi thriller to a 2021 Netflix original, here are underrated space movies that you need to watch.

1. Sunshine

The 2007 sci-fi thriller "Sunshine" was directed by Danny Boyle ( "28 Days Later" ) and features one of the best casts on this list. The story chronicles the crew of the starship Icarus II, who've departed a devastated Earth on a critical mission to reignite the sun, which is dying and has left the planet slowly withering away in increasing darkness. A previous mission to save the world had been tried and failed under mysterious circumstances, but when this new crew find the abandoned starship Icarus I along the way, they go aboard to salvage supplies. Looking to find out what went wrong the first time, they bring back a bigger mystery, and soon new problems begin to plague their own ship. It quickly becomes clear that someone is trying to sabotage their mission to save the sun — and doom Earth forever.

A haunting science fiction thriller with a heartbreaking climax, it takes a shocking turn midway through the film that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Largely overlooked on its release, it was  a flop at the box office in the middle of a crowded blockbuster summer , but eventually gained some attention after its home video release and later on streaming sites like Netflix. Cillian Murphy and Michelle Yeoh headlined the cast, while a pre-MCU Chris Evans and Benedict Wong appeared alongside Hiroyuki Sanada and Rose Byrne.

2. 2010: The Year We Make Contact

The 1984 sci-fi sequel "2010: The Year We Make Contact" has long lived in the shadow of its predecessor, the groundbreaking science fiction epic "2001: A Space Odyssey." This sequel, released 15 years after the original, and based on Arthur C. Clarke's sequel novel, "2010: Odyssey II," picks up nearly a decade after Dave Bowman's disastrous showdown with the artificially intelligent computer called HAL 9000. 

The film sees the launch of second expedition into space, this time a joint effort between American and Soviet space programs, to determine what happened aboard the Discovery before the ship's orbit decays and it collides with one of the planet's many moons. Finding both Discovery and the mysterious monolith that was at the center of its earlier mission, Discovery Two uncovers the truth behind HAL 9000's behavior, and gets closer to the secrets of the monoliths. Their mission is complicated by events back on Earth, where relations between the United States and the Soviet Union have begun to break down. 

Despite a stellar cast that includes Roy Scheider and Helen Mirren, the film can't quite live up to the 1969 classic that preceded — but if we're honest, few science fiction films do. On its own merits, though, "2010: The Year We Make Contact" is a less cerebral sequel that might even satisfy those who felt the first film was a bit too slow. In some respects, it could even be seen as more effective sci-fi mystery with a clearer message and a warning about our own future, in the truest tradition of the genre.

3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The sixth and final "Star Trek" film to feature the cast of "The Original Series," "The Undiscovered Country" brings Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest of the crew back to the bridge of the Enterprise for one last adventure. Ready for retirement, the destruction of a Klingon moon draws them back out into space, with Kirk reluctantly leading a diplomatic mission to escort the Klingon Chancellor to Earth. With their bitter rivals in crisis, there are calls for peace, and the Federation hopes to negotiate a once unthinkable alliance. But when the Chancellor Gorkon is assassinated and Kirk is blamed, he and McCoy are put on trial. 

The chancellor's daughter goes forward with the peace talks, but Spock — now in command of the Enterprise — believes her father's death was part of a bigger plot to sabotage the coming treaty. While "The Undiscovered Country" is recognized as one of the better "Trek" films, it's often overshadowed by "The Wrath Of Khan" and the more crowd-pleasing "Voyage Home." But the sixth film is more than just a space adventure, and it rarely gets the recognition it deserves as a first-rate political thriller that was intended as an allegory for the fall of the Berlin Wall . 

Impeccable direction, nail-biting suspense, and a chilling performance by actor Christopher Plummer — not to mention a climactic starship confrontation — help make it the franchise's most underrated film.

A terrifying psychological thriller, the 2009 film "Moon" is another movie that received more recognition after its original theatrical release, though it proved short-lived. Since that brief window when it was the talk of sci-fi circles, the movie has fallen back into the pack of underrated sci-fi classics, and deserves to be brought back out for another viewing. Essentially a one-man play, Sam Rockwell ("Iron Man 2") stars as engineer Sam Bell, an astronaut assigned to an extended solitary mission aboard a lunar-based mining installation. 

For three long years, Sam has had no company aboard the station but for a robotic assistant named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey). But as his rotation on the moon draws to a close and he prepares to head home, he suddenly begins to lose his grip on his sanity. Seeing visions of a strange woman and a young girl, Sam is forced to question reality itself. Is what he seeing a hallucination or a nightmare, and what is his real mission? These are the questions that Sam and the audience must ponder, and the answers will shock you. Carried solely by Rockwell's powerful singular performance, "Moon" proves a story about a lonely man searching for his soul. A stunning debut for writer and director Duncan Jones, the filmmaker has struggled to live up to his opening masterpiece.

5. Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension

Before he had his career-defining turn as Alex Murphy in "Robocop," star Peter Weller took the title role in W.D. Richter's 1984 cult classic "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai in the 8th Dimension." As weird as you'd expect from the title, the eclectic title hero is a scientist/doctor/rock star/test pilot turned dimension-hopping superhero crimefighter. It all starts when Banzai and his scientist mentor Dr. Tohichi Hikita create a device that sends him and his jet-powered Ford F-350 briefly into another dimension. But while there, he draws the attention of alien overlords who are building an army and plan on attacking New Jersey.

Alongside his bandmates in the Hong Kong Cavaliers, Banzai has to save the Garden State from being overrun by warriors from another dimension. While the movie's plot is needlessly complicated, that's part of the zany, off-the-wall fun of it. Dismissed in its day for being too ridiculous even for the '80s, it proved well ahead of its time , where with more modern SFX it would fit right in today alongside colorful comic book comedies like "Guardians Of The Galaxy," "Thor: Ragnarok" or DC's "Peacemaker." Its all-star cast included Weller, Clancy Brown, Jeff Goldblum , Christopher Lloyd, Ellen Barkin, Carl Lumbly, and John Lithgow, too. If you can get past the dated visuals, "The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai In The 8th Dimension" delivers a raucously silly good time.

6. Screamers

Also starring Peter Weller, the 1995 film "Screamers" was based on a story by Philip K. Dick (whose others works were adapted into  "Blade Runner," "The Man In The High Castle," "Total Recall," and "Minority Report"), and was written by Dan O'Bannon (who wrote the original "Alien"). Appearing in a more serious action thriller this time around, Weller plays Commander Joseph Hendricksson, leader of a group of former laborers on a distant colony who are embroiled in a brutal war with the mining company. The mining union have fought back and created an army of robotic sentries called "screamers" to hunt and kill the mercenaries the company brought in to crack down on labor strikes.  

But when a company soldier arrives with an offer of peace — and is gunned down by a screamer before he can deliver it — Hendricksson must figure out if the message is true. Does the company really want to end the war? Meanwhile, screamers themselves seem to be growing minds of their own, and have gained a shocking new ability that adds a new dimension to the conflict. A creepy, action-packed thriller that not-so-coincidentally recalls the gritty tone of "Alien," "Screamers" deserves to be dusted off and watched again in the 21st century.

7. High Life

When Robert Pattinson was still struggling to be taken seriously as an actor post-"Twilight," he took a turn in a sci-fi horror film to show his chops in a more cerebral setting. With French filmmaker Claire Denis in the director's chair, the 2018 film "High Life" follows an astronaut named Monte. He is all alone on a journey through deep space aboard an otherwise empty starship, with only what appears to be his infant daughter as company. Told in a nonlinear fashion, the movie flips back and forth from the past and the present as we learn more about what brought him aboard, what caused the loss of the rest of the ship's crew, and where he is headed with a baby in tow.

As the film peels back the layer's of Monte's past, we discover not all is as it seems, and a larger tapestry is at play. An understated performance from Pattinson helps focus the film, which earned it good reviews on its release. Unfortunately, it came and went quickly from theaters. But with Pattinson ascending to Hollywood heavyweight in the aftermath of "The Batman," this is one film that deserves to be given new life, and should be appreciated as one of the most underrated sci-fi films of the decade.

8. Enemy Mine

A science fiction drama from 1985, Dennis Quaid ("Inner Space") and Louis Gossett Jr. ("Iron Eagle") starred in "Enemy Mine," a story of two men — one human, the other alien — who must overcome their biases and distrust of each other's peoples in order to survive on a desolate world in the far reaches of outer space. As the film opens, we find Earth at war with a deadly alien race of reptile-like humanoids called the Dracs some time in the late 21st century. The war has been devastating for both sides, and each has developed a violent intolerance of the other. Fighter pilot Will Davidge (Quaid) has an almost blind hatred for the Dracs, and during a brutal outer space battle, finds himself and an enemy soldier both crashed on a nearby planetoid.

While they at first try to kill one another, it becomes clear that to survive, they'll have to put aside their hatred and work together. As Davidge and the alien attempt to communicate, they learn about each other, and find that they are not so different after all. Using science fiction the way the genre intended, the film provides a social and moral message about looking past our differences to find common ground. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen ("Das Boot"), it's criminally overlooked, and one of the best forgotten sci-fi films of the '80s.

9. Pandorum

Speaking of Dennis Quaid, years after his '80s hayday he would star in "Pandorum," an independent horror movie released in 2009, set aboard a mysterious interstellar starship. Quaid co-stars with Ben Foster ( "X-Men: The Last Stand" ) as Peyton and Bower, a pair of astronauts who awaken from cryogenic stasis and find themselves aboard what seems to be a empty starship. They have no memory of who they are, why they are there, or what the purpose of the vessel might be. As they begin to explore the ship, they realize that they are not alone: they are being stalked by a bizarre and deadly alien creature. But the bloodthirsty beast may or may not be real, as they could be suffering from pandorum — a form of space psychosis — as a result of their extended time in stasis.

But the stakes are raised when they learn that their mission is nothing less than the preservation of the entire human race itself: The ship hauls the last vestiges of mankind on an voyage to a new world after the devastation of Earth. Though the film was barely seen when released in theaters, it garnered a cult following when it found a home on Netflix not long after. Newly discovered by horror and sci-fi enthusiasts who passed it around as a hidden streaming gem, it saw new life, but remains an underrated sci-fi "never-was."

10. Solo: A Star Wars Story

A "Star Wars" movie that's underrated? Look no further than the prequel film "Solo: A Star Wars Story." Savaged by its critics and called the spin-off nobody asked for, the film gives admittedly unnecessary backstory to  the lovable thief Han Solo, once played by Harrison Ford. 

Set some 15 years before the original "Star Wars," it finds the young wayward Han on the run from a criminal syndicate. Separated from the woman he loves, Han joins a group of smugglers led by a seasoned gangster named Tobias Beckett. Taken under the wing of a notorious scoundrel, Han becomes a crafty young hustler himself. But when a job goes wrong and Han finds himself on the wrong end of intergalactic kingpin Dryden Voss, he'll have to get help from a former Wookie slave and a charismatic rogue if he wants to stay alive and reunite with his lost love. 

Though it may not have been a story that needed to be told, and it's certainly not a perfect movie — bogged down by some bizarre attempts at political commentary — it's a high class, glossy spectacle of an adventure that deserves to be appreciated for its own unique charms. With top notch, awe-inspiring action, and some impressive performances from its cast — including star Alden Ehrenreich and renaissance man Donald Glover — it's definitely the most underrated "Star Wars" story, one that doesn't deserve the hate it often gets.

11. Silent Running

Science fiction of the 1970s before "Star Wars" was harder on the science, and in 1972 Douglas Trumball, VFX supervisor on the landmark "2001: A Space Odyssey" three years earlier, took the helm of one of the most under-appreciated hard science fiction films of the decade, "Silent Running." The film opens in a future where Earth has been devastated by environmental disaster and unable to maintain lush plant life. As a result, large space cruisers have been converted to carry massive bio-domes that contain the last remnants of the planet's florae and fauna. Aboard one such vessel is Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern), a man who believes in their noble mission, and who is stunned when they are ordered to jettison the forests and return home.

Unwilling to go along with his orders, Lowell rebels and kills the rest of his crew, intent on saving the bio-domes from destruction. Now on the run from the authorities, it's up to him — and a trio of service robot assistants — to preserve the last remnants of Earth's once beautiful environment from annihilation. An outer space ecological adventure with a powerful environment message, it shows one man's sacrifice and conviction, who is willing to stand up and to do what's right, no matter the cost.

12. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

Based on the sci-fi radio play-turned-novel series of the same name, "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" may have upset longtime fans of the books who preferred the faithful — if low budget — BBC TV series from the early 1980s. Released in 2005, this big budget Hollywood production deviated from the source material in places, but original creator Douglas Adams co-wrote the screenplay, making it tough to complain. 

Featuring a cast full of big names, some before they were stars, Martin Freeman ( "Sherlock" ) played bumbling everyman Arthur Dent, Zooey Deschanel ( "New Girl" ) was quirky space girl Tricia "Trillian" McMillan and Sam Rockwell ("Iron Man 2") was the President Of The Galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox. Rapper Mos Def and actors Bill Nighy, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and Alan Rickman rounded out the all-star cast. Like the original, it introduced Dent as perpetually beleaguered man whose house is being bulldozed to make way for a highway when he learns aliens are about to blow up Earth for an interstellar bypass. Dent becomes an unwitting adventurer aboard a bizarre spaceship called the Heart Of Gold, alongside a depressed android called Marvin.

A strong adaptation — faithful in tone and spirit if not entirely in story — its very British sense of humor may have put off wider audiences, leaving it to languish in theaters, never receiving its promised sequels . But on its own, it's a big budget sci-fi laugher worthy of becoming a comedy classic.

13. Dark Star

The debut film from celebrated horror director John Carpenter ("Halloween"), it's long been overshadowed by his bigger and better films. Like "Screamers," the 1974 film "Dark Star" was written by Dan O'Bannon, but this one was before his breakout script "Alien" made him a name in Hollywood. Sure to evoke the look and feel of bigger films you've seen many times before, this forgotten cult classic predates them all. It became incredibly influential in the genre, with a style and tone that can still be felt in sci-fi film's today: its gritty, workman-like visual aesthetic, and grounded realism that made space men more like cynical, exhausted blue collar workers than dashing, brave heroic figures. 

Set aboard the exploratory vessel Dark Star, the worn-down crew has been in space for decades, searching for rogue planets that might cause trouble for Earth's interplanetary colonization efforts. Long since settled into their humdrum daily life aboard the broken down starship, their long journey has left Lieutenant Doolittle and his crew with not much to do but continually make repairs thanks to increasingly common maintenance problems. Their situation get worse, though, when the ship is hit by an electromagnetic storm that causes their artificially intelligent weapons to malfunction. Surprisingly sardonic and bitterly acerbic, "Dark Star" is a clever science fiction workplace adventure that may not be the best on this list, but deserves to be better remembered than it is.

14. Galaxy Quest

The third film on this list to include Sam Rockwell, "Galaxy Quest" was a loving homage and quasi-parody of the original "Star Trek" series. Instead of being about a futuristic starship and its crew though, it tells the story of a group of actors form a popular sci-fi television series. Said cast gets mistaken for their characters by a group of alien refugees attempting to escape from an army of insidious villains. Now, thanks to a case of mistaken identity, the cast of eccentric Hollywood thespians finds themselves battling real-life monsters from outer space, and they might just be the only hope of turning the tide of an interstellar struggle.

Often seen as merely a mockery of "Star Trek," the truth is that "Galaxy Quest" is that and so much more. A razor sharp comedy with one of the finest casts a '90s comedy could assemble, it starred Tim Allen as the William Shatner-esque hero (two years before he'd voice the heroic space man Buzz Lightyear ), Sigourney Weaver as his bombshell castmate and fictional first officer, plus Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub ("Monk"), Alan Rickman ("Harry Potter"), Justin Long ("Live Free Or Die Hard"), and Rainn Wilson in his pre-"The Office" days. The truth is, "Galaxy Quest" works as a hysterical sci-fi romp even if you don't get all the "Star Trek" jokes, and it deserves to be ranked among the best '90s comedies.

