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Buckle up and prepare for liftoff — we're counting down our picks for the most memorable, imaginative, and awe-inspiring films to ever take us beyond the stars! From thrilling survival stories to mind-bending odysseys, these are the cinematic journeys that prove space is the ultimate frontier. Which of these cosmic classics is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable and out-of-this-world movies
00:16that make our imaginations shoot for the stars.
00:30Number 20. Project Hail Mary. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have spent the better part of this century expanding the
00:37limits of what film can accomplish.
00:39The two set lofty expectations for themselves with their adaptation of Andy Weir's acclaimed novel Project Hail Mary.
00:45But the sheer scope of this space epic is proof they were not afraid of the challenge.
00:50They spoke up from a coma. I'm several light years from my apartment, and I'm not an astronaut.
00:58I'm not an astronaut. I'm not an astronaut.
01:03Starring Ryan Gosling as an amnesiac astronaut who must piece together his memories in order to carry out a humanity
01:08-saving mission,
01:09it is a mind-expanding voyage worthy of the cinematic classics it harkens back to.
01:14No one's ever done this before.
01:18It is time go.
01:20I think you mean go time, pal.
01:26Project Hail Mary is far more than just a winning story about ordinary people accomplishing the extraordinary.
01:32It's also a miraculous piece of popcorn entertainment with a perfect blend of genuine heart and awe-inspiring visuals.
01:40You know who you are. You're gonna do great.
01:41I can't good zero to you in five hours.
01:47Object approaching.
01:55Speaking of finding ways to speak with aliens,
01:58this star-studded flick turns extraterrestrial communication into a hot-button contemporary issue.
02:03Based on the novel by astronomer Carl Sagan, who also consulted on the story and science,
02:08Contact follows Jodie Foster's Ellie Arroway.
02:27When the SETI researcher receives a mysterious signal from an alien species,
02:32she is plunged headlong into a global search for answers as a machine is built to transport her into the
02:38cosmos.
02:56In addition to its thought-provoking commentary on religion and science,
03:00not to mention its prescient portrayal of political divisiveness,
03:03what truly sells contact is its optimism.
03:05By the time Ellie finally discovers the truth she's long been searching for,
03:10we have no doubt the destination was worth the intergalactic journey.
03:14None of this is real?
03:16That's my scientist.
03:18When I was unconscious, you downloaded my thoughts, my memories, even.
03:24That's a call.
03:28We thought this might make things easier for you.
03:31Number 18. Silent Running
03:33While Douglas Trumbull is remembered as a visual effects trailblazer,
03:37he also made an occasional impression from the director's chair.
03:40That is especially true of Silent Running,
03:43which tells a sobering tale of humanity's environmental plight taken to an extreme.
03:48The difference is that I grew it.
03:50That's what the difference is.
03:52That I picked it and I fixed it.
03:54And it has a taste and it has some color.
03:57And it has a smell.
03:59And that it calls back a time when there were flowers all over the earth.
04:03And there were valleys.
04:05And there were plains of tall green grass that you could lie down in,
04:09that you could go to sleep in.
04:10Here, Bruce Dern plays a botanist overseeing the last remnants of Earth's plant life,
04:15which have been relegated to a series of spaceships due to rampant deforestation.
04:19It's a story that sounds outlandish, but also frighteningly possible all at once.
04:25Fields of children running wild.
04:31Silent Running deserves credit for capturing space travel as less of a beacon of wonder
04:36and more like a last-ditch effort to preserve resources.
04:38It's a true cautionary tale.
04:40And one that leaves you wondering if our world is worth the cost of exploring others.
04:45The forest is dying.
04:50I have tried everything.
04:58And I just don't know what the hell it is.
05:01Number 17.
05:02Forbidden Planet
05:03At the time of release, this action flick was arguably the most imaginative portrayal of space travel audiences had ever
05:10seen.
05:11Forbidden Planet is widely considered the first movie to venture outside the solar system,
05:15following a starship crew sent to investigate a disappearance on the remote planet of Altair 4.
05:28It's hardly surprising to learn that Forbidden Planet served as a huge inspiration for Star Trek.
05:33And yet, it remains a unique experience on its own thanks to its majestic cinemascope photography,
05:39superb practical effects, and emphasis on romance.
05:41Well, thank you very much, Lieutenant.
05:44No trouble at all.
05:52While its contemporaries had aliens arriving on Earth,
05:56Forbidden Planet dares to ask us what adventures await beyond our world.
06:00About a million years from now, the human race will have crawled up to where
06:04the Krells stood in their great moment of triumph and tragedy.
