More movies like Interstellar

[Spore]

Hey, I saw Interstellar two years ago and while much of it is speculation (I assume), I love the fact that it encourages you to research about real science phenomena. Are there similar sci-fi films that explore outer space, are loosely based on real science that invites to research stuff while also being entertaining?

But honestly I would also like some good documentations about deep space.

[Razade]

Arrival? That was a great movie with some pretty solid science behind it but more focus on the interpersonal stuff.

[Rodin]

The Martian immediately comes to mind. Broadly based on real science while taking a few liberties for the sake of plot.

[5crownik007]

Hey, I saw Interstellar two years ago and while much of it is speculation (I assume), I love the fact that it encourages you to research about real science phenomena. Are there similar sci-fi films that explore outer space, are loosely based on real science that invites to research stuff while also being entertaining?

But honestly I would also like some good documentations about deep space.

I'm thinking...
Cosmos, the TV show is more of a documentary series than a movie, and it doesn't exclusively cover space. It's not too similar though.

Otherwise, nothing else comes to mind... Although I haven't really seen many movies.
EDIT: I can't believe I didn't think of The Martian, good lord.

[Kitten Champion]

The Martian is probably my favourite hard SF movie, by virtue of still having a strong personality and being very watchable. Granted it's more about Mars than outer space, still, fun movie.

Europa Report did a space exploration movie that's fairly low-key by Hollywood standards. Although it goes more into horror at the end, it does have this theme about the value of humans exploring the unknown which puts it in stark contrast with something Lovecraftian like Alien where the unknown is to be feared and we're better left ignorant if the answers are bad.

Gravity is more of a survival movie that happens to take place in space like Apollo 13, but still a visually strong and well-performed piece that can fit into the science fiction category.

I mean, 2001: A Space Odyssey is what Interstellar was obviously trying to be in a weird Spielberg by way of Nolan kind of way.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

The Expanse is a pretty hard sci-fi series about the settling of the solar system.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Sporeegg
Hey, I saw Interstellar two years ago and while much of it is speculation (I assume)….

Interstellar is probably one of the most accurate SF films in recent years. Kip Thorne was one of the science advisors, and while there were certainly changes made for dramatic effect, overall the science content is excellent.

Arrival, Martian and Interstellar make up my personal trifecta of top SF movies in the past few years, and they give me hope that there’s still an appetite for this kind of movie, in which the focus is serious exploration rather than shooting people or bombing things.

Originally Posted by Sporeegg
Are there similar sci-fi films that explore outer space, are loosely based on real science that invites to research stuff while also being entertaining?

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Contact, based on the novel by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan. The movie is superb, and while the effects are a little dated these days, the tension and drama still hold up very well.

Now, the Machine itself is clearly pure speculation, but the radio astronomy aspects are solid, with allowances made for the occasional minor goof. (E.g., Ellie driving her own combustion-powered car among the radio telescopes, rather than an electric vehicle without sparkplugs.)

Originally Posted by Kitten Champion
Europa Report did a space exploration movie that's fairly low-key by Hollywood standards.

I was the only person in my family to last more than ten minutes into this one. I stuck it out to the bitter end, but it left an awful taste in my mind.

I don’t like found-footage movies anyway, and this one was a very Hollywoodized take on “astronauts” who weren’t behaving like professionals, which happens when Hollywood writers don’t care about accurate portrayals. A more extreme and absurd example was seen in Prometheus, but Europa Report was bad enough.

[Spore]

Those are really a bunch of very interesting tips. Thank you so very much.

I don’t like found-footage movies anyway, and this one was a very Hollywoodized take on “astronauts” who weren’t behaving like professionals, which happens when Hollywood writers don’t care about accurate portrayals. A more extreme and absurd example was seen in Prometheus, but Europa Report was bad enough.

Eh, I get your point as astronauts have basically a "naval command chain" and shouldn't even be CLOSE to the rocket if they cannot follow orders properly. But people are people, and I can suspend my disbelief if it is entertaining. I'd just rather suspend a bit of character building than rewriting important laws of space and time to explain the plot holes away. :)

[Narkis]

The Expanse is a pretty hard sci-fi series about the settling of the solar system.

A small spoilerish correction, the Expanse starts as a pretty hard sci-fi series, but it doesn't stay that way. I was pretty disappointed myself in that development.

[Mightymosy]

Interstellar is probably one of the most accurate SF films in recent years. Kip Thorne was one of the science advisors, and while there were certainly changes made for dramatic effect, overall the science content is excellent.

