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Which space story is right for you?

Every title here says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight.

Not sure yet? Start with these.

  1. 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

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  2. Star Wars 1977

    Film

    Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the loveable robot duo R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess and restore peace and justice in the Empire.

    The sides of Star Wars

    • A farm boy dreaming of the stars
    • A princess, a smuggler and a wookiee
    • A space station to destroy

    Good for you if

    • you want the feeling of a whole galaxy opening up.
    • you like a universe full of creatures, droids and planets.
    • you like a farm boy, a smuggler and a wookiee becoming a crew.

    Bad for you if

    • effects and pacing from 1977 feel dated to you.
    • you need the science to hold up. Here spaceships roar in the vacuum of space.

    About: hope · rebellion · destiny

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  3. 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

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  4. 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

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  5. The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.

    The sides of The Empire Strikes Back

    • Rebels hiding on an ice planet
    • Training in a swamp
    • A family secret

    Good for you if

    • you like a revelation that changes how you see the whole saga.
    • you like snow planets, swamps and cities in the clouds.
    • you like a middle chapter where the heroes lose.

    Bad for you if

    • effects and pacing from 1980 feel dated to you.
    • you need an ending that wraps things up. This one leaves the heroes scattered, waiting for the next film.

    About: family · failure · patience

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  6. 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

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  7. Alien 1979

    Film

    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.

    The sides of Alien

    • A crew answering a distress call
    • Something on board
    • A heroine who keeps her head

    Good for you if

    • you want a creature you barely see and never forget.
    • you like a long, quiet build before the horror starts.
    • you like dark corridors and a motion tracker beeping.

    Bad for you if

    • you can't stand body horror. The creature uses human bodies, and the film shows it.
    • you want science fiction with guns and battles. The Nostromo is a cargo ship and its crew has no real weapons.

    About: survival · the unknown · greed

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  8. A rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring a new hope to the galaxy.

    The sides of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    • Rebels stealing the plans
    • A ragtag team on a one-way mission
    • A battle on a tropical beach

    Good for you if

    • you like a war film inside Star Wars.
    • you like heroes who know what it will cost.
    • you like a darker, grittier side of the galaxy.

    Bad for you if

    • you don't care for space. Star Destroyers, X-wings and the Death Star fill the screen.
    • two hours and a quarter is a lot for your evening.

    About: sacrifice · hope · rebellion

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  9. 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

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  10. Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.

    The sides of Star Wars: The Last Jedi

    • A tired old master on an island
    • A fleet running out of fuel
    • A red salt planet

    Good for you if

    • you like red and white images you'll remember.
    • you like a Star Wars film that doesn't go where you expect.
    • you like heroes who fail and learn from it.

    Bad for you if

    • two and a half hours is too long for your evening.
    • you lose track when a film splits into three stories at once.

    About: failure · legacy · hope

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  11. Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.

    The sides of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

    • A slave boy who can fly anything
    • A pod race in the desert
    • A duel with a double-bladed lightsaber

    Good for you if

    • you want a pod race and a three-way lightsaber duel.
    • you like underwater cities and a planet that is one big city.
    • you like John Williams' score, with a full choir on Duel of the Fates.

    Bad for you if

    • you'd rather skip politics. A trade blockade and a Senate vote drive the plot.
    • you lose track when a film cuts between four fights at once, in space, on a plain, in a palace and in a power plant.

    About: destiny · politics · childhood

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  12. Dune 2021

    Film

    Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

    The sides of Dune

    • A noble son on a desert planet
    • Giant worms under the sand
    • Empires fighting over spice

    Good for you if

    • you want huge ships, huge worms and a huge sound.
    • you like a world with its own politics, religions and ecology.
    • you like a story that sets things up patiently.

    Bad for you if

    • two and a half hours for the first half of a story is too much.
    • you lose track of names. Great houses, guilds and the Bene Gesserit pile up in the first hour.

    About: power · destiny · colonisation

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  13. When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker must choose a side.

    The sides of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

    • A Jedi turning to the dark side
    • A republic becoming an empire
    • A duel on a volcano

    Good for you if

    • you like a tragedy you know the end of and watch anyway.
    • you like long lightsaber duels, against a general with four blades and in the Senate chamber.
    • you want a huge space battle in the first minutes.

    Bad for you if

    • you can't stand a love story at the centre. Anakin's nightmares about Padmé drive what he does.
    • you can't stand graphic injuries. Lightsabers cut off hands and limbs in more than one fight.

    About: fear · power · betrayal

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  14. Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi investigate a mysterious plot into the heart of the Separatist movement and the beginning of the Clone Wars.

    The sides of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

    • A young Jedi in love
    • A clone army
    • An arena full of monsters

    Good for you if

    • you like a giant battle with clones and Jedi.
    • you like rain planets and an arena of beasts.

    Bad for you if

    • you can't stand a love story at the centre. Anakin and Padmé fall for each other in the meadows of Naboo.
    • you'd rather skip politics. Senate votes and a separatist plot fill the time between fights.

    About: love · duty · war

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  15. Passengers 2016

    Film

    A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early.

    The sides of Passengers

    • Waking up ninety years too early
    • A spaceship with only two people awake
    • A swimming pool losing gravity

    Good for you if

    • you like a love story alone in space.
    • you like a sleek ship and a pool floating in zero gravity.

    Bad for you if

    • you can't get into space films. It all happens on a starship, with the stars outside.
    • you need a crowd of characters to stay interested. For most of the film it's two people and a robot barman.

    About: loneliness · love · ethics

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  16. 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

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  17. 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.

    The sides of 2001: A Space Odyssey

    • Apes discovering tools
    • A computer that won't open the doors
    • A journey beyond the infinite

    Good for you if

    • you like spaceships waltzing to the Blue Danube in perfectly composed frames.
    • you like a film that moves like a symphony.
    • you want to feel small before the universe.

    Bad for you if

    • you need characters to warm to. Dave and Frank stay cool and calm, and the computer HAL shows the most feeling.
    • you want something to happen. Long stretches are silent.
    • you want a clear explanation of the ending.

    About: evolution · technology · the unknown

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  18. The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.

    The sides of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

    • An old enemy returns
    • A quest across the galaxy
    • The final battle of the saga

    Good for you if

    • you like nonstop adventure from planet to planet.
    • you want a huge final battle.

    Bad for you if

    • you lose track with a dozen heroes, old and new, sharing the screen.
    • you need the logic to hold up. Here the Force heals wounds and an old enemy returns.

    About: legacy · family · hope

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  19. Star Trek 2009

    Film

    The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.

    The sides of Star Trek

    • A young Kirk and a young Spock
    • A crew coming together
    • A villain from the future

    Good for you if

    • you like fast, bright space adventure.
    • you like Kirk and Spock going from rivals to partners.
    • you like a crew where each member gets a moment.

    Bad for you if

    • you want time travel that makes you think. Here it's a quick setup for the chase.
    • you need the science to hold up. A drop of red matter makes a black hole.

    About: friendship · destiny · logic

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  20. Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction.

    The sides of Project Hail Mary

    • A teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship
    • No memory of why he's there
    • An unexpected friend out in space

    Good for you if

    • you like science that's solved on screen, step by step.
    • you like a nerdy hero who jokes to stay calm.
    • you like a friendship across species.

    Bad for you if

    • over two and a half hours is too long for you.
    • you need action. Every danger here is solved with experiments, not fights.

    About: friendship · sacrifice · science

    Explore its sides