20 Mind-Bending Movies Like Interstellar to Watch Next

Christopher Nolan is back in theaters with The Odyssey, and the film has already sparked debates about where it ranks in his filmography and among the most influential movies of the 21st century.

One of those films, Interstellar, has developed an especially strong following, even by the standards of a Christopher Nolan film. Its blend of space exploration, time travel, black holes and a dystopian future on Earth continues to fascinate audiences years after the initial release.

If you’re looking to recapture that same feeling, these are the best movies like Interstellar.

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Why Do People Love Interstellar?

Christopher Nolan’s films are usually widely popular right out of the gate. Interstellar, on the other hand, sort of flew under the radar and has only recently come back into the cultural conversation.

But Interstellar is without a doubt one of his most impressive films from a writing and directing standpoint. Acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve has praised Interstellar, saying that while most other sci-fi movies are fantasy movies set in outer space, science is at the heart of the Interstellar story.

Kip Thorne, a professor in quantum physics, consulted heavily on the film, making this Nolan’s most grounded time travel story.

Like all Nolan films, Interstellar features a tremendous cast, led by Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine with a powerful score by Hans Zimmer. Nolan combines the vastness of outer space, the claustrophobia of space travel, a personable AI computer system and a dystopian Earth that is ravaged in a way that does not feel so far-fetched.

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20 Movies to Watch If You Loved ‘Interstellar’

If you’re looking for more films featuring space exploration, alien encounters and the thrilling minutiae of life on a space station, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few more sci-fi wonders.

‘Arrival’ (2016)

Similarities to Interstellar: Time perception, thought-provoking science, emotional depth

Arrival is directed by Denis Villeneuve and based on “Story of Your Life” by renowned science fiction author Ted Chiang. The story follows a linguist recruited by the U.S. Army to communicate with aliens that have just arrived on Earth.

Arrival is renowned for its grounded approach to a supernatural occurrence informed by linguistics. The film worked with linguists, phonetics experts and language researchers to give audiences the best guess as to how the world might respond to such a phenomenon. Like all Villeneuve films, Arrival captivates with larger-than-life cinematography, as the Canadian director has mastered the presentation of massive scale.

Starring: Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner

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‘Gravity’ (2013)

Similarities to Interstellar: Survival in space, breathtaking visuals, human resilience

Gravity is Alfonso Cuarón’s claustrophobic space thriller. The film follows astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) who is left trapped in her shuttle. While not overtly referencing scientific concepts, Gravity demonstrates how the simplest tasks gone awry in space turn into wildly complicated problems at best and deadly ones at worse. The film itself is visually stunning and won numerous awards for its visual effects.

Starring: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney

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‘Gattaca’ (1997)

Similarities to Interstellar: Scientific realism, dystopian future, ethical dilemmas

Gattaca is set in a dystopian future where genetic engineering determines class. The film is rooted deep in real issues of reproductive technologies, toying with the idea of creation and procreation as well as social values. The film makes educated leaps from the current state of eugenics and biometrics, giving it a very real feel.

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin and Jude Law

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‘Project Hail Mary’ (2026)

Similarities to Interstellar: Lone hero, high-stakes mission, the human spirit

Based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary follows a scientist and middle school teacher who is sent farther into outer space than any person in history to stop a strange species from sucking the energy out of the sun. The film leans into concepts of electromagnetic radiation and space travel with an intergalactic adventure that ties its characters to the only home they know.

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller

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‘Sunshine’ (2007)

Similarities to Interstellar: Saving humanity, space exploration, existential stakes

Sunshine is a sci-fi psychological thriller written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle, the team behind 28 Days Later. The film takes place in the year 2057, where the sun is dying and earth is freezing. Eight astronauts are sent on a last-ditch effort to save the planet.

Garland collaborated with NASA and environmental experts as well as physicists to create a story that felt rooted in science.

Starring: Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne

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‘Prometheus’ (2012)

Similarities to Interstellar: Intergalactic mission, existential questions, stunning visuals

Prometheus could be a stand-in for much of the Alien series, but it’s the closest match to Interstellar thanks to its early 2010s release and its exploration of humanity’s place in the universe. It centers on a team of scientists and explorers who travel to a distant moon after discovering clues they believe point to the origins of mankind, only to uncover terrifying secrets that threaten their mission. Directed by Ridley Scott, Prometheus is visually stunning and thrilling.

