12 Best Hollywood Movies About Space and Planets

Space movies are always a hit with audiences. They combine mystery and adventure with the wonder of discovering new worlds. Here are some of the best Hollywood movies about space and planets. 

Whether you’re a fan of sci-fi or just looking for an exciting movie to watch, you’re sure to find something here that’ll appeal to you!

1. Gravity (2013)

Gravity is a suspenseful movie about two astronauts who are stranded in space. The film features stunning visuals of the Earth’s atmosphere and amazing views from outer space. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

The screenplay, written by Alfonso and Jonás Cuarón, is loosely based on the novel “Possible Worlds” by author Ian McEwan. The story centers on two astronauts who are stuck in space after their shuttle crashes into debris that was flying close by. They struggle to survive until they can be rescued. 

There is a lot of amazing footage shown in the movie, including stunning views of Earth, which is why it earned 9 nominations for Academy Awards and won 6.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

2. Silent Running (1972)

This is a 1972 film directed by Douglas Trumbull, written by Michael Cimino, and starring Bruce Dern. The story features a conflict between two factions that live on a fleet of space ships, where the only beings on board are robots called drones. 

Human crews have been sent to colonize other planets and they left these drones to take care of the vessels. 

The people from outer space returned with an order to destroy the machines, but one of them refuses to obey. He fights back to protect his friends and provide a home for an unusual orphan he found years ago.

3. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote and Pat Welsh. 

It tells the story of Elliott (Thomas), a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial named E.T., who is stranded on Earth. He hides the creature from his mother and brother, but they eventually grow suspicious of their new houseguest.

This classic film was nominated for four Academy Awards, out of which it won four Golden Globes. It also received nine nominations at BAFTA Film Awards.

Where to watch: Apple TV and YouTube 

4. Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar is one of the most recent space films on this list. This film was released in 2014 and stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon, and Michael Caine.

This film is about Dr. Brand (McConaughey) who leads an expedition to find a new home for humanity after Earth becomes uninhabitable. It shows what would happen if human beings were faced with extinction and how they might live in space. The movie also tackles questions like “What is the fate of humanity?” and “What does it really mean to be human?”

The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2015 including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017)

The sequel to the 2014 Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The group of rag-tag heroes band together with a team of space misfits to form a super-team and save the universe.

It tells a story about a group of superheroes who form together to save the galaxy from certain destruction. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 is set 3 months after the events shown in the first film, with Star Lord/Peter Quill meeting his father for the first time. 

A lot of Marvel characters make an appearance in the story, including Yondu. Although not as critically acclaimed as its predecessor, it still earned a lot of praise from movie critics and is considered to be among the best in this genre.

Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar

6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a 2015 American epic space opera film co-written and directed by J. J. Abrams. It is the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following Return of the Jedi (1983). The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow.

An awakening darkness has spread across the galaxy as Supreme Leader Snoke plots to rule it with a new order of dark side disciples known as the Knights of Ren. General Leia Organa’s Resistance fighters are outnumbered and outgunned by the First Order’s legions of stormtroopers led by her brother Luke Skywalker’s former protege Kylo Ren.

The Resistance has one last hope: an ancient Jedi who’s been missing for years; Luke Skywalker.

Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar

7. Alien: Resurrection (1997)

This movie is about a group of scientists and soldiers who come face to face with the terror of an ancient alien civilization. They travel across the galaxy to find out how they can destroy it. The group isn’t sure if their mission will be successful, but they go anyway.

Eventually, we see that most of them might not make it home alive and some will die in the process. Along the way, we hear them talk about their pasts and what happened at different points in their lives. One soldier talks about how he had a wife and family when he was younger and was drafted into military service when his country needed him. He gets killed in the process, but before he dies, he shares his story with another character in order to help him understand why he died for his country.

This is one of my favorite movies because I like to watch films that deal with war and survival stories. It also has a lot of action scenes that you don’t see in most other films these days which is refreshing if you’re looking for something different than what you usually see at your local theater.

8. Moonraker (1979)

Moonraker is a 1979 British spy film, the ninth in the James Bond series.

The story was written by Ian Fleming, with the screenplay by Christopher Wood and George MacDonald Fraser. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert, who had previously directed six other Bond films between 1964 and 1977. The film’s budget was estimated at $36 million.

Roger Moore plays Bond with Lois Chiles playing Dr. Holly Goodhead, his astrophysicist partner who is the only woman in the movie. Jaws played by Richard Kiel has a small role as Drax’s henchman. The main villain Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) plans to destroy all life on Earth with artificial radiation from three orbiting satellites, but Bond must stop him to save mankind.

One of my favorite movies about space is Moonraker. It’s an awesome sci-fi thriller that takes you into outer space where there are interstellar adventures to be had.

Bond’s mission in Moonraker is to investigate why a space shuttle has been hijacked in mid-air during filming of an advertisement for its sponsor Hugo Drax’s new space station – the Xanadu Space Station – which will house 10,000 people.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

9. Mission to Mars (2000)

Mission to Mars follows the story of a team of astronauts who fly to Mars in order to find out if there was ever life on that planet. They were sent by NASA, which is an American space exploration agency. The director chose to show us all possible dangers that can occur during such missions and he also created some exciting special effects.

Mission to Mars is one of my favourite Hollywood movies about space and planets. It’s a great movie for anyone who loves science fiction. In the movie, a deep space probe is being sent to Mars when it encounters a radiation storm and gets hit by particles from the radiation, which sends the crew into a coma. 

Mission to Mars may not have a happy ending, but it’s a suspenseful story that will keep you on your toes!

10. Apollo 13 (1995)

One of the best Hollywood movies about space and planets is Apollo 13. This movie is a drama that takes place in the 1970s. The story focuses on NASA’s Apollo 13 lunar mission, which suffered technical difficulties. The film follows the crew of three astronauts, Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), John Swigert (Kevin Bacon), and Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) as they experience what could have been their last days on Earth.

The film shows the urgency of the situation as well as the difficulties of working with technology at this time period.

Where to watch: Netflix

11. Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus is an American science fiction film that was released in 2012. Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof, the movie is about an expedition to uncover the origins of humanity.

The film was directed by Ridley Scott and it tells the story of the spaceship Prometheus headed into deep space to find answers about human origins on Earth. It grossed $403 million against a $130 million budget.

It stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris and Charlize Theron. It’s the second installment in the Alien prequel series.

Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar

12. The Martian (2015)

The Martian is one of the newest movies on this list, but it has already gained popularity. It was released in 2015 and stars Matt Damon. The plot revolves around an astronaut named Mark Watney who gets left behind on Mars while his crewmates flee to safety after a dust storm. 

Watney must find a way to survive long enough to get back home while NASA tries to figure out how to bring him back to Earth.

The Martian received praise for its direction, visual effects, musical score, screenplay, scientific accuracy, and likability, largely due to Damon’s performance.

Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar

Conclusion

Space has been a favorite topic of Hollywood since its inception. From Star Wars to the Martian, the vastness of space and the possibilities of life on other planets have captured the imagination of filmmakers and audiences alike.