06:15Your father's name will shine again, like a beacon in the galaxy.
06:20Number 16.
06:21First Man
06:22It's surprising that it took Hollywood as long as it did to make a big-budget biopic about Neil Armstrong
06:27and the small step he took into the history books.
06:30But First Man was well worth the wait of nearly 50 years.
06:34Ten, nine, ignition sequence start.
06:48More than just a recreation of Armstrong's fateful flight aboard Apollo 11,
06:52this is an intimate yet absorbing character study about what compels an ordinary person
06:57to seek adventure in the stars.
06:59The result is a portrait of an iconic figure in American history
07:02that manages to forego pomp and circumstance without losing sight of the moon landing's significance.
07:08That's one small step for man.
07:13One giant leap for mankind.
07:16Between Ryan Gosling's soulful performance as Armstrong and the grainy cinematography,
07:21First Man is a worthy tribute to the history it seeks to celebrate.
07:25Do you think you're coming back?
07:28We have a real confidence in the mission.
07:30And there are some risks, but we have every intention of coming back.
07:36But you might not.
07:40Number 15.
07:41Moon
07:42This film stars Sam Rockwell, a robot Kevin Spacey, and Sam Rockwell.
07:47Hold on, we can explain.
07:49Who is he?
07:49We need to get him to the infirmary.
07:53You tell me who that is.
07:55You tell me who that is!
07:57Sam Bell.
07:59We need to get him to the infirmary immediately.
08:02Astronaut Sam Bell is stationed on the moon, and has mere weeks left before he gets to go home.
08:07But when another Sam Bell turns up who looks and sounds just like him, things get weird.
08:12Hey, I'm going home.
08:14You're not going anywhere.
08:15You know, you've been up here too long, man.
08:17You've lost your marbles.
08:18What do you think, Tess is back home waiting for you on the sofa in lingerie?
08:22What about the original Sam?
08:23Huh?
08:25I'm the original Sam!
08:26With an intriguing mystery at its core, and fantastic special effects considering its relatively small budget,
08:32the film achieves greatness with a mesmerizing performance from Rockwell,
08:36as well as the support of Spacey as the voice of Gertie.
08:39How long have I been out?
08:41Not long, Sam.
08:43Go back to sleep.
08:44Okay, pal.
08:45You're still very tired.
08:47We can talk later.
08:49Number 14.
08:50Guardians of the Galaxy
08:51Easily one of the best Marvel movies to date,
08:54Guardians of the Galaxy is a feel-good space adventure with a quirky band of characters you can't help but
08:59love.
09:00I've had a lot of folks try to kill me over the years.
09:02I ain't about to be brought down by a tree and a talking raccoon.
09:05Old?
09:06What's a raccoon?
09:07What's a raccoon?
09:08It's what you are, stupid.
09:10Ain't no thing like me except me.
09:12The superhero film is surprisingly down to earth, given its setting,
09:16and is not bogged down by dense explanations or plot lines.
09:19It moves at the perfect pace and doesn't stop.
09:22There's never a dull moment.
09:24And it offers insight into the Marvel Cinematic Universe that's not really been explored before,
09:28with shared knowledge of the Infinity Stones and a closer look at Thanos.
09:32But return to me again empty-handed,
09:35and I will bathe the starways in your blood.
09:40Plus, it redefined Chris Pratt as an action star.
09:44What should we do next?
09:46Something good?
09:48Something bad?
09:50A bit of both?
09:53We'll follow your lead, Star-Lord.
09:58A bit of both.
10:04While Total Recall is an action-packed search for identity on a colonized version of Mars,
10:10it's Starship Troopers where Paul Verhoeven's on-the-nose sensibilities reach a fever pitch.
10:15The movie envisions a future where militarized Earthlings cross the universe looking for new worlds to conquer.
10:35One such world is home to an aggressive species of giant arachnids who don't take very kindly to their unwelcome
10:42invaders.
10:42With its over-the-top gore and deliberately campy execution,
10:46Starship Troopers wears its condemnation of propaganda and imperialism right on its sleeve.
10:51We need soldiers.
10:53Soldiers like Lieutenant Stack Lumbres.
10:55We're in the target area now Captain.
10:57And Captain Carmen Abanix.
10:59This is the Captain speaking.
11:01All first, now we heard.
11:02Soldiers like Private Ace Levy and Lieutenant John Rico.
11:05Come on, you waved! You wanna live forever!
11:09Misunderstood in its time,
11:10it has thankfully been reclaimed as not only a terrific action film,
11:15but also a fascinating portrayal of how governmental intentions are often concealed until they're too late to undo.
11:22It's afraid.
