Jeff Somers is a freelancer who has been writing about writing, books, personal finance, and home maintenance since 2012.
Jeff has published nine novels and more than 70 short stories; his story Ringing the Changes was selected for inclusion in The Best American Mystery Stories 2006. In 2018, Jeff published the book Writing Without Rules: How to Write & Sell a Novel Without Guidelines, Experts, or (Occasionally) Pants. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and previously worked in medical publishing as a production editor.
When not writing, Jeff spends his free time fixing up his old house. He has tackled a wide range of DIY projects, including remodeling a bathroom entirely on his own in two weeks, and building a roof deck that hasn't fallen down yet. You can find him on Bluesky.
This is Streamalikes, where you can find a curated list of recommendations to stream based on what you already like.
Christopher Nolan’s 2014 megahit Interstellar has it all: big sci-fi ideas, cool robots, ugly crying, and a Matt Damon character in need of rescuing. Grounded in the intensity of the human experience, this story of humanity’s potential extinction and the sacrifice of one man to save it doesn’t just deliver exotic planets and thrilling spaceship maneuvers; it also provides all the feels as Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) sacrifices everything he has in an effort to save the entire human race. It’s one of the best science fiction films ever made, with Nolan’s signature complexity, time manipulations, and emotional wallop. If you love this movie, here are ten more that offer a similar viewing experience.
If you loved both the special effects in Interstellar that make space travel feel viscerally thrilling (and terrifying) and the mind-blowing concepts, this is the film for you. Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 epic (written by sci-fi master Arthur C. Clarke) traces humanity’s development from mildly smart apes to spacefaring capitalists who discover a mysterious obelisk on the Moon that sparks a mission to Jupiter. While it operates in a colder emotional key than Nolan’s film, 2001: A Space Odyssey absolutely delivers on the epic side of things (and the cool—if slightly deranged and deadly—artificial intelligences). Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on HBO Max or rent it on Prime Video.
If you’re looking for more existential missions with somewhat reluctant heroes in space, Project Hail Mary is your next stop. When the Sun begins to dim due to the interference of an alien entity, scientists identify the one nearby star that isn’t being similarly affected. Brilliant molecular biologist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) winds up forced to go on what is assumed to be a fatal, one-way mission into deep space to try to find a way to save humanity, unexpectedly assisted by a charming alien he names Rocky. It’s got the same emotional volume and big ideas as Interstellar, and fans of Nolan’s film will love it. Stream Project Hail Mary on MGM+ or Philo, or rent it on Prime Video.
Part of what makes Interstellar so compelling is the stakes: The human race is slowly dying, and a handful of people must make incredible sacrifices to save it. That’s the vibe of Sunshine, set in a future where the Sun is dimming and a spacecraft is dispatched to deliver an enormous bomb designed to reignite the Sun’s fusion cycle. But the mission is the second attempt after the first ship vanished mysteriously seven years earlier, and when the new crew stumbles on the derelict wreck of the first mission, things quickly descend into violence and madness—but the crew remains determined to save the world, no matter the cost. Rent Sunshine on Prime Video.
Interstellar works in large part because of the emotional dynamics at play. McConaughey’s character leaves his children behind and is forced to witness them growing up without him, missing out on their lives and saddled with the knowledge that they resent him despite the necessity of his mission. Arrival is a First Contact story focused on language—linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is drafted into an effort to understand the strange, complex language of the aliens. As she slowly builds to an understanding of how the aliens communicate and perceive time itself, her own heartbreak and loss come into play, giving this film a similarly devastating emotional punch. Stream Arrival on Kanopy or Hoopla, or rent it on Prime Video.
Family dynamics and the toll of lonely space missions fuel Ad Astra, a film with the same emotional core as Interstellar. Twenty-nine years ago, famed astronaut Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) led the Lima Project, a space station around Neptune searching for intelligent life. Thirteen years ago, Earth lost contact with him. When bursts of energy emanating from Neptune threaten to end life on Earth, his son, Roy (Brad Pitt), is dispatched to try to make contact with his father. It’s an epic journey with a powerful climax that will satisfy fans of Interstellar in every way. Stream Ad Astra on Netflix or rent it on Prime Video.
Ridley Scott’s prequel to Alien has its flaws, but if you’re looking for a sense of epic spacefaring adventure in the same key as Interstellar, it’s perfect. When two scientists discover a star map apparently left behind by ancient aliens, they secure funding from the Wayland Corporation to organize a space expedition to the indicated planet. Accompanied by a colorful crew and the android David, they discover an apparently abandoned outpost of the species dubbed the Engineers. The story wrestles with questions about humanity’s origins, purpose, and potential—but this being an Alien film, things quickly turn horrifying. Rent Prometheus on Prime Video.
Adapted from Carl Sagan’s 1985 novel, Contact follows astronomer Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), who becomes involved with an effort to decipher a signal originating from the star Vega. The signal turns out to be a set of instructions for constructing a one-person spacecraft of some kind, and Arroway is eventually selected as the candidate to take the journey. There’s a sense of courage in the face of the unknown that’s similar to Interstellar, as well as the thrill of strapping into a spaceship and pressing the ignition. Plus, there’s the added bonus of seeing one of the greatest trick shots in cinematic history. Rent Contact on Prime Video.
Stanislaw Lem’s 1961 novel Solaris explores what Lem saw as the impossibility of ever understanding a truly alien life. The two major adaptations—Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 version and Steven Soderbergh’s 2002 take starring George Clooney—are both worth watching, but Tarkovsky’s film is a masterpiece of psychological horror. The story is set mainly aboard a space station orbiting a planet covered in what appears to be a sentient "ocean" and chronicles the strange haunting and inexplicable experiences of the humans living on the station. If your favorite part of Interstellar is the ending when things get trippy and weird, you’ll probably love Solaris. Stream Solaris on HBO Max, Plex, or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.
The story of a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to search for intelligent life, Europa Report has the same sense of terrifying excitement that accompanies Interstellar’s missions to the different candidate planets. Leaning into the fragility of life in an environment not designed to support it, the mission crew face a steady stream of loss and danger as they work to catch sight of alien life on the frozen, deadly moon, ultimately faced with making terrifying sacrifices in order to provide humanity with the answers that it seeks. Stream Europa Report on Netflix, Kanopy, or Hoopla, or rent it on Prime Video.
A film based on a 1956 epic science fiction poem written by a Swedish Nobel Laureate might seem like an unlikely match for fans of Interstellar, but it’s actually perfect. As the Earth becomes uninhabitable, humanity begins launching ships to colonize Mars. When one such ship, the Aniara, is damaged and veers irreversibly off course, the passengers and crew are faced with the knowledge that they will sail off into the void without hope of rescue. Within a few years, despair has driven some to suicide and madness, while others cling to the possibility that they might yet find a way back. The film offers a different perspective on the existential crisis of humanity’s extinction, exploring the worst-case scenario to its bitter, bleak end. Stream Aniara on Kanopy or Hoopla, or rent it on Prime Video.
Jeff Somers is a freelancer who has been writing about writing, books, personal finance, and home maintenance since 2012.
Fox Style News Syndicate. Sourced from broadcast reporting: Read Full Source Coverage.