Arrival, Martian and Interstellar make up my personal trifecta of top SF movies in the past few years, and they give me hope that there’s still an appetite for this kind of movie, in which the focus is serious exploration rather than shooting people or bombing things.



I’m surprised no one has mentioned Contact, based on the novel by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan. The movie is superb, and while the effects are a little dated these days, the tension and drama still hold up very well.

Now, the Machine itself is clearly pure speculation, but the radio astronomy aspects are solid, with allowances made for the occasional minor goof. (E.g., Ellie driving her own combustion-powered car among the radio telescopes, rather than an electric vehicle without sparkplugs.)



I was the only person in my family to last more than ten minutes into this one. I stuck it out to the bitter end, but it left an awful taste in my mind.

I don’t like found-footage movies anyway, and this one was a very Hollywoodized take on “astronauts” who weren’t behaving like professionals, which happens when Hollywood writers don’t care about accurate portrayals. A more extreme and absurd example was seen in Prometheus, but Europa Report was bad enough.

Honestly, Interstellar was awesome UNTIL it turned into the usual "Ok here is the bad guy who betrayed you: FIGHT!"

The movie had really good potential

[Clertar]

Honestly, Interstellar was awesome UNTIL it turned into the usual "Ok here is the bad guy who betrayed you: FIGHT!"

The movie had really good potential

I'd counter-argue that the movie did not turn into that. This was a minor self-contained episode, akin to the lost station in the sea planet. Matt Damon is not the main challenge in the film, nor the antagonist. And after that one episode is concluded, the film still goes on with the characters addressing the real challenges and the themes of the plot

[Mightymosy]

Well it amounts to taste.

For me it ruined enough of an otherwise great movie so that the end result felt like an okay movie. Not bad, but not great either.


Compare with the Martian, which is awesome 100%!

Also, if one has the choice I would HIGHLY recommend reading the book (Martian) before the movie. Both are great

[Clertar]

Also, if one has the choice I would HIGHLY recommend reading the book (Martian) before the movie. Both are great

I agree, was a fan of the book and it was such a relief when the movie turned out so well.

[No brains]

Hear me out on this one: Alien and Aliens. They are not entirely science-accurate, but they still encourage thought on and research into some topics. The xenomorph can lead you into researching parasitoid creatures. Caseless ammunition is a thing people want to make feasible. The smart gun is an MG-42 held up by a steadicam harness and worked well enough to make an historically emplaced machinegun man-portable. The movies are not like 'look at my very sciency movie- I'm being brilliant at you', but they contain some good nuggets of science ore that can be smelted out.

Also, they're just well-assembled movies.

[Excession]

2001 A Space Odyssey. It's a classic, and probably a big inspiration for Interstellar.

[Eldan]

I'll just barge in here and say I hated Interstellar? I thought it was an illogical and annoying mess from start to finish and while the astrophysics probably held up, tons and tons of other stuff didn't, especially the entire story with the plants dying which was the motivation for the entire story. It made no sense and finding a new planet would not have helped. And they solved the entire damn story with the Power of Love. Because Love is stronger than Time. Urgh. Just so much Urgh.

But yeah, try The Martian. It's a near-perfect movie.

[Clertar]

It made no sense and finding a new planet would not have helped.

That's part of the plot, if you'll remember ;)

[Eldan]

That's part of the plot, if you'll remember ;)

It's not, not really, and they never adressed it in the end, which annoyed me to no end. They never solve the problem.

So, all the plants are dying, due to some disease. Sure. Why not. How does moving to a new planet solve this? Any plants they eat on those new planets would come from Earth and carry the disease. IF they can sterilize the plants before transporting them to the new planet, they can sterilize them and then move them in a greenhouse on Earth, problem solved. I spend a few hours a week at my job sterilizing plant seeds. It works quite well.

This is like if they ended Lord of the Rings after getting to Mount Doom, without ever throwing the ring into the fire and Sauron and his armies still alive, yet still celebrating because they got there and back.

[Mightymosy]

I agree, was a fan of the book and it was such a relief when the movie turned out so well.

Exactly!

Hear me out on this one: Alien and Aliens. They are not entirely science-accurate, but they still encourage thought on and research into some topics. The xenomorph can lead you into researching parasitoid creatures. Caseless ammunition is a thing people want to make feasible. The smart gun is an MG-42 held up by a steadicam harness and worked well enough to make an historically emplaced machinegun man-portable. The movies are not like 'look at my very sciency movie- I'm being brilliant at you', but they contain some good nuggets of science ore that can be smelted out.

