A Glean movie guide
Beyond the Atmosphere
The ultimate guide to the final frontier
From realistic NASA missions to mind-bending interstellar journeys.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Interstellar
A visually stunning epic that balances theoretical physics with a deeply emotional human core.
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
- 02
2001: A Space Odyssey
The definitive cinematic masterpiece exploring human evolution through the lens of a mysterious lunar discovery.
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
- 03
The Martian
A gripping, scientifically grounded survival story about an astronaut’s ingenuity while stranded on the Red Planet.
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.
- 04
Apollo 13
A masterclass in tension that dramatizes the real-life "successful failure" of NASA's most harrowing lunar mission.
The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of heroism. Drifting more than 200,000 miles from Earth, the astronauts work furiously with the ground crew to avert tragedy.
- 05
Gravity
A relentless, immersive thriller that captures the terrifying beauty and isolation of being stranded in orbit.
Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.
- 06
The Right Stuff
An expansive look at the daring test pilots who became America's first astronauts during the Mercury program.
At the dawn of the Space Race, seven test pilots set out to become the first American astronauts to enter space. However, the road to making history brings momentous challenges.
- 07
Sunshine
A visually arresting journey toward the sun that shifts from a scientific mission to a high-stakes thriller.
Fifty years into the future, the sun is dying, and Earth is threatened by arctic temperatures. A team of astronauts is sent to revive the Sun — but the mission fails. Seven years later, a new team is sent to finish the mission as mankind’s last hope.
- 08
Moon
A haunting, minimalist gem that explores the psychological toll of long-term isolation on a lunar mining base.
With only three weeks left in his three-year contract, Sam Bell is eager to return to Earth. Stationed alone at a Moon-based facility with his computer assistant GERTY, an unexpected accident sets off a series of unsettling events that shake his isolation.
- 09
Contact
A thoughtful exploration of first contact that prioritizes scientific process and the wonder of the unknown.
A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.
- 10
Ad Astra
A moody, reflective odyssey across the solar system that uses space travel to explore a father-son relationship.
The near future, a time when both hope and hardships drive humanity to look to the stars and beyond. While a mysterious phenomenon menaces to destroy life on planet Earth, astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across the immensity of space and its many perils to uncover the truth about a lost expedition that decades before boldly faced emptiness and silence in search of the unknown.
- 11
First Man
A visceral and intimate portrait of Neil Armstrong that highlights the physical danger of early space flight.
A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
- 12
Europa Report
A realistic, documentary-style thriller following a private mission to find life on one of Jupiter’s moons.
A crew of international astronauts are sent on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon.