Let’s Blast Off! Top Ten Sci-Fi Films about Space Exploration!

Humanity is a species of explorers. Whether we’re exploring untamed wilderness, the depths of the ocean or the reaches of the stars, it’s just in our blood. Something about the unknown calls us to know more. As such, our science fiction often focuses rather heavily on deep-space exploration. While many tales that take place in space don’t focus too much on that aspect, space exploration remains a focus of many tales. With that in mind, we’re looking at the ten best films about space exploration!

The Martian

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This realistic film starring Matt Damon follows an astronaut’s attempts to survive on Mars. The main character, astronaut Mark Watney, is left behind on Mars after his team thinks he dies in a storm. After waking up on the inhospitable red planet, Watney sets about work surviving until the next scheduled mission to Mars. The film is rather realistic, and Damon’s character is really likable. Many noted that the film is one of the most realistic takes on Martian exploration ever put on the big screen. Between the tight plot, excellent score and scientific premise, this is a sci-fi flick worth your time!

Gravity

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Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in this deep-space thriller. Two astronauts are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed in mid-orbit. As such, they must fight for survival in the vacuum of space while also fighting to avoid falling into the gravity well of Earth. Presented as a realistic and gripping thriller film, Gravity uses the conventions of a disaster and survival film to tell its tale. The heartbreaking performances by Clooney and Bullock elevate the film up and out of the stratosphere.

Star Wars

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Much less scientific than some other films on this list, Star Wars is no less excellent for it. Originally released in 1977, Star Wars is the tale of the Hero’s Journey but told in the depths of a distant galaxy. The motifs of the epic journey into the unknown is bolstered by the depths of space serving as a backdrop for the action. While the movie spawned a huge franchise, the original remains one of the finest sci-fi films of all time. Many young people had a lifelong interest in space ignited by the first film, and it’s hard to overstate the film’s impact on pop culture.

Interstellar

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Originally released in 2014, Interstellar focuses on a mission to find a new habitable planet after humanity has nearly bled Earth dry. The protagonist, Cooper, is selected to go along with the astronauts on their exploration mission. The mission takes them through a wormhole to try to find a new home for humanity. The film received glowing reviews upon release and is widely considered to be an excellent companion to other deep-space meditations like 2001: A Space Odyssey. It also features some very interesting narrative wrinkles involving the wormhole that take the viewer by surprise that we won’t spoil here.

Event Horizon

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An intense, bloody horror film, Event Horizon is also an excellent sci-fi film. The film’s narrative follows the crew of the Lewis and Clark as they explore the inside of a ship called the Event Horizon. The crew quickly realizes something is horribly wrong, as the previous crew of the Horizon has been horribly massacred. The resulting carnage is intense and stands as some of the scariest deep-space scenes in sci-fi. The moral of the story? Never use a black hole as the engine to you ship.

Sunshine

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A thoughtful, quiet and occasionally quite frightening film, Sunshine takes the action to the center of our solar system. The sun is slowly but surely dying on us, and there’s little chance that it will survive much longer. As such, a crew of astronauts is sent to the sun to help reignite it and keep it burning for everyone back home. On the way, they encounter no shortage of obstacles. Watching the crew grapple with them and turn over questions of morality, religion and ethics forms the heart of the film. In all, this is an excellent, thoughtful sci-fi thriller.

Alien

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Perhaps the most well-known sci-fi horror film of all time, Alien works on many levels. All at once, it critiques capitalistic greed, human arrogance and overreliance on machines. While it does so, it also functions as a downright nail-biting horror movie. Deep space exploration has always been a harrowing business for humans, and that was before we even brought deadly xenomorphs onboard the ship!

Apollo 13

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Based on the actual events that led up to the doomed Apollo 13 mission, this film is intensely gripping. Since the events it depicts are real, many viewers have commented that they feel much more sympathy for astronauts and space explorers after watching the film. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris star, and each puts forth an excellent performance in this intense film. This film is an excellent pick for those looking for harrowing true stories of deep space exploration.

Star Trek

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Continuing the legacy of the finest sci-fi television show of all time, the 2009 film Star Trek brings pulse-pounding action into deep space. Following a slightly updated crew of a sleek Enterprise, Star Trek is replete with lens flairs and dramatic action. A testament to the directorial power of J.J. Abrams, this is one action movie that leverages its deep-space setting quite well. Witty, fast-paced and funny, you’ll love this film if you were a fan of the TV series.

The Greatest Film about Space Exploration: 2001: A Space Odyssey

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While some have described 2001 as a somewhat slow, plodding film, its slow pace lends it a timeless thoughtfulness. The film follows a journey deep into space to discover more about a monolith that seems to have somehow influenced human evolution. The protagonist, David Bowman, contends with rogue AI HAL 9000 in this iconic film. The thoughtful and existential meditation on god, evolution and humanity is all at once exhilarating and though-provoking. Truly, there is no finer film regarding deep-space exploration.