Also, they're just well-assembled movies.

Agree on the parasite part. Parasites are a lost science in typical first world countries - when you study parasites you can find quite some ugly stuff

[No brains]

@ Eldan I didn't really love Interstellar too much either, but if it encourages people to read more about science, "Matthew McConaughey Cries Thru Time" is doing a good job.

I too would have appreciated more crunch put into the blight. All I know is it consumes plants and nitrogen. Corn is somehow resistant. My headcanon is that it is the new cyanobacteria, just doing another "I accidentally the entire atmosphere and all life".

The Martian is pretty cromulent. While we're talking about Martian and Interstellar, who remembers that project someone made about the millions of dollars spent on rescuing Matt Damon in movies? Thats another fun thing people can learn about from these movies.

[Eldan]

What we need is the Damon Cinematic Universe.

As a plot, I propose that Matt Damon was hit by some kind of Infinity-Stone alike and splintered across timelines. And now some other popular actor has to travel across dimensions and rescue him in all timelines.

[Mightymosy]

The plot about the non-growing crops was entirely nonsensical - the only reason it worked was that they never talked about the science behind it.
I mean they just needed a background of why humans need to find a new home and then move to the main plot. I am fine when movies do that. As long as they don't pretend it is logical....

Also, I found it really well filmed. I liked how they showed how society changed, how they farmed.
A little sad, but not utterly crapsack world.
Maybe I am more forgiving to the nonsense because I liked the cinematical show of it?

Anyway, this movie could have easily been A- if they had just resisted making Dr Man the "bad guy with the white hat".

When I watch REAL Science Fiction, I specifically DO NOT WANT a fistfight climax. Bah. And up until Man's betrayal the movie hat good potential for good Sci-Fi, crop nonsense nonwithstanding.


My two favourite space movies are probably Apollo 13 and Martian. Oh, none has a villain. Interesting. Maybe you CAN make awesome movies without villains after all? I am an optimistic person and I want humanity to improve. :-)

[No brains]

When I watch REAL Science Fiction, I specifically DO NOT WANT a fistfight climax. Bah.

What if it were a movie about scientific study and speculation on fistfighting? There are plenty of places where biomechanics, engineering, pyschology, and man-punch-man intersect.

[Kitten Champion]

I had less issue with the logic behind Interstellar, and more that it was trying ever so hard to be this emotionally moving experience which didn't translate to me at all. I wasn't sitting there bored while watching it really, but I was mostly just looking at the set pieces and visual effects with technical appreciation while waiting for the movie to end.

I was more invested in saving Mark Watney minutes into The Martian than the entire human race after the 2+ hours of Interstellar.

I do really like Nolan as a director, but he has a wheelhouse and human family drama isn't it.

[Algeh]

A small spoilerish correction, the Expanse starts as a pretty hard sci-fi series, but it doesn't stay that way. I was pretty disappointed myself in that development.

Arrgh that annoyed me too. The starting set-up vaguely reminded me of C.J. Cherryh's book Heavy Time, so I got all excited that it would be of a similar overall level of SF hardness. (I hadn't read the books before watching the show - I'm not sure why they weren't on my radar.)

As for other space stuff that I've watched on TV in the past few years, there was a Mars series on the National Geographic channel that was a mixture of a drama about colonizing Mars and looking at (sometimes loosely) related current issues and challenges as nonfiction segments. It went for two seasons and I thought it was a pretty interesting format for a TV show - reminded me of the kind of thing you'd see in children's programming with a mix of fiction and educational segments, but written for adults.

[Spore]

What we need is the Damon Cinematic Universe.

Maybe it is Team America: World Police speaking from the depths of my heart but I feel Matt Damon is an incredibly BLAND actor. He is the actor version of processed cheese pizza. It fills the belly tastes okay, but is not very good.

I had less issue with the logic behind Interstellar, and more that it was trying ever so hard to be this emotionally moving experience which didn't translate to me at all.

Yeah, the "touchyfeely" moments where a bit too much. Your damn father is trying to save the world, stop being annoyed that he did not accompany you in your lives, you selfish idiot.

I get the fact that most interstellar travel will probably be measured in life-times rather than hours or days of trips and the movie adressed that with the daughter being somewhat without guidance. But the son's character arc was just stupid.

Plus I don't really see domestic violence as something that can be excused so easily as the movie did.