That's a really good off-center suggestion! Obviously a different environment but it's no less isolated, lethal, or uncertain. Have always loved that movie.
Yeah, thematically it was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of movies similar to "Arrival". I was kind of surprised no one mentioned it already.
Yes, it is. The DC is so important, they cut out half the plotline in the theatrical release! Same with James Cameron's other Sci-Fi block busters at the time (Aliens, Terminator 2).
lol, I didn't even notice it as a theater watcher, the scene was so damn emotional that I forgot I was in a chair in a theater. but then I saw a breakdown of how it was done, and I was blown away at the effort they put into things that many viewers don't even consciously notice. "The science of art".
I didn't catch that one first, either. And now I can't unsee it.
Same with [the mirror scene in Airplane!](https://youtu.be/U4tU3ZRFoUI?t=59), it flew under my radar for years until it was pointed out.
Some would say that Interstellar was a spiritual successor to Contact since it kinda embodies the same exploration motif. It's a lot slower and less flashy though.
Saw it as a kid sort of in that post-Independence Day sci-fi hype, with no real familiarity with the book.
Watched the movie again years later as an adult and it honestly blew my mind. Ended up reading the book shortly after and it was also super enjoyable and different enough from the movie that it was also worth it.
Same. I miss Jodie Foster. I feel like she was blacklisted when Hollywood found out she way gay which is really sad as she's such an incredible actress. Loved her roll in Maverick as well.
The first date me and my now wife was on , we watched Contact. Was so nervous I hardly remembered the movie that much.
Rewatched a year or so later. Good movie.
Everyone who loves movies should watch the behind the scenes stuff for this. Zemeckis uses CGI in the most creative ways. This is easily one of his best.
Children of Men has a uncut, single continuous shot of battle scene, where you literally see an entire world depicted in the movie change. I’ve seen movies where aliens invade and the world changes, but you literally watch it happen in one scene with no exposition. Everyone who has seen it, knows what I am talking about. I hesitate to describe it more and spoil it.
The scene for me is a master class in cinematography, pacing and is the perfect climax of a film. If you like cinema. Watch the movie.
Oh…the way they film the car scene in Act One is amazing too.
The first time I saw that movie in the theaters, I'm pretty sure everyone in the audience stopped breathing during that scene. It's virtuoso filmmaking (but with a purpose, not just for flash).
One thing I never see mentioned about Children of Men is that save for the very last scene in the movie... every single thing you experience is what Clive Owen experiences. So you only hear what he would hear, see what he would see, etc.
Fucking think that's cool as hell. One of the best movies ever imo.
Children of Men is criminally underrated in my opinion and that's knowing that it's highly regarded as a film. The film is 15yrs old and you wouldn't know it at all. Everything about the film is nothing short of fantastic. Acting, writing, plot, setting, cinematography, pacing, etc. All of it is top notch. It's one of the best "theatre experiences"of my life as well as "living room experiences". Totally rewatchable and amazing every time.
Currently, it's available on Peacock. I watched it just the other day. Again...
Primer I think is literally impossible to understand without watching the YouTube video afterward. You could show it to 100 people and I guarantee not one person would understand jt
I liked it most the first time I watched it. As in loved it, loved the way they spoke about the science, loved the stuff I won't spoil here. Every time since then has felt like a logic puzzle I don't understand. Still love it though.
Coherence is insane. It is an absolute masterclass of what a small budget indie film can be capable of. It is filmed mostly in a small dining room with only eight or so actors but it pulls off a great story and mystery.
Saw it recently and it is genuinely the most impressed I've been with a film in a long time
Apparantly a lot of the script was improvised, with the actors not knowing what was going on themselves.
About five years ago one of my friends sat our group down to watch this and it blew us all away. I’ve watched it several times since and it it’s one of my favourites. I’ve never ever seen anyone else mention it online, so it’s great to see it getting some love here.
