Ten Out of This World Space Films

If the launch of SpaceX has you in the mood to discover some new films, this list could steer you in the right direction. Simply put, there are a lot of stinker space films ranging from Plan Nine From Outer Space (1959) to a slew of recent films that ask puzzling plot questions without answering any — I'm looking at you Solaris, Ad Astra and Interstellar. 

But there is a world of film that will satisfy. I'm going to eliminate the franchise films such as StarWars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, and Alien to recommend these X (ten) stellar films:

The Right Stuff (1983)

Based on Tom Wolfe's book, this film follows the story of the Mercury 7 astronauts. Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid play the space cowboys and give us one of the first uses of the now overused Slo-Mo-Power-Walk in film. (The Magnificent Seven did it first.) It was nominated for Oscars' Best Picture, Cinematography, and Actor (Shepard) and walked away with 4 technical awards. Available on Amazon, iTunes, and all the VOD.

Moon (2009)
Sam Rockwell does his best Cast Away homage as a lonely  astronaut finishing up a three-year gig at the space station —until he discovers something. The film relies on a well-appointed set and Rockwell's talents — not a bad combo at all. Free on Netflix.


October Sky (1999)

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a teenage rocket builder who is inspired to escape his small town (and coal mining destiny) after the Soviet Sputnik flies over the October sky. It's a feel-good, coming of age story with an amazing cast (Chris Cooper, Laura Dern, and Chris Owen). Available on Amazon, iTunes, and all the VOD services.

Apollo 11 (2019)
Last year's most powerful doc (Winner of PGA'S Best Documentary of 2019) is simply breathtaking. Watch never-before-seen footage and audio of astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins embark on that 1969 trip to the moon. Currently free on Hulu and available on VOD.

Apollo 13 (1995)
This Ron Howard-directed drama was nominated for nine Oscars and is based on the problematic events of the Apollo 13 lunar mission. Astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton,) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) find everything going according to plan after leaving Earth's orbit. Does Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) have the right stuff to get them home? Find out for free on Hulu.

Arrival (2016)
A linguist (Amy Adams) works with the military to communicate with the inhabitants of one of twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world. Of all the similarly-themed films (Contact, Interstellar), I think Arrival does the best job of providing a satisfying ending. Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker round out the stellar cast. Nominated for Oscars' Best Picture and 7 other categories. 

Moonraker (1979)
When The Spy Who Loved Me's credits rolled in 1977, it noted Bond would return in For Your Eyes Only. However, that didn't turn out to be the next film. Star Wars happened that summer too and soon everyone went to space. Yogi Bear left Jellystone Park for Yogi's Space Race on TV, Gary Marshall had Mork land in the Cunningham's Happy Days house, and James Bond actually went to deep into space.

This 007 entry landed between The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only, the two best Roger Moore films, and suffered as a punchline for many years. However, in time it ranks more often in the top ten than bottom ten of 007 lists. After all, it gave fans Holly Goodhead, Hugo Drax, Jaws, and another Shirley Bassey song. Free on MGMhd, available on VOD, and totally watchable today.

Gravity (2013)

Winner of seven Oscars, including Best Director and Cinematography (It lost Best Picture to 12 Years a Slave), Alfonso Cuarón’s space odyssey gets more points for visuals than story, but it's still a fun ride to see whether Sandra Bullock and George Clooney will make it back to Earth. Available on all VOD services.



Hidden Figures (2017)

This lighthearted film tells the seriously amazing story of three NASA women behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn. Taraji P, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spencer light up the screen as the previously unrecognized heroes. It's free on Hulu.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Is this the most critically-celebrated space films of all time? Affirmative Dave. If you've never seen man vs. machine play out in Stanley Kubrick's film from start to finish, now's a good time.

The Ten Buck Review: All worth ten bucks.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Thrills await. Resistance is futile.

This film, the final in the nine-episode Skywalker saga, will divide Star Wars fans.

There's a group that has bought into J.J. Abram's nostalgic recreation of the 70s and 80s magic (The Fierce Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker), and there is a group that wants a more inventive, fresher forward take on the series. This second group loved director Rian Johnsons Rise of Skywalker (2017).

There is no third group that wants anything connected to the grim, digital 1999-2005 series.

I understand both, but put me in the wink-and-nod former category for the Skywalker saga and in the latter, evolving category for future Star Wars films and television. To me, any film since 1981is a thrill-ride event with low expectations for inventive cinema. They are popcorn films that arrive during the holidays when I can coordinate with the friends I used to have Hasbro toy playtime with.

If you think I'm in another galaxy on this, some perspective is needed. The films in the new millennium lost fans faster than Jar Jar Binks could say "ooh moey moey," which is actually something he did say. If Abram's stellar Force Awakens (2015) had not captured the old magic, I doubt as many people would have jumped back on the ship. Abrams did it with familiar story arcs, throwback sequences, clever use of cameos, and a love for the 80s films that you feel in each scene. He does all of this again with The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars should be done with the cameos and flashbacks from here on, but I loved it here. This one is for the casual fans. For the old fans that want to enjoy a night out and the young fans that need to understand the magic.

In a nutshell: Thrilling, it is.

Award potential: Nominated for Best Visual Effects, Score, and Sound Editing.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.