5 Best Films About Space Exploration (& 5 The Worst), Ranked According To IMDb – Screen Rant

Space is something that humanity has been fascinated with for centuries. It has alwaysfelt unattainable, mysterious, and something that is just out of our reach but at the same time, we have long yearned to explore and understand. Space exploration has long since been the core subject of many films and many works of literature.

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Space is an enigma filled with wonders beyond human comprehension so it's no wonder that over the years, filmmakers have utilized it as a setting. Some have done so with success, whilst others, not so much. Below are 5 best films about space exploration and 5 the worst, according to IMDb.

This little gem of a film is sadly, largely underappreciated. Europa Report is atmospheric and its storyline very gripping. The film doesn't rely too heavily on special effects and instead focuses on developing its story along with its characters.

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Since release, the film has been hailed a success and is often compared to 2001: A Space Oddysey for its realism and its pragmatic approach to space travel. Europa Report shouldn't be missed under any circumstances.

Adapted from thevideo game of the same name, Doom offers very little in terms of style and intelligence. Despite the acting prowess of Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson, they alone fail to provide substance to this otherwise empty shell of a film.

Whilst fans of the game may appreciate what the directors and writers were attempting to do here,Doom just turned out to be another film to add to a long list of failed video game adaptations confirming the fact that video games should just be left alone.

The fact that Danny Boyle is an exceptional director is well established. He has a plethora of outstanding movies under his belt, one of them being the mind-blowing tour de force that is Sunshine.Cillian Murphy heads up the cast in this intriguing film.

Sunshine is a blend of sci-fi, psychology, and mystery essentially being everything a fan would want. Heavy influence has been taken from other great works of science fiction, most notably 2001: A Space Odyssey.Danny Boyle's intelligent mind crafted something that is both visually dazzling and intellectually challenging.

Released in 2000, Red Planet was a complete and utter failure, both critically and commercially. Which isn't necessarily a surprise considering the poorly thought out and abysmally executed storyline.

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It adds very little to the vast sci-fi archive of exceptional films and it is a film that probably shouldn't have been made in the first place. There are many, much better space exploration films to choose from and Red Planet should not be one of them.

Contact may not be seen as a space exploration film per se. However, the story does explore the discovery of alien life, in space.Plus, it really doesn't get any better than Contact. Jodie Foster completely steals the show with her compelling performance.

The film also explores some truly mesmerizing visuals throughout, especially in its second half when contact with alien life is established and Jodie Foster takes a colorful trip through space. Contact is certainlyup there as one of the greatest, most satisfying science fiction films to date.

Despite its commercial success upon release and boasting an extremely talented cast, Armageddon is sadly an unsatisfying dive into inaccuracy, predictability and in all honesty, a subpar plotline with no ambition. The film focuses too much on action and not enough on character development paying very little mind to how incoherent the story really is.

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As far as space exploration films go, Armageddon can not be relied on as a successful take on the intricacies of space travel and only serves as a flippant, badly thought out action drama.

Sam Rockwell's unyielding talent is widely known and regarded but it is especially apparent in this outstanding film. Moon is an excellent depiction of the true horrors of isolation and a truly fascinating exploration of the complex intricacies of human emotion.

Praised for its scientific accuracy and Rockwell's outstanding performance, Moon delivers a moving story with a satisfying twist. A recommended film for any fan of hard sci-fi.

Despite the stellar cast, Event Horizon fails to live up to the promises of its intriguing premise. Sadly, Event Horizon is neither scary nor is it an effective Sci-Fi film. It starts off well but quickly turns into a monotonous mess, heavily relying on special effects rather than focusing on the actual storyline. Essentially a huge disappointment in terms of style.

However, despite its many pitfalls, this film has garnered somewhat of a cult following over the years and this is perhaps because, whilst the film isn't what it wanted to be, it is in its own way, quite entertaining.

Stanley Kubrick is a world-class director, renowned for his myriad of groundbreaking films. 2001: A Space Odysseyis possibly one of Kubrick's greatest films and is often wildly regarded to be one of the most influential films of all time, its influence seen in many films since its release. It garnered a massive cult following upon release and to this day, the impact remains monumental.

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It is one of those films that you have to watch a few times to appreciate the intricacy of the story. Adapted from Arthur C. Clarke's novel of the same name, 2001: A Space Odyssey was also praised for its special effects and visuals, which were quite innovative for the time. Kubrick's beautiful but harrowing film is still talked about to this day.

Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence lead this rather dull science-fiction romance. The chemistry between the two actors is certainly undeniable, however, it doesn't overcome nor rectify the very apparent weaknesses that plague Passengers.

The storyline is derivative, predictable, and doesn't offer much in the way of excitement. It is quite frankly, a film that added very little in the form of substance to the genre and is best left forgotten and unwatched to gather dust.

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Marta is a contributing writer for VICE UK, Screen Rant and Roobla. An avid fan of horror and science fiction. Lover of books, in particular fantasy, science fiction and horror but also likes the occasional classic. She loves writing short stories and opinion pieces on all things related to film. Her favourite show is Bojack Horseman. Follow her on Twitter: @youshallnotpa15

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5 Best Films About Space Exploration (& 5 The Worst), Ranked According To IMDb - Screen Rant