More Space-Bound Missions
Stowaway is the latest slow-burn space bound drama on Netflix. It’s a moody picture, fronted by an interesting moral dilemma. It’s also a film that’s likely to be a bit of a love/hate affair for many people. If you’ve finished streaming this one and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks. Of course for all the movies we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with. So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching Stowaway.
The Martian
The Martian is a solid movie set on the bleak desert wasteland of Mars. With some compelling science and a well paced storyline, this movie extends beyond its survival plot to deliver an inspiriting story about never giving up hope. The story revolves around Astronaut Mark Watney who finds himself stranded on Mars. A fierce storm blows across the landscape and he’s declared dead by NASA. With little in the way of supplies and only his ingenuity and spirit to cling to, Mark does his best to survive while sending a signal to NASA, informing them that he’s still alive. As NASA scramble to try and save him from his plight, Watney is forced to try and survive long enough to be rescued. With surprising touches of comedy, The Martian balances that out with a great story armed with solid themes of comradeship and courage.
Gravity
Back in the early 2010’s, space was all the rage. Specifically, Sandra Bullock’s portrayal of brilliant medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone in Gravity. This dizzying, space-bound film depicts a shuttle mission gone wrong. Solid camera work and a stunning soundtrack combine to produce a film that still holds up to this day. Here we follow Dr Stone as she embarks on her first shuttle mission with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski. In a lovely bit of poetic irony, this is actually Kowalski’s final mission before he retires. While out on a routine spacewalk together, disaster strikes. Space debris destroys their shuttle, leaving Stone and Kowalski all alone, spiraling into oblivion. Haunting, scary and beautifully acted, Gravity is a solid film. However, it’s not the most scientifically accurate by any stretch of the imagination.
Europa Report
One of the strengths in Europa Report comes from its accurate scientific reporting on what we know about Jupiter’s Moon, Europa. Agreed by many scientists to be a possible source for life under its icy shell, it’s unsurprising then to find a film showcasing a manned mission to its surface. In that respect, Europa Report plays out as a sort of docu-drama, showing exactly what would happen if this was to take place. It’s not a soap opera or full of explosive action but it is a compelling sci-fi treat. It’s pretty gripping too and although some may bemoan the pedestrian pace, Europa Report is undoubtedly a decent option.
Passengers
Passengers is a fascinating sci-fi concept but one that feels tonally at odds with itself. It’s essentially a romance in space but also teases elements of a dark thriller too. Despite that, the film has definitely stood the test of time and holds up to repeat watches. Our tale takes place on the spaceship Avalon as it sets off on a journey with the human race in hibernation. Humanity is bound for a new planet to recolonize. After a freak storm hits the spaceship, one of of the passengers, Jim, awakens 90 years too early. Alone while the rest of the passengers sleep, Jim decides to wake up fellow passenger Aurora to alleviate his loneliness. This essentially sets the scene for the movie to follow. Despite its shortcomings at times, there are definitely some good set pieces and nice bits of action. However, this one’s going to be a love/hate affair.
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 is based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. The movie is tense, scientifically sound and absolutely gripping from start to finish. Our tale is set in 1970, and with the US already achieving their lunar landing goal, there’s very little fanfare surrounding this flight. That is, until disaster strikes. To give much more away would be a disservice to this wonderful picture. Tom Hanks is outstanding too, while the movie establishes itself as the quintessential space movie you should definitely check out.
Interstellar
Interstellar is an interesting picture that explores some pretty profound sci-fi concepts. Specifically, Interstellar plays with the concept of time while depicting a perilous journey into outer space. At the center of this conflict lies a ravaged Earth, with humanity on its last legs and seemingly out of options. In a bid to try and save the human race, Cooper sets out with an eccentric group of explorers to travel through a wormhole in space to ensure humanity’s survival. What ensues is an intriguing, time-bending adventure that asks some pretty big, thought provoking questions about us as a species. This one won’t be for everyone but for those taken by the premise, there’s enough here to enjoy.
Moon
Moon is a much more intimate story than one may expect from such an expansive premise. While small in scope, this film packs one heck of an emotional punch. It’s helped too by some excellent acting from Sam Rockwell. The story sees astronaut Sam Bell nearing the end of his three year contract of harvesting Helium-3 on the far-side of the moon. With communication on Earth limited to pre-recorded messages, and his only assistant a computer called GERTY, isolation begins to take its toll. With only a few weeks left of his time on the moon, Sam’s journey takes a turn for the worse when he starts to uncover some startling home truths about his mission. Haunting and well written, Moon is a really gripping sci-fi tale.
First Man
While more of a biographical drama than an outright sci-fi, First Man is undoubtedly a great movie and certainly worth checking out if you enjoyed Stowaway. At the heart of this tales lies Neil Armstrong, and the film specifically hones in on his legendary space mission that catapulted him into the history books as the first man to walk on the moon. This biographical drama won’t be for everyone, especially those looking for a bit more pizzazz from their sci-fi, but the character-driven focus certainly makes for a compelling movie. Ryan Gosling is great in this too, putting on a very believable performance as Neil Armstrong
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey is a classic sci-fi tale but also one that’s pretty polarizing. It’s a movie that certainly takes its sweet time to tell its story, with long, drawn-out shots used to really exemplify the technicality that’s gone into making this film. When it comes to a classic tale set in space armed with ideas about the unknown and AI, 2001: A Space Odyssey definitely fits the bill. The story itself revolves around a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface. Determined to find out what this means, humanity is joined by the intelligent supercomputer H.AL. 9000 to investigate further. Of course, things don’t go according to plan. Mysterious, moody and at times unintentionally mundane, 2001: A Space Odyssey is like none other.
Sunshine
Set in the near future, Sunshine bears a lot of similarities to Stowaway. Both movies have some excellent visual effects and deal with a life-threatening incident. Instead of running out of oxygen, Sunshine tackles the sun dying out and a band of astronauts tasked with trying to reignite it. 2057 is where our tale takes place, with a select group of astronauts tasked with dropping a nuclear fission bomb into the sun in a last-ditch effort to save humanity. With a talented cast at the helm and a suffocating tension clinging to large parts of this movie, Sunshine is definitely a great sci-fi option to check out. So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching Stowaway on Netflix. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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