A Glean movie guide
Interstellar Encounters
The ultimate guide to deep space.
Explore the far reaches of the universe and the civilizations that await.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Alien
A masterclass in atmospheric dread as a commercial crew encounters a perfect killing machine in deep space.
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
- 02
Contact
A grounded and awe-inspiring look at humanity's first journey to meet an extraterrestrial intelligence.
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.
- 03
Aliens
High-octane military action that expands the scope of the original's deep-space nightmare.
Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
- 04
2001: A Space Odyssey
A visually stunning epic that traces humanity's evolution through a mysterious alien influence.
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.
- 05
Guardians of the Galaxy
A vibrant, fast-paced adventure featuring a ragtag crew navigating a galaxy full of diverse life.
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
- 06
Avatar
An immersive journey to a lush alien moon where human technology clashes with indigenous nature.
In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.
- 07
Europa Report
A tense, documentary-style thriller following a private mission to find life on Jupiter’s moon.
A crew of international astronauts are sent on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon.
- 08
Starship Troopers
A satirical and explosive military epic about a global war against an insectoid alien species.
Set in the future, the story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an arachnoid species known as "the Bugs."
- 09
Event Horizon
A terrifying blend of sci-fi and supernatural horror set aboard a ship that traveled beyond our dimension.
In 2047, a group of astronauts are sent to investigate and salvage the starship Event Horizon which disappeared mysteriously seven years before on its maiden voyage. However, it soon becomes evident that something sinister resides in its corridors.
- 10
The Fifth Element
A wildly imaginative and colorful space opera filled with unique alien cultures and high-stakes action.
In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.
- 11
Pitch Black
A gritty survival thriller where a crashed crew must navigate a planet filled with nocturnal predators.
When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the doomed survivors are forced to turn to Riddick with his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there's only one rule: Stay in the light.
- 12
Galaxy Quest
A clever and affectionate comedy about a TV cast thrust into a real interstellar conflict.
For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector — Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, Lieutenant Tawny Madison, and Doctor Lazarus — set off on a thrilling and often dangerous mission in space ... until their series was cancelled! Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beam up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director, and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives.