The bestselling book, The Martian, by author Andy Weir, has a Red Sox connection that happened years before noted Red Sox fan Matt Damon was cast to play the lead in the hit book-to-screen adaptation directed by Ridley Scott in 2015. Weir was recently a guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson's podcast StarTalk and revealed where Damon’s character’s name came from, and it’s all because Weir lived in Boston when he wrote his debut novel. Here’s what the writer had to say about the name.

Mark Watney Is Named After A Red Sox Reporter

While on StarTalk to talk about Project Hail Mary, another book that Weir wrote that has become a massive hit movie, he started the conversation by revealing a tidbit about Damon’s character, Mark Watney, in the Golden Globe-winning The Martian. It turns out, the name Watney came from Heidi Watney, who worked as a reporter for New England Sports Network (NESN) for a few years starting in 2008, while Weir was living in Boston and writing the sci-fi novel. As Weir recalled on the podcast:

The hosts of the show and Weir then joked about Watney getting compensation for the name choice, before moving on to discuss the juggernaut that is Project Hail Mary, and where Weir admitted he felt deGrasse’s presence when writing his novels. I couldn’t help but think about how perfectly it worked out in the end that Matt Damon would end up playing the role of Watney.

Superfan Matt Damon Was A Perfect Choice

The Martian was published in 2011 by Weir on Amazon Kindle and became a surprise hit. A hardcover publication followed, but that was after the novel was optioned for a movie in 2013. By 2014, Scott was attached to direct, and Damon was picked to star in the lead role of a scientist who finds himself alone on Mars. Keep in mind, this is five years after Weir named the character when he started writing the book in 2009.

I don’t think it’s news to anyone that Matt Damon is a massive Red Sox fan. Playing the role of a character who was named after a reporter for that historic team from Damon’s hometown almost seems too wild to believe. It’s like an Easter Egg that was snuck in before there was any way to know the novel would be turned into a film, much less before Damon ended up playing the role.

Weir may have called himself “a loser” on StarTalk, but that certainly isn’t true these days. Not only can you watch The Martian with the AMC+ addition to your Prime subscription, but Project Hail Mary is one of the biggest hits on the 2026 movie schedule so far. He’s come a long way from those nights watching Sox games by himself.

Project Hail Mary’s first weeks at the box office helps prove there's still a desire for science fiction-based stories. And, if the positive reactions to the book-to-screen adaptation are anything to go off, fans are buying into the science depicted in the flick. Author Andy Weir seems to know how to utilize hard science within his stories, and that's also true of The Martian, of which an adaptation starring Matt Damon was made over a decade ago. However, Weir now says one widely accepted aspect of that story's science isn't logical.

The Martian was a triumph upon its release, and it's still considered one of the best films of 2015. Adapted from Weir's 2011 novel of the same name, the film focuses on astronaut Mark Watney, who's accidentally left on Mars, leading NASA to mount rescue efforts. Scientific practices like growing food in Martian soil and making Mars’ atmosphere breathable abound within this tale. As Weir recently admitted to IMDb , though, one survival method Mark used was unnecessary:

As shown in the Ridley Scott movie, Mark Watney creates water from leftover rocket fuel since rain doesn't fall on the Red Planet and there’s no well. Despite that, one of the fascinating scientific facts to learn from The Martian is that with 35 liters of water in every cubic meter of Martian soil, Mark could have heated up the dirt to make water.

Also, the gravity in the movie wasn’t totally accurate either, as gravity on Mars is 40% of Earth's, meaning Mark would feel much lighter in his new environment. Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson actually ripped into that while watching the movie. But, at the end of the day, we have to remember that this genre is called science fiction for a reason. (Emphasis on the fiction part.) In any case, I appreciate Weir being so forthcoming about the inconsistencies in the Oscar-nominated film adaptation.

In the case of Project Hail Mary, at least, DeGrasse Tyson scientifically approved of the science being depicted. That film follows an amnesiac middle school science teacher, who wakes up on a spacecraft and applies real-life scientific logic to survive in space while trying to achieve his mission. Interestingly enough, Andy Weir continued to tell IMDb of a scientific inaccuracy in that book that even he thought was accurate at the time he wrote it:

Of course, it's hard to blame the NY Times best-selling author for writing what he thought was accurate at the time. After all, part of the charm of Project Hail Mary is that the story does include a lot of grounded scientific facts. And, with the film adaptation, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller -- and by extension, lead actor Ryan Gosling -- sought to keep everything as realistic as possible. (Sure, there's not actually a spaceship-flying rock creature like Rocky, to our knowledge, but still.)

If anything Andy Weir's openness in critiquing his own work is a testament to just how much he respects the true science. I obviously can't speak to how anyone else feels, but these reveals wouldn't stop me from immersing myself in the story and sci-fi thrills presented in The Martian or Project Hail Mary. Check out the more recent of those films, which recently arrived amid the the 2026 movie schedule, in theaters now.

When it comes to book-to-screen adaptations of Andy Weir’s novels, the casting has been genius. First, we saw Matt Damon play Mark Watney in one of the best sci-fi movies, The Martian. Then, we got to see Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary. Now, attention is turning to his other book, Artemis, and who could play Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara. Well, Weir has pitched Jenna Ortega for the role, and I think she’d be perfect.

While Andy Weir did clarify that he has no say in who gets cast in his adaptations, there’s also no question that his films have been perfectly cast. So, whoever they tapped to play Jazz will likely be a fantastic choice. Hopefully, they take a note from the author himself, because I think he has a good idea, as he told Den of Geek:

For some background, Artemis is about Jazz, a woman who was born in Saudi Arabia in the 2070s, but was raised on the Moon. She lives in the first and only colony on the moon, and she’s a smuggler who “sees the chance to commit the perfect crime” as the book’s synopsis explains. Through this, Jazz finds herself involved in a conspiracy to control Artemis.

Jenna Ortega leading a story about a conspiracy on the moon sounds amazing. I’d love to see her play a smuggler in this sci-fi tale.

I also think it’d be fun to see her take on something that’s based on Weir’s work. His writing is distinct, and both the movies for The Martian and Project Hail Mary maintain his signature sense of humor. While the actress is known for her Wednesday stare and dry sense of humor, the body-swap episode of that show (which you can stream with a Netflix subscription) proved that she has comedic range. So, I’d love to see her show that off more in another project. I feel like Artemis could be that vehicle for her.

Now, notably, in the book, Jazz is half-Saudi. However, in the audio version of Weir’s novel, Rosario Dawson narrated it. So, it’s unclear how faithful casting for the movie would be to the novel.

Going back to the author’s idea for the role, his breakdown of his protagonists convinces me even further that I’d like to see Ortega play Jazz. Speaking about how his characters in The Martian, Project Hail Mary and Artemis compare, Weir said:

I love the idea of seeing Ortega play someone who is morally complex like this. She's proven over and over again that she's very capable of it, too. So, this sounds like something she’d brilliantly dive into.

However, what we want to happen and what will happen are two different things. Weir said that work on Artemis is “on the back burner,” and he explained that we shouldn’t hold our breath for it. However, he also said Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who directed the well-reviewed Project Hail Mary, have some “really good ideas” for this other adaptation. So, never say never.

Along with an Artemis adaptation staying at a prolonged standstill, Jenna Ortega is busy. Season 3 of Wednesday is in production right now, and she’s in J.J. Abrams new movie, The Great Beyond, which is expected to premiere on the 2026 movie schedule.

So, I guess we’