17 Sci-Fi Movies Like Interstellar That You Should Watch

Christopher Nolan is known for making movies like Interstellar. His strength to mess with the brain of the viewer is proof of a genius directorial brain, and that too, in a reasonably sizable budget. Interstellar in all of its sci-fi glory was one of his biggest works, but in the great system of things, apparently didn’t come close to the level of brain-aching twist-filled excellence of much of his other work, and the work of other directors with similar motivations.

Here are some movies like Interstellar which you would be interested in if you’re a fan of sci-fi movies:

Sci-fi Movies Like Interstellar

 

The Fountain (2006)

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

Available on: Prime Video

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz

This exciting and touching romantic drama follows the life of Hugh Jackman’s protagonist through space, time, and stories within stories. Partially the experience of a conquistador seeking for the tree of life, partially a modern weepie about marriage and illness, and partially an artistic science fiction movie about an obsessed monk passing a tree through the universe in a bubble to approach the heart of a dying star, The Fountain is a lot to wrap your head around but it all clicks together exceptionally well thanks in no small part to Matthew Libatique’s beautiful cinematography.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

IMDb Rating: 6.4/10

Available on: YouTube

Directed by: Robert Wise

Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy

The original Star Trek film wasn’t that huge of a hit when it came out back in 1979 but has seen its reputation grow since then, maybe partly due to some tweaking here and there over the decades. Joining the notorious Original Series crew of the USS Enterprise to stop an unfathomably large cosmic thing that’s killing everything in its path and going straight for Earth, Star Trek: The Motion Picture touches into the thoughtful heart of the franchise whilst also giving some of its newest and most captivating visuals ever.

Looper (2012)

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

Available on: Prime Video

Directed by: Rian Johnson

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis star as the same hitman in the not-too-distant future as they both struggle to withstand against the mob and each other when Willis’ older version is sent back in time to be killed by his younger self. Packed with all the twists and turns that the filmmaker would become so popular for with The Last Jedi and Knives Out, Looper is an action-packed journey that makes the viewer involve their brain.

Cloud Atlas (2012)

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, Tom Tykwer

Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Jim Broadbent

This large adaptation of David Mitchell’s time-bending novel from the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer is a hugely pretentious science-fiction film that carries on even more different time periods and styles than The Fountain. Six individuals belonging to different generations go on a heartfelt ride while examining how human actions affect the lives of their loved ones in this ever-changing world.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

IMDb Rating: 8/10

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana De Armas, Jared Leto

This much-overdue sequel to Ridley Scott’s iconic science-fiction film, Blade Runner, showed its value very swiftly to critics and fans equally, befitting a unique latter-day sequel to a cult masterpiece that’s as well-regarded as the original.

Memento (2000)

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss

Memento is another Christopher Nolan classic. This thriller chases a man who is incapable to make new memories as he struggles to uncover his wife’s killer. It’s the way Nolan shows the story that holds viewers thinking for hours. Another interesting about this movie is the scenes alternate between color and black and white, with the color scenes describing the story chronologically from the start, and the black and white scenes going backward. It’s complicated, but the final payoff is tremendous.

12 Monkeys (1995)

IMDb Rating: 8/10

Available on: YouTube

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Cast: Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, David Webb

12 Monkeys is one of the most popular entries into the sci-fi time travel genre ever and was definitely a large influence on Looper, amongst many other films. The movie is about James Cole, a convict who decides to offer for a mission, wherein he has to go back in time to study the main cause behind the outbreak of a destructive holocaust.

Shutter Island (2010)

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer

Shutter Island marked Martin Scorsese’s return to the thriller genre with arguably his most complicated attempt yet. Leonard DiCaprio plays the lead role of a detective examining a disappearance on the titular island.

The Matrix (1999)

IMDb Rating: 8.7/10

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving

Recognized for being one of the most mind-bending films ever made, The Matrix is the story of Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer, who is driven to combat an underground war against powerful computers who have built his whole reality with a system called the Matrix. While the plot itself is excellent, the Wachowskis’ breakthrough film is also remembered for innovating a mixture of cinematic techniques, including ‘bullet time’.

The Game (1997)

IMDb Rating: 7.8/10

Available on: YouTube

Directed by: David Fincher

Cast: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn

David Fincher is yet another director who’s well-known for messing with his audience and The Game is one of his most underrated works to date. Absorbed into a strange and life-threatening conspiracy, Nicholas Van Orton, an investment banker attempts to spot the line between what’s genuine and what’s fabricated in the odd ‘game’ created to entertain the super-wealthy.

Brazil (1985)

IMDb Rating: 7.9/10

Available on: Amazon Prime

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Michael Palin, Katherin Helmond

Brazil is another classic film from director Terry Gilliam, the genius behind 12 Monkeys. Established in a world not too different from the surreal vision of Orwell’s ‘1984’, a subjugated man sets out on a journey to find a woman that he frequently dreams about.

Inception (2010)

IMDb Rating: 8.8/10

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard

In a world where the mindfulness of others can be infiltrated via dreams which can have multiple layers, Dom Cobb is tasked with planting a thought into the mind of a target. It is among the best and most recommended movies like Interstellar that you should watch.

The Prestige (2006)

IMDb Rating: 8.5/10

Available on: Amazon Prime

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johannsson, David Bowie, Michael Caine

Released just after he started work on his Batman trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending aspect of magic and game-changing technology is difficult to look away from. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are dynamic in the lead roles as two battling illusionists and the twist climax is up there with Nolan’s best moments ever.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

Available on: YouTube & Prime Video

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, Douglas Rain, William Sylvester, Margaret Tyzack

2001: A Spacey Odyssey is one of the biggest works of fantastic director Stanley Kubrick. The film seems so great that it holds up flawlessly to this day, despite concentrating on the limits of sci-fi technology. It is among the best Movies like Interstellar that you can watch.

Donnie Darko (2001)

IMDb Rating: 8/10

Available on: Amazon Prime

Directed by: Richard Kelly

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Daveigh Chase, Seth Rogen, Holmes Osbourne

Donnie Darko has certain moments that are so disturbing it could simply be deemed a horror film as well as mind-bending sci-fi. A range of apocalyptic visions results in the appearance of vortexes, time travel, and dream manipulations that are much difficult to wrap your head around at the best of times. Despite a dark performance upon release, the film has truly been seen as a cult classic.

We hope that you enjoy watching movies like Interstellar!