11:25It's afraid!
11:30Number 12. Sunshine.
11:32This movie is slow, eerie, and tense, but never dull.
11:37In fact, these qualities propel Sunshine to greatness,
11:40and the way it combines multiple sub-genres makes it stand out from the crowd.
11:57There's a large ensemble of characters,
11:59and each brings something different to the mission.
12:01The mission being to reignite the dying sun.
12:16As you can imagine, that isn't exactly an easy feat.
12:19So, the varied crew personalities and skills work together
12:23to create a satisfying journey of discovery and problem-solving,
12:26with a killer final act.
12:28The man will be gone.
12:33There will be nothing to show that we were ever here.
12:38But stardust.
12:41Number 11. Solaris.
12:43This Andrei Tarkovsky-directed film
12:44may not have the mainstream appeal of other movies on this list,
12:47but the devoted viewers who have experienced it
12:50can confirm it is a truly exceptional experience.
12:53I'm Kelvin. Psychologist.
12:58As I can see, did you not expect me to wait?
13:04You received a radiogram.
13:06Solaris follows a psychologist
13:08who's sent to a space station orbiting the titular planet
13:10to investigate an internal crisis that's befallen the crew.
13:14Playing out like an interstellar chamber drama,
13:16the contained story doesn't limit the rewards one can reap.
13:19In fact, Tarkovsky's more humanistic direction,
13:22not to mention his unique visual style,
13:25often makes the movie even more sophisticated
13:26than a flashy CGI-rendered battle.
13:43Solaris is unquestionably an introspective and challenging film,
13:46but it is those very qualities that make it worth revisiting.
14:06Number 10. Gravity.
14:08A marvelous spectacle.
14:10Gravity is a non-stop thrill ride with one amazing backdrop.
14:13Stranded in space, two astronauts must find their way back to Earth
14:17after their shuttle gets demolished by debris.
14:20Man's out!
14:21Man's out!
14:22Copy.
14:23You said it's an explorer.
14:25Copy.
14:26The long-keeper's...
14:29Explore's been hit.
14:30Explore.
14:32Explore.
14:33Explore.
14:33Explore.
14:34Its outstanding visuals really push the boundaries
14:37of what CGI can do,
14:39so the viewer can become fully immersed
14:41in the story and struggle of the astronauts.
14:43In fact,
14:44the way it's filmed makes us think we're really there.
15:01Most of the cuts in the film are masked,
15:03giving the impression it's one continuous uninterrupted shot.
15:07That works to wondrous effect
15:09since we feel like there's no time to rest,
15:11mimicking what the characters are feeling.
15:25Number 9.
15:26The Right Stuff.
15:27The United States undertook a long and seemingly impossible task
15:31by sending a human into space,
15:33and The Right Stuff diligently shines a light
15:35on the highs and lows of that journey.
15:37He's saying that we are pilots,
15:40and we know more about what we need to fly this thing
15:42than anybody else.
15:43So what we have to do is to alter the experiment.
15:46And what that comes down to
15:48is who is going to control this thing from here on out.
15:50What Gus is saying here
15:52is that we've got to stick together on this deal.
15:54Spanning over a decade and a half,
15:56this epic drama traces the earliest days of the space race,
15:59zeroing in on the test pilots known as the Mercury 7.
16:02Although the movie plays fast and loose with historical accuracy,
16:05its large ensemble cast and standout flight sequences
16:08make it a marvelous technical accomplishment.
16:20They're under fire.
16:26Even more impressive is director Philip Kaufman's rendering
16:29of the emotional toll that comes with putting one's life on the line.
16:32For as many successes as humanity has had upon reaching space,
16:36The Right Stuff nobly treats failure
16:38as an inevitability and sacrifice.
16:41Must have been a technical malfunction.
16:42The hat's just blue.
16:45The capsule was rocking around a bit,
16:48but there weren't any loose items in the capsule,
16:50so I don't see how I could have hit that button.
16:52No.
16:53I was just lying there, flat on my back,
16:56and it just blew.
16:58Number 8. The Martian
16:59Based on Andy Weir's acclaimed sci-fi novel,
17:02The Martian is a smart, funny, and exciting story
17:05about an astronaut who's stranded on Mars,
17:07and trying to find a way to let Earth know he's still up there.
17:10I'm alive.
17:13Obviously.
17:13But I'm guessing that's gonna come as a surprise
17:16to my crewmates, and to NASA.
17:20And to the entire world, really.
17:23So...
17:26Surprise.
17:27Survival stories are always interesting,
17:29but one set on Mars,
17:31talking about science in a way viewers can understand,
17:33makes it that much more fun.
17:35I gotta figure out a way
17:36to grow
17:38three years' worth of food here
17:41on a planet where nothing grows.
17:44Luckily,
17:48I'm a botanist.
17:53Mars
17:53will come to fear
17:56my botany powers.
17:57As entertaining and lighthearted
17:59as Ridley Scott's film is,
18:00there are moments when we truly feel for Mark Watney
18:03and are reminded of just how dire his situation is.
18:07This is a testament to the abilities
18:09of both the writer and the director.
18:11I'm not giving up.
18:13We just need to prepare for every outcome.
18:19Please tell them...
18:23Tell them I love what I do.
18:25Number 7.
18:26Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan
18:28It may be a sequel,
18:30but The Wrath of Khan
18:31was when the Enterprise crew
18:32fully returned to what made the franchise work.
18:34That means personal stakes,
18:36fantastic character development,
18:38and of course,
18:39epic space battles.
18:40Fire!
18:51In one of their most perilous battles,
18:53the team faces off against
18:54the cunning Khan Noonien Singh,
18:56a genetically engineered superhuman
18:58previously featured in the original series.
19:00If it was a gamble
19:01to bring back a one-off villain,
19:03then it's one that absolutely paid off,
19:05as Khan lays the groundwork
19:07for arguably the most compelling
19:08Star Trek story to date.
19:10Full impulse power.
19:12No, sir!
19:14You have Genesis!
19:15You can have whatever you...
19:17Full power!
19:19Damn!
19:20It's a movie about moral quandaries
19:22and human nature above all else,
19:24a quality that's kept the franchise
19:25tethered to reality
19:26no matter how deeply it ventures into space.
19:30Live long
19:32and prosper.
19:40Number 6.
19:42WALL-E
19:42The universe looks a lot different
19:44once you see it through the eyes
19:45of a cute little robot.
19:46This Pixar gem proves that and then some,
19:49providing one of their most unique protagonists
19:51with a textured story
19:53that's both heartwarming
19:54and undeniably chilling.
20:08Like any great space flick,
20:10WALL-E imbues the empty vacuum of space
20:12with meaning,
20:13envisioning the destruction of Earth
20:14in sadly plausible ways.
20:16But despite its willingness
20:18to confront apocalyptic themes
20:20like consumerism
20:21and technological complacency,
20:22it's also bursting with optimism
20:24thanks to the innocent romance
20:25between its robotic characters.
20:27Define dancing.
20:29Dancing.
20:30A series of movements
20:32involving two partners
20:33where speed and rhythm
20:35match harmoniously with music.
20:44in different hands,
20:46the material might have been
20:47too tonally chaotic,
20:49but by the end,
20:50caring for the world
20:51comes just as easily
20:52as putting our trust in WALL-E.
20:53Wait!
20:55Oh, you're kidding!
20:57Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
20:59When time runs out...
21:03This is called farming!
21:05You kids are gonna grow
21:06all kinds of plants!
21:08Vegetable plants,
21:09pizza plants!
21:10Ha, ha, ha, ha!
21:11Ah, it's good to be home.
21:14Number five, Interstellar.
21:16Here's a movie you can watch over and over again
21:18and pick up something new every time
21:20while never getting bored or losing appreciation for what it is.
21:24I thought I was prepared to die.
21:28The truth is,
21:31I never really considered the possibility that my planet wasn't the one.
21:36More of a thinking person's movie.
21:38This Christopher Nolan tale still has exciting, intense moments
21:42that will have you struggling to breathe with your eyes wide open.
21:44Where's the mountains?
21:49Those aren't mountains.
21:53They're waves.
21:54The characters feel incredibly real,
21:56and their sacrifices will hit you hard,
21:59as it highlights the importance of family.
22:01Following an astronaut crew that's seeking planets for humanity to inhabit
22:05because of the Earth's current state,
22:06It is an amazingly constructed character drama
22:09with large stakes that will have your eyes glued to the screen
22:12to see how it all pans out.
22:14No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
22:22Number four, Alien.
22:24Not many movies can turn the vast recesses of space
22:27into a claustrophobic hellscape.
22:29And yet, the enduring power of Ridley Scott's Alien is how seamless it makes this transition.
22:42The movie oozes with dread and paranoia from its opening scene onward
22:46thanks to its engrossing production design and carefully executed practical effects.
22:51But it's also a highly intelligent space thriller that lures its audience in far enough
22:55to leave them helpless once its extraterrestrial threat truly arrives.
23:06Luckily, the movie shines just as brightly because of its memorable characters,
23:10especially Sigourney Weaver's iconic Ripley.
23:13Weaver's terrific chemistry with her co-stars, along with her resilience in the face of certain danger,
23:18gives Alien and its 1986 sequel an everlasting appeal that transcends multiple genres.
23:42Number 3. Apollo 13.
23:44As far as true-to-life space movies go,
23:47Apollo 13 may be the closest any movie has come to recapturing the real thing.
23:52Following the infamous failed moon mission,
23:54its success boils down to its willingness to let the thrilling story retell itself
23:58without too many embellishments getting in the way.
24:01We see your BPC is clear, 13.
24:04Roger. EDS to manual.
24:09Inboard.
24:10Get ready for a little choke, fellas.
24:12The movie notably uses exact replicas of both mission control and the Apollo 13 module,
24:18even using a real NASA training spacecraft to simulate zero gravity.
24:22The verisimilitude is so uncanny that you'd be forgiven for thinking
24:25Apollo 13 gets too caught up in fact to remember the human element.
24:29If I'm in the left-hand seat, when the call comes up, I stir the tanks.
24:33Yeah, well, tell him that.
24:34I just asked you what the gage was reading.
24:36All right, we're not...
24:36And you don't know!
24:37All right, look, we're not doing this, gentlemen.
24:38We are not going to do this.
24:39We're not going to go bouncing off the walls for 10 minutes
24:42because we're just going to end up right back here with the same problems,
24:45trying to figure out how to stay alive.
24:47But with confident direction and a stellar cast,
24:50that dedication to realism is precisely how it's able to achieve
24:53suspenseful drama and visual mastery.
24:57We have lunar module jet.
25:18Sure, every Star Wars fan has their favorite chapter of the Skywalker saga.
25:22While The Empire Strikes Back undoubtedly took the franchise to greater heights,
25:26there would be no room for sweeping romance or jaw-dropping twists
25:30without the one that started at all.
25:45Introducing us to the worlds and legendary characters
25:48that make up a galaxy far, far away,
25:50perhaps the most eternal quality of A New Hope
25:52is its humility as a standalone feature.
26:04It's easy to forget how big this universe is
26:06when watching Luke discover his greater purpose in the Rebellion.
26:09His relatability makes his first adventure all the grander,
26:13and we have the wild imagination of George Lucas to thank
26:16for showing us how fun a trek through space could be.
26:33Before we unveil our top pick,
26:35here are some honorable mentions.
26:37Galaxy Quest.
26:38This Star Trek parody is blessed with a perfect cast,
26:41clever humor, and thrilling action.
26:43What is this thing?
26:45I mean, it serves no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of
26:47choppy, crushy things in the middle of a horror event.
26:50No, I mean, we shouldn't have to do this.
26:52It makes no logical sense.
26:53Why is it here?
26:55Because it's on the television show.
26:56Well, forget it!
26:57I'm not doing it!
26:58This episode was badly written!
27:00Event Horizon.
27:02A horrifying cult classic that's rightfully earned a loyal following.
27:28Dune Part 2
27:29Denis Villeneuve achieves the impossible with an ambitious yet faithful adaptation.
27:49The Fifth Element.
27:50This futuristic tale is sci-fi at its most energetic and inventive.
27:55This thing is going to kill me.
28:03Hey!
28:05Emergency, emergency!
28:07One point has been removed from your life.
28:09Yes, I know!
28:10Avatar.
28:11Our first trip to Pandora remains a game-changing cinematic event.
28:19Come on!
28:36Before we continue, check out this single from SoundMojo's Aria, Songs from Iran, reimagining Persian melodies as modern rock, metal,
28:44and pop songs.
28:46Check out the full track and album below.
29:03Number one, 2001, A Space Odyssey.
29:06Yeah, this was a bit of a no-brainer.
29:08Stanley Kubrick's magnum opus is such an incomparable achievement that dubbing it the best space movie of all time still
29:15feels like we're selling it short.
29:16In a spectacular leap forward in sci-fi filmmaking, 2001, A Space Odyssey travels through time with calculated precision.
29:39From the earliest beings discovering the first tool to a future threatened by the most dangerous tool of all, it
29:45is one of the most ambitious movies ever made.
29:47And that is to say nothing of the monumental special effects used to create a trippy, one-of-a-kind
29:52experience as humanity ventures beyond the infinite.
29:55I know everything hasn't been quite right with me.
30:01But I can assure you now, very confidently, that it's going to be all right again.
30:11That it arrived over a year before we successfully landed on the moon truly encapsulates how progressive 2001 dared to
30:18be.
30:26What's your favorite space movie of all time?
30:28Keep the pod bay doors open and let us know in the comments.
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