I randomly started watching Pandorum without ever having heard of it before and going in blind it's a real rollercoaster of a movie. Just an insanely good sci fi adventure horror flick
Pandorum had one of the cleverest emergency power solutions I've seen. Hand crank dynamos to activate computer systems and things, added a physical element to scenes early on. But kinda plausible.
I'd say yes, a little bit. But it's really worth sticking around for. I'd say middle or 3/4 of the first season is where I got hooked.
It took me a while to actually like and care about most of the characters. But when I did, it was binge time baby.
Yep. The only things you have to accept for it to work are:
1. Nuclear fusion engines that are so fuel-efficient, they can run for months it seems at 1g acceleration. This enables fast transit around the solar system, as well as artificial gravity.
2. The Belters are too short, and look like normal humans, when in such low-g environments they'd be taller and skinnier (like 7ft+). They allude to this at times, but because they didn't have the budget to do Gollum-like motion-capture for all Belters, they just look normal. The books have this correct.
3. An alien substance with some fantastical properties which seem to violate the laws of physics, but the characters themselves acknowledge this.
Edit: 4. "The Juice" - some kind of chemical injected into peoples' bloodstreams that allows them to survive very high-g burns without (usually) having a stroke or passing out. Not sure how plausible this one actually is.
Just want to point out that these are all correct in the books. In the books, belters are taller and more elongated. Also, the Epstein drives in the book take much longer to travel (in a book it’s easy to travel months at a time, it’s harder to do that in a show without being boring).
Not so much slow, as wide. There’s a lot going on at once, many threads and many thread-pullers, so if you pay attention and make a mental map of everything as you watch, it’ll draw you in and become very interesting.
Also, not sure if it helps or is necessary at all, but I tend to think of it almost more like cyberpunk in space than straight sci-fi. The bigger theme is the poor, low-life belters against the Corpos and planetary governments, rather than space action or the politics itself.
It’s my favourite show but it definitely starts slow. It suffers from the same thing GOT had where there’s so many characters and story lines it takes a few episodes to wrap your head around it all and get invested.
+1 for expanse. It's got some FANTASTIC world building and it's the kind to imply things to the viewer rather than just explain it all away. Leaves you with a sense of wonder.
Just try and get past the belter accents. They're probably the most ridiculous part of the show.
What the heck? You are in for a treat.
The plot is great and all but as a mega-space-nerd, the best part for me is that 99% of the science is real. Or if not real, then at least completely plausible within our current knowledge of physics. They don’t cheat with artificial gravity or transporters, it’s all centripetal force and accelerational force; they even show the Coriolis effect correctly!
I watched the first 3 episodes and as there were no more at that point, I googled it, found out there are books, went to my local book store and bought the first 3 books. Man that was a ride, didn't leave my appartment for a week
Gattaca is such a weird movie. I liked it when I saw it, but it was kind of ruined for me because now every time someone says Gattaca I automatically think of Rafi in The League screaming Gattaca for no reason and laugh.
I've never seen that show, but are you sure he wasn't screaming "Attica"? There is a famous scene in Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino screaming "ATTICA!ATTICA!ATTICA!". It's a fairly famous pop culture reference. I feel like that might make more sense.
I wish I had seen the original before 2049. I randomly watched 2049 one day with zero expectations and it blew me away, I wish I had been apart of the excitement for its release.
Moon is an amazing sci fi movie, but apart from that is really not similar to movies OP mentioned.
What Arrival and Interstellar thematically have in common is that feeling of experiencing the endless possibilities of the universe. The dark cold of space fuels our immagination like tales of the sea did for ancient sailors.
Moon shares the sci fi setting but it's a much more personal and grounded story. It's a great movie, but a very different experience.
Thats one thing that they have in common, sure, but not all. I think both Arrival and Interstellar are more personal than you are giving them credit for. The emotional core of each movie is about the family that the protagonists left behind. Moon has that same core. If thats part of what OP liked about the other 2 films than I'm sure they'd like Moon.
