Have you ever looked at the night sky and asked yourself, “What is beyond this?” It is normal to be curious about that since there are numerous myths and theories explaining the sense of this infinitely beautiful Universe.
Our ancestors had long told stories about the formation of planets and stars, but these days it is the cinema that does so. Science fiction has been around for decades, trying to convey various approaches to the all-time question, “Are we alone in the Universe”? That is how many legendary films saw the daylight, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Interstellar, E.T., Star Trek, and the Star Wars sagas.
In fact, there are hundreds of movies that explore outer space, from gripping thrillers and soaring space operas to speculative musings and faithful docudramas. Thus, even for most enthusiast from enthusiasts, it would be hard to decide on a space fantasy movie to watch on a chill Sunday evening.
Well, fandom, here are our top movies that transcend the inner space. Grab a snack!
Image source: astronaut on space photo – Free Astronaut Image on Unsplash
Star Wars
There is so much to say about Star Wars that it would take hundreds of pages to discuss all the movies from the series. Instead, we will focus on two memorable ones: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). If you are a true Star Wars fan, you have surely watched all the movies, so let us exchange some pieces of mind.
It is probably the first time the setting in Star Wars feels so lived-in and authentic in the fourth movie of the series. A New Hope is another kind of approach to Sci-Fi – it is no longer about pristine and fantastical realities but an already ongoing story. It is no wonder it became such a cultural phenomenon since it evokes the hopes of a farm boy, Luke Skywalker, and his adventures into space in a quest to rescue Princess Leia.
Star Wars’ fifth movie, The Empire Strikes Back, is the sequel to the fourth, a beautifully filmed episode in which each character undergoes positive growth: Luke is slowly becoming a Jedi, and Leia turns into a tireless organiser of resistance and military commander.
If Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017) or Star Wars Episode IX: Skywalker blew you away, that is perfectly fine – when it comes to Star Wars, there is something for everyone. But no matter which side you are on, one thing is for sure: the Force will always be with you when you include some new Star Wars figures in your collection. The options? Countless. From Darth Vader and Frog Lady to the beloved Grogu, it is only up to you what you choose.
Interstellar
The 2015 Oscar-winning movie Interstellar is something from another Universe, literally. Rated by many as the best film in history, this mind-bending movie directed by Christopher Nolan is a revelation regarding outer space but also human connections. Inspired by the Dust Bowl, an event that shook the United States in the 1930s, Interstellar is much more than a story about astronauts and wormholes – it is a love letter to any of us who still seek a purpose in life. The problem arises when the former NASA pilot Cooper has to leave his daughter and transcend the galactic borders, as this is a mission where hours fly another way for him than they do on Earth.
Characters in this movie travel the Universe, compelled to fight the forces of space and time in a quest to save humanity.
Avatar
The heart-warming 2009 movie starring Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington is one of the best-rated Sci-Fi movies on IMDB. It is also the highest-grossing film of all time, with millions of fans all around the world. But this should come as no surprise since Avatar harmoniously blends together a classic colonialism story with themes like resistance and romance. The spectacular visuals of the movies seem to hold up without much effort, even today, 13 years later.
Avatar managed to provide its audience with a transformative experience and the chance to see a different species in the futuristic world of Pandora. Wondering how out-of-this-world (literally) visuals could come into existence at that time?
Well, it took almost a decade for James Cameron to make this movie, as the needed technology was not available then. But it was worth all the effort and money because Avatar is a Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects winner and a 9-times-Oscar-nominated fantasy.
2001: A Space Odyssey
It has been 54 years since the release of this movie, and it is still one of the most influential Sci-Fi films ever made. What is it about? Everything – life, pain and loss, the vastness of the Universe, A.I., higher dimensions. It is about some hopeful voyagers that sail through it all, trying to change it all but uncertain if they have changed anything. Attempting to explain this movie is just not possible in words. It conveys so much that it is hard to find something to start. Be it the origins of the human race or the sad dawn of it? 2001: A Space Odyssey is a revelation that managed to be scientifically accurate and ambiguously imaginative at that particular time (1968!).
This film, directed by Stanley Kubrick, explores human evolution and predicts its end. The thing is that it is so oddly accurate that it will eventually make us doubt our existence. You will see everything from extraordinary climactic lights to gigantic rotating sets, so for those who say the visuals in this movie are so and so, think it twice.
2001: A Space Odyssey is for the curious, unfearful ones, for those individuals who dream about astronauts floating gently through the unknown and who can look beyond their terrestrial limits.
