Highest-Rated Movies about 'Space Exploration'

Interstellar (2014), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Martian (2015), Planet of the Apes (1968), In the Shadow of the Moon (2006), The Right Stuff (1983), Gattaca (1997), Serenity (2005) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Space Exploration movies.

#1. Interstellar (2014)

Storyline: Earth's future has been riddled by disasters, famines, and droughts. There is only one way to ensure mankind's survival: Interstellar travel. A newly discovered wormhole in the far reaches of our solar system allows a team of astronauts to go where no man has gone before, a planet that may have the right environment to sustain human life.

Plot Keywords: wormhole, space travel, father daughter relationship, time paradox, black hole, astronaut, saving the world ...

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#2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Storyline: "2001" is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past, someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith on Earth (presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well). Evolution then enabled humankind to reach the moon's surface, where yet another monolith is found, one that signals the monolith placers that humankind has evolved that far. Now a race begins between computers (HAL) and human (Bowman) to reach the monolith placers. The winner will achieve the next step in evolution, whatever that may be.

Plot Keywords: number in title, computer, year 2001, spacecraft, famous line, chess, science runs amok ...

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#3. The Martian (2015)

Storyline: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring "the Martian" home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney's safe return.

Plot Keywords: astronaut, left for dead, nasa, presumed dead, potato, alone, stranded ...

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#4. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Storyline: Taylor and two other astronauts come out of deep hibernation to find that their ship has crashed. Escaping with little more than clothes they find that they have landed on a planet where men are pre-lingual and uncivilized while apes have learned speech and technology. Taylor is captured and taken to the city of the apes after damaging his throat so that he is silent and cannot communicate with the apes.

Plot Keywords: astronaut, future, lobotomy, male nudity, man forced to strip, sole black character dies cliche, caught in a net ...

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#5. In the Shadow of the Moon (2006)

Storyline: In the 1960s, US President John F Kennedy proposed landing a man on the moon before the decade was finished. This film has interviews with most of the surviving astronauts of the Apollo program who were making ready to make that great voyage with an army of experts determined to make the endeavor possible. Through training, tragedy and triumph, we follow the greatest moments of one of Humanity's great achievements.—Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

Plot Keywords: moon landing, space exploration, alone, earth, spaceship, outer space, travel ...

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#6. The Right Stuff (1983)

Storyline: Tom Wolfe's book on the history of the U.S. Space program reads like a novel, and the film has that same fictional quality. It covers the breaking of the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager to the Mercury 7 astronauts, showing that no one had a clue how to run a space program or how to select people to be in it. Thrilling, funny, charming and electrifying all at once.

Plot Keywords: astronaut, nasa, interview, hypodermic needle, houston texas, heroism, german american ...

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#7. Gattaca (1997)

Storyline: In the not-too-distant future, a less-than-perfect man wants to travel to the stars. Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. With professional advice, Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing. Just when he is finally scheduled for a space mission, his program director is killed and the police begin an investigation, jeopardizing his secret.

Plot Keywords: genetics, flashback, fingerprint, cripple, fake identity, assumed identity, new identity ...

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#8. Serenity (2005)

Storyline: In the future, a spaceship called Serenity is harboring a passenger with a deadly secret. Six rebels on the run. An assassin in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an awesome action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything - or anyone - to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But, the greatest danger of all may be on their ship.

Plot Keywords: on the run, smuggler, spacecraft, megacorporation, space opera, future war, cannibalism ...

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#9. Apollo 13 (1995)

Storyline: Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert were scheduled to fly Apollo 14, but are moved up to 13. It's 1970, and The US has already achieved their lunar landing goal, so there's little interest in this "routine" flight.. until that is, things go very wrong, and prospects of a safe return fade.

Plot Keywords: 1970s, disaster, trapped in space, rescue, survival, astronaut, zero gravity ...

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#10. Forbidden Planet (1956)

Storyline: When Adams and his crew are sent to investigate the silence from a planet inhabited by scientists, he finds all but two have died. Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira have somehow survived a hideous monster which roams the planet. Unknown to Adams, Morbius has made a discovery, and has no intention of sharing it (or his daughter!) with anyone.

Plot Keywords: flying saucer, alien civilization, alien technology, spacecraft, father daughter relationship, space exploration, animal attack ...

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#11. First Man (2018)

Storyline: A Biopic on the life of the legendary American Astronaut Neil Armstrong from 1961-1969, on his journey to becoming the first human to walk the moon. Exploring the sacrifices and costs on the Nation and Neil himself, during one of the most dangerous missions in the history of space travel.

Plot Keywords: moon landing, 1960s, astronaut, based on true story, loss of child, nasa, space exploration ...

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#12. The Fountain (2006)

Storyline: Three stories - one each from the past, present, and future - about men in pursuit of eternity with their love. A conquistador in Mayan country searches for the tree of life to free his captive queen; a medical researcher, working with various trees, looks for a cure that will save his dying wife; a space traveler, traveling with an aged tree encapsulated within a bubble, moves toward a dying star that's wrapped in a nebula; he seeks eternity with his love. The stories intersect and parallel; the quests fail and succeed.

Plot Keywords: tree, future, nonlinear timeline, spirituality, meditation, love, tears ...

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#13. Man of Steel (2013)

Storyline: A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

Plot Keywords: reboot, british actor playing american character, origin of hero, based on comic book, adopted son, superhero, supernatural power ...

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#14. Spaceballs (1987)

Storyline: On the peaceful planet Druidia, King Roland attempts to marry his daughter Princess Vespa to Prince Valium, but Vespa and her loyal droid Dot Matrix escape during her wedding. After wasting the fresh air on the distant planet Spaceball, the good-for-nothing President Skroob orders the archvillain henchman Dark Helmet to kidnap Princess Vespa to force King Roland to provide them with the code to Druidia's atmosphere. Under those circumstances, the seasoned mercenary Lone Starr and his trusty half-human, half-canine sidekick Barf will attempt to save the Princess in distress, while at the same time, the ruthless loan-shark Pizza the Hutt is after them. But in the end, only he who can harness the mystical and mighty force known only as "The Schwartz" will be able to save the day.

Plot Keywords: parody, human in outer space, self referential, title spoken by character, cult film, wilhelm scream, film within a film ...

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#15. Enemy Mine (1985)

Storyline: A soldier from Earth crashlands on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually, he encounters another survivor, but from the enemy species he was fighting. They band together to survive on this hostile world. In the end, the human finds himself caring for his enemy in a completely unexpected way.

Plot Keywords: psychotronic film, beating, fight to the death, showdown, final showdown, beaten to death, kicked in the stomach ...

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