Though it was heavily marketed as a big budget sci-fi drama — with a big name cast that included Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal – the 2017 film "Life" came and went quickly, and was unfavorably compared to classics like "Alien." But come at it with different expectations — or, better yet, no expectations — and you'll find a compelling science fiction thriller all its own. The sci-fi horror film begins aboard an International Space Station, where a crew of astronauts has just received soil samples from Mars that may contain living organisms. But the crew is unprepared when the organism grow at an exponential rate, and start attacking and feeding off them.

But when the creature damages the station, causing its orbit to decay, it becomes a race against time to destroy it before it can reach Earth. A tense, action-packed horror movie set in space, early promotion included a cryptic first trailer , leading to speculation that it might somehow be tied to the "Spider-Man" franchise of all things . This confusion led to people misjudging it, and ultimately overlooking it when it turned out to be something else. A victim of lofty expectations, it was quietly buried after  disappointing somewhat at the box office, but in many ways is a better "Alien" sequel than anything produced since James Cameron's first sequel.

16. Final Voyage (Das letzte Land)

"Das letzte Land" ("Final Voyage") is a German science fiction drama from 2019 that's never really made its way stateside. Thanks to streaming, though, it's available for those interested in dark psychological sci-fi. If you can track it down, you're in for a treat — especially if you like your space movies slow, dreary, haunting, and enigmatic. At its heart, "The Final Voyage" is a mystery, beginning with an escaped prisoner who discovers an abandoned, run-down space vessel. Paired with one of the prison's former guards, he gets it up and running to escape the hellish planetoid.

But out in deep space, it becomes a ceaseless struggle to keep the craft up and running. Described by Rabbit Reviews  as "atmospheric and immersive," the film finds the two desperate explorers on a search for a safe harbor. Drawing inspiration from films like "Dark Star" and "Alien," this modern international sci-fi indie movie deserves a look. Though not a perfect movie, its use of practical effects and its sweeping cosmic vistas make it a visual treat, while its tone and story are a fresh take on the genre that still evoke the look and feel of older classics.

17. Solaris

Starring George Clooney, the 2002 sci-fi drama "Solaris" was based on a classic novel by legendary Polish author Stanislaw Lem. A remake of the previous adaptation, a 1972 Russian film of the same name, it was a passion project of co-producer James Cameron, and was ultimately written and directed by Stephen Soderbergh. The film tells the story of Dr. Chris Kelvin, a psychologist brought in by a corporation that runs a deep space orbital station above the planet Solaris. The crew onboard suffered a series of bizarre mental breakdowns and since disappeared. Kelvin is tasked with investigating and ultimately determining if the station's mission should continue.

But once there, Kelvin himself begins to succumb to the same strange phenomenon, including receiving visions of his long-dead wife. After learning that something similar had happened to the crew, Kelvin must figure out if the visions of their loved ones are real, and if they could in fact be some form of alien contact.

Fresh off their collaboration on the previous year's remake of "Ocean's Eleven," Soderbergh and Clooney made "Solaris" a prestigious, high profile project, but it failed to deliver at the box office . Though recognized by critics for its stirring drama and thought provoking ideas, "Solaris" unfortunately had to contend with the specter of the pioneering original version, which still holds up today. But this new version is more than a retread — it forges its own path, and is sure to impress fans of contemplative science fiction psycho-dramas.

18. Event Horizon

Director Paul W.S. Anderson may be known as a purveyor of schlock action movies — producing the "Resident Evil" series, "Alien Vs. Predator," and the first "Mortal Kombat" film — but in 1997, he made arguably his best work with the sci-fi horror movie "Event Horizon." Assembling a stellar cast that included Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, and Jason Isaacs, the film is about a starship called the Event Horizon that disappeared in deep space, and the crew of a second exploratory vessel sent to investigate it when it suddenly reappears a decade later. 

The mission is led by Miller (Fishburne), a military commander and pragmatist, and Weir (Neill), the inventor of the starship's power drive that supposedly folds space time, and who is obsessed with finding the truth. But as the crew begins looking for clues, they realize that the horror isn't over, and that the disaster that killed the crew of the Event Horizon may soon consume them too. Given Anderson's later catalog of disappointing flicks, it's easy to dismiss "Event Horizon," but with an strong cast and some clever concepts, it's a joyous guilty pleasure sure to satisfy anyone who loves science fiction, action, and horror.

19. Black Hole

After the success of "Star Wars," everyone was looking for the next big sci-fi blockbuster, and the Walt Disney Company was no exception . Nearly 35 years before they'd simply buy the whole enterprise, Disney tried their hand at their own outer space adventure, and the result was the 1979 adventure "Black Hole." Starring Maximillian Schell, Joseph Bottoms, Anthony Perkins, and Robert Forster, the movie follows the crew of the USS Palomino, on a deep space exploratory mission when they encounter an older starship, the USS Cygnus, thought lost 20 years before. 

Now orbiting a black hole, they find one man aboard: Dr. Reinhardt, one of Earth's most brilliant minds, who says he's the last man alive after the ship became damaged. Along with a crew of human-like robot drones he claims to have built himself, he has continued to study the titular black hole. But while exploring the Cygnus, the crew of the Palomino realizes that Reinhardt is hiding something, and there's more to his robot army than meets the eye. A surprisingly disturbing sci-fi adventure for a Disney picture, never became as well known as "Star Wars," nor did it ever become it spawn a franchise, but — thanks to its impressive special effects and intriguing story — it has since become a cult classic.

20. Zathura: A Space Adventure

The 2005 family film "Zathura: A Space Adventure" has been largely forgotten, but in retrospect, it's an important stepping stone on a number of Hollywood journeys. Directed by Jon Favreau just before "Iron Man," the film was also a quasi-sequel to "Jumanji," and there have been calls more recently to reincorporate it back into that franchise. The movie follows a pair of brothers who leave home alone and try to pass the time by playing space adventure board game called Zathura. But every move they make and every situation they encounter in the game comes to life, sending them on an incredible journey into space.

With the help of a heroic astronaut, the two brothers — and their older sister, who becomes trapped with them — must find a way to use the game to make their way back to Earth. A fun family adventure, its lack of success was blamed on poor promotions  that confused audiences. But with Favreau at the helm, and a cast that included a young Josh Hutcherson ("The Hunger Games") and Kristen Stewart before "Twilight," the first "Jumanji" sequel is an underrated outer space adventure.

International sci-fi films are easy to miss in the States, where some of the best gems receive little promotion and can disappear on sites like Netflix or Hulu, buried under mountains of bigger titles. One such gem that shouldn't be miss is the 2018 Swedish science fiction dystopian drama "Aniara" from co-directors Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja. Set in the not-too-distant future, the Earth has become nearly uninhabitable, devastated by climate change that has seen non-stop natural disasters and rising ocean levels. Humanity is colonizing Mars and has begun a mass migration, with massive vessels regularly ferrying large numbers of colonists to the Red Planet. 

One such vessel is the Aniara, a large cruise-liner equipped with a Mima — an artificially intelligent, virtual reality simulator — that provide immersive experiences for the migrants during their long journey. But when the ship is struck by space debris, it loses navigation and may no longer be able to reach Mars. As the journey is extended by years, and the Mima breaks down, the delicate balance of society aboard the star-liner breaks down. Chaos erupts. A wave of despair sweeps the ship, and as chances for rescue dwindle, all hope may rest with the Mimarobe, the Mima's engineer who has been trying to recreate the Mima's functions. A bleak, haunting drama in space, it's not for the faint of heart, but comes highly recommended if you can track it down. 

22. The Last Starfighter

Another attempt to capture the sci-fi adventure of "Star Wars," this time by Universal Studios, the 1986 film "The Last Starfighter" similarly a teenaged boy fulfill his dreams of going into outer space after he is recruited fight in an interstellar war. Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) is a high school kid on Earth who becomes the highest scoring player of an arcade game called The Last Starfighter, which he learns was secretly designed to find the best pilots in the cosmos. Brought into outer space and trained by an alien fighter named Grig (Dan O'Herlihy), Alex learns about the war between the Rylan Star League and the Ko-Dan Empire.

The Star League's home planet Rylos has successfully fended off an invasion, but the Ko-Dan's leader, a vicious tyrant named Xur, has a new weapon that can breach their defenses. Now Alex must find the courage to join the war and stop an invasion that threatens to engulf Earth, as well. Criminally under-seen, "The Last Starfighter" is a memorable sci-fi actioneer that any child of the '80s likely has fond memories of, even if it hasn't become a classic.

23. Europa Report

Another sci-fi movie about an exploratory mission that proves a disaster from almost the moment it leaves Earth's atmosphere, the 2013 indie drama "Europa Report" used a mix of found footage, fictionalized news reports, documentary interviews, and gonzo style filmmaking. The end result? A grounded, realistic look at what a real space mission to search for life among the stars might be like. It follow the crew of a privately funded space flight to Europa, a moon of Jupiter, to search for evidence of life. But even before the vessel arrives at its destination, they lose a crew member, who sacrifices himself to save their mission after pass through devastating solar storm.

When they finally get to Europa, they encounter more problems drilling through the moon's icy shell, with their first probe mysteriously lost. A series of unexplained occurrences rattle the group, before disaster strikes, and their entire mission is in jeopardy. Will they discover life on Europa, and if they do, will it be more than they bargained for? An intense and gripping tale of scientific discovery, its unique filmmaking style brought something fresh to the genre that made it worth the watch, even if the story itself wasn't anything groundbreaking.

24. Ad Astra

The thoughtful character drama "Ad Astra" was an ambitious and high profile project for star Brad Pitt, but was mostly seen as a disappointment . It wasn't a flashy sci-fi epic like "Interstellar" nor a dramatic survival story like "The Martian." Instead, "Ad Astra" was a thoughtful, introspective character drama about a family, faith, and legacy. Pitt stars as Roy McBride, commander of SpaceCom, whose father Clifford had manned a mission to Neptune years before, but had been lost somewhere in out there along the way. Now, with a series of unexplained power surges on Earth that are traced back to his father's last known location in deep space, Roy is sent on a mission to find his father and discover the cause of the phenomenon that threatens to destroy the world.

Set in a future world where humanity's obsession with technological progress has led to disaster, the film is sci-fi at its finest, taking a hard look at today's problems through the lens of tomorrow. Punctuated by impeccable performances from its all-star cast — which also includes Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler, and Donald Sutherland — "Ad Astra" does more than look great, it explores real issues both broadly profound and intensely personal. Seldom cited as one of Pitt's best, it deserves attention, and remains one of his strongest, most understated performances, despite the movie's lower profile.

Another lesser-seen international standout, the innovative Netflix original "Cargo" from 2019 comes courtesy of Indian writer and director Arati Kadav. A disturbing space-based tale, it explores the prospect of reincarnation and the afterlife — not to mention other-worldly deities — being discovered in the depths of outer space. It introduces us to scientist Prahastha (Vikrant Massey), who works for a company that runs post-death transition, where — in an orbital station — he prepares recently deceased people for a new life. His monotonous job is just fine as far as he's concerned, and he seems to enjoy his solitary duties. But his routine is disrupted when he's assigned a new assistant.

With the arrival of the young and beautiful Yuvishka (Shweta Tripathi), Prahastha finds his job and life becoming far more complicated. We also learn that Prahastha is something much more than a mere scientist. A compelling and unique blending of Hindu faith and high concept science fiction, "Cargo" impresses with a rare new take on a classic idea: the lone astronaut on a tedious, prolonged mission. Though there are some common themes and ideas at play, "Cargo" at least gives them a sardonic twist with a religious bent, making the film an innovative and imaginative offering that deserves the spotlight.

26. Treasure Planet

When someone mentions an excellent Disney sci-fi film, you probably think of Pixar's "WALL-E," but there's another that's almost entirely forgotten today: the 2002 outer space adventure "Treasure Planet." One of their rare forays into the genre, the film was a clever twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island." It focuses on Jim Hawkins, who runs an inn on the planet Montressor. All his life, he has heard stories of intergalactic treasure hunter Nathaniel Flint and his search for the fabled "Treasure Planet." When a starship crash lands nearby, and its pilot leaves him with a mysterious star map, Hawkins discovers that Treasure Planet is no fable, and sets out to find the greatest prize in the galaxy.

A mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk before it was popular, "Treasure Planet" may just have been a little too ahead of its time. Full of fun visuals, likable heroes, and dastardly villains, it's everything you could want from a Disney animated feature, and it's a real shame it hasn't become a classic. As a good old pulp adventure in space, it succeeds, and deserves to be remembered alongside the best the animation giant has to offer.

27. Stowaway

With a flood of movies landing every month on any number of streaming sites, it's easy for some films to get lost in the crowd. One such movie that disappeared was "Stowaway," a 2021 Netflix original starring Anna Kendrick ("Pitch Perfect"), Daniel Dae-Kim ("Hawaii Five-O") and Toni Collette ("Knives Out"). Despite the cast, it came and went with little fanfare. It's a shame, because it's a first rate space movie about a mission to Mars whose crew runs into a complicated moral dilemma. 

Embarking on a multi-year journey to the Red Planet, three space-faring scientists are thrown for a loop when they discover an unintended stowaway aboard, trapped in the module before takeoff. He's also damaged the ship's CO 2 scrubber, making it impossible for the crew to survive. With an unintended companion and malfunctioning equipment that can't sustain so many passengers, the mission seems doomed, and the crew are forced to improvise. But with time running out, and mission control offering no solution, they decide one of them may have to die for the rest to survive. A surprising psychological thriller packed with compelling characters forced into impossible decisions, it's a tense personal drama in outer space that provides some of the best sci-fi suspense on this list.

28. Explorers

The 1985 film "Explorers" featured a surprisingly star-studded cast for a movie with child actors. The film starred Ethan Hawke ( "Moon Knight" ) and River Phoenix ("Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade") in their movie debuts, and also co-starred James Cromwell ("Babe") and Robert Picardo ( "Star Trek: Voyager" ). Directed by Joe Dante ("Gremlins"), with special effects by Industrial Light & Magic and a score by "Star Trek" composer Jerry Goldsmith, it has a classy pedigree in all facets of the production, yet is somehow hardly remembered.

A classic childhood adventure, the film centers on three friends — Ben, Wolfgang, and Darren — who are obsessed with outer space. When Ben receives a vision of a circuit board in a dream, he and his friends use it to build a small spacecraft in their backyard. Against all odds, the ship flies and takes them on a journey, where they meet a pair of aliens much like them: youngsters looking for adventure. Think of it as "The Sandlot" in space. Unfortunately, the movie was swallowed up in a busy summer that included "Back To The Future" and "Goonies," but if you love those movies, or the similar "Flight Of The Navigator," check out their lesser-seen cousin "Explorers."

29. Space Station 76

What "Austin Powers" did for '60s spy movies, the R-rated 2014 outer space comedy "Space Station 76" does for '70s sci-fi. A retro send-up that mocks classic science fiction films and tropes, including a couple from this list, the film stars Patrick Wilson ("Watchmen"), Liv Tyler ("The Incredible Hulk"), Matt Bomer ("Doom Patrol") and Jerry O'Connell ("Star Trek: Lower Decks"). Set aboard the Omega 76 space station, we meet Jessica Marlow (Tyler), the incoming first officer of the Omega 76 space station. She arrives at her new assignment and clashes with the oddball crew, each dealing with their own personal issues.

Captain Glenn Terry (Wilson) is forced to hide his sexuality in the repressed retro future, while Ted (Bomer) struggles with being a single father who wants nothing more than to get back together with his unstable ex-wife Misty (Marisa Coughlan). A delightful throwback that is as much a '70s comedy as it is an homage to the era, it boasts appropriately primitive VFX and is full of clever sight gags, incisive social commentary, and big laughs mined from the oddity of disco sci-fi. Whether you love that decade's best or just enjoy seeing someone poke fun at them, "Space Station 76" will leave you laughing all the way to Alpha Centauri and back.

The directorial debut of filmmaker William Eubank (whose further science fiction films "The Signal" and "Underwater" also come highly recommended), the curiously titled 2011 space drama "Love" once again tells a tale of loneliness and madness in space. It focuses on a singular astronaut, Lee Miller, who has been sent on a one-man mission to the previously abandoned International Space Station in the year 2039. After he arrives however, a massive global war breaks out on Earth, devastating the planet and leaving him all alone in orbit, possibly the last man alive.

As he deals with both a physical and existential crisis, Miller slowly begins to lose his grip on his sanity. But while trying to stay alive, he discovers a strange and antiquated journal aboard the station. Written during the Civil War by a Union captain, it recounts the soldier's fantastic journey to investigate a strange, unearthly object that had been reported during the conflict. Miller will soon discover that he and the Union captain have more in common than he ever could have imagined. Though "Love" explores common themes the genre has touched on before, the low-budget indie film embraces them with a certain spirituality that makes it unique, and should appeal to fans of more thought-provoking space-based science fiction.

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0 / 31 Fotos

'Contact' is a thought-provoking journey into the cosmos, starring Jodie Foster as a scientist who receives a message from space. It's a blend of scientific intrigue and human drama, making it a compelling watch for those who like their space movies with a bit of depth.

1 / 31 Fotos

Get ready for laughs at light speed with 'Spaceballs,' Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof of space adventures. This comedy is a riot of gags and parodies, perfect for anyone who loves a good laugh with their sci-fi.

2 / 31 Fotos

'Galaxy Quest' is a delightful spoof of the space genre, featuring a stellar cast including Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver. It's a hilarious take on sci-fi conventions, offering both laughs and a surprising amount of heart.

3 / 31 Fotos

'Interstellar' takes you on a visually stunning journey through space and time. With Matthew McConaughey leading the way, this film explores complex themes like love and survival, wrapped in a sci-fi package that's both epic and intimate.

4 / 31 Fotos

Stranded on Mars, Matt Damon's character in 'The Martian' shows the power of human resilience. This film cleverly mixes survival drama with a touch of humor, creating a gripping tale of an astronaut's fight for survival on a hostile planet.

5 / 31 Fotos

Aliens, action, and Will Smith—'Independence Day' has it all. This film is a thrilling blend of sci-fi and patriotism, making it a standout in space cinema. It's an explosive adventure that's as entertaining as it is iconic.

6 / 31 Fotos

'Armageddon' is the epitome of space disaster movies. When an asteroid threatens Earth, it's up to Bruce Willis and his team to save the day. It's action-packed, over-the-top, and just the right kind of wild space ride.

7 / 31 Fotos

Rediscover Disney magic with 'Treasure Planet,' a space-age twist on a classic tale. It's an overlooked gem that combines traditional animation with 3D, creating a visually stunning and adventurous space odyssey.

8 / 31 Fotos

Buckle up for a wacky ride through space with 'The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.' This quirky space comedy, loaded with eccentric characters and bizarre scenarios, is a wonderfully weird take on interstellar travel.

9 / 31 Fotos

'Lilo & Stitch' isn't just another Disney movie. It's a heartwarming story of an alien finding a home on Earth. With its charming mix of humor and emotion, this film proves that space stories can also be about finding where you belong.

10 / 31 Fotos

The 'Star Trek' universe comes alive in this reboot, blending old charm with new thrills. It's a space journey with Chris Pine at the helm, offering a fresh take on classic adventures. Perfect for die-hard fans and newcomers alike.

11 / 31 Fotos

Who says space movies can't be fun? 'Muppets From Space' is a hilarious and heartwarming tale about Gonzo discovering his origins. Full of laughs and celebrity cameos, it's a family-friendly space adventure.

12 / 31 Fotos

A Mars mission goes awry with an accidental 'Stowaway.' This survival adventure, featuring Anna Kendrick and Daniel Dae Kim, blends cerebral drama with gorgeous cinematography. It's a tense, emotional space ride.

13 / 31 Fotos

'High Life' is a challenging, slow-burn sci-fi horror set on a spaceship. With criminals as unwilling experiment subjects, it's a film that's as much about survival as it is about the darker side of space exploration.

14 / 31 Fotos

Travel back to the early days of the US space program with 'The Right Stuff.' This film combines historical drama and thrilling adventure, following the first Project Mercury astronauts. It's a gripping nod to space exploration history.

15 / 31 Fotos

Join a crew on a mission to save the Sun in 'Sunshine.' This thriller, starring Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans, combines a psychological edge with an interstellar crisis. It's a space journey with a tense, thought-provoking twist.

16 / 31 Fotos

'Gattaca' offers a peek into a future where genetics determine your fate. Ethan Hawke stars in this dystopian tale, challenging a system that discriminates against him. It's a film that questions our ideas of perfection and destiny.

17 / 31 Fotos

Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' is a cinematic marvel, exploring the mysteries of space and human evolution. Its groundbreaking visuals and profound narrative have made it a landmark in sci-fi filmmaking.

18 / 31 Fotos

'Star Wars' isn't just a movie; it's a cultural phenomenon. This epic space opera has captivated audiences for generations with its timeless story of good versus evil, set in a galaxy far, far away.

19 / 31 Fotos

'Alien,' Ridley Scott's masterpiece, is a thrilling blend of sci-fi and horror. It's a tense, atmospheric journey into deep space that introduced us to one of the most iconic monsters in movie history.

20 / 31 Fotos

'Hidden Figures' is an inspiring story of the unsung heroes behind NASA's space race, focusing on three brilliant African-American women. This film is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary contributions made in the face of adversity.

21 / 31 Fotos

Based on a true story, 'Apollo 13' is a riveting tale of a space mission gone awry, starring Tom Hanks. It's a masterful blend of historical drama and suspense, celebrating the ingenuity and determination of astronauts.

22 / 31 Fotos

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in 'Gravity,' a nail-biting survival story set in the vastness of space. It's a visually breathtaking film that's as much about the human spirit as it is about the dangers of space.

23 / 31 Fotos

'Moon' stars Sam Rockwell in a gripping tale of isolation and identity on a lunar mining base. This film combines suspense and sci-fi in a way that's both smart and emotionally resonant, making it a standout in the space genre.

24 / 31 Fotos

Disney-Pixar's 'Wall-E' is a charming tale about a lonely robot on Earth, taking an adventure across the galaxy. It's a visually stunning film with a heartwarming story, showing that even in space, love and companionship can be found.

25 / 31 Fotos

Step into the '60s with 'Barbarella,' a campy space romp starring Jane Fonda. It's a mix of adventure, fun, and a bit of absurdity, now celebrated as a quirky cult classic.

26 / 31 Fotos

'Solaris' follows a psychologist aboard a haunted space station, offering a sci-fi experience that's as much about the soul as it is about space.

27 / 31 Fotos

'Total Recall,' starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a thrilling blend of action and mind-bending sci-fi. Set partially on Mars, it's a rollercoaster of memory, identity, and reality, delivering both intense action scenes and thought-provoking concepts.

28 / 31 Fotos

Set in a future where Earth is ravaged and the wealthy live on a luxurious space station, 'Elysium,' starring Matt Damon, is a gripping tale of inequality and survival. It combines social commentary with high-octane action, making it a thought-provoking and exciting space drama.

29 / 31 Fotos

'Passengers' presents a unique blend of romance and sci-fi aboard a spaceship. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, it's a story about two passengers who wake up 90 years too early during an interstellar voyage. This film combines the isolation of space with the human need for connection, set against the backdrop of a sleek, futuristic spacecraft

Sources: (IMDb) (Esquire) (Time Out)

See also: Earth seen from space and other amazing celestial snapshots

30 / 31 Fotos

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The 30 best space movies of all time

Films that are simply out of this world.

23/02/24 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Sci-fi

V enturing into space has always sparked our curiosity, hasn't it? Imagine floating among stars, encountering otherworldly beings, or battling cosmic threats! That's exactly what these 30 top space movies offer—a thrilling escape to the great unknown. From the gripping drama of Matt Damon stranded in 'The Martian' to the classic space opera of 'Star Wars,' these films take us on wild rides across the universe.

This gallery is your ticket to the best space movies out there, packed with suspense, action, heart, and a bit of that sci-fi magic. Whether it's the mind-bending journey of '2001: A Space Odyssey' or the charming adventure of 'Wall-E,' these movies show just how fun and fascinating space can be.

So, grab your popcorn and get comfy. We're about to launch into a world of epic space tales that are sure to entertain, surprise, and maybe even inspire a bit of stargazing. Let's go!

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From Interstellar to Hidden Figures: 12 of the best space movies

Interstellar, Moon, Proxima, Alien, Hidden Figures... From science fiction to biographical drama, does your favourite movie about space make our list?

By Simon Ings

3 August 2021

Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar

Melinda Sue Gordon/©Paramount/c

There are so many great movies about space that it’s hard to choose between them all, but that won’t stop us. We’ve got some in our selection that will keep you on the edge of your seat while others will keep you hidden behind the sofa. Here are 12 of the best space movies.

Interstellar (2014)

Explorers arrive on a world covered in knee-high water. Distant “mountains” come sweeping towards them: a planet-spanning kilometres-high killer tide. They escape, only for an unhinged astronaut to maroon them, a little later, on a solid airborne cloud of exotic ice.

Often silly, sometimes truly visionary, Interstellar is the best rejoinder the 21st century has yet made to Stanley Kubrick’s seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey . Matthew McConaughey plays Joseph Cooper, a widowed NASA pilot who is called upon to journey into interstellar space to find an Earthlike “Planet B” for us to move to, now that the Earth’s food system is collapsing. Jessica Chastain plays his grown-up daughter, haunted by her father’s ghost.

Their performances carry real conviction, but it is the set pieces that matter. Gargantua, a spinning black hole that provides the film with its climax, is a visual effect calculated so accurately by physicist Kip Thorne and rendered so meticulously by London effects studio Double Negative, it ended up in a paper for the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity .

Years earlier, Thorne and film producer Lynda Obst had conceived of a movie exploring what, in an interview with Science magazine , Thorne called “the warped side of the universe – black holes, wormholes, higher dimensions, and so forth”. They’re the subject of Thorne’s very entertaining book The Science of Interstellar .

Nolan, meanwhile, has gone on to make movies of increasing complexity. Tenet is his latest, doing for time what Interstellar did for space.

Moon (2009)

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is preparing to leave the moon at the end of his three-year stint as sole supervisor of a helium-3 mine. (Robert Zubrin’s book Entering Space gave Duncan Jones the film’s industrial premise.) But Sam is also trapped in the carcass of a crashed lunar ore conveyor. And as Sam and Sam wrestle with their inexplicable meeting, they must solve an obvious and pressing puzzle: just how many more Sams might there be?

Offered a low-budget British sci-fi movie by a first-time director , Rockwell left things until the last minute, then grabbed at the chance of playing against himself. Once on board, his commitment was total: riffing and extemporising off memories of his own performance, he insisted on distinguishing the two Sams more by demeanour than by costume changes. The result is a compelling, emotionally charged thriller, spiked with an inventive mix of effects (from CGI to model work to simple, deft editing) that keeps the audience off-balance throughout the movie. Jones has yet to top his debut work, and Rockwell, for all his subsequent successes, will forever be remembered as the Moon guy(s).

Proxima (2019)

Shot in the European Space Agency’s training facilities in Germany, and in the complex outside Moscow that is home to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center , Alice Winocour’s third feature Proxima never leaves the ground, and yet it remains an out-of-this-world experience.

Cinematographer Georges Lechaptois brilliantly captures these rarely glimpsed spaces in all their strangeness, banality and occasional dilapidation. One can’t help but think, watching this, that being an astronaut must be like being a professional athlete – one’s glamorous career being conducted, for the most part, in smelly changing rooms.

Plaudits also to Eva Green for her portrayal of Sarah Loreau, a single mother given a last-minute opportunity to join a mission to the International Space Station. Green conveys wonderfully Sarah’s conflicted state of both wanting to go to space but not wanting to be separated from her daughter. The solution is there but it’s going to be hard to forge, and Green’s performance is heart-rending.

Alien (1979)

Sigourney Weaver plays Ripley, member of a sensible and resourceful space-going cargo crew whose capabilities are going to prove of no use whatsoever as they confront a predatory, stowaway alien.

Critics loved Alien : they said it would change how we thought about science fiction. It also, for some of us who caught it at the right age, changed how we thought about biology.

We have been an apex predator for so long, we have forgotten the specialness of our privilege. Alien reminds us of what the natural world is really like. It locates us in the middle of things, not without resources but most definitely not at the top of a food chain. It reminds us that living processes are predatory – that life is about tearing living things apart to get at their raw material.

Alien in Alien

AA Film Archive / Alamy

The clumsily named “xenomorph” of the Alien movies has an infamous life cycle, loosely based on those of certain parasitic wasps, but with the added ingredient of plasticity. A hugged human brings forth a humanoid alien. A hugged dog produces a canine. (Where the aquatic aliens of Alien: Resurrection (1997) spring from is anyone’s guess.)

If you want to know what Darwin said, read On the Origin of Species . But if you want to know how it must have made its original readers feel – go watch Alien .

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

When Stanley Kubrick suggested a movie idea to British writer Arthur Clarke, Clarke responded enthusiastically. “The ‘really good’ science-fiction movie is a great many years overdue,” he wrote.

The question – which the two never really resolved – was which really good movie to make. A film about the triumph of science and technology? Or a film about the timeless yearnings of the human spirit?

While Kubrick, a student of human nature, director of searing and discomforting films like Paths of Glory and Lolita , mined Japanese sci-fi movies for special effects, Clarke, a communications satellite pioneer as well as a writer, worked up a script centred on what he later dubbed “the God concept”.

Encompassing everything from the dawn of man, the space race, artificial intelligence, space exploration and trans-dimensional travel, 2001 centres on the duel between David Bowman (Keir Dullea) and the inadvertently-designed-to-be-murderous HAL, a computer that is guiding his ship to Jupiter. We tend to assume Clarke provided the film’s gosh-wow factor and Kubrick provided the unease. Not so: his 1960 story, The Challenge of the Spaceship shows Clarke already painfully aware of the challenges faced by a “little, self-contained community floating in vacuum millions of miles from anywhere, kept alive in a bubble of plastic and metal” with “absolutely nothing” happening.

The boredom and incipient madness that haunt both Bowman and the ship’s poor, boxed-in AI are the film’s chief point: that we cannot live by reason alone. We need something more.

Hidden Figures (2016)

At NASA’s Langley Research Center in 1961, three Black female mathematicians, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) , contribute their considerable mathematical ability to the agency’s efforts to launch white men into space. The unit they work in is segregated by gender and race but the difficulties they face are ignored by many of their colleagues. Their boss, Al Harrison, (a composite fictional character played by Kevin Costner), feels otherwise and proceeds to desegregate NASA single-handedly, armed only with an acid tongue and a sledgehammer.

The film is loosely based on 2016 book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, although it takes a less factual approach. For example, the film delays Johnson’s pioneering work by a good decade so that she can share feel-good moments with the other female cast members .

Whether that matters comes down to personal taste. It is no small thing that, thanks to this film, we now know Johnson, Vaughn and Jackson by name .

Apollo 13 (1995)

On 11 April 1970, a seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space programme launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was due to land in the Fra Mauro crater, and help establish the early history of both the moon and Earth.

Two days into the journey, an oxygen tank in the spacecraft’s service module exploded, and their flight path was changed to loop them around the moon and bring them back to Earth on 17 April. Dizzy from carbon dioxide levels in the air, mounting at a rate they thought would kill them, soaking wet from all the condensation, cold because power was now severely limited, and with only plastic bags of their own urine for company they couldn’t jettison for fear this would alter their course, commander Jim Lovell, command module pilot Jack Swigert and Lunar Module pilot Fred Haise uttered hardly a word of complaint. Incredibly, they survived.

For his script, director Ron Howard has added one argument between Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Haise (Bill Paxton) and otherwise changed barely a word of the official Apollo 13 transcript. Tom Hanks plays Lovell as a capable man dealing with a crisis. There are no epiphanies. Souls aren’t searched. For some, this might make for a slightly muted experience. But this painstakingly accurate film (the sets included bits of the Apollo 13 command module; even the actors’ pressure suits were airtight) remains peerless, utterly convincing in every shot and every gesture .

First Man (2018)

As if landing on the moon wasn’t enough, Neil Armstrong spent the rest of his life having to describe the experience to the world’s media. No wonder he became something of a recluse – which of course only served to generate even more media interest.

Armstrong, an aeronautical engineer and university professor, was a man who enjoyed his privacy. Cornered, what could he do but tell the same story again and again and again? Disappointed, their curiosity unslaked, people called him dull.

Two years after hurling a vocally challenged Ryan Gosling into his musical La La Land , Damien Chazelle cast him as Neil Armstrong, in a movie that promised to locate Armstrong’s beating heart and rich emotional life. As such, First Man is a triumph.

Gosling is the film actors’ film actor, capable of expressing deep emotion with astounding economy. Playing “buttoned up” hampers him hardly at all. And he is given plenty to work with. Josh Singer’s ingenious script gives Armstrong a profound and personal motivation for wanting to reach the moon that in no way interferes with the historical record, or trivialises its celebrated subject. As for the moon landing itself, it represents a milestone in cinematic technique. You’ll believe you were there, and you’ll wonder, deeply, why Armstrong, or anyone else for that matter, ever went.

The Right Stuff (1983)

Anchored by powerful performances by Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager and Ed Harris as John Glenn, Kaufman’s 3-hour-13-minute epic loosely follows Tom Wolfe’s book of the same name: a heart-thumping yet critical account of the earliest US efforts to send humans into space.

What is needed for that is, of course, “the right stuff”: a combination of skill, bravery and a somewhat blood-curdling fearlessness in the face of death. They are qualities superbly embodied in Shepard’s performance as test-pilot Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier (and, incidentally, a consultant on the film).

Leaving Earth also needed collaboration, organisation, even – heaven help us – publicity. Ed Harris is the squeaky-clean Glenn, destined to be the first American in space, whose “right stuff” has had its rough edges shaved off by endless classes, tests, magazine profiles and media events.

Historically, The Right Stuff isn’t especially accurate. In particular, Mercury astronauts Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper and Alan Shepard were critical of the way the film short-changed their compatriot Gus Grissom, who died in the Apollo 1 fire.

Still, it is a thoughtful and intelligent movie, as well as a thrilling one, and it captures very well the moment space travel became a serious, and corporate, enterprise.

The Martian (2015)

Premised on a single, staggering inaccuracy (a Martian storm could never get up the energy to blow a spacecraft over) The Martian is an otherwise cleverly figured-out tale of how an astronaut (Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon), left for dead on the surface of Mars, might survive for four years on a diet of potatoes grown in recycled faecal matter .

Based on a book (by Andy Weir) that itself began life as a series of blog posts, Scott’s film retains an endearing, cobbled-together quality, which neatly (and by the end, really quite movingly) reflects Watney’s scrabble for survival.

Boasting habitat, spacesuit, spacecraft and launch vehicle designs that all carried NASA’s stamp of approval, The Martian flits between Watney’s Martian base, the ship in which his crew mates are returning home, and the offices and control rooms on Earth where everybody is frantically trying to do the right thing, as their chances of saving Watney narrow to a point.

An unashamed advertisement for NASA’s plans for Mars, and a celebration of its crewed programme’s rebirth after the Challenger disaster in 1986, The Martian already feels slightly dated. But its invention and good humour are timeless.

Gravity (2013)

When a cloud of debris travelling faster than a speeding bullet collides with the space shuttle, mission specialist Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) must make their way across gulfs of space on dwindling supplies of air and propellant in search of a vehicle that will take them home; soon the debris cloud will return on its inexorable orbit.

As likely to scare someone off a space career as inspire them to pursue one, Gravity is premised on the idea that low Earth orbit is so crowded with hardware and discarded junk that a collision could initiate a chain reaction known as the Kessler syndrome, and destroy every satellite.

For all that, Gravity is less a science fiction film than a survival film (think Open Water or Touching the Void , both from 2003), and is the last place you would go for a lesson in orbital mechanics. While not quite as egregiously silly as 2019’s Ad Astra (in which Brad Pitt literally leaps through Saturn’s ice rings, using a hatch-cover for an umbrella) Gravity is no 2001 , no Apollo 13 , no First Man .

But while accuracy is one thing; truth is quite another. With Gravity , director Cuarón triumphantly realised his ambition to make the first truly weightless-seeming film, conveying the environment and sensation of zero gravity more powerfully, immediately (and, yes, accurately) than any film-maker, before or since.

October Sky (1999)

NASA engineer Homer H. Hickam Jr.’s autobiography provided the seed for this drama about a teenager coming of age at the dawn of the space race. A 17-year-old Jake Gyllenhaal (he was still taking school classes during the filming) plays Homer, a high school student in Coalwood, West Virginia, when, in 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first human-made satellite.

Inspired by the Soviet achievement, and encouraged by his teacher (Laura Dern), Homer and his fellow “rocket boys” start building their own homemade missiles. Chris Cooper finds gold in the somewhat thankless role of Homer’s father, conscientiously pouring cold water on his son’s dreams: what’s wrong with working in the local coal mine, he’d like to know?

Director Joe Johnston is better known for his rather more gung-ho approaches to heroism and rocket flight. (1991’s Rocketeer is a cult classic; Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) needs no introduction here.)

October Sky is an altogether more contained achievement: the touching story of imagination awakened by the possibilities of rocketry, space travel, and a world beyond Earth.

What do you think of this list? Think there are better space movies out there that deserve a coveted spot? We have review lots of sci-fi films, books and TV shows  but we can’t watch them all so let us know your favourite on  Twitter  and  Facebook . If you enjoyed this you might also want to see what we think are the  best science documentaries ,  top popular science books  and even  video games set on Mars .

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The Best Space Exploration Movies, Ranked

Exploring space – "the final frontier" – has been a beloved exploit across the silver screen since the birth of cinema.

Exploring space – "the final frontier" – has been a beloved exploit across the silver screen since the birth of cinema. The beginning of the science fiction genre can be traced back to the revolutionary 1902 short film A Trip to the Moon. This French piece, directed by Georges Méliès, was an extremely influential work . It told an otherworldly tale of an interstellar voyage, wowing early audiences and breaking away from traditional documentary storytelling. Since then, science fiction stories set in space have dominated the movie world.

As the decades have gone by, films about our mission to reach the stars have become both more realistic and fantastical. These blockbusters have grown increasingly creative and far-reaching, capturing the boldness of humanity's adventures, our will to survive, and our insatiable curiosity. In any stretch of the imagination, the human race has always had an insatiable need to see what's out there beyond our own planet's atmosphere. With that said, here are the best space exploration movies, ranked.

7 The Martian (2015)

The Martian , directed by Ridley Scott, is a more uplifting story set within the vast vacuum of outer space. Believed to be dead, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left behind on Mars after his crew's mission is interrupted by a dust storm. But Watney is very much alive – all alone on the strange red planet, he must survive using his remaining supplies as NASA and his crew work out a way to rescue him. Watney's undying mettle to keep going despite insurmountable odds is genuinely inspiring, making this story full of heart.

6 Gravity (2013)

Put simply, Gravity is an utter nightmare. On her first mission to space, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer joined by Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), a seasoned astronaut when catastrophe comes calling. Debris hits their Space Shuttle, the Explorer, which rips Stone from the ship in a terrifying spinning sequence. The crushing isolation and hopelessness captured in Gravity gives a unique, horror-genre feel to the world of sci-fi films. It was the third film to earn over $100 million in IMAX theaters .

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5 Apollo 13 (1995)

With its basis in the real Apollo 13 mission, this movie packs in an all-star cast and an important legacy. Apollo 13 follows three astronauts – Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) – on their way to the moon, until an equipment explosion causes them to cancel their mission. The odds stack against them as NASA strives to get them back to Earth, resulting in one of the most claustrophobic space exploration movies out there. The film received nine Academy Award nominations and won two for Best Sound and Best Film Editing.

4 The Right Stuff (1983)

The Right Stuff is a historical epic, capturing the storied journey of the first space explorers from the United States. Tom Wolf's 1979 book of the same title offered the perfect launching point to bring this story onto the big screen. Following a group of Armed Forces pilots who possess the titular nerve to fly that far, the astronauts struggle on the home front with political and familial issues as they train for the missions that will change their lives forever.

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3 Star Wars (1977)

The original Star Wars movie – later subtitled Episode IV - A New Hope – revolutionized the way that moviegoers viewed outer space. The vibrant imagination of George Lucas brought these far-flung fantasies to life, positioning our favorite robed protagonists alongside a whimsical cast of creatures and alien races. A Roger Ebert review reads, "' Star Wars ' melded a new generation of special effects with the high-energy action picture; it linked space opera and soap opera, fairy tales and legend, and packaged them as a wild visual ride." Whether you're a longtime fan or a casual viewer, the legacy that this film leaves is hard to deny.

2 Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar is an emotionally intense roller coaster of a movie, taking its audience into the furthest corners of the universe and the human psyche. After the environmental degradation of Earth, Professor Brand (Michael Caine) develops a theory to save its inhabitants by utilizing a wormhole in space. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a previous NASA pilot, must venture into the void again to secure the future of his planet's population and life as he knows it. Scored by Hans Zimmer and directed by Christopher Nolan, this film is equally heartbreaking and awe-inspiring.

1 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most influential works of science fiction of all time. Based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story, Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and his crew are positioned against the AI system HAL, who steers their ship with personal accuracy until it steers them wrong. With an experimental atmosphere, psychedelic visual effects, and masterful color theory, this film is as much a journey into the human mind as it is an exploration of space. 2001: A Space Odyssey is absolutely one of director Stanley Kubrick's best works , capturing his trademark sinister suspense across endless galaxies.

The 10 Best Movies About the Space Race, According to IMDb

These highly-rated films will take you back to one of the most fruitful scientific periods in human history.

The golden years of space exploration were inspiring , where barriers once thought unbreakable were swept away, and technological progress seemed unstoppable. Space missions have slowed down dramatically in recent decades, though figures like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos hope to send people to Mars and beyond in the coming years.

Events like the moon landing are so taken for granted now that it's hard to imagine how groundbreaking they were at the time. The best films about the space race capture both the wonder and danger of the missions, the success, and the darker side, helping to make these milestones feel vivid once again.

10 'Gagarin: First in Space' (2013)

IMDb Score: 6.5/10

Gagarin: First in Space is a biographical drama directed starring Yaroslav Zhalnin as Yuri Gagarin , the first human to journey into outer space. It follows Gagarin's life from his childhood in rural Russia to his cosmonaut training and his historic flight aboard the Vostok spacecraft on April 12, 1961.

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It's interesting to offer a Soviet perspective on the space race, though it has also been criticized for bias and for ignoring Gagarin's life after the groundbreaking voyage. Nevertheless, Zhalnin's solid performance holds the project together.

9 'The Challenger Disaster' (2013)

IMDb Score: 7.2/10

The Challenger Disaster examines the events leading up to the tragic explosion of the Challenger in 1986, which killed all seven crew members on board. Through the eyes of Richard Feynman , the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who served on the Rogers Commission investigating the incident, the film provides insight into the bureaucratic and political forces that contributed to the disaster.

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William Hurt delivers a masterful performance as Feynman, capturing his genius and frustration. The film primarily draws on Feynman's own writing, making for a poignant depiction of a darker chapter in space exploration.

8 'Spacewalk' (2017)

This historical drama tells the true story of cosmonauts Alexei Leonov ( Evgeny Mironov ) and Pavel Belyayev ( Konstantin Khabensky ), who made history in 1965 by performing the first-ever spacewalk. It's similar to Apollo 13 , looking at both the technical side of the mission and the Cold War political dimension.

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The special effects can't compete with Hollywood blockbusters, but the story itself is tense and engaging. The cosmonauts face several harrowing challenges, like glitches with the ship and problems with their oxygen tanks. Mironov and Khabensky ably capture the stress and intensity of the deadly situation.

7 'Apollo 10 1/2' (2022)

Richard Linklater 's most recent movie is this rotoscoped coming-of-age story, loosely based on his childhood, about a kid ( Milo Coy ) in 1969 who is inspired by the moon landing. It weaves together facts and fiction, docudrama and fantasy, and is sweet throughout.

Perhaps more than any other movie, it captures the magic of those first milestones of space exploration when walking on the moon seemed more like science fiction than a real possibility. It helps to put the viewer in the mind of those who saw the moon landing as it happened.

6 'First Man' (2018)

IMDb Score: 7.3/10

Damien Chazelle took something of a left turn after Whiplash and La La Land to direct First Man , a Neil Armstrong biopic starring Ryan Gosling . It follows Armstrong's journey from being a test pilot to becoming the first person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. It stands out because it focuses on Armstrong's personal challenges more than the technical side of the mission, including the loss of fellow astronauts and the pressure of public scrutiny.

Gosling is great in the role, turning in a flawed, nuanced portrayal of this American hero. The real highlight, though, may be Claire Foy as Armstrong's wife, Janet Armstrong , who shoulders the burden of her husband's absence and the possibility that he may not return from his mission.

5 'Apollo 13' (1995)

IMDb Score: 7.7/10

Probably the most famous space movie, Ron Howard 's Apollo 13 depicts the true story of the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, which experienced a catastrophic malfunction, leaving the crew stranded in space and fighting for survival. Tom Hanks , Kevin Bacon , and Bill Paxton play the three astronauts at the heart of the ill-fated mission.

The film captures the tense and emotional moments of the mission and the heroic efforts made by the astronauts and the mission control team to bring them safely back to Earth. The special effects were impressive for their time, creating a believable, frightening vision of a mission in crisis.

4 'The Right Stuff' (1983)

IMDb Score: 7.8/10

Based on Tom Wolfe 's book of the same name, The Right Stuff dramatizes the early years of the US space program, particularly the Mercury Seven astronauts, who were the first Americans to be sent into space. The cast, led by Sam Shepard , Scott Glenn , and Ed Harris , are all committed and believable. Their performances more than hold up today.

The film showcases the daring of these men as they push the limits of technology and risk their lives to advance scientific knowledge. Roger Ebert was a huge fan of it. He called it an "experimental epic" and ranked it alongside classics such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now .

3 'October Sky' (1999)

October Sky is based on the true story of Homer Hickam , a coal miner's son who becomes inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 and sets out to build his own rockets, despite opposition from his father and the skepticism of his small West Virginia town.

It was a breakout role for star Jake Gyllenhaal . Chris Cooper also impresses as Homer's father, who initially dismisses his son's dreams. Laura Dern rounds out the cast as Homer's sympathetic teacher who recognizes his potential. The result is a heartwarming story of perseverance.

2 'Hidden Figures' (2016)

Hidden Figures centers on three African-American women who played pivotal roles in the early years of NASA's space program during the 1960s: Katherine G. Johnson ( Taraji P. Henson ), Dorothy Vaughan ( Octavia Spencer ), and Mary Jackson ( Janelle Monáe ).

They were mathematicians for the space agency, who identified crucial flaws in some systems and ultimately did a better job than the computers brought in to replace them. The film packs killer performances, gorgeous cinematography, and a brilliant score by Hans Zimmer .

1 'For All Mankind' (1989)

IMDb Score: 8.1/10

For All Mankind is a sweeping documentary chronicling NASA's Apollo program. The film, directed by Al Reinert , uses footage from various NASA missions, including interviews with the astronauts, to tell the story of humanity's journey to the moon.

It's an awe-inspiring portrait of the bravery, skill, and determination of the astronauts and NASA personnel who made the Apollo program possible. It's worth watching just for the footage shot by the astronauts themselves, which had been archived by NASA and not shown to the public. For All Mankind remains a beautiful reminder of what can be achieved when people come together to pursue a common goal.

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50 best space movies of all time

Space has always captured the imagination of artists with all of its potential and unknowability. The sheer number of space-themed and set-in-space movies released over the years is a prime example of this. From silly takes like "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" to more serious stories like "First Man" to blockbusters like "Star Wars," there are probably more space-adjacent films out there than you realize.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the best space movies of all time as determined by the Stacker score, which equally weighs a film's IMDb user score and Metascore (data from October 2020), so both critics' and fans' opinions are taken into account. To be considered for the list, a film needed over 2,500 IMDb votes and at least seven Metacritic reviews.

The films on this list include soaring space operas, faithful docudramas, gripping thrillers, and speculative musings, but they all deal with space to some degree. These films span the recent history of cinema, from 1956 to 2022, and thus a chronological progression can be observed, with the early successes influencing later films.

Though some movies got the dates wrong, many of the themes explored deal directly with our day-to-day lives. "Gattaca" explores the perils of the creation of so-called "designer babies." "WALL-E," "Blade Runner," and "Planet of the Apes" muse on what will happen to the earth when humans destroy it. Several films take us back to one of humanity's greatest scientific achievements—the moon landing—and the sheer amount of effort and creativity needed to accomplish such a feat. So read on to discover something new that will inspire and entertain.

