Check Out These 20 Best Space Movies That You Can Stream Right Away – Mashable India

Although Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson would like to tell you otherwise, the vast majority of humans will never go anywhere near space.

But that doesn't mean we can't experience it vicariously.

As well as tapping into a healthy dose of existential dread, space movies offer us a fleeting glimpse of planets and galaxies far beyond our wildest dreams, all from the safety of our own living rooms.

So, we've tracked down the best of them. The only rule? To make the list, the characters have to have actually travelled through space although Arrival is a great space-related movie, for instance, it doesn't make the cut because it's based on Earth; Contact, meanwhile, although largely Earth-based, does squeak in due to a bit of wormhole-based travel.

NASA, aliens, and journeys through wormholes.

Image: Wikimedia Commons / Netflix / 20th Century Fox / Paramount Pictures / mashable composite

From quests to reignite the sun to extraterrestrial struggles, and in no particular order, these are some of the best space movies out there...

Spoiler alert: some of these people don't make it.

Image: Fox Searchlight/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

With the sun dying, a team of astronauts attempts to save the planet by journeying through space to reignite it.

Why should you watch it?

Despite its stunning visuals and strong cast, Sunshine didn't do all that well at the box office. It was a bit of a flop, in fact. Danny Boyle's sci-fi thriller cost $40 million, and it only made $34.8 million when it hit the cinemas.

As is often the case, though, that's no reflection of the film's quality. The Trainspotting director's foray into space movies is an absolute beauty, with Alwin Kchler'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).

At 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. Also, you get to see a pre-Avengers Chris Evans, which is a nice bonus. Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Sunshine is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK and the U.S.

Sam Rockwell doesn't have an easy time of it in 'Moon.'

Image: Liberty Uk/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

A lonely astronaut working on the far side of the moon begins to suffer hallucinations.

Why should you watch it?

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. 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.

I absolutely love Moon. 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 end result is like a cross between the dystopia of Black Mirror and the movie Gravity (which we'll get to a bit later). S.H.

Moon is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, and stream on Showtime in the U.S.

Turns out there's some creepy stuff on one of Jupiter's moons.

Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock

What's it about?

A team of astronauts tries to find life on one of Jupiter's moons.

Why should you watch it?

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.

But despite all that, Sebastin Cordero's thriller doesn't feel generic. 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.

Remember, just because something looks beautiful, doesn't mean it isn't deadly. S.H.

Europa Report is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, and stream on Hulu in the U.S.

What's it about?

Three Black women whose work made modern space travel possible.

Why should you watch it?

Theodore Melfi's 2016 film tells the true story of mathematicians Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Mary Jackson (Janelle Mone), and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), three Black women working at NASA during the space race. 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.

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. But what makes Hidden Figuresshine so brightly is that for the most part, it keeps the focus on these incredible women. 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). It offers rich stories of Black joy, struggle, resilience, and triumph, with the sole goal of keeping these stories hidden no longer. Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

Hidden Figures is available to stream on All4 in the UK, and rent or buy from Prime Video in the U.S.

'2001' is packed full of so many memorable moments.

Image: Mgm/Stanley Kubrick Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

An astronaut travels on a mission to Jupiter with a sentient AI.

Why should you watch it?

Stanley Kubrick's first and only foray into space is over 50 years old now, but it's truly timeless. One of the most instantly recognisable science-fiction movies of all time, Kubrick's Academy Award-winning, sprawling exploration of artificial intelligence and human advancement is not only beautifully shot, it also comes packed full of the kind of grand images and ideas that have since permeated popular culture.

Even if you know very little about the film, you'll likely have heard of Hal, the red-eyed AI who comes between Dave and his planned opening of the pod bay doors, or maybe you'll have seen that famous image of a fetus floating among the stars. These, along with many other enduring moments, are thanks to 2001. You've at least heard the theme. S.H.

2001: A Space Odyssey is available to stream on NOW TV in the UK, and HBO Max in the U.S.

Sigourney Weaver with Yaphet Kotto and Ian Holm in 'Alien.'

Image: Robert Penn/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

The crew of a spaceship encounters an unknown alien species while investigating a strange transmission.

Why should you watch it?

Alien isn't just one of the best space movies of all time it's also one of the best movies of all time, full stop. Thanks to Ridley Scott's direction and visual design led by Swiss artist H. R. Giger, this science-fiction horror film is genuinely creepy and claustrophobic, taking our intrinsic fear of dark and narrow corridors and using it to masterful effect.

In a lot of ways, Scott's sci-fi behemoth set a template for future space movies. The sense of isolation, the rapidly-diminishing crew, the fear of AI, the body horror all of these are tropes we've seen cropping up again and again over the years, including in some of the other films on this list. And while many of these descendants deploy those ideas well, few have managed to make the same gory splash that Alien did. (As a side note, Aliens the second movie in the franchise is also very much worth a watch). S.H.

Alien is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, and stream on HBO in the U.S.

Sandra Bullock doesn't have a great time of it in 'Gravity.'

Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock

What's it about?

After their NASA space shuttle is damaged by space debris, two stranded astronauts must find a way to return to Earth.

Why should you watch it?

I get a little nervy when it comes to heights. Back when I was a teenager, in fact, I distinctly remember the sense of vertigo I felt sitting at the very back of the cinema while watching Vertical Limit on the big screen.

Gravity is like that, only 10 times worse. It's genuinely impressive how well director Alfonso Cuarn, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and special effects company Framestore have managed to recreate the dizzying endlessness of space in this film that horrible fear of falling, of tumbling backward through an empty black void, is constantly present.

Don't watch this one if you suffer from acrophobia. Do watch it if you're a fan of stunning visuals, Sandra Bullock, and the kind of tension that doesn't ever seem to let up. S.H.

Gravity is available to stream on NOW TV in the UK, and rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.

Carrie Fisher and Anthony Daniels in 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.'

Image: Lucasfilm/Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

A truly colossal, multigenerational space battle between good and evil.

Why should you watch it?

Make the jump to lightspeed into a galaxy far, far away, to a moment when a young, determined George Lucas had the audacity to start an empire at Episode IV. As Mashables Chris Taylor notes in his book How Star Wars Conquered the Universe (hey Chris!), youll be hard-pressed to find someone who hasnt seen Star Wars or at least knows about it as part of pop culture, whether they're Rebel scum or a scruffy-looking nerf herder.

First landing in 1977 and wrapping up in 2019, the series of films known as the Star Wars Skywalker Saga Episodes I to IX, but not released in that order has everything you want in a space movie: good versus evil, cool-jacketed heroes, well-caped villains, slim odds of success (just dont tell Han Solo), weird weapons, enviable vehicles, strange planets and moons (and not-so-moons) to explore all with their own populations, industry-leading special effects, stunts, and costuming, and furious space battles that truly stay on target. Plus, they (obviously) have everything that makes a Star Wars film: that opening text crawl, lightsaber duels, quotes to live by, an ever-present mysterious Force, MY president Carrie Fisher, Han Solos laser-brain wisecracks, Luke Skywalkers tolerance for blue milk, R2-D2 and C-3POs incessant bickering, Chewbaccas rumbling recognition of human inadequacy, Lando Calrissians swindling style, Salacious B. Crumbs soothing laugh, Yodas questionable stew and wise Jedi teachings, and questions that should never be answered.

Its worth taking in all 11 Saga films, from the polarising prequels with their roger, roger-fuelled trade federations and sand everywhere, to the Porg-peppered, Millennium Falcon-paced new trilogy, not to mention the A Star Wars Story series with Solo, Rogue One, and The Mandalorian (starring the best being of the decade). But the original trilogy Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi is where you should always start if youre yet to watch the films and boost your midi-chlorian count for a few hours. How has the Star Wars franchise managed to stand the test of time? Members of the Mashable team shared their ideas. Shannon Connellan, Mashable UK Editor

Star Wars is available to stream on Disney+.

George Clooney and Natascha McElhone in Steven Soderbergh's 2002 adaption of 'Solaris.'

Image: Bob Marshak/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

Following reports of some strange occurrences, a psychologist travels to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris.

Why should you watch it?

The first thing to make clear is that there are actually two movies called Solaris, both of which are based on the same 1961 novel by Stanislaw Lem. First, there's the 1972 film by Russian auteur Andrei Tarkovsky, and then there's the 2002 Steven Soderbergh adaptation with George Clooney (i.e. the one pictured above). Both of these films are great, and both deserve a place on this list. For the sake of room, (there are a lot of films to cover, after all), we've grouped them into one entry.

So, why should you watch them? Well, while both films have their own distinct style, they share the same compelling story: a slow burn mystery that's as much a psychological exploration of guilt as it is a tale about an unknowable alien planet. If you want guns and explosions, look elsewhere. But if you want creepy doppelgngers and a brain-melting final twist, this is the one for you. S.H.

Solaris (2002) is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, or stream on Hulu in the U.S. Solaris (1972) is available to stream on All4 in the UK, and rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.

America's dad, jetting off into space.

Image: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

Three men are trying to go to the moon, but thenthey have a problem.

Why should you watch it?

Nominated for nine Oscars and winning two, Ron Howards gleaming recreation of the doomed 1970 moon mission is a masterclass in merging Hollywood blockbuster tension and emotional stakes with painstaking attention to historical and technical detail. On the narrative fulcrum of one little accident and the second-most famous line ever uttered in real-life space (albeit slightly tweaked from reality), Apollo 13 pivots from the shining-eyed optimism of the '60s space program to an increasingly taut and literally suffocating scramble for survival. Years before Matt Damon scienced the shit out of some potatoes, a crew of some of the 1990s' most famous and beloved white dads (Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and an iconically shouty Ed Harris down in the control room) had to not only find a way to get themselves back to Earth, but also a way to tell that story accurately and compellingly. It could have had so many problems, but it doesnt its just stellar across the board.

Aside from That Quote, Apollo 13 also gave us Captain Mode Tom Hanks: Americas dad, capably but not quite stoically leading his crew through a crisis. Its the blueprint for iconic performances in Saving Private Ryan, Captain Phillips, Sully, and his latest, Greyhound. Caitlin Welsh, Mashable Australia Editor

Apollo 13 is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, or stream on Netflix in the U.S.

What's it about?