A Glean movie guide
Into the Great Unknown
From survival to the stars.
Essential science fiction films that capture the wonder and terror of space.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
2001: A Space Odyssey
A visually stunning masterpiece that explores the evolution of humanity and artificial intelligence.
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.
- 02
Interstellar
An ambitious, emotional journey through wormholes that blends hard science with a story about human connection.
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.
- 03
The Martian
A gripping, optimistic survival story that celebrates human ingenuity in the face of impossible odds.
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
Gravity
A relentless, immersive experience that captures the terrifying isolation of being adrift in Earth's 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.
- 05
Moon
A quiet, character-driven mystery that masterfully explores themes of identity and isolation.
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.
- 06
Sunshine
A visually striking mission to the Sun that descends into a high-stakes psychological 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.
- 07
Alien
The definitive space horror film that perfectly balances claustrophobic tension with iconic creature design.
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.
- 08
Apollo 13
A masterclass in tension that brings the harrowing true story of a failed moon mission to life.
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.