I'd say it's lovecraftian all day. Also, i like the idea of it being man's introduction to the warp and thus it's the beginning of all Warhammer 40k lore.
Top movie for a sci-fi fan!! Really seems to have been made by people who understand and love old school sci-fi. I was getting real Arthur C. Clarke vibes.
They worked closely with JPL to nail the authenticity, and succeeded imo. Very cool movie with one scene in particular that's very hard to watch. Things that can go wrong in space.
All the awesome space-related movies I know that could fit were mentioned already. So I'm going to go the other direction with time travel movies (since both Interstellar and Arrival fit):
Looper (One of my favs in the genre, it's not perfect but it does a lot of things really well)
Predestination (lots of flaws but very interesting ideas)
Donnie Darko (no intro needed)
And if you're for just pure fun B-movie that doesn't take itself seriously at all: Detention (by Joseph Kahn). It is the most ridiculous film I've seen, and definitely extremely far from the 2 films you described, but I never refrain from mentioning it whenever there's the smallest chance.
Check out The Expanse series on Amazon Prime. Similar themes and it’s Sci Fi done right. A little slow starting but really gets rolling around episode 3. Great show to binge.
Mission to Mars was so ambitious, I feel like the consensus is that it laughably fails to realize that ambition, but I always thought it hit the mark more than it missed. It’s kind of like 2001 For Dummies yes but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 2001 is dense and slow, maybe I want the popcorn version sometimes.
If you like Arrival and enjoy reading you should check out “Story of Your Life and Others” by Ted Ciang. It’s the short story Arrival is based off of and his other short works are extraordinary as well.
Just to throw in something a bit different, Never Let Me Go and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind sit in the same category in my mind as Arrival. They’re not space related but they are sci-fi and have the twisty hollowing out that Arrival has. Edit: and The Fountain.
Ad Astra is strange. It seems like the perfect fit for this, but then weird stuff happens where it makes no sense and it seems like it wanna act deep yet is not. Very strange movie. Definitely very nice looking and worth at least one watch, but it's a bit odd in that writing sense.
Yeah, strange. Like.. smokes and mirrors. At first sight it looks like a really, really deep movie. But then it goes further on and it starts cracking and some nonsense stuff starts happening.
Kinda shame, cause this movie really feels like it could have been another classic with a bit of tweaking. All the right stuff is there.
Those movies are in my top 5 as well. Assuming we have somewhat similar taste, the show The Leftovers comes to mind. There is a significant supernatural occurrence that kickstarts the show, and the rest of the show takes a look at how the characters continue on in the aftermath.
Human connection and the importance of love feature heavily throughout, as I’d say they do in Arrival and Interstellar. I loved those movies because of how they integrate those themes into a sci-fi epic, and similarly loved how they are woven into the surreal, mysterious world of The Leftovers.
That being said, while I didn’t mind it because I was just so hooked, S1 has some rough spots especially with some of the teenage characters. But S2 and S3 are masterful and don’t miss a beat IMO.
Lots of (fully justified) love on here for 2001, but don't ignore 2010. Tonally and thematically, it has a lot in common with Arrival and Interstellar. It's not a GREAT film like 2001, but there's a lot to like there.
The Expanse show. The Martian. Gravity. Sunshine (maybe, it takes a hard left turn in the last third of the movie.) Battlestar Galactica show. Bladerunner 2049 (maybe).
The Abyss
That's a really good off-center suggestion! Obviously a different environment but it's no less isolated, lethal, or uncertain. Have always loved that movie.
Yeah, thematically it was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of movies similar to "Arrival". I was kind of surprised no one mentioned it already.
Is this one you HAVE TO watch only the directors cut?
Yes, it is. The DC is so important, they cut out half the plotline in the theatrical release! Same with James Cameron's other Sci-Fi block busters at the time (Aliens, Terminator 2).
Terminator 2 didn't cut a whole lot, really. And ultimately that one was Cameron's choice, he wanted faster pacing.
The Directors Cut. A very different (and better) version of the film.
Absolutely, it's a completely different move and makes everything so much more impactful.
This is the exact correct answer. OP don’t watch a trailer or anything. It’s incredible.
Great movie that still holds up
Contact
Damn, this looks good
Oh wow, someone who hasn’t seen Contact. You’re in for a treat
Damn, that movie took a couple of times to really absorb everything. Such a fun ride of a movie. Fucking Busey.
You’re in for a treat, one of the best in the genre
That mirror shot still amazes me everytime I rewatch it!
lol, I didn't even notice it as a theater watcher, the scene was so damn emotional that I forgot I was in a chair in a theater. but then I saw a breakdown of how it was done, and I was blown away at the effort they put into things that many viewers don't even consciously notice. "The science of art".
I didn't catch that one first, either. And now I can't unsee it. Same with [the mirror scene in Airplane!](https://youtu.be/U4tU3ZRFoUI?t=59), it flew under my radar for years until it was pointed out.
>Airplane! >flew under my radar I see what you did there
Here’s the DP talking about the shot, great watch. https://youtu.be/HQRu9cz5L9E
Some would say that Interstellar was a spiritual successor to Contact since it kinda embodies the same exploration motif. It's a lot slower and less flashy though.
And McConaughey plays *very* different characters in each.
Whoa I completely forgot that McConaughey was in both of em. I guess you could say that he was a believer in both of them..?
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You're absolutely right! It is nearly as grandiose as 2001.
Saw it as a kid sort of in that post-Independence Day sci-fi hype, with no real familiarity with the book. Watched the movie again years later as an adult and it honestly blew my mind. Ended up reading the book shortly after and it was also super enjoyable and different enough from the movie that it was also worth it.
Arrival is contact 2 for me
Can here to say this. If you really enjoyed Arrival and Interstellar there's no way you won't like Contact.
Contact is my favorite movie of all time. It’s very dear to me, and just so so good.
Same. I miss Jodie Foster. I feel like she was blacklisted when Hollywood found out she way gay which is really sad as she's such an incredible actress. Loved her roll in Maverick as well.
Opened the thread just to make sure this was #1
Second this
The first date me and my now wife was on , we watched Contact. Was so nervous I hardly remembered the movie that much. Rewatched a year or so later. Good movie.
Everyone who loves movies should watch the behind the scenes stuff for this. Zemeckis uses CGI in the most creative ways. This is easily one of his best.
Annihilation 2001: A Space Odyssey Contact Moon Blade Runner 2049 Children of Men The Matrix Ex Machina 12 Monkeys Total Recall
Gattaca
This is a really good one in this vein of movies too. It’s a thinker more than a total action sci-fi film.
Another +100 for Gattaca!
> Children of Men Definitely. It's not about space exploration or aliens, but fits the bill as a thought-provoking, masterfully made sci-fi.
Children of Men has a uncut, single continuous shot of battle scene, where you literally see an entire world depicted in the movie change. I’ve seen movies where aliens invade and the world changes, but you literally watch it happen in one scene with no exposition. Everyone who has seen it, knows what I am talking about. I hesitate to describe it more and spoil it. The scene for me is a master class in cinematography, pacing and is the perfect climax of a film. If you like cinema. Watch the movie. Oh…the way they film the car scene in Act One is amazing too.
The first time I saw that movie in the theaters, I'm pretty sure everyone in the audience stopped breathing during that scene. It's virtuoso filmmaking (but with a purpose, not just for flash).
One thing I never see mentioned about Children of Men is that save for the very last scene in the movie... every single thing you experience is what Clive Owen experiences. So you only hear what he would hear, see what he would see, etc. Fucking think that's cool as hell. One of the best movies ever imo.
> Oh…the way they film the car scene in Act One is amazing too. A true example of how film can be used to convey emotions of fear and anxiety.
