Best space opera movies movie#

It does not ultimately give itself over to the white savior narrative or empathize with antagonists ( see also: The Help) (to be clear: do not see it). But what makes Hidden Figures shine so brightly is that for the most part, it keeps the focus on these incredible women. The film even tries to sanitize this a little Katherine's supervisor is painted as consistently benevolent, and Buzz Aldrin makes a cameo (played by an actor) in which he treats her with respect. Despite their historic importance, none of the film's central women were household names, their story overshadowed by the racist era of the 1960s in which they worked. Henson), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), three Black women working at NASA during the space race. Theodore Melfi's 2016 film tells the true story of mathematicians Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Three Black women whose work made modern space travel possible. Credit: Hopper Stone / Levantine / Kobal / Shutterstock Hidden Figuresĭespite their historic importance, none of the film's central women were household names. S.H.Įuropa Report is available to rent or buy on Prime Video (opens in a new tab) in the UK, and stream on Hulu (opens in a new tab) in the U.S. Remember, just because something looks beautiful, doesn't mean it isn't deadly. The film's found footage style gives it the same sense of realism that made The Blair Witch Project so creepy, and the central mystery of the lights - coupled with a crew that keeps getting picked off - builds a sense of suspense that ratchets up nicely as the film progresses. On the surface, Europa Report has all the elements of a standard space horror hybrid: there's the voyage to find other life, a case of mysterious lights, and the rapidly-escalating tension that comes from realising things are about to go horribly, horribly wrong.īut despite all that, Sebastián Cordero's thriller doesn't feel generic. Credit: Moviestore / ShutterstockĪ team of astronauts tries to find life on one of Jupiter's moons.

Turns out there's some creepy stuff on one of Jupiter's moons. Moon is available to rent or buy on Prime Video (opens in a new tab) in the UK, and stream on Showtime (opens in a new tab) in the U.S.

Best space opera movies movie#

The end result is like a cross between the dystopia of Black Mirror and the movie Gravity (which we'll get to a bit later). It starts off as a beautifully shot, psychological meditation on loneliness, then morphs into something else entirely as Bell gradually uncovers the secrets of the base he's working on. The poor guy is completely on his own mining helium-3 on the moon, with only a suspicious robot and a dodgy comms feed for company. If travelling through space as part of a skeleton crew sounds like a potentially lonely task (which, if the other films on this list are anything to go by, it almost certainly is), then imagine how Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) feels in Moon.

Sam Rockwell doesn't have an easy time of it in 'Moon.' Credit: Liberty Uk / Kobal / ShutterstockĪ lonely astronaut working on the far side of the moon begins to suffer hallucinations. Sunshine is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK (opens in a new tab) and the U.S. Also, you get to see a pre- Avengers Chris Evans, which is a nice bonus. The Trainspotting director's foray into space movies is an absolute beauty, with Alwin Küchler's blistering cinematography turning the film's lighting effects into a character in their own right (yes, I know that sounds like a slightly weird thing to say, but it'll make more sense when you see the movie).Īt its fiery core, Sunshine has all the elements of a classic space thriller - there's the mystery of an abandoned craft, a journey into the unknown, and the dawning realisation that most (if not all) of the characters probably won't be making it back in one piece. Danny Boyle's sci-fi thriller cost $40 million, and it only made $34.8 million when it hit the cinemas.Īs is often the case, though, that's no reflection of the film's quality. With the sun dying, a team of astronauts attempts to save the planet by journeying through space to reignite it.ĭespite its stunning visuals and strong cast, Sunshine didn't do all that well at the box office. Credit: Fox Searchlight / Kobal / Shutterstock Spoiler alert: some of these people don't make it.