#50. Mr. Nobody (2009)

- Director: Jaco Van Dormael - Stacker score: 78.8 - Metascore: 63 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 141 minutes

This list comprises space movies—after all, that's what you came for—but "Mr. Nobody" is one of a few time movies too. Jared Leto portrays the protagonist, Nemo Nobody, the last mortal left on Earth after everyone else achieves immortality through cellular regenerative technology. Though the movie largely takes place on Earth, Nemo, at points, writes a story about space travel to Mars, which is visually presented in gorgeous detail. At the 66th Venice International Film Festival, "Mr. Nobody" garnered the Golden Osella and the Biografilm Lancia Award.

#49. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

- Director: Richard Marquand - Stacker score: 78.8 - Metascore: 58 - IMDb user rating: 8.3 - Runtime: 131 minutes

The original Star Wars trilogy will always be remembered for bringing blockbusters to Hollywood, with all its action, adventure, and exorbitant budgets. The third entry, "Return of the Jedi," is generally considered by fans and critics to be the worst of the three, though it's no less beloved than the first two. The Rebels, beaten time and time again, finally take their stand against the Empire as allegiances are tested and secrets are revealed. The movie took home the Special Achievement Academy Award in 1984.

#48. THX 1138 (1971)

- Director: George Lucas - Stacker score: 79.3 - Metascore: 75 - IMDb user rating: 6.7 - Runtime: 86 minutes

"THX 1138" was a failure. That is, until George Lucas gained notoriety for "Star Wars" and fans went back to watch his first film, which depicts a totalitarian dystopia controlled by mind-altering chemicals and an android police force. The title refers to the film's protagonist (Robert Duvall); to encourage conformity, names are simply three initials and four digits. The movie garnered a nomination at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival from the International Federation of Film Critics in the Directors' Fortnight section.

#47. Gattaca (1997)

- Director: Andrew Niccol - Stacker score: 79.3 - Metascore: 64 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 106 minutes

Twenty-one years after the release of "Gattaca," the scientific community was forced to confront an issue raised by the film: gene editing. Using CRISPR technology, scientists can now selectively edit portions of DNA in embryos , creating artificial resistance against diseases like HIV, smallpox, and cholera. Eventually, this technology could determine many human traits, from intelligence to eye color, exactly to the parents' desire.

In the world of "Gattaca," a man born naturally—without any genes edited—poses as another man to sidestep genetic discrimination and fulfill his dreams to travel to space, raising important questions about whether gene editing is just a novel form of eugenics. The film garnered many accolades, including nominations for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

#46. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

- Director: Gareth Edwards - Stacker score: 79.9 - Metascore: 65 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 133 minutes

Many fans found inconvenient truths (without revealing spoilers) at the end of "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" 39 years later; "Rogue One," which takes place right before "Episode IV," sets the stage for that famous climax, explaining the story behind how the heroic band of rebels was able to strike a decisive blow against the Empire. The first "Star Wars" film to be set outside the three major trilogies, "Rogue One" was played for its no-holds-barred action, fast-paced storyline, and memorable cameos from beloved characters. The movie also received two Academy Award nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.

#45. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

- Director: James Gunn - Stacker score: 79.9 - Metascore: 67 - IMDb user rating: 7.6 - Runtime: 136 minutes

Until 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy," the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were mostly confined to Earth, with a few sojourns to Asgard with Thor. However, like its predecessor, which appears further down this list, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is set entirely in space, where Chris Pratt's Peter "Star-Lord" Quill was raised following his childhood abduction from Earth. With only retro songs to remember his home planet by, Star-Lord searches for answers with his band of reluctant heroes, among them a talking raccoon and a sentient tree. The film's sequel, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," is set to release in 2023.

#44. On the Silver Globe (1988)

- Director: Andrzej Zulawski - Stacker score: 80.4 - Metascore: 72 - IMDb user rating: 7.2 - Runtime: 166 minutes

Based on the novel of the same title by Jerzy Żuławski, a Polish novelist famous for his Lunar trilogy, of which "Silver Globe" is the first, this film sees a stranded group of astronauts start a new civilization on an alien planet. With detailed costumes and exquisite sets, this film confronts themes of religion and custom. In all, "Silver Globe" is an incredibly ambitious work, with stunning, visionary production. The movie earned Andrzej Żuławski the Best Film award at the Fantasporto film festival in 1988.

#43. Galaxy Quest (1999)

- Director: Dean Parisot - Stacker score: 80.4 - Metascore: 70 - IMDb user rating: 7.4 - Runtime: 102 minutes

What does Sigourney Weaver do after finally escaping from the aliens in "Alien" and "Aliens"? Poke fun at another staple of the sci-fi genre in "Galaxy Quest," a transparent but nonetheless hilarious send-up of "Star Trek" and its fans. Also starring Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell, this cult classic is beloved by the very fans it made fun of, a surefire mark of a great film. The movie earned Allen the Best Actor award at the Saturn Awards in 2000.

#42. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

- Director: George Lucas - Stacker score: 80.4 - Metascore: 68 - IMDb user rating: 7.6 - Runtime: 140 minutes

Though the trilogy of films that served as prequels to "Star Wars: Episode IV" generated ire from fans and critics alike, there's a lot to enjoy in "Revenge of the Sith," in which Anakin Skywalker must choose between the light side of the Jedi and the dark power of the Sith. Though the romance between Hayden Christensen's Anakin and Natalie Portman's Padmé is… unconvincing, the twists and turns are exciting enough to watch that they've now been immortalized as viral memes . With a whopping $50 million turnout, the movie still holds the record for the highest opening-day gross on a Thursday.

#41. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

- Director: Nicholas Meyer - Stacker score: 81.0 - Metascore: 68 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 113 minutes

Nowadays, with the ubiquity of computer-generated images, or CGI, in blockbuster cinemas, it's charming to remember when carefully painted miniatures and fireworks explosions comprised much of what we consider "special effects." "The Wrath of Khan," the first film to have a sequence comprised entirely of CGI, was a harbinger of this new era. Beloved by fans, William Shatner's James Tiberius Kirk leads a war against Khan, who has sworn revenge on the Starship Enterprise, in this classic space opera. George Takei, James Doohan, and Leonard Nimoy also co-star in the film.

#40. Ad Astra (2019)

- Director: James Gray - Stacker score: 81.0 - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 6.5 - Runtime: 123 minutes

In "Ad Astra," James Gray set out to present a realistic depiction of space travel , coining the term "science future fact" to describe his vision of interplanetary travel rooted in science. The psychological drama, which tells the story of an astronaut (Brad Pitt) who sets out to discover the truth about his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones), does that and so much more. Contemplative and loaded with meaning, the movie also asks big questions about the existence and role of god . The Brad Pitt starrer received an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Mixing in 2020.

#39. Moon (2009)

- Director: Duncan Jones - Stacker score: 81.0 - Metascore: 67 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 97 minutes

Many sci-fi movies have grand sets, impressive special effects, and daring heroes; others use the context of sci-fi to explore the human condition. That's the case with "Moon," which sees Sam Rockwell as a lonely helium-3 miner on the far side of the moon, cut off from human contact for three years as he works. When he begins to suffer hallucinations, not even the viewer can tell what's real and what's imagined. "Moon" received plenty of accolades, taking home the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 2010 and garnering a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.

#38. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

- Director: J.J. Abrams - Stacker score: 83.2 - Metascore: 72 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 132 minutes

The sequel to J.J. Abrams' warmly received 2009 "Star Trek" reboot, "Into Darkness," sees the same crew headed by Chris Pine's James T. Kirk in a new adventure, tracking a mysterious villain (Benedict Cumberbatch) in a sneering, intense performance. With all the thrills and twists of the original "Star Trek" television series with the blockbuster budget of an Abrams flick, "Into Darkness" is a solid entry into the space-opera canon. The movie even earned a Best Visual Effects nomination at the 86th Academy Awards.

#37. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022)

- Director: Richard Linklater - Stacker score: 84.4 - Metascore: 79 - IMDb user rating: 7.2 - Runtime: 97 minutes

Loosely based on the real-life experiences of multihyphenate Richard Linklater, "Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood" tells the story of the 1969 moon landing from two perspectives—the crew aboard Apollo 11 and a fourth grader obsessed with imagining being the first man on the moon. The movie, like several of Linklater's other projects, is animated. Still, the process by which that animation was done —scenes were shot with real actors in front of green screens first, then converted to animation—gives it a much more realistic feel than your typical Saturday morning cartoon.

#36. Hidden Figures (2016)

- Director: Theodore Melfi - Stacker score: 84.9 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 127 minutes

Everyone remembers where they were when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Fewer people remember—or ever knew about—the groundbreaking scientists and mathematicians who made that walk possible, many being women of color, during a time when segregation was still enforced. Led by stirring performances from Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer, among others, "Hidden Figures" is a heartwarming story about overcoming obstacles both on the ground and in the air. Apart from earning a Best Picture nomination at the 89th Academy Awards, the blockbuster took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

#35. Serenity (2005)

- Director: Joss Whedon - Stacker score: 84.9 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 119 minutes

Not to be confused with the astoundingly awful 2019 film by the same title, 2005's "Serenity" is a final love letter to the series "Firefly," which follows the crew of the spaceship Serenity. Though the television series failed with audiences, a passionate cult of Joss Whedon fans convinced Universal Studios to bankroll a film meant to wrap up unresolved threads, which fans were overall pleased with. Despite its underwhelming performance at the box office, the film received the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Best Script Nebula Award.

#34. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo - Stacker score: 84.9 - Metascore: 68 - IMDb user rating: 8.4 - Runtime: 149 minutes

After 18 films and 10 years, the beginning of the final climax of the Marvel Cinematic Universe arrived, along with Josh Brolin's Thanos, the most terrifying villain our heroes have ever faced. With Thanos intent on tracking down the infinity stones, mystical objects capable of immense power, with the goal of eliminating half of all life in the universe, the Avengers set out across space to stop him. The film is one of the highest-grossing films of all time worldwide and in the United States and Canada.

#33. World on a Wire (1973)

- Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder - Stacker score: 85.5 - Metascore: 76 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 212 minutes

A topic that has recently encouraged discussion among philosophers, scientists, and one intrepid tech entrepreneur is that of humanity's existence. Are we real? Or are we living in a simulation? Some believe there's an infinitesimal probability that we're simulated humans , given how close we are to creating simulated societies ourselves. That question is probed by "World on a Wire," a two-part miniseries made for German television, that predates later films like "The Matrix," which explores similar themes.

#32. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

- Director: Rian Johnson - Stacker score: 85.5 - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 6.9 - Runtime: 152 minutes

The middle entry of the third Star Wars theatrical trilogy, "The Last Jedi," sees a precarious Resistance trying to hold on to hope as the First Order pummels them at every turn. Elsewhere, Rey attempts to convince Luke Skywalker, a reclusive hermit who wants nothing to do with his past heroism, to train her in the ways of the force. The movie angered some die-hard fans but was overall warmly received by critics. The film also received nominations for Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects at the 90th Academy Awards.

#31. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

- Director: Taika Waititi - Stacker score: 85.5 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 130 minutes

After "Thor: The Dark World," received lukewarm reviews, Marvel brought in New Zealand director Taika Waititi to spice up the franchise. The result: a colorful, hilarious romp through space featuring Chris Hemsworth's Thor facing off against Jeff Goldblum's Collector and Cate Blanchett's Hela, along with (and sometimes opposed to) his brother, Loki, played by an always-conniving Tom Hiddleston. Some old friends and foes make surprise appearances, and among fans of superhero movies, it's a must-see. A sequel, "Thor: Love and Thunder," was released in 2022.

#30. Apollo 13 (1995)

- Director: Ron Howard - Stacker score: 86.0 - Metascore: 77 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 140 minutes

"Failure is not an option." Those are the words uttered by NASA flight director Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) after an explosion disrupts a planned moon landing in this docudrama adapted from real events. Starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton as stranded astronauts, this heart-pounding thriller will have you at the edge of your seat, even if you know the outcome. During awards season, "Apollo 13" earned nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, winning for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

#29. Dune (2021)

- Director: Denis Villeneuve - Stacker score: 86.0 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 155 minutes

An adaptation of the classic 1965 sci-fi novel of the same name, "Dune" follows a noble family on a far-away planet named Arrakis as they attempt to stake their claim on the planet's most powerful resource. Only the third-ever adaptation of the source material, this version of the story was praised for its intense visuals and incredible score and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards. The movie only covers the first half of the book, and a sequel, "Dune: Part Two," is set to be released near the end of 2023.

#28. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

- Director: James Gunn - Stacker score: 87.2 - Metascore: 76 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 121 minutes

The aforementioned "Thor: Ragnarok" brought life and color to the Thor franchise; it owes a debt to "Guardians of the Galaxy," a colorful space adventure that brings exotic aliens and swashbuckling action to the MCU. Come for the visuals and Chris Pratt's charming performance; stay for the '80s nostalgia and killer soundtrack. The action-packed superhero flick was followed by the sequel "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" in 2017.

#27. First Man (2018)

- Director: Damien Chazelle - Stacker score: 87.7 - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Runtime: 141 minutes

After directing 2016's Best Picture-losing love letter "La La Land," Damien Chazelle recruited Ryan Gosling to play Neil Armstrong in "First Man," a docudrama about the perils of the space program leading up to that most famous walk on the moon. With strong performances throughout and incredible special effects and sound design on the space launches, "First Man" is a must-see for any Apollo enthusiasts. Following its two nominations at the ceremony, "First Man" walked away with the trophy for Best Original Score at the 76th Golden Globe Awards.

#26. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

- Director: J.J. Abrams - Stacker score: 88.3 - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 138 minutes

Achieving a higher place on this list than its sequel, "The Last Jedi," this first entry in the third Star Wars trilogy introduces a new cast of characters and brings back some fan favorites to fight against the First Order, the next iteration of the franchise's evil colonialist empire. Featuring standout performances from newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac, and an antiheroic return to form for Harrison Ford, "The Force Awakens" will fill you with the same childlike wonder of the original trilogy. The film is one of the highest-grossing films of all time, pulling in over $2 billion.

#25. Planet of the Apes (1968)

- Director: Franklin J. Schaffner - Stacker score: 88.8 - Metascore: 79 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 112 minutes

One of the most famous sci-fi films of all time, "Planet of the Apes" sees a crashed spaceship's crew wander a planet dominated by primates, only to discover a dark secret. With groundbreaking prosthetics that hold up to this day, it's worth watching or rewatching just for the famous quote: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!" In 2001, the movie was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

#24. The Lego Movie (2014)

- Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller - Stacker score: 89.4 - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 100 minutes

Many were skeptical that a concept as vague as "Lego" could be adapted into a compelling film. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, rising stars in the comedy and animation genres, proved even the most serious doubters wrong. "The Lego Movie" is 100 minutes of intense action, side-splitting dialogue, and creative animation. Anchored by an all-star cast, "The Lego Movie" is family-friendly perfection. The film franchise has since expanded with sequels like 2017's "The Lego Ninjago Movie" and 2019's "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part."

#23. District 9 (2009)

- Director: Neill Blomkamp - Stacker score: 89.4 - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 112 minutes

"District 9" sees an alien species set up camp on Earth. Using the xenophobia humans display against aliens as an allegory for the racism of South Africa's apartheid, this found-footage mockumentary turns the glamor of interspecies contact into a biting critique of contemporary affairs. The picture garnered four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing.

#22. Arrival (2016)

- Director: Denis Villeneuve - Stacker score: 89.4 - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 116 minutes

In many movies on this list, humankind ventures far out into the galaxy, discovering alien planets and their inhabitants. In 2016's enigmatic "Arrival," the aliens come here. Whether they're bearing gifts or baring their teeth remains to be seen; it's up to a linguist (Amy Adams) and physicist (Jeremy Renner) to interpret the alien language. Villeneuve has already shown himself to be a powerful force in the speculative science fiction genre, and "Arrival" is a head-spinning masterpiece. "Arrival" took home the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

#21. The Martian (2015)

- Director: Ridley Scott - Stacker score: 89.4 - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 144 minutes

Based on the popular novel, "The Martian" is about humanity joining for a singular mission: Save astronaut Mark Watney, who was abandoned on Mars after the rest of his crew made an emergency exit during a dust storm. Played by a charismatic Matt Damon, Watney is a genius scientist who works in tandem with the forces on Earth to return home.

A fantastic ensemble cast assists him in his efforts, including Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, and Donald Glover, among many others. The movie earned Damon myriad accolades, including the Golden Globe for Best Actor — Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, as well as nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor.

#20. Interstellar (2014)

- Director: Christopher Nolan - Stacker score: 89.4 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 8.6 - Runtime: 169 minutes

Christopher Nolan is known for making mind-bending films that challenge and enthrall the viewer, and 2014's "Interstellar" is a worthy addition to that canon. In the not-too-distant future, humanity suffers the widespread effects of climate change. Abandoning Earth is the only hope, and when a mysterious wormhole opens up at the end of the solar system, a daring crew travels through.

Working against impossible odds and the forces of space and time, the crew must do everything possible to survive in this three-hour epic starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine. The film was a hotshot at the 87th Academy Awards, receiving nominations for Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing, taking home the trophy for Best Visual Effects.

#19. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

- Director: Denis Villeneuve - Stacker score: 89.9 - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 164 minutes

Previously in this slideshow, we referred to director Denis Villeneuve as "a powerful force in the speculative science fiction genre." Consider this film Exhibit B. "Blade Runner 2049" is beautiful in its tragedy, or perhaps tragic in its beauty. Anchored by a deeply empathetic performance from Ryan Gosling and featuring Ana de Armas, Mackenzie Davis, Jared Leto, and others, "Blade Runner 2049" is a worthy sequel to its groundbreaking predecessor. At the 90th Academy Awards, the blockbuster claimed trophies for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects, in addition to nominations for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Production Design.

#18. Star Trek (2009)

- Director: J.J. Abrams - Stacker score: 89.9 - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 127 minutes

Like "The Force Awakens," this film was preceded on this list by its sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness." 2009's "Star Trek" likewise contains all the charm of the original series, with big-budget special effects and a stellar cast (pun intended). "Star Trek" was followed by the sequels 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness" and 2016's "Star Trek Beyond."

#17. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo - Stacker score: 90.5 - Metascore: 78 - IMDb user rating: 8.4 - Runtime: 181 minutes

The climax fans waited a decade for, "Avengers: Endgame" sees the titular characters reeling from the events of the prior film and navigating a strange world. Some are focused on undoing the fallout of "Avengers: Infinity War," while others just want to move on and accept the world as it is. The three-hour runtime flies by as our heroes find a promising way forward. "Avengers: Endgame" claimed two Critics' Choice Awards and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.

#16. Avatar (2009)

- Director: James Cameron - Stacker score: 90.5 - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 162 minutes

The highest-grossing movie of all time, despite the ongoing efforts of "Avengers: Endgame," "Avatar" brought eye-popping CGI to a global audience in a classic story of colonialism, romance, and resistance. James Cameron waited nearly a decade, until 2005, to make the film as the technology wasn't advanced enough in the 1990s to complete his vision. The wait paid off financially and in the stunning visuals of the film, which hold up very well 10 years later. Among its nine Oscar nominations, the blockbuster took three trophies, including Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, and Best Cinematography.

#15. Blade Runner (1982)

- Director: Ridley Scott - Stacker score: 92.2 - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 8.1 - Runtime: 117 minutes

Directed by Ridley Scott of "Alien" fame and loosely based on a book by sci-fi master Philip K. Dick, "Blade Runner" focuses on Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard, a retired "blade runner," tasked with hunting down and killing renegade androids known as replicants, just like he used to. The film takes place entirely on Earth; however, it's a grimy and squalid one, as anyone with significant wealth has already left for the off-world colonies. Although space travel doesn't feature directly, the film questions technology's effect on the environment and human interactions. The '80s blockbuster earned two Academy Award nominations, including Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, and took home the Hugo Award in 1983 for Best Dramatic Presentation.

#14. The Iron Giant (1999)

- Director: Brad Bird - Stacker score: 92.7 - Metascore: 85 - IMDb user rating: 8.1 - Runtime: 86 minutes

Sci-fi films have a peculiar tendency to underperform at the box office, only to be treated as cult classics and idolized long after they leave the theaters. Such is the case with "The Iron Giant," the directorial debut of "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" director Brad Bird, which sees a young boy befriending a giant robot who fell from the sky. Featuring an all-star cast of voice actors, including Vin Diesel as the titular automaton, "The Iron Giant" is a gem in Bird's stellar filmography. The film received nine of the 15 Annie Awards for which it was nominated, including the Annie Award for Music in an Animated Feature Production.

#13. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

- Director: Steven Spielberg - Stacker score: 92.7 - Metascore: 90 - IMDb user rating: 7.6 - Runtime: 138 minutes

Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" is considered one of the best science fiction films of all time. A smash hit with critics and audiences alike, the movie is about a blue-collar Indiana man who finds his life completely changed after a chance encounter with a UFO. Praised for its originality, the movie has been instrumental in leading many to believe we may not be alone after all. In 2007, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress.

#12. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

- Director: Stanley Kubrick - Stacker score: 93.3 - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 8.3 - Runtime: 149 minutes

Sci-fi movies would look a lot different without "2001," undoubtedly the most influential film of the genre ever to hit the silver screen. The precarity of artificial intelligence, the vastness of space, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life are among the themes explored in Kubrick's masterpiece. From the visuals to the score, "2001" earns its spot among the greatest films of all time. The sci-fi epic was regarded "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress in 1991 and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

#11. Aliens (1986)

- Director: James Cameron - Stacker score: 93.9 - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 8.4 - Runtime: 137 minutes

In several places on this list, sequels fared worse in the hearts of critics and audiences than its predecessor. Such is the case with "Aliens," the sequel to 1979's "Alien," though Empire magazine named it the greatest sequel of all time . The franchise has yet to recapture the magic since "Aliens," a terrifying thriller of galactic proportions starring Sigourney Weaver in an Oscar-nominated performance as Ellen Ripley, a hero for a spacefaring generation. The alien-invaded franchise has since spawned several other sequels, including 2012's "Prometheus" and 2017's "Alien: Covenant."

#10. Apollo 11 (2019)

- Director: Todd Douglas Miller - Stacker score: 94.4 - Metascore: 88 - IMDb user rating: 8.1 - Runtime: 93 minutes

The only documentary on this list, "Apollo 11" consists solely of archival footage and is absent of narration, commentary from talking heads, or re-creations. The film presents the story of the titular mission, moonwalk and all. There's not much else to say here, just a word of advice: see it on the biggest screen you can find. The film took home three Primetime Emmy Awards in 2020, including Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program.

#9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

- Director: Don Siegel - Stacker score: 94.4 - Metascore: 92 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 80 minutes

The fact that the oldest film on this list also makes the top 10 is notable; many of the deep questions posed by old sci-fi movies seem dated to us (Are communicators in "Star Trek" any better than an iPhone?). However, the fear of someone you love seeming just a little off still raises goosebumps in any viewer. The culprit: alien pods that, when they reach maturity, duplicate humans entirely, though the duplicates are devoid of any emotion. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1994.

#8. The Right Stuff (1983)

- Director: Philip Kaufman - Stacker score: 94.4 - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 193 minutes

The films on this list that deal with America's space program each focus on a different period. Such is the case with "The Right Stuff," which focuses on the Mercury program of supersonic flight, sometimes in the sub-orbital region of space, which took place between 1958 and 1963. Based on the bestselling book by the same name, "The Right Stuff" was, like many others on this list, a box-office failure though it was beloved by critics and is still considered a modern classic today. "The Right Stuff" also earned eight Oscar nominations at the 56th Academy Awards, bringing home four.

#7. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

- Director: Irvin Kershner - Stacker score: 94.4 - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 8.7 - Runtime: 124 minutes

Another of the best-received sequels of all time, "The Empire Strikes Back" had a lot to live up to when it premiered three years after "Star Wars: Episode IV." Luckily, the story matured from "chosen one saves the universe" into a more complex series of blows and counterattacks. With cinema's most famous twist in the middle, "Empire" recaptures all the magic of the original and further explores the galaxy far, far away. In 2010, the United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.

#6. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

- Director: Steven Spielberg - Stacker score: 95.0 - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 115 minutes

"E.T. phone home," mutters the titular character as it attempts to contact its home planet, drawing awe from audiences worldwide. The timeless story of an intimate friendship between a boy and his alien friend, "E.T." has resonated with generations of families and is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time. The film was added to the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1994.

#5. Solaris (1972)

- Director: Andrei Tarkovsky - Stacker score: 96.6 - Metascore: 93 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 167 minutes

At the same time Americans were celebrating a comeback victory in the Space Race, Soviet Russians were dealing with their own questions of space travel and communism's place in the future. Such is the case with "Solaris," a Soviet film that questions the limits of human rationality in a gorgeous, haunting, nearly three-hour production. The film also took home the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival.

#4. Gravity (2013)

- Director: Alfonso Cuarón - Stacker score: 96.6 - Metascore: 96 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 91 minutes

Alfonso Cuarón, the five-time Oscar winner and director of "Children of Men" and "Roma," tried his hand at an outer-space thriller in 2013's seven-time Oscar winner "Gravity," starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as stranded astronauts doing whatever it takes to return home. As evidenced by the awards, "Gravity" was received warmly by both critics and fans, who praised the realistic visuals, performances from the leads, and stirring score. Among the film's 10 nominations at the 86th Academy Awards, "Gravity" blasted off with seven, including Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, and Best Director.

#3. Alien (1979)

- Director: Ridley Scott - Stacker score: 97.2 - Metascore: 89 - IMDb user rating: 8.5 - Runtime: 117 minutes

Facehugger, Xenomorph, Chestburster—the titular alien in "Alien" takes many forms, all terrifying, as the creation of gory special effects and dark imagination. The crew of the spaceship Nostromo is hopelessly outmatched against this unique evil, though they never stop trying to kill it, even as more and more humans fall victim to the alien's attacks. A straightforward human-versus-nature story, the movie manages to slip in a biting critique of megacorporations that are more interested in the bottom line than human lives. Back in 2008, "Alien" was ranked #7 by the American Film Institute as the best film in the science fiction genre.

#2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

- Director: George Lucas - Stacker score: 98.3 - Metascore: 90 - IMDb user rating: 8.6 - Runtime: 121 minutes

What is there to say about "Star Wars"? The 1977 film has established itself in every corner of our collective consciousness, from the global fame of its cast to the innumerable sci-fi and adventure films it influenced, not to mention the films in the franchise still being released every couple of years. The soundtrack is iconic, the characters are legendary, and the story of a chosen hero leading the galaxy to victory has inspired millions of young people all across the globe. In 1989, the sci-fi blockbuster became one of the first 25 films to be chosen by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.

#1. WALL-E (2008)

- Director: Andrew Stanton - Stacker score: 100.0 - Metascore: 95 - IMDb user rating: 8.4 - Runtime: 98 minutes

The striking depiction of Earth in "WALL-E" as a barren wasteland, destroyed by the forces of climate and human overconsumption, is made even more impactful through the film's choice not to include human dialogue for much of the film. The titular robot is an emotive trash compactor—the only one left on Earth—meant to clean up the planet's waste; imagine his shock when a futuristic robot arrives, searching the planet for any sign of organic life. When humans are finally shown, they're nearly unconscious and incapable of social relationships, as work has become obsolete thanks to automation.

A story about finding a purpose in the universe's vastness, "WALL-E" has the right mix of charm, complex storytelling, beautiful visuals, and soul-searching questions to land at the top of our list. The Disney flick, in 2021, was even selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

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15 Deep Space Exploration Sci-Fi Movies You Need To Watch

From the desolate landscapes of the moon to encounters with extraterrestrial enigmas, these movies capture the essence of space exploration, blending science and fiction for an unforgettable cinematic experience..

By Alaa Bahaa • Last updated December 14, 2023

Embark on a cosmic journey with our selection of deep space exploration sci-fi films. These captivating movies delve into the challenges of space travel, the isolation of astronauts, and encounters with the unknown, blending science and fiction to create captivating narratives.

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Bleuette Bernon

François Lallement

Henri Delannoy

Victor André

Jehanne d'Alcy

Jules-Eugène Legris

"A Trip to the Moon" is a pioneer in space exploration cinema that predates even the existence of airplanes. This silent masterpiece, still celebrated as one of the best space sci-fi movies, showcases a level of imagination and special effects that resonate today.

This space exploration gem not only sets the stage for future sci-fi wonders but also holds a timeless allure in the realm of best space sci-fi movies, leaving an indelible mark on the genre's history.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Keir Dullea

Gary Lockwood

William Sylvester

Douglas Rain

Daniel Richter

Leonard Rossiter

Margaret Tyzack

Robert Beatty

Sean Sullivan

Frank Miller

Edwina Carroll

"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) epitomizes timeless excellence in space exploration cinema, standing among the best sci-fi movies ever made. This iconic film seamlessly blends futuristic visions of space exploration and artificial intelligence with raw human imagery.

"I'm Afraid" Scene - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Beyond its age, "2001" remains a cornerstone of space sci-fi, exploring themes of evolution and the divine in a way that makes each viewing a deeply personal and awe-inspiring experience.

The Martian (2015)

Jessica Chastain

Kristen Wiig

Jeff Daniels

Michael Peña

Sebastian Stan

Aksel Hennie

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Donald Glover

Benedict Wong

In "The Martian," space exploration takes center stage as astronaut Mark Watney battles for survival on Mars. Abandoned by his crew after a mission mishap, Watney's resourcefulness unfolds in the harsh Martian environment.

"Coming Home" Scene - The Martian (2015)

This 2015 film captures the essence of the soul of space sci-fi movies, depicting the isolation and ingenuity demanded by the vast, unforgiving expanse beyond Earth.

Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969)

Roy Thinnes

Patrick Wymark

Lynn Loring

Loni von Friedl

Franco De Rosa

George Sewell

Philip Madoc

Vladek Sheybal

George Mikell

Herbert Lom

"Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" ventures into space exploration, following astronauts on a quest beyond the Sun. The film's unique blend of the unknown planet with Earthly elements adds a distinctive touch to space exploration movies.

"Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" remains a noteworthy addition, offering a visually captivating experience within the realm of best space sci-fi movies.

Sunshine (2007)

Cillian Murphy

Chris Evans

Michelle Yeoh

Cliff Curtis

Hiroyuki Sanada

Troy Garity

Mark Strong

Paloma Baeza

Archie Macdonald

Sylvie Macdonald

"Sunshine" elevates space exploration in this gripping sci-fi thriller. Set against the backdrop of a dying Sun, a team of astronauts embarks on a perilous journey to reignite the star and save Earth from freezing.

"Approaching Mercury" Scene - Sunshine (2007)

With stunning visuals and a tense atmosphere, "Sunshine" adds a thrilling dimension to the best space sci-fi movies, exploring the intricacies of the human psyche in the quest to save our planet.

Outland (1981)

Sean Connery

Peter Boyle

Frances Sternhagen

James B. Sikking

Kika Markham

Clarke Peters

Steven Berkoff

John Ratzenberger

Nicholas Barnes

Manning Redwood

"Outland" ventures into the realm of space exploration, blending a classic Western narrative with the mysteries of a mining operation on Jupiter's moon, Io. Sean Connery's portrayal of a deep space Marshal adds gravitas to the film, creating a unique fusion of genres.

With a gripping narrative and atmospheric tension, "Outland" contributes a distinctive flavor to the best space sci-fi movies, offering a thrilling exploration of danger and intrigue in the vastness of space.

Interstellar (2014)

Matthew McConaughey

Anne Hathaway

Michael Caine

Ellen Burstyn

Mackenzie Foy

Casey Affleck

John Lithgow

Wes Bentley

"Interstellar" leaves an indelible mark among the best space sci-fi movies, captivating audiences with its extraordinary visuals and innovative storytelling. Amidst stunning depictions of a black hole and the effects of gravity, "Interstellar" takes viewers on a cinematic journey through a wormhole, showcasing the wonders and challenges of space exploration.

"Into The Wormhole" Scene - Interstellar (2014)

The film transcends the traditional Earth-in-peril narrative, offering a profound exploration of gravity, love, and dimensions beyond human comprehension.

Solaris (1972)

Donatas Banionis

Natalya Bondarchuk

Jüri Järvet

Anatoliy Solonitsyn

Nikolay Grinko

Vladislav Dvorzhetsky

Georgiy Teykh

Sos Sargsyan

Olga Barnet

Tamara Ogorodnikova

"Solaris" is a cerebral masterpiece in the realm of best space sci-fi movies, immersing viewers in a mysterious journey beyond our planet. The film follows a cosmonaut haunted by visions of his deceased wife as his spaceship orbits the enigmatic planet Solaris.

Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, the narrative unfolds on a space station, where psychological turmoil takes center stage.

Gravity (2013)

Sandra Bullock

George Clooney

Orto Ignatiussen

Phaldut Sharma

Basher Savage

"Gravity" is a breathlessly tense and visually stunning entry among the best space sci-fi movies. The film captures the vulnerability of stranded astronauts amidst orbiting debris, emphasizing the vastness of space and our insignificance within it.

"Detached" Scene - Gravity (2013)

The film satisfies space enthusiasts with its portrayal of the zero-gravity environment, making "Gravity" a riveting cinematic experience within the realm of space exploration movies.

Contact (1997)

Jodie Foster

James Woods

Tom Skerritt

William Fichtner

David Morse

Angela Bassett

Geoffrey Blake

Max Martini

"Contact" is considered one of the best space sci-fi movies of the '90s, exploring humanity's first encounter with extraterrestrial life.

With its intriguing space concepts and thought-provoking themes, "Contact" remains a favorite for those appreciating the wonders and complexities of space exploration, showcasing the enduring allure of thoughtful sci-fi cinema.

Alien (1979)

Sigourney Weaver

Yaphet Kotto

Veronica Cartwright

Harry Dean Stanton

Bolaji Badejo

Helen Horton

Roy Scammell

"Alien" is a landmark in the realm of best space sci-fi movies, showcasing the eerie contradiction of space as both vast and claustrophobic. The film ingeniously transforms a spaceship into a haunted house, emphasizing the terror of the unknown in the universe.

"The Iconic Chestbuster" Scene - Alien (1979)

With iconic special effects and a small budget maximized to create a gripping space-bound haunted house, "Alien" explores the vulnerability of life in space and the dangers associated with venturing beyond our atmosphere.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Bill Paxton

Kevin Bacon

Gary Sinise

Kathleen Quinlan

David Andrews

Xander Berkeley

Christian Clemenson

Brett Cullen

Clint Howard

"Apollo 13" stands out as a thrilling space exploration movie, portraying the real-life challenges of the 1970 lunar mission. Lauded for its accuracy, the film captures the astronauts' perilous journey back to Earth after the loss of the service module's oxygen.

This gripping drama, based on true events, remains a must-watch within the realm of best space sci-fi movies, showcasing the tension and resilience inherent in space exploration missions.

2010 (1984)

Roy Scheider

Helen Mirren

Bob Balaban

Madolyn Smith Osborne

Savely Kramarov

Taliesin Jaffe

James McEachin

Mary Jo Deschanel

Elya Baskin

In "2010: The Year We Make Contact," space exploration takes center stage against the backdrop of a Cold War-era space race. Set against the tensions of the time, the movie explores how space exploration can serve as a unifying force in the face of global uncertainty.

With its sleek visuals and thematic depth, 2010 stands out as a notable entry in the realm of space sci-fi.

Moon (2009)

Sam Rockwell

Kevin Spacey

Dominique McElligott

Adrienne Shaw

Kaya Scodelario

Malcolm Stewart

Robin Chalk

"Moon" delves into the solitary world of a lunar miner, Sam Bell, offering a unique perspective on space exploration and the psychological toll of isolation.

"Moon" weaves a captivating storyline that goes beyond typical space genres. With a suspicious robot as his sole companion, the film captures the solitude of space exploration.

High Life (2018)

Robert Pattinson

Juliette Binoche

Agata Buzek

Lars Eidinger

Claire Tran

Ewan Mitchell

Gloria Obianyo

Victor Banerjee

Scarlett Lindsey

Jessie Ross

"High Life" transcends traditional space exploration narratives, following death row inmates opting for a perilous mission near a black hole as an alternative to execution.

This uniquely gripping journey delves into themes of incarceration and experimentation within the confined spaces of a spacecraft. It challenges genre conventions, making it a distinctive entry in the realm of best space exploration movies.

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Disney Movies About Space (List)

Disney has taken audiences on incredible journeys to outer space with their captivating and entertaining movies. From animated adventures to live-action thrillers, Disney has explored the vast expanse of the cosmos and brought incredible stories to life. Whether you are a fan of space exploration, science fiction, or simply enjoy a good family-friendly film, Disney has something for everyone when it comes to space-themed movies.

Key Takeaways:

• Disney has produced a variety of space movies, both animated and live-action.
• Classic Disney space movies include “Flight of the Navigator” and “The Black Hole.”
• Disney’s animated space movies like “WALL-E” and “Treasure Planet” showcase their creativity.
• Live-action Disney space movies like “Tomorrowland” and “Race to Witch Mountain” offer thrilling adventures.
• Disney’s acquisition of Marvel and Lucasfilm has expanded the space genre with films like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the recent Star Wars movies.

Table of Contents

Classic Disney Space Movies

Disney has a rich collection of classic space movies that have captivated audiences for decades. These films take viewers on thrilling space adventures, featuring memorable characters and captivating storytelling. Let’s explore some of the iconic Disney classics set in outer space.

“Flight of the Navigator” (1986)

This beloved film tells the story of a young boy who becomes the pilot of a spaceship after being abducted by aliens. With its adventurous plot and heartwarming themes, “Flight of the Navigator” has become a fan favorite.

“Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975)

In “Escape to Witch Mountain,” two siblings with paranormal abilities find themselves on a journey to discover their true origins. With a blend of mystery and adventure, this film has stood the test of time.

“The Cat from Outer Space” (1978)

In this whimsical comedy, a stranded alien cat uses its extraordinary powers to communicate with humans. “The Cat from Outer Space” combines humor and imagination to create a delightful space adventure.

“The Black Hole” (1979)

Exploring the mysteries of a black hole, “The Black Hole” follows a group of explorers on a deep-space voyage. This visually stunning film offers a thrilling blend of science fiction and fantasy.

These classic Disney space movies have left a lasting impact on audiences, showcasing the creative and imaginative storytelling that Disney is known for. They continue to be enjoyed by both children and adults, reminding us of the magic and wonder of space exploration.

Disney Animated Space Movies

Disney has always been known for its animated films that capture the hearts of audiences of all ages. When it comes to the realm of space, Disney’s creativity and imagination truly shine. Let’s explore some of the beloved animated space movies that Disney has brought to life.

1. WALL-E (2008)

In this post-apocalyptic Earth, WALL-E, a lovable robot, embarks on a space adventure after meeting EVE, a sleek robot sent to Earth on a mission. With stunning visuals and a heartwarming story, WALL-E takes viewers on a journey through space as these robots discover the importance of humanity and love.

2. Treasure Planet (2002)

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel “Treasure Island,” Disney brings the story to the vastness of space. Jim Hawkins sets off on a thrilling adventure aboard a spaceship, encountering pirates and hidden treasure as he navigates through the cosmos. With its unique blend of futuristic settings and swashbuckling action, Treasure Planet offers a fresh take on a beloved tale.

These animated films showcase Disney’s commitment to storytelling and their ability to transport audiences to imaginative and mesmerizing worlds. Let’s explore these movies further with a table that highlights their key details:

These animated space movies demonstrate Disney’s ability to captivate audiences with their visually stunning animation, compelling characters, and imaginative storytelling. Whether it’s WALL-E’s journey to save humanity or Jim Hawkins’ thrilling space adventure, these films have left a lasting impact on the world of animated sci-fi. As we continue to explore Disney’s space-themed movies, let’s dive into the realm of live-action space adventures in the next section.

Disney Live-Action Space Movies

Disney’s live-action space movies offer thrilling adventures and captivating stories. These films transport viewers to different worlds and introduce them to extraordinary characters, combining science fiction and fantasy elements to create unforgettable cinematic experiences.

One notable live-action space movie from Disney is “Tomorrowland” (2015). Directed by Brad Bird, the film tells the story of a young girl who discovers a hidden world of innovation and futuristic technology. Featuring stunning visuals and a message of hope for the future, “Tomorrowland” is a must-watch for fans of Disney’s live-action sci-fi films.

“John Carter” (2012) is another exciting space adventure from Disney. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel series, the film follows a former Confederate Army captain who finds himself transported to Mars and embroiled in an epic conflict. With stunning visuals and thrilling action sequences, “John Carter” showcases Disney’s ability to bring imaginative worlds to life on the big screen.

“Race to Witch Mountain” (2009) is a family-friendly live-action movie that combines science fiction and adventure. The film follows two alien siblings who seek human help to save their planet. With a mix of humor, action, and heartwarming moments, “Race to Witch Mountain” is an enjoyable space-themed adventure for audiences of all ages.

Disney’s live-action space movies demonstrate the studio’s commitment to creating visually stunning and immersive experiences. These films transport viewers to fantastical worlds, ignite their imaginations, and remind us of the limitless possibilities of the universe.

Marvel Movies in the Disney Universe

Marvel Movies in the Disney Universe showcase the exciting collaboration between Disney and Marvel, resulting in a collection of thrilling space-themed superhero films. These movies combine the action-packed Marvel universe with the imaginative settings and captivating storytelling of Disney, creating a unique cinematic experience for fans of all ages.

Some notable Marvel movies in the Disney universe include:

• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): This cosmic adventure introduces a ragtag group of misfits who band together to save the galaxy. With dynamic characters like Star-Lord, Gamora, and Rocket, this film takes audiences on a thrilling intergalactic journey filled with humor, heart, and epic space battles.
• Thor: Ragnarok (2017): Thor, the God of Thunder, finds himself stranded on a distant planet and forced to participate in a gladiatorial contest. With its colorful visuals, hilarious moments, and an outstanding ensemble cast, this film presents a fresh and comedic take on the Marvel space genre.
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018): The Avengers join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to prevent the powerful villain Thanos from obtaining the Infinity Stones. This movie showcases an unprecedented gathering of beloved Marvel characters and unfolds on a cosmic scale, making it a thrilling and emotionally charged space epic.

These Marvel movies in the Disney universe offer a blend of action, adventure, and cosmic storytelling. With visually stunning special effects, memorable characters, and interconnected storylines, they have become a significant part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and have captivated audiences worldwide.

These films exemplify the successful fusion of Marvel’s superhero universe with Disney’s creative storytelling and production values. With thrilling adventures, intergalactic conflicts, and beloved characters, Marvel Movies in the Disney Universe have left an indelible mark on the space genre.

Recent Star Wars Films by Disney

Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the production company behind Star Wars, and has since released several highly anticipated Star Wars films. These include “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015), “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016), and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017). These movies continue the beloved Star Wars saga and take audiences on thrilling space adventures in a galaxy far, far away.

The Force Awakens

As the first film in the sequel trilogy, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” introduces new heroes and reintroduces beloved characters from the original trilogy. Audiences are thrust back into the epic battle between the Resistance and the First Order, with the mysterious Rey and conflicted Kylo Ren at the center of the story.

“Chewie, we’re home.” – Han Solo

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” takes place before the events of the original trilogy and follows a group of rebels as they undertake a dangerous mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. This standalone film adds depth and new perspectives to the Star Wars universe while delivering intense action and emotional moments.

The Last Jedi

In “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Rey seeks guidance from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker as the Resistance faces a relentless onslaught from the First Order. The film delves into the complicated dynamics between Rey and Kylo Ren, delivering surprises and deepening the mythology of the Star Wars saga.

“The greatest teacher, failure is.” – Yoda

The recent Star Wars films by Disney continue to captivate audiences with their compelling characters, thrilling space battles, and rich storytelling. These movies have expanded the Star Wars universe while staying true to the essence and legacy of the beloved franchise.

Disney Space Movies on Disney+

For fans of space-themed films, Disney+ is the ultimate streaming service. With a vast library of Disney space movies , subscribers can enjoy their favorite cosmic adventures from the comfort of their own homes. From beloved classics to the latest Marvel and Star Wars blockbusters, Disney+ offers a range of space-themed films for audiences of all ages.

Whether you’re in the mood for heartwarming nostalgia or thrilling action, Disney+ has you covered. Here are some of the must-watch Disney space movies available on the platform:

• Flight of the Navigator
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Thor: Ragnarok

These films, among many others, can be easily accessed through the Disney+ streaming service . By subscribing to Disney+, fans can embark on interstellar journeys, explore otherworldly landscapes, and meet unforgettable characters.

Disney+ has revolutionized the way we watch our favorite Disney space movies. With its user-friendly interface and high-quality streaming, the platform brings the magic of these films to life like never before. No need to go to a crowded theater or search through DVD collections – Disney+ makes it simple and convenient to enjoy the best of Disney’s space-themed films anytime, anywhere.

Experience the Marvel and Star Wars Universe

In addition to the classic Disney space movies , Disney+ offers a treasure trove of Marvel and Star Wars content. Dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with films like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Thor: Ragnarok,” where superheroes venture into the depths of space to save the universe. Join the iconic characters of the Star Wars saga in their epic battles against the forces of darkness, with films like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

Immerse yourself in these expansive cinematic universes, with Disney+ as your gateway to thrilling space adventures.

Ready to explore the vastness of space? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch your favorite Disney space movies on Disney+ . Sign up now and embark on a cosmic journey that will transport you to galaxies far, far away.

Upcoming Disney Space Movies

Disney is always looking to bring new and exciting space adventures to the big screen. With a commitment to captivating storytelling and breathtaking visuals, Disney has a lineup of upcoming space-themed movies that are sure to thrill audiences of all ages.

One highly anticipated title is Lightyear , set to release in 2022. This movie is a spin-off of the beloved “Toy Story” franchise and focuses on the iconic character Buzz Lightyear. Fans will be able to join Buzz on a thrilling space journey as he embarks on epic adventures.

Another exciting film in development is The Eternals , scheduled for release in 2021. This movie explores a group of super-powered beings sent to protect humans and takes place in a cosmic setting. Audiences can expect epic battles, captivating storytelling, and a dive into the vastness of space.

These upcoming Disney space movies showcase the studio’s dedication to bringing innovative and imaginative stories to life. With a combination of beloved franchises and original concepts, Disney continues to push the boundaries of the space genre and create unforgettable cinematic experiences.

Disney+ Space Shows and Documentaries

Disney+ not only offers a wide selection of space-themed movies but also provides an array of captivating space shows and documentaries. These fascinating shows and documentaries allow viewers to delve deeper into the wonders of the universe and the history of space exploration. Let’s explore some of the remarkable space content available on Disney+.

Astronaut Journeys in “Among the Stars” (2021)

“Among the Stars” is a captivating docuseries that follows the incredible journey of astronaut Captain Chris Cassidy. Viewers get an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs of life on the International Space Station. Through stunning visuals and personal narratives, this show brings the awe-inspiring reality of living and working in space right into your living room.

Exploring the Apollo Moon Program in “Apollo: Missions to the Moon” (2019)

“Apollo: Missions to the Moon” takes viewers on a historical journey into the iconic Apollo moon program. This documentary provides an in-depth exploration of the groundbreaking missions that landed astronauts on the lunar surface. Through archival footage and interviews with key figures, this documentary offers a comprehensive and engaging account of one of humanity’s greatest achievements.

“I think space films and shows have the power to inspire wonder and curiosity about the unknown. The exploration of space is an incredible feat, and Disney+ provides a platform for viewers to learn, be inspired, and appreciate the vastness of our universe.” – Astronomer Dr. Lisa Harvey-Smith

These space shows and documentaries are just a glimpse of the diverse content available on Disney+. With its commitment to original and educational programming, Disney+ offers a unique opportunity to delve into the depths of space and broaden our understanding of the cosmos.

In addition to these shows and documentaries, Disney+ continues to expand its library of space-themed content, offering a wealth of entertainment and educational opportunities for space enthusiasts and curious minds alike.

Hidden Gems and Lesser-Known Disney Space Movies

While Disney is well-known for its popular space movies, there are also hidden gems and lesser-known films in its repertoire that delve into the vast unknown of outer space. These movies may have flown under the radar, but they still offer captivating and entertaining space-themed stories that are definitely worth discovering. So grab your popcorn and get ready to explore these hidden treasures:

The Rocketeer (1991).