Starring: Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender

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‘Contact’ (1997)

Similarities to Interstellar: Big questions, humanity’s place in the universe, philosophic debates

Robert Zemeckis’s Contact delves into implications of extraterrestrial communication. Contact is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Carl Sagan, one of the world’s most well-known and respected astronomers and scientists. The film follows the discovery of extraterrestrials and how the world’s most powerful figures might respond to the prospect of extraterrestrial warfare. This is a story that stretches from the edge of the galaxy to the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Starring: Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey

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‘Oblivion’ (2013)

Similarities to Interstellar: Dystopian future, identity, stunning visuals

Oblivion is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie that takes place in the then-future year of 2017. An alien invasion destroys the moon and creates global natural disasters. Humans must find a new home in the galaxy, setting up on the moons of Saturn. The film follows a drone repairman trying to survive an alien war.

The film deals with humanity’s survival, extraterrestrial warfare, identity and purpose with surreal cinematography.

Starring: Tom Cruise

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‘2001: Space Odyssey’ (1968)

Similarities to Interstellar: Philosophical themes, humanity’s evolution, space exploration

One of the most definitive sci-fi films in history, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the first major films to take audiences into outer space. The film brings in concepts of evolution, technological advance, artificial intelligence and extraterrestrials. And features one of the best sci-fi characters in HAL 9000.

Kubrick consulted with the literary and scientific world to tell an epic story, including Carl Sagan, who he went to for suggestions on how to best represent the discovery of extraterrestrials.

Starring: Keir Dullea

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‘Dune’ (2021, 2024, 2026)

Similarities to Interstellar: Epic scale, cinematography, Hans Zimmer score

The Dune franchise by Denis Villeneuve brings an intergalactic epic to the big screen in renowned fashion. Part science fantasy and part science fiction, the series matches Interstellar’s cinematic brilliance with a matching Hans Zimmer score to boot. Dune Part Three hits theaters December 18, 2026.

Starring: Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya

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‘Ad Astra’ (2019)

Similarities to Interstellar: Family bonds, isolation, deep-space mission

In Ad Astra, astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) embarks on a perilous journey to Neptune to uncover the mystery behind his missing father, Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones), who led a mission that now threatens the solar system.

As Roy delves deeper into space, he confronts the familial trauma caused by his father and humanity’s quest for extraterrestrial life. The film blends elements of adventure and psychological drama, intimate character moments and grand visual sequences, all the while exploring themes of isolation, parental relationships and the quest for personal purpose.

Starring: Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones

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‘The Martian’ (2015)

Similarities to Interstellar: The human spirit, clever problem solving, space exploration

Astronaut and botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is stranded on Mars and presumed to be dead. A planet away, Ridley Scott’s direction emphasizes the high-stakes survival narrative and the one of connection and cooperation of those on Earth. The film blends humor, resilience and science in a highly engaging portrayal of human endurance in the face of overwhelming odds.

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Starring: Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain

‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)

Similarities to Interstellar: Futuristic, stunning visuals, exploration of humanity

Another Denis Villeneuve entry, Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel to the original Blade Runner from Ridley Scott.

The film follows Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner for the LAPD, who discovers a buried secret that challenges everything he knows. His investigation leads him to former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), missing for decades and uncovers revelations about replicant reproduction.

Starring: Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford

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‘Moon’ (2019)

Similarities to Interstellar: Themes of isolation, space exploration, moral dilemmas

Moon is a sci-fi film that follows an astronaut on a one-person mission to operate a lunar mining facility for an alternative fuel. The high concept premise is grounded by the very human reaction to living in such a lonely world, even when you are living it to help the ones you love.

Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) begins experiencing visions that uncover the disturbing truth about the real reason for his mission. Directed by Duncan Jones, the film explores themes of isolation, identity and the consequences of corporate greed against a hauntingly minimalist backdrop.

Starring: Sam Rockwell

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‘High Life’ (2018)

Similarities to Interstellar: Deep-space travel, survival, moral dilemmas

Like Interstellar, High Life focuses on a group of astronauts headed toward a black hole. The difference is that in High Life the crew is made up of criminals who must take part in science experiments as part of their jail sentence.

Starring: Robert Pattinson

‘Life’ (2017)

Similarities to Interstellar: Space exploration, suspense, unknown dangers

Life follows a six-member crew on the International Space Station that finds evidence of alien life on Mars. That discovery quickly turns into a nightmare when they are unprepared for how powerful this being is.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds

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‘Primer’ (2004)

Similarities to Interstellar: Time paradoxes, theoretical physics, thought-provoking

Primer has gained a massive cult following for its technical time traveling plot structure, philosophical themes and hard grounding in mathematics and engineering. Independently produced in 2004, it has regained some glory as movie fans look for films that embrace complex scientific concepts. The film draws on concepts from physics, including the one-electron universe hypothesis.

Starring: Shane Carruth

Watch Movies Like ‘Interstellar’ on DIRECTV

Similar to space travel, navigating an ever-growing catalog of movies can be overwhelming. And while we can’t help you out with the former, we can certainly help you with the latter. From movies like Interstellar to our weekly Watch Guides, it’s easy to find movies you’ll love.

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