Where to Start
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Stanley Kubrick connects a mysterious object beneath the lunar surface with a search for its origins, assisted by the supercomputer HAL 9000. Start here for space exploration built around an unanswered mystery.
- Alien (1979): Ridley Scott brings horror aboard the commercial spaceship Nostromo after a distress signal leads its crew to a chamber of eggs. An attack on one explorer turns an investigation into a threat to the crew.
- Apollo 13 (1995): Ron Howard dramatizes the true story of the troubled 1970 lunar mission, with Jim Lovell and his crew endangered more than 200,000 miles from Earth. This is the starting point for historical spaceflight under extreme pressure.
- WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton's animated family film follows an Earth-cleaning robot whose encounter with the search robot EVE connects him to the planet's future. It offers a robot-centered alternative to astronaut missions.
- Interstellar (2014): Christopher Nolan follows explorers using a newly discovered wormhole to travel beyond humanity's existing limits. Choose it for a voyage concerned with crossing otherwise prohibitive distances.
- The Martian (2015): Presumed dead after a storm, Mark Watney must survive alone on Mars with meager supplies. CUEvio's rating: 8.3/10 for Ridley Scott's survival drama.
Missions, Survival and the People Who Reach Space
Spaceflight starts before launch in The Right Stuff (1983), which follows seven test pilots seeking to become the first American astronauts. First Man (2018) narrows the historical focus to Neil Armstrong and the mission that made him the first person to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Together, they offer routes into astronaut history through selection, preparation and a specific lunar achievement.
A Million Miles Away (2023) follows engineer and former NASA astronaut José M. Hernández, the first migrant farmworker to reach space. Access to space also drives the fictional Gattaca (1997), in which Vincent assumes an elite genetic identity to pursue space travel within a system obsessed with genetic perfection.
For missions already in jeopardy, Gravity (2013) begins with a routine spacewalk before disaster destroys the Shuttle, leaving a medical engineer and a veteran astronaut alone. We rate it 6.8/10; our review calls it a "Good movie, brilliant acting." Sunshine (2007) expands the stakes to Earth's survival, sending a second team to revive the dying Sun after an earlier mission fails.
Isolation takes different forms in Moon (2009) and Passengers (2016). The former follows Sam Bell near the end of a three-year lunar contract, when an accident disrupts his solitary assignment. The latter strands two travelers awake 90 years before their colony ship is due to arrive. CUEvio's rating for that romance and space-travel drama is 7.1/10.
Alien Worlds, Cosmic Mysteries and Space Adventure
Forbidden Planet (1956) opens this selection with a search for an expedition missing for twenty years on Altair 4. Its warning of an invisible destructive force establishes one recurring premise here: reaching another world does not mean understanding its dangers.
In Solaris (1972), a psychologist investigates a death and the cosmonauts' mental troubles aboard an orbiting station. The planet's water brings out repressed memories and obsessions, making the encounter psychological rather than simply geographical. Total Recall (1990) also destabilizes reality, beginning with Douglas Quaid's desire for manufactured memories of a Mars vacation.
For action-led journeys, Star Wars (1977) centers on the attempt to rescue Princess Leia from Imperial forces. Stargate (1994) takes a different route off Earth: a teleportation device found in Egypt leads to a planet inhabited by humans resembling ancient Egyptians.
Animation offers two sharply different planetary adventures. Fantastic Planet (1973) depicts humans treated as animals and pets by the technologically advanced Draags. Treasure Planet (2002) follows cabin boy Jim Hawkins and cyborg cook John Silver through space storms and supernovas in pursuit of intergalactic treasure.
The selection reaches 2026 with Project Hail Mary. Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes aboard a distant spaceship without his memory, then begins uncovering a mission involving a substance that is causing the Sun to die.
How This List Is Built
We hand-picked these titles from films connected to space, astronauts, spacecraft, space stations, missions and Mars. The list runs in release order, oldest first, placing historical dramas alongside science fiction, horror, animation and documentary.
FAQ
Which space movie is based on the Apollo 13 mission?
Apollo 13 dramatizes the true story of the 1970 mission's technical troubles and the danger faced by Jim Lovell and his crew.
Which space movies here are family films?
WALL·E and Treasure Planet are animated family selections, one following robots connected to Earth's future, the other an intergalactic treasure hunt.
Is there a documentary about the Moon landing?
Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller, examines the lunar landing mission led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin.
Which movie follows an astronaut stranded on Mars?
The Martian follows Mark Watney after his crew leaves him behind, believing a fierce storm has killed him. His survival depends on ingenuity and limited supplies.
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