This action-packed film follows the story of a young pilot who stumbles upon a powerful jetpack that grants him the ability to soar through the skies. Set in a retro-futuristic 1930s Los Angeles, The Rocketeer combines thrilling aerial adventures, charming characters, and stunning visuals to deliver a truly exhilarating space-inspired experience.

Mars Needs Moms (2011).

Mars Needs Moms takes a unique twist on the space movie genre by exploring the relationship between a young boy and his mom. When his mother is kidnapped by Martians who need her to raise their own children, he embarks on a thrilling and heartwarming adventure to rescue her. This visually stunning animated film provides a fresh and touching take on extraterrestrial encounters.

Skyrunners (2009).

In Skyrunners , two brothers discover a crashed spaceship in their small town and quickly find themselves embroiled in a battle against an alien force. Filled with exciting action sequences and a healthy dose of sibling bonding, this lesser-known Disney space movie offers a thrilling ride for sci-fi enthusiasts of all ages.

“These hidden gems and lesser-known films offer unique perspectives within the space movie genre and deserve recognition for their imaginative storytelling and captivating adventures.”

If you’re ready to explore the lesser-known side of Disney’s space movies, be sure to add these hidden gems to your watchlist. They may not be as well-known as some of Disney’s other space adventures, but they still deliver exciting narratives and unforgettable experiences that are sure to capture your imagination.

Keep your eyes peeled for these hidden gems and prepare to be transported to galaxies far, far away.

Discover these hidden gems in the Disney space movie collection and experience the magic of lesser-known films that take you on extraordinary journeys through the cosmos.

Disney’s Influence on the Space Genre

Disney has made a significant impact on the science fiction genre through its space movies. From the early classics like “The Cat from Outer Space” to the recent Marvel and Star Wars films, Disney has consistently delivered imaginative and visually stunning space adventures that have captivated audiences of all ages.

These movies have not only entertained but have also inspired future filmmakers to push the boundaries of storytelling and visual effects in the science fiction genre. Disney’s space movies showcase the studio’s ability to create compelling narratives, iconic characters, and breathtaking settings that transport viewers to otherworldly realms.

“Disney’s space movies have paved the way for the development of futuristic worlds and engaging stories in the science fiction genre. Their influence can be seen in the storytelling techniques, visual effects, and memorable characters that have become staples of the space genre.” – Filmmaker John Adams

Disney’s influence on the space genre continues to shape the way we perceive and enjoy science fiction movies. As the studio produces new space-themed films, its impact on the genre is bound to evolve, bringing forth new ideas, technologies, and narratives that will captivate audiences for years to come.

Disney has a rich history of producing space-themed movies that have become classics in the genre. From animated films like WALL-E to live-action adventures like Guardians of the Galaxy , Disney has entertained audiences of all ages with their cosmic journeys.

With the advent of the Disney+ streaming service , these movies are easily accessible, allowing viewers to embark on their own space-themed cinematic adventures. Whether it’s the iconic characters, thrilling storylines, or imaginative settings, Disney’s space movies continue to capture the imaginations of audiences around the world.

From the early classics like Flight of the Navigator to the recent Marvel and Star Wars films, Disney has had a significant influence on the science fiction genre. These movies have not only provided entertainment but also inspired future filmmakers to create their own space epics.

So grab your popcorn, sit back, and let Disney take you on a cosmic journey through their incredible space movies!

What are some classic Disney space movies?

Some classic Disney space movies include “Flight of the Navigator,” “Escape to Witch Mountain,” “The Cat from Outer Space,” and “The Black Hole.”

Are there any Disney animated space movies?

Yes, Disney has produced animated space movies such as “WALL-E” and “Treasure Planet.”

What are some Disney live-action space movies?

Disney has produced live-action space movies like “Tomorrowland,” “John Carter,” and “Race to Witch Mountain.”

Are there any Marvel movies in the Disney universe with space themes?

Yes, some notable Marvel movies in the Disney universe include “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”

Has Disney produced any recent Star Wars films?

Yes, Disney has released recent Star Wars films such as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

Can I watch Disney space movies on Disney+?

Yes, many Disney space movies are available on the Disney+ streaming service .

What upcoming Disney space movies can I look forward to?

Some upcoming Disney space movies include “Lightyear” and “The Eternals.”

Are there any space-themed shows and documentaries on Disney+?

Yes, Disney+ offers space-themed shows and documentaries like “Among the Stars” and “Apollo: Missions to the Moon.”

Are there any hidden gems among Disney space movies?

Yes, there are lesser-known Disney space movies like “Rocketeer,” “Mars Needs Moms,” and “Skyrunners” that are worth exploring.

How has Disney influenced the space genre?

Disney’s space movies have had a significant influence on the science fiction genre, inspiring future filmmakers and captivating audiences with their timeless stories.

What is the summary of Disney movies about space?

Disney has a rich history of producing space-themed movies, including classics, animated films, live-action adventures, Marvel movies, and recent Star Wars films. Many of these movies are available on Disney+, and there are also upcoming space-themed movies in development. Disney’s space movies have had a significant impact on the genre and continue to captivate audiences worldwide.

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Space Sci-Fi Movies

A few of my personal favourites within the space/sci fi genres.

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Interstellar (2014)

PG-13 | 169 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

When Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Matthew McConaughey , Anne Hathaway , Jessica Chastain , Mackenzie Foy

Votes: 2,097,281 | Gross: $188.02M

2. Moon (2009)

R | 97 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.

Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Sam Rockwell , Kevin Spacey , Dominique McElligott , Rosie Shaw

Votes: 376,573 | Gross: $5.01M

3. Event Horizon (1997)

R | 96 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A rescue crew is tasked with investigating the mysterious reappearance of a spaceship that had been lost for seven years.

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson | Stars: Laurence Fishburne , Sam Neill , Kathleen Quinlan , Joely Richardson

Votes: 197,038 | Gross: $26.67M

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

G | 149 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi

After uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter

Votes: 719,036 | Gross: $56.95M

5. Blade Runner (1982)

R | 117 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Harrison Ford , Rutger Hauer , Sean Young , Edward James Olmos

Votes: 822,644 | Gross: $32.87M

6. Gattaca (1997)

PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.

Director: Andrew Niccol | Stars: Ethan Hawke , Uma Thurman , Jude Law , Gore Vidal

Votes: 323,051 | Gross: $12.34M

7. 12 Monkeys (1995)

R | 129 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Bruce Willis , Madeleine Stowe , Brad Pitt , Joseph Melito

Votes: 646,447 | Gross: $57.14M

8. Alien (1979)

R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi

The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver , Tom Skerritt , John Hurt , Veronica Cartwright

Votes: 949,748 | Gross: $78.90M

9. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

PG-13 | 146 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become "real" so that he can regain the love of his human mother.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Haley Joel Osment , Jude Law , Frances O'Connor , Sam Robards

Votes: 322,889 | Gross: $78.62M

10. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

R | 164 min | Action, Drama, Mystery

Young Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.

Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Harrison Ford , Ryan Gosling , Ana de Armas , Dave Bautista

Votes: 664,379 | Gross: $92.05M

11. Minority Report (2002)

PG-13 | 145 min | Action, Crime, Mystery

John works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise , Colin Farrell , Samantha Morton , Max von Sydow

Votes: 584,067 | Gross: $132.07M

12. The Martian (2015)

PG-13 | 144 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Matt Damon , Jessica Chastain , Kristen Wiig , Kate Mara

Votes: 924,432 | Gross: $228.43M

13. Stranger Things (2016–2025)

TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.

Stars: Millie Bobby Brown , Finn Wolfhard , Winona Ryder , David Harbour

Votes: 1,334,509

14. The Abyss (1989)

PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery

A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Ed Harris , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Michael Biehn , Leo Burmester

Votes: 193,090 | Gross: $54.46M

15. 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)

PG | 116 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A joint USA-Soviet expedition is sent to Jupiter to learn exactly what happened to the "Discovery" and its H.A.L. 9000 computer.

Director: Peter Hyams | Stars: Roy Scheider , John Lithgow , Helen Mirren , Bob Balaban

Votes: 57,180 | Gross: $40.20M

16. Apollo 13 (I) (1995)

PG | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, History

NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Hanks , Bill Paxton , Kevin Bacon , Gary Sinise

Votes: 315,374 | Gross: $173.84M

17. Aliens (1986)

R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sigourney Weaver , Michael Biehn , Carrie Henn , Paul Reiser

Votes: 762,562 | Gross: $85.16M

18. Oblivion (I) (2013)

PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.

Director: Joseph Kosinski | Stars: Tom Cruise , Morgan Freeman , Andrea Riseborough , Olga Kurylenko

Votes: 552,911 | Gross: $89.02M

19. Star Trek (2009)

PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg , Leonard Nimoy

Votes: 620,127 | Gross: $257.73M

20. The Fifth Element (1997)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.

Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Bruce Willis , Milla Jovovich , Gary Oldman , Ian Holm

Votes: 505,823 | Gross: $63.54M

21. Sphere (1998)

PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A spaceship is discovered under three hundred years' worth of coral growth at the bottom of the ocean.

Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Dustin Hoffman , Sharon Stone , Samuel L. Jackson , Peter Coyote

Votes: 112,481 | Gross: $37.02M

22. Elysium (I) (2013)

R | 109 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

In the year 2154, the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. A man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.

Director: Neill Blomkamp | Stars: Matt Damon , Jodie Foster , Sharlto Copley , Alice Braga

Votes: 470,877 | Gross: $93.05M

23. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Zoe Saldana , Benedict Cumberbatch

Votes: 496,981 | Gross: $228.78M

24. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

PG-13 | 122 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The crew of the USS Enterprise explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy, who puts them, and everything the Federation stands for, to the test.

Director: Justin Lin | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Karl Urban , Zoe Saldana

Votes: 258,408 | Gross: $158.85M

25. Arrival (II) (2016)

PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.

Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Amy Adams , Jeremy Renner , Forest Whitaker , Michael Stuhlbarg

Votes: 770,215 | Gross: $100.55M

26. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

PG | 109 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

Director: Garth Jennings | Stars: Martin Freeman , Yasiin Bey , Sam Rockwell , Zooey Deschanel

Votes: 208,305 | Gross: $51.09M

27. Gravity (2013)

PG-13 | 91 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.

Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Sandra Bullock , George Clooney , Ed Harris , Orto Ignatiussen

Votes: 862,937 | Gross: $274.09M

28. Contact (1997)

PG | 150 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, sending plans for a mysterious machine.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Jodie Foster , Matthew McConaughey , Tom Skerritt , John Hurt

Votes: 292,960 | Gross: $100.92M

29. Cargo (2009)

112 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Dr. Laura P. takes a job on a cargo spaceship for 4 years plus 4 years back. She'll join her sister on Rhea. 44 months later, in Laura's shift, strange things happen in cargo. The crew is reanimated and the captain dies mysteriously.

Directors: Ivan Engler , Ralph Etter | Stars: Anna Katharina Schwabroh , Martin Rapold , Regula Grauwiller , Yangzom Brauen

Votes: 20,106

30. Passengers (I) (2016)

PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

A malfunction in a sleeping pod on a spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet wakes one passenger 90 years early.

Director: Morten Tyldum | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence , Chris Pratt , Michael Sheen , Laurence Fishburne

Votes: 447,026 | Gross: $100.01M

31. Sunshine (2007)

R | 107 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller

A team of international astronauts is sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying Sun with a nuclear fission bomb in 2057.

Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Cillian Murphy , Rose Byrne , Chris Evans , Cliff Curtis

Votes: 267,279 | Gross: $3.68M

32. Pandorum (2009)

R | 108 min | Action, Horror, Mystery

Two crew members of a spaceship wake up from hypersleep to discover that all their colleagues are missing. Despite this, it appears that they are not alone.

Director: Christian Alvart | Stars: Dennis Quaid , Ben Foster , Cam Gigandet , Antje Traue

Votes: 159,474 | Gross: $10.33M

33. Lost in Space (2018–2021)

TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Drama, Family

After crash-landing on an alien planet, the Robinson family fight against all odds to survive and escape, but they're surrounded by hidden dangers.

Stars: Toby Stephens , Molly Parker , Maxwell Jenkins , Taylor Russell

Votes: 105,679

34. The Matrix (1999)

R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi

When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.

Directors: Lana Wachowski , Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving

Votes: 2,051,591 | Gross: $171.48M

35. The Thing (1982)

R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell , Wilford Brimley , Keith David , Richard Masur

Votes: 466,261 | Gross: $13.78M

36. Prometheus (I) (2012)

R | 124 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Noomi Rapace , Logan Marshall-Green , Michael Fassbender , Charlize Theron

Votes: 643,892 | Gross: $126.48M

37. First Man (2018)

PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History

A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong , and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Ryan Gosling , Claire Foy , Jason Clarke , Kyle Chandler

Votes: 202,133 | Gross: $44.94M

38. Inception (2010)

PG-13 | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Elliot Page , Ken Watanabe

Votes: 2,548,945 | Gross: $292.58M

39. Looper (2012)

R | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.

Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Bruce Willis , Emily Blunt , Paul Dano

Votes: 602,742 | Gross: $66.49M

40. Red Planet (2000)

PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Astronauts, and their robotic dog AMEE (Autonomous Mapping Evaluation and Evasion), search for solutions to save a dying Earth by searching on Mars, only to have the mission go terribly awry.

Director: Antony Hoffman | Stars: Val Kilmer , Carrie-Anne Moss , Tom Sizemore , Benjamin Bratt

Votes: 59,899 | Gross: $18.00M

41. IO (2019)

TV-14 | 96 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

As a young scientist searches for a way to save a dying Earth, she finds a connection with a man who's racing to catch the last shuttle off the planet.

Director: Jonathan Helpert | Stars: Margaret Qualley , Anthony Mackie , Danny Huston , Tom Payne

Votes: 36,365

42. Serenity (2005)

PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The crew of the ship Serenity try to evade an assassin sent to recapture telepath River.

Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Nathan Fillion , Gina Torres , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Alan Tudyk

Votes: 305,573 | Gross: $25.51M

43. Ad Astra (2019)

PG-13 | 123 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery

Astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe.

Director: James Gray | Stars: Brad Pitt , Tommy Lee Jones , Ruth Negga , Donald Sutherland

Votes: 260,351 | Gross: $50.19M

44. I Am Mother (2019)

TV-14 | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

In the wake of humanity's extinction, a teenage girl is raised by a robot designed to repopulate the earth. But their unique bond is threatened when an inexplicable stranger arrives with alarming news.

Director: Grant Sputore | Stars: Luke Hawker , Rose Byrne , Maddie Lenton , Hazel Sandery

Votes: 99,281

45. Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

TV-MA | 46 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

Stars: Patrick Stewart , Michelle Hurd , Jeri Ryan , Alison Pill

Votes: 94,629

46. Europa Report (2013)

PG-13 | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery

An international crew of astronauts undertakes a privately funded mission to search for life on Jupiter's fourth largest moon.

Director: Sebastián Cordero | Stars: Sharlto Copley , Michael Nyqvist , Christian Camargo , Embeth Davidtz

Votes: 75,480 | Gross: $0.13M

47. Time Trap (2017)

Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery

A professor enters a cave and goes missing. Some of his students come looking for him and get trapped in the cave as well.

Directors: Mark Dennis , Ben Foster | Stars: Reiley McClendon , Cassidy Gifford , Brianne Howey , Olivia Draguicevich

Votes: 43,455

48. Lockout (2012)

PG-13 | 95 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the President's daughter from an outer-space prison taken over by violent inmates.

Directors: James Mather , Steve Saint Leger | Stars: Guy Pearce , Maggie Grace , Peter Stormare , Vincent Regan

Votes: 100,926 | Gross: $14.33M

49. The Midnight Sky (2020)

PG-13 | 118 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.

Director: George Clooney | Stars: George Clooney , Felicity Jones , David Oyelowo , Caoilinn Springall

Votes: 89,381

50. Snowpiercer (2013)

R | 126 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

In a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.

Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Chris Evans , Jamie Bell , Tilda Swinton , Ed Harris

Votes: 388,788 | Gross: $4.56M

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