What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to Lost in Space first
Interstellar 2014
Film
On a dying Earth, a former NASA pilot leaves his two children behind to travel through a wormhole and look for a planet humans can live on.
The sides of Interstellar
- The father and the daughter
- The science you can believe
- The organ and the silence
- The loneliness out there
Good for you if
- goodbyes hit you harder than explosions.
- you like wormholes, black holes and a planet where one hour costs years.
- you want to feel very small in your seat.
Bad for you if
- you'd rather not think about relativity and time stretching to follow a plot.
- big speeches about love make you roll your eyes.
- nearly three hours is too much for one evening.
About: time · sacrifice · home · the people left behind
War of the Worlds 2005
Film
Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.
The sides of War of the Worlds
- A father fleeing with his kids
- Tripods rising from the ground
- A cellar and a probe
Good for you if
- you like an invasion seen from the ground, from a family's view.
- you like terrifying destruction scenes.
- you like a long, quiet scene hiding in a basement.
Bad for you if
- you want something for the kids. Here two children run from an alien invasion, terrified.
- you need the science to hold up. The tripods were buried under our cities long before us.
About: survival · fatherhood · fear
Star Trek: Discovery 2017
Series
Follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.
The sides of Star Trek: Discovery
- A human officer raised by Vulcans
- A starship that jumps on a spore network
- A crew flung far into the future
Good for you if
- you like Starfleet ships, aliens and new worlds.
- you like a crew discovering what lies beyond the known map.
- you like following Michael Burnham's arc more than the mission of the week.
Bad for you if
- you roll your eyes at big emotional speeches on the bridge.
- five seasons is too much for you.
About: identity · exploration · loyalty
Battlestar Galactica 2004
Series
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.
The sides of Battlestar Galactica
- The last humans fleeing in an old warship
- Machines that look like people
- A search for a planet called Earth
Good for you if
- you can take a story where humanity almost loses everything.
- you like never knowing who on board is a Cylon.
- you like a president and an admiral fighting over how to save the last humans.
Bad for you if
- you want a finale that explains everything plainly.
- you can't take suicide bombings, occupation and grief on screen.
About: survival · faith · what makes us human
The Hunger Games 2012
Film
In a dystopian society where the Capitol forces each district to send two young tributes to fight to the death in a televised spectacle, a girl volunteers to take her sister’s place, setting the stage for a struggle of survival and defiance.
The sides of The Hunger Games
- Survival in the arena
- Peeta or Gale
- A rebellion against the Capitol
- The show around the games
Good for you if
- you like a hunt where anyone could die next.
- you like a heroine who survives with a bow and her wits.
- you like a girl who takes her little sister's place.
Bad for you if
- teenagers killing teenagers is too much for you.
- two hours and twenty minutes is long for your evening, and it's only the first film.
About: survival · spectacle · rebellion
The Martian 2015
Film
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.
The sides of The Martian
- An astronaut left behind on Mars
- Growing potatoes with science
- A whole planet trying to bring him home
Good for you if
- you like problems solved with real science, one step at a time.
- you like a hero who survives on jokes and disco music.
- you want a hopeful film where smart people work together.
Bad for you if
- you want action. This is mostly problem-solving.
- nearly two and a half hours on Mars is too long for you.
About: survival · ingenuity · cooperation
Return of the Jedi 1983
Film
Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, the Emperor prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, and the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor.
The sides of Return of the Jedi
- A rescue from a gangster's palace
- A battle in a forest of small bears
- A son facing his father
Good for you if
- you like Jabba's palace on a desert planet and a forest moon full of Ewoks.
- you like speeder bike chases and a space battle.
- you like a hero who believes there's still good in someone.
Bad for you if
- effects from 1983 feel dated to you.
- you lose track when a film cuts between three battles at once, on Endor, in space and in the Emperor's throne room.
About: redemption · family · hope
Avatar: The Way of Water 2022
Film
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
The sides of Avatar: The Way of Water
- A family fleeing to the ocean
- Whales that remember
- Hours underwater
Good for you if
- you want underwater scenes on a huge scale, made for the biggest screen you can find.
- you like reefs, whales and a world in balance.
- you like the reef clans of Pandora, with their own customs and sea creatures.
Bad for you if
- over three hours is too much for one evening.
- you want a story told through sharp conversations. This one tells it in images, with long stretches underwater and few words.
About: family · nature · belonging
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982
Film
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
The sides of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- A boy who finds a lost alien
- Bikes flying across the moon
- Phone home
Good for you if
- you like a friendship that can make grown-ups cry.
- you like childhood seen as magical.
- you want a classic for the whole family.
Bad for you if
- films from 1982 feel dated to you.
- you roll your eyes at sentiment. A boy and an alien feel everything together.
About: friendship · childhood · home
Star Trek: The Next Generation 1987
Series
Follow the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his loyal crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, as they explore new worlds.
The sides of Star Trek: The Next Generation
- A starship exploring new worlds
- Captain Picard and his crew
- An android who wants to be human
Good for you if
- you like a new planet and a new alien every week.
- you like Picard's speeches about what is right.
- you like a future where exploring is the point.
Bad for you if
- seven seasons is too much for you.
- you find late-80s TV sets and costumes dated.