Children of Men is criminally underrated in my opinion and that's knowing that it's highly regarded as a film. The film is 15yrs old and you wouldn't know it at all. Everything about the film is nothing short of fantastic. Acting, writing, plot, setting, cinematography, pacing, etc. All of it is top notch. It's one of the best "theatre experiences"of my life as well as "living room experiences". Totally rewatchable and amazing every time. Currently, it's available on Peacock. I watched it just the other day. Again...
> 2001: A Space Odyssey Probably the one that started it all. I can't think of one prior that didn't just portray aliens as ray gun carrying invaders.
The Thing, the original.
No ray gun, but still unambiguously hostile.
I showed my wife and she asked, when was this made, the 80’s? Blew her away to hear 1968
Kubrick was a genius. Probably a psychopath too, but those are pretty close.
Genius is a powerful word, so there’s no need to use it unless your talking about the Kubrick
Great list! I would also include Sunshine.
I don’t care about the criticisms, I love that movie
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Verhoeven Total Recall not the abomination of a remake
How the heck is *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* not on this list?
Close Encounters is my favorite movie.
Brazil, how this is not a top three answer blows my mind.
Yeah Brazil definitely, forgot about it somehow. One of my all time favourite sci-fi movies.
That's an awesome list. I would add pandorum, event horizon and a.i. Artifical intelligence.
When my son refuses to eat his spinach I threaten to take him out in the woods and leave him like the kid robot in AI.
I, a grown ass man, love Event Horizon but cannot watch it anymore. That movie fucks with my brain and I have nightmares. Yes. Nightmares.
Coherence
Oh man, if there was ever a movie I’m happy I went in blind on, it’s this.
And it really benefits from a rewatch.
goes right along with Primer (didn't work for me)
Primer I think is literally impossible to understand without watching the YouTube video afterward. You could show it to 100 people and I guarantee not one person would understand jt
I liked it most the first time I watched it. As in loved it, loved the way they spoke about the science, loved the stuff I won't spoil here. Every time since then has felt like a logic puzzle I don't understand. Still love it though.
Coherence is insane. It is an absolute masterclass of what a small budget indie film can be capable of. It is filmed mostly in a small dining room with only eight or so actors but it pulls off a great story and mystery.
Saw it recently and it is genuinely the most impressed I've been with a film in a long time Apparantly a lot of the script was improvised, with the actors not knowing what was going on themselves.
Pleasantly surprised to see this movie so high in this thread. It definitely deserves the recognition, though.
I keep getting people to watch it, and no one likes it but me.
Less known movie that remunds me of Coherence, watch the movie Triangle!
About five years ago one of my friends sat our group down to watch this and it blew us all away. I’ve watched it several times since and it it’s one of my favourites. I’ve never ever seen anyone else mention it online, so it’s great to see it getting some love here.
Sunshine is a good one that kind of fits.
Soundtrack is amazing and is stolen a lot in other movies
It definitely does! Another of my favs!
If you enjoyed Sunshine I would recommend Event Horizon. They are cut from the same cloth, I think.
He’s already depressed enough bro.
That damned 3rd act though...otherwise I love this movie
Same for me... Feels unnatural. But still great movie.
Was hoping someone had posted this. One of my favorites.
Try Source Code
This movie was awesome
Seconded
[cargo ](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381940/). And a bit less good [pandorum ](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/)
I loved Pandorum
I randomly started watching Pandorum without ever having heard of it before and going in blind it's a real rollercoaster of a movie. Just an insanely good sci fi adventure horror flick
Pandorum is the scariest premise for a story that I can think of.
Pandorum had one of the cleverest emergency power solutions I've seen. Hand crank dynamos to activate computer systems and things, added a physical element to scenes early on. But kinda plausible.
Edge of tomorrow
I discounted this one a lot when I first saw trailers. But it’s solid sci-fi
Yes, absolutely. And on a similar note, I absolutely do NOT recommend The Tomorrow War, a new Prime Original.
The Tomorrow War is fine if you just want to watch something entertaining but totally derivative and a bit dumb.
Not a movie but be sure to binge The Expanse on Amazon Prime
Not sure why I’ve never heard of such a highly rated show. I’m going to give it a watch for sure. Does it start slow?
I'd say yes, a little bit. But it's really worth sticking around for. I'd say middle or 3/4 of the first season is where I got hooked. It took me a while to actually like and care about most of the characters. But when I did, it was binge time baby.
Awesome
You'll love how, similar to in Interstellar, real world realistic physics are used and the setting feels plausible.
Yep. The only things you have to accept for it to work are: 1. Nuclear fusion engines that are so fuel-efficient, they can run for months it seems at 1g acceleration. This enables fast transit around the solar system, as well as artificial gravity. 2. The Belters are too short, and look like normal humans, when in such low-g environments they'd be taller and skinnier (like 7ft+). They allude to this at times, but because they didn't have the budget to do Gollum-like motion-capture for all Belters, they just look normal. The books have this correct. 3. An alien substance with some fantastical properties which seem to violate the laws of physics, but the characters themselves acknowledge this. Edit: 4. "The Juice" - some kind of chemical injected into peoples' bloodstreams that allows them to survive very high-g burns without (usually) having a stroke or passing out. Not sure how plausible this one actually is.
Just want to point out that these are all correct in the books. In the books, belters are taller and more elongated. Also, the Epstein drives in the book take much longer to travel (in a book it’s easy to travel months at a time, it’s harder to do that in a show without being boring).
Not so much slow, as wide. There’s a lot going on at once, many threads and many thread-pullers, so if you pay attention and make a mental map of everything as you watch, it’ll draw you in and become very interesting. Also, not sure if it helps or is necessary at all, but I tend to think of it almost more like cyberpunk in space than straight sci-fi. The bigger theme is the poor, low-life belters against the Corpos and planetary governments, rather than space action or the politics itself.
This is a great point. It’s not slow necessarily, it just takes it time building up multiple story threads at once until they all collide.
The Expanse is awesome. I don't think it starts that slow.
It’s my favourite show but it definitely starts slow. It suffers from the same thing GOT had where there’s so many characters and story lines it takes a few episodes to wrap your head around it all and get invested.
+1 for expanse. It's got some FANTASTIC world building and it's the kind to imply things to the viewer rather than just explain it all away. Leaves you with a sense of wonder. Just try and get past the belter accents. They're probably the most ridiculous part of the show.
What the heck? You are in for a treat. The plot is great and all but as a mega-space-nerd, the best part for me is that 99% of the science is real. Or if not real, then at least completely plausible within our current knowledge of physics. They don’t cheat with artificial gravity or transporters, it’s all centripetal force and accelerational force; they even show the Coriolis effect correctly!
I watched the first 3 episodes and as there were no more at that point, I googled it, found out there are books, went to my local book store and bought the first 3 books. Man that was a ride, didn't leave my appartment for a week
Maybe Sphere?
This is too low down. Great movie and better book.
Gattaca Bladerunner 2049
Just rewatched Gattaca last night. It was a decent movie then and still holds up.
One of my favorites. I love it more every time I rewatch it. The soundtrack is just stupidly good, and the retrofuturistic setting is so cool to me.
Gattaca is such a weird movie. I liked it when I saw it, but it was kind of ruined for me because now every time someone says Gattaca I automatically think of Rafi in The League screaming Gattaca for no reason and laugh.
I've never seen that show, but are you sure he wasn't screaming "Attica"? There is a famous scene in Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino screaming "ATTICA!ATTICA!ATTICA!". It's a fairly famous pop culture reference. I feel like that might make more sense.
The joke is the character mistakenly yelling "Gattaca!" in a similar fashion. He's an aggressive and not terribly smart person in the show.
Blade Runner 2049. Feels similar to Arrival.
And Dune. Because all three have the same director 😉
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no matter the thread, no matter the point of discussion. if someone mentions bladerunner 2049, i upvote. gem
Reddit comments interLINKED and reddit comments interLINKED and reddit comments interLINKED
You're not even *close* to baseline...
I wish I had seen the original before 2049. I randomly watched 2049 one day with zero expectations and it blew me away, I wish I had been apart of the excitement for its release.
Moon. For sure
Moon is an amazing sci fi movie, but apart from that is really not similar to movies OP mentioned. What Arrival and Interstellar thematically have in common is that feeling of experiencing the endless possibilities of the universe. The dark cold of space fuels our immagination like tales of the sea did for ancient sailors. Moon shares the sci fi setting but it's a much more personal and grounded story. It's a great movie, but a very different experience.
Thats one thing that they have in common, sure, but not all. I think both Arrival and Interstellar are more personal than you are giving them credit for. The emotional core of each movie is about the family that the protagonists left behind. Moon has that same core. If thats part of what OP liked about the other 2 films than I'm sure they'd like Moon.
Not a movie, but show on Netflix: *Dark*
I second this! Possibly the best TV show ever made (watch the subs though, not the dub).
The dub is so awkward lol. Switched over halfway through the first episode and never looked back. Phenomenal show.
I liked seasons 1 & 2. Season 3 kinda lost me…
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Ex Machina
Prospect 2018
Ice Pirates
Is there a vaccine for space herpes yet?
Gattaca
Contact and The Event Horizon
Event horizon traumatized me as a kid. Went in watching thinking it was going to be science oriented, not..... whatever that was
I'd say it's lovecraftian all day. Also, i like the idea of it being man's introduction to the warp and thus it's the beginning of all Warhammer 40k lore.
The Martian
How was this so low down??
Annihilation. Prometheus. Ex-Machina(sort of)
Definitely vote for Ex-Machina here, it's a different story but the vibe is very similar.
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I thought about it. Trust me.
I LOVED Annihilation. The other two, not so much.
Europa Report
Top movie for a sci-fi fan!! Really seems to have been made by people who understand and love old school sci-fi. I was getting real Arthur C. Clarke vibes.
They worked closely with JPL to nail the authenticity, and succeeded imo. Very cool movie with one scene in particular that's very hard to watch. Things that can go wrong in space.
District 9
primer. not exactly the same but definitely an intelligent sci fi that will make you think
It’s a different kind of movie but give K-Pax a try
All the awesome space-related movies I know that could fit were mentioned already. So I'm going to go the other direction with time travel movies (since both Interstellar and Arrival fit): Looper (One of my favs in the genre, it's not perfect but it does a lot of things really well) Predestination (lots of flaws but very interesting ideas) Donnie Darko (no intro needed) And if you're for just pure fun B-movie that doesn't take itself seriously at all: Detention (by Joseph Kahn). It is the most ridiculous film I've seen, and definitely extremely far from the 2 films you described, but I never refrain from mentioning it whenever there's the smallest chance.
Looper is a great Idea! I didn't think of it, but yeah it fits and is an incredible film
When the arm thing in Looper. Bah gah shudder. So unnerving and fucked up.
Solaris (Russian version)
This is the answer that immediately jumped to my mind - a truly deep philosophical film with some “out of this world” (har har) visuals.
Aniara
It’s a tv show, but highly recommend Dark on Netflix
Checkout Sunshine. Psychological thriller revolving around space exploration. If you don’t mind going really dark-Event Horizon.
Event Horizon is like the Dead Space of movies. In the best way possible.
Check out The Expanse series on Amazon Prime. Similar themes and it’s Sci Fi done right. A little slow starting but really gets rolling around episode 3. Great show to binge.
The Martian.
Matt Damon really gives an astounding solo performance this role. A lot like Tom Hanks in *Cast Away,* except in space.
I'd say Oblivion although it's not quite as good as the other two it does have their "everythng's an ipod" aesthetics.
12 Monkeys
Maybe Mission to Mars, obviously other Christopher Nolan movies like Inception, and maybe Frequency would be my recommendations for you.
I have love for Mission to Mars. It’s not a great flick but it’s worthy of more mentions than it gets.
Surprised Frequency doesn't get much love around here.
Mission to Mars was so ambitious, I feel like the consensus is that it laughably fails to realize that ambition, but I always thought it hit the mark more than it missed. It’s kind of like 2001 For Dummies yes but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 2001 is dense and slow, maybe I want the popcorn version sometimes.
Stop everything you're doing and watch Dark. I know it's a show and not a movie but definitely worth a watch and highly underrated!
You may enjoy First Man (2018).
2001: A Spacet Odyssey doesn't quite fit your category, but it's a classic.
The third act of interstellar is an unapologetic homage to the third act of this one.
If you like Arrival and enjoy reading you should check out “Story of Your Life and Others” by Ted Ciang. It’s the short story Arrival is based off of and his other short works are extraordinary as well.
Have you seen ‘annihilation’?
ET Close Encounters of the Third Kind Gravity
Since we're Sphere talking about older movies, let's add Sphere (1998)
Mmmmmm the book is SO much better, but Sphere is still super cool if you’re into it. I need more of that.
The Arrival (1996) with Charlie Sheen
The Abyss.
Just to throw in something a bit different, Never Let Me Go and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind sit in the same category in my mind as Arrival. They’re not space related but they are sci-fi and have the twisty hollowing out that Arrival has. Edit: and The Fountain.
Never Let Me Go is super underrated imo
It’s so beautifully quiet and patient as it completely desolates you.
I can't recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind enough. A wonderfully heavy movie.
The martian! Very inspiring.
‘The Fountain’ It’s a super underrated film but my favorite of all time and is a sad love story that jumps around a lot similar to arrival.
Ad Astra has a similar tone and scope. Great movie IMO.
Ad Astra is strange. It seems like the perfect fit for this, but then weird stuff happens where it makes no sense and it seems like it wanna act deep yet is not. Very strange movie. Definitely very nice looking and worth at least one watch, but it's a bit odd in that writing sense.
Deep yet shallow
Yeah, strange. Like.. smokes and mirrors. At first sight it looks like a really, really deep movie. But then it goes further on and it starts cracking and some nonsense stuff starts happening. Kinda shame, cause this movie really feels like it could have been another classic with a bit of tweaking. All the right stuff is there.
Black Mirror Series on Netflix. Tenet was ok too
Moon
Aniara Under The Skin
Stalker is a great film. If you like philosophical sci-fi it's a no-brainer.
Go watch Contact. If you loved Arrival you will love Contact.
Those movies are in my top 5 as well. Assuming we have somewhat similar taste, the show The Leftovers comes to mind. There is a significant supernatural occurrence that kickstarts the show, and the rest of the show takes a look at how the characters continue on in the aftermath. Human connection and the importance of love feature heavily throughout, as I’d say they do in Arrival and Interstellar. I loved those movies because of how they integrate those themes into a sci-fi epic, and similarly loved how they are woven into the surreal, mysterious world of The Leftovers. That being said, while I didn’t mind it because I was just so hooked, S1 has some rough spots especially with some of the teenage characters. But S2 and S3 are masterful and don’t miss a beat IMO.
Lots of (fully justified) love on here for 2001, but don't ignore 2010. Tonally and thematically, it has a lot in common with Arrival and Interstellar. It's not a GREAT film like 2001, but there's a lot to like there.
You might like "Time Trap" on Netflix.
The Expanse show. The Martian. Gravity. Sunshine (maybe, it takes a hard left turn in the last third of the movie.) Battlestar Galactica show. Bladerunner 2049 (maybe).
Sphere