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With Starfield just around the corner, we thought it would be a perfect time to get into full hype mode for this Bethesda sci-fi RPG by listing some great movies sci-fi that you can watch right now. In our list below, you'll find some of our personal favourites so please don't get mad if you don't find your favourite film here.
We decided to choose films that have certain similarities to Starfield apart from the obvious sci-fi theme so you'll find films with great stories but also that realistic Nasa aesthetic that Starfield is aiming to achieve.
So, without further ado, let's check out some movies you can watch before you play Starfield.
1 Interstellar (2014)
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Runtime: 2h 49m
We'll start the list with Christopher Nolan's mindblowing sci-fi emotional drama Interstellar. Featuring stunning visuals, a melodic and memorable soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and a story that will make you shed a tear or two, Interstellar is a masterpiece of filmmaking.
As revealed by Todd Howard, the film's sci-fi aspects were a big inspiration for Starfield as the film is about a group of astronauts who trying to find the next habitable planet for humanity. Earth in Starfield is starting to slowly die so Interstellar can even serve as some sort of a prequel for Starfield.
2 Ad Astra (2019)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Runtime: 2h 3m
Starring Brad Pitt, Ad Astra is a sci-fi drama mystery where astronaut Roy McBride goes on a long space journey to find his missing father and prevent a catastrophic event that threatens the universe. Ad Astra is directed by James Gray, while the legendary cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema is behind the stunning space visuals.
Featuring plenty of planetary spectacle and world-class visual effects, Ad Astra is perfect to get in the mood for Bethesda's version of our universe.
3 The Martian (2015)
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Runtime: 2h 24m
A sci-fi drama from one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, Ridley Scott. The Martian is about how Matt Damon uses his poop to grow potatoes so he doesn't die of starvation. Jokes aside, The Martian is a rescue story where an astronaut becomes stranded on Mars and must send signals to Earth to prove he is alive.
The film is packed with gorgeous landscapes of the red planet, which we will also get to explore in Starfield, making The Martian another perfect movie to watch until Starfield launches.
4 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Genre: Adventure
Runtime: 2h 29m
Everything we could say about Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi epic is already been said a thousand times. In a nutshell, 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. Primarily, it's the story of human evolution but the plot follows two astronauts and an AI HAL 9000, who are sent to Jupiter to find a mysterious monolith.
Among other things, 2001: A Space Odyssey is praised for its stunning cinematography and visuals. The film is very grounded and realistic, just like Starfield is aiming to be.
5 Event Horizon (1997)
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Runtime: 1h 36m
The only horror film on our list. Even Horizon may not be considered a good movie with only 37 per cent of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but you'll hear from many horror fans that one was ahead of its time.
The story is about a rescue ship that is sent to investigate a spaceship that was sucked in by a black hole and suddenly returned with something ominous on board. Starfield devs have already said that Event Horizon is one of the films that was an inspiration for quests in Starfield, so definitely expect some spooky missions where you visit abandoned ships that may not be that abandoned after all.
6 Moon (2009)
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Runtime: 1h 37m
Along with Interstellar, Moon is probably the closest you'll get to a Starfield film in terms of visuals and Nasa aesthetic. The film is very grounded and retains the realistic look as you'll probably notice from the screenshot above and if you watch the trailer.
Moon is also highly rated by critics for its story, which follows Sam Bell who is contracted to harvest new, helium-3 fuel on the moon and send it back to Earth. As Bell is alone on the station without communication with Earth and only an AI to talk to, he starts to become depressed and isolated to the point where he suffers an accident after which, his only goal is to survive and get back to Earth as soon as possible.
So there you have it, folks. That was our personal watchlist for those of you who are looking to fully get into Starfield hype mode before launch. Obviously, there are plenty of other sci-fi movies that you can watch if these are not your cup of tea, like Alien or Gravity to name a few but we wanted to list those that we think are close to Starfield in terms of realism and aesthetic. If you enjoyed this list, check out more Starfield content below:
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