About: exploration · diplomacy · what makes us human
Raised by Wolves 2020
Series
After Earth is ravaged by a great religious war, an atheistic android architect sends two of his creations, Mother and Father, to start a peaceful, godless colony on the planet Kepler-22b. Their treacherous task is jeopardized by the arrival of the Mithraic, a deeply devout religious order of surviving humans.
The sides of Raised by Wolves
- Two androids raising human children on a far planet
- A religious war that ruined Earth
- An android mother with a deadly scream
Good for you if
- you like a strange planet full of bones and buried secrets.
- you like Ridley Scott's stark, empty landscapes.
- you can take a story where faith and atheism tear people apart.
Bad for you if
- you need answers, and the story stops after two seasons.
- you can't watch gory deaths on screen.
About: faith · parenthood · survival
Arrival 2016
Film
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
The sides of Arrival
- The grief underneath the sci-fi
- Aliens that are truly alien
- Understanding as the plot
- Time that doesn't run straight
Good for you if
- you like a film that quietly breaks you at the end.
- you like patient scenes where people try to understand each other.
- you like aliens treated as a real problem of language and science.
Bad for you if
- you want an alien invasion with battles. There are none.
- you'd rather not work to follow a story. Louise's memories only fall into place in the last act.
About: language · grief · time · choice
Prometheus 2012
Film
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
The sides of Prometheus
- Scientists looking for our creators
- An android with his own plans
- A surgery you won't forget
Good for you if
- you like huge alien ruins and cold, beautiful images.
- you want grand questions on a grand scale.
- you like body horror and unsettling ideas.
Bad for you if
- characters making bad choices drive you mad.
- you scare easily. Dark alien tunnels and a desperate surgery scene will stay with you.
About: creation · faith · hubris
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 2017
Film
The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage.
The sides of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- A son meeting his father
- Baby Groot dancing
- A family of misfits arguing
Good for you if
- you want an adventure that keeps the jokes coming.
- you like another mixtape of old hits.
- you like a silly film that turns out to be about fathers.
Bad for you if
- you're in the mood for something dark and serious.
- living planets and a talking raccoon are too silly for you.
About: fathers · family · belonging
Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2015
Film
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.
The sides of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- A scavenger on a desert planet
- A stormtrooper who walks away
- Old heroes coming back
Good for you if
- you like a scavenger and a runaway stormtrooper becoming friends on the run.
- you like dogfights between X-wings and TIE fighters.
- you like new heroes discovering the Force.
Bad for you if
- you have no patience for space battles, droids and desert planets.
- you need answers. Rey's parents and Luke's exile are left for the next film.
About: legacy · belonging · family
Gravity 2013
Film
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.
The sides of Gravity
- An astronaut adrift above Earth
- Debris coming around every orbit
- Getting home alone
Good for you if
- you want ninety minutes of holding your breath.
- you want space at its most beautiful and frightening.
- you like one person fighting to stay alive.
Bad for you if
- you need a story with conversations. She's mostly alone.
- you want a plot to work out. It's one straight line from orbit to the ground.
About: survival · grief · rebirth
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
Film
Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
The sides of Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- A killer robot sent to protect a boy
- A mother preparing for the end
- A liquid metal enemy
Good for you if
- you like a truck chasing a boy's dirt bike down the Los Angeles river canals.
- you like a villain that can become anyone.
- you like a bond growing between a boy and the machine sent to protect him.
Bad for you if
- you need the science to hold up. A liquid metal man pulls himself back together from puddles.
- shootouts and a nightmare of fire are too much for you.
About: fate · family · humanity
2012 2009
Film
Dr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth's core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world's population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world's leaders race to build "arks" to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world.
The sides of 2012
- The end of the world on schedule
- A divorced dad racing his family to safety
- Giant ships in the Himalayas
Good for you if
- you want to watch the whole planet fall apart.
- you like escaping cracking cities by car and plane.
Bad for you if
- you need the science and the escapes to be believable.
- over two and a half hours is too long for you.
About: survival · family · the end
The Day After Tomorrow 2004
Film
After paleoclimatologist Jack Hall is largely ignored by UN officials when presenting his environmental concerns about the beginning of a new Ice Age, his research proves true when a superstorm develops, setting off catastrophic natural disasters throughout the world. Trying to get to his son, Sam, who is trapped in New York City with his friend Laura and others, Jack and his crew must travel to get to Sam before it's too late.
The sides of The Day After Tomorrow
- A new ice age in days
- A father walking to New York
- Wolves in a library
Good for you if
- you like a frozen New York and giant tornadoes.
- you like a father walking through the snow to reach his son in New York.
Bad for you if
- you need the climate science to be accurate.
- you roll your eyes at message movies. The climate warning is said out loud, in speeches.
About: nature · survival · family
Jurassic Park III 2001
Film
In need of funds for research, Dr. Alan Grant accepts a large sum of money to accompany Paul and Amanda Kirby on an aerial tour of the infamous Isla Sorna. It isn't long before all hell breaks loose and the stranded wayfarers must fight for survival as a host of new -- and even more deadly -- dinosaurs try to make snacks of them.
The sides of Jurassic Park III
- A plane crash on the dinosaur island
- A boy who survived alone
- A bigger predator
Good for you if
- you like a dinosaur fight.
- you like a short, fast survival film.
Bad for you if
- you or young kids scare easily. Pterosaurs attack in a fog-filled aviary.
- you need the logic to hold up. A satellite phone rings inside a dinosaur.
About: survival · family