Would you like to know the best space movies of all time? Look no further because this post got you covered! No one has better and jaw-dropping stories than folks who have voyaged beyond Earth. That possibly explains the glut of awesome space films, documentaries, and shows.
Did you know that the setting picked for a film could make a big difference to the excitement and storyline the audience feel as they’re watching the events uncover in a movie?
There’s no doubt that space is one of the most mysterious and intriguing settings to pick for movies. That’s because it opens unlimited opportunities for storylines. Apart from that, the element of the unknown, which relates to space, can add to the experience of the audience watching the film.
You see, space has been utilized as the setting in numerous film genres, from comedy to drive, to action and sci-fi, and everything in between.
Movies feature space that entices a huge amount of audience with various movie preferences. You will find a plethora of amazing space films made throughout the years, but some have been a massive hit with the audience than others do.
A few of the best are conceived around footage of faraway planets and stars taken by the most advanced machines and equipment in the known universe. Some are equally captivating; Hollywood made films of heroism based on real NASA missions and the people who saw them through.
Either way, the best space films appeal to the public, as they mean we are capable of AMAZING things. That’s especially true, even though there remains so much left to explore and explore.
The Best Space Movies of All
Are you ready to find out the top ten best space movies that are a must-see? From Star Wars to Apollo 13 and First Man to Star Trek, allow this post to present you with the top ten of the best space movies.
The order in which we listed the movies has no meaning.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
1. Interstellar(2014)
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey
Director: Christopher Nolan
Are you currently seeking a masterpiece made by Christopher Nolan? Then this is a sci-fi movie for you! Interstellar is a one-of-a-kind movie that will surely blow your mind with its remarkable image quality, complicated nature, and top-notch soundtrack.
This movie by Nolan revolves around astronauts going out in space to seek another home for humans on Earth. Did you know this film is set in a dystopian world of the future? The place is where a worldwide crop blight and second dust bowl are making the planet not the best place to live.
You will surely be brought on a journey you will not forget with this movie. Played by Michael Blaine, Professor Brand is working to find a means of moving the population of the planet through a wormhole to a habitable place in space.
Do you like to know what happens next? Well, you better watch Interstellar 2014 today.
2. Gravity (2013)
Starring: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Would you like to see George Clooney in a thrilling space-themed film? Then Gravity 2013 would be the best space movie you can watch.
The great creation of Alfonso Cuarón, which is more of a thriller and less of a sci-fi movie, will make you reach for breath with too much excitement. The story focuses on two space travelers moving in space. Dr. Ryan Stone, who has been delivered to space to connect a new gadget to the Hubble telescope, was played by Sandra Bullock.
There’s one thing for sure: you do not watch this movie, you feel it. It’s both relentless and tense. However, the images and visuals would never fail to induce gaps and a sense of wonderment, even with all the chaos.
Sandra Bullock is under the thorough and meticulous management of Matt Kowalski. Matt is a space veteran that was played by George Clooney. An alarming situation arises before long. Of course, you need to watch this science fiction film, so you will understand what happens with these two characters.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Starring: Keir Dullea, Frank Miller, Douglas Rain
Director: Stanley Kubrick
First, we must admit that Stanley Kubrick masterfully conveyed his vision of a space to the movie screen.
When Doctor Dave Bowman – played by Keir Dullea – and other space travelers are delivered on a strategic mission to Jupiter, their spaceship’s computer system begins to show irregular conduct. 2001 A Space Odyssey is surely a space film, which will keep you attached to your seat. It paves the way to a tense conflict between machine and man.
Some of the most critical elements of this sci-fi movie include crews of spaceships kept in suspended animation through long journeys, malfunctioning sentient computers, and monoliths with messages from an alien race.
Further, it offers a somewhat real representation of gadgets in the future, not to mention it highlights a society where video calls on mobile devices are part of regular life. The astronauts also utilize devices, which look like iPads.
A Space Odyssey gained lots of recognition. That’s why it has been deemed as one of the most crucial films ever made in history.
4. Apollo 13 (1995)
Starring: Bill Paxton, Tom Hanks
Director: Ron Howard
Apollo 13 knows the contrast between genuine fearlessness and film bravado. This sci-fi movie is not apprehensive about the undeniable suspense and fear at the middle of the story, along with Tom. This space movie, as well as its authentic, brave characters, is a masterpiece and work of art.
Jim Lovell, which is played by Tom Hanks, travels along with Jack Swigert – played by Kevin Bacon – on what’s planned as the third lunar landing of NASA. However, there was an unfortunate event that took place. You need to watch the movie yourself to know what makes the mission go wrong.
All we can say is that the movie got an overpoweringly massive response from the audience and got it nominated for Best Picture. After all, who would want to miss a film with Tom Hanks in which he had done superb work?
Overall, Apollo 13 is a masterpiece, both true to its events and charming.
5. Star Wars (1977 to present)
Created: George Lucas
Star Wars is considered more like a phenomenon and less of a movie series. Their franchise pioneered and reinvented the way in which the globe thought space travel could be and included an intriguing premise. Hence, that makes it one of the greatest and highest-grossing epic franchises of history.
The movies of this franchise, in the imagination of the man-viewer, moved dreams of the universe to unimaginable limits.
The very first space film was Star Wars: A New Hope that was known as Episode IV later. It was released in 1977, and until today, it amazes us in the way Lucas has re-engineered the space-movies sub-genre.
The franchise of the movie was launched as Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, followed by the more recent Sequel Trilogy. Where the Episode IX is still much anticipated. The film mainly focuses on two warring factions – The Galactic Empire and The Republic. The latter Empire changed to the Rebel Alliance over the course of the films and later was rebuilt as the New Republic. Meanwhile, the Empire is now called the First Order. To know more about what happens between these two groups, you need to watch the entire series!
6. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Lee Pace, Chris Pratt
Director: James Gunn
Are you into a space film that is a masterpiece and composed of amazing effects, stunningly visual, and great action, not to mention a soundtrack that gives you nostalgia? If that so, The Guardians of the Galaxy is the best space movie for you.
Guardians of the Galaxy is an American superhero film, which was based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. The cast was led by Glenn Cose, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Pratt, which portray fantasy and action realistically.
A small group of heroes turns out to be legends as they keep an ancient rarity from falling under the control of an awful intergalactic warlord. Guardians of the Galaxy is a sci-fi film that has a good story with a mushy 80s famous music soundtrack and some loads of CGI.
What’s more, Dr. Who (Karen Gillan) is as awesome as the twisted Nebula. You should watch this movie.
7. Alien (1979)
Starring: Henry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Sigourney Weaver
Director: Ridley Scott
This science fiction film and horror masterpiece still feel contemporary after all these years. Ridley Scott, along with screenwriters Ronald Shusett and Dan O’Bannon, made this stunning film on the concept of space as an endless extension of human paranoia and the vulnerability of the bodies.
Played as Ripley, Sigourney Weaver is a crew member of a mining spaceship slogging back home. She is obliged to make a detour on getting a cryptic SOS signal from an isolated planet. Her crew includes resentful and sullen Brett (Harry Dean Stanton), Parker (Yaphet Kotto), and an enthusiastic volunteer for the job of discovering the planet, and officer Ash (Ian Holm).
The computer of the ship tries to decode the message as it diverts the spaceship to the moon to explore and offer help if required. What the crew explores is the first proof of alien life in the universe. Nonetheless, it’s an antagonistic alien life form, which has deadly survival instincts, intimidating the crew as they continue their journey home.
8. First Man (2018)
Starring: Jason Clarke, Claire Foy, Ryan Gosling
Director: Damien Chazelle
First Man is a film which makes every viewer tete-a-tete with the fears of first space travel, which has achieved by man. It’s the story of the events, which happened before the first manned mission by mankind to the moon.
The film opens in 1961 when Neil Armstrong – played by Ryan Gosling – was a test pilot in California. He lives along with his family and needs to experience the ordeal of the sudden death of his second child. He’s approved for the Gemini missions after being grounded shortly. He then effectively takes Gemini 8 into space in spite of a few issues.
Neil Armstrong’s grief-stricken demeanor becomes more intense after his crewmembers for the Apollo 1 mission. What happened next? You should watch it for yourself.
9. Star Trek (1966 to present)
Created: Gene Roddenberry
There is also the inevitable Star Trek franchise. The franchise debuted as a TV series in 1966 created by Gene Roddenberry, and is known as “The Original Series.”
The series made a real small revolution and struck an indelible mark in the film world. It raised the genre of science fiction to a higher level and inspired many other projects related to space films. Fans of this movie franchise are called “Trekkies”.
The series, as well as six feature movies, follow the adventures of the spaceship USS Enterprise which goes to the most remote parts of space to explore unknown worlds.
The franchise had many sequels and some prequels, and I will list some: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Picard, Short Treks.
In 2009, the movie franchise underwent a reboot, creating an alternate continuity known as the Kelvin timeline. Three films were made in this continuity.
There are also at least two additional TV projects in development: Strange New Worlds and Prodigy.
10. The Martian (2015)
Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain
Director: Ridley Scott
One of the many aspects of The Martian is growing potatoes on Mars and consuming them for many months. Played by Matt Damon, Mark Watney is an astronaut abandoned on Mars during a mission in the year 2035.
He needs to survive with a limited amount of resources and food. Matt Damon must deal with numerous problems, focused on survival. That includes the devastation of his potato crop while waiting for another rescue mission to come and retrieve him.
The Martian was lauded by the public and critics alike after it was launched. It was perceived by most as a way to produce attention for the upcoming manned mission to Mars.
Bonus Movie:
Wall E (2008)
Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin
Director: Andrew Stanton
This is the only animated film we have on this list. However, Wall E is one of the best space films you should watch, especially with your kid! This amazing movie broke every barrier when we talk about films, which redefined the genre. In fact, it’s deemed as the most audacious movie of Pixar to date.
Wall E is set in a dystopian future when the planet Earth has been destroyed to debris and lacks any vegetation. Wall E is a trash compactor on the planet among piles and miles of garbage. While he spends his time gathering garbage, he is amazed at a small planet that came out of nowhere.
And one more Bonus Movie:
Ad Astra (2019)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland
Director: James Gray
Ad Astra is another movie about the secrets and mysteries of our solar system. Also, here we find a lot of references to other movies about loneliness and alienation that come with space travel, such as Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar-winning Gravity (2013) then on Christopher Nolan’s stunning Interstellar (2014).
Astronaut McBride (Pitt) travels to remote parts of the solar system to find out what happened to his father and unravel a mystery that threatens our planet’s survival. His journey will reveal the secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in space.
This movie about space and traveling through it is very worth watching.
Conclusion
We are very fortunate to exist in a period where we could learn many things about life’s realities beyond the skies. All of the info is now in our grasp, only a click away. Everything has been turned to reality, helping humankind better understand our position in the galaxy.
It is very appealing to watch these top ten best movies with family and friends, learn something while having awesome fun. We hope you liked our review of one of the best space movies of all time.
Which of these films is your favorite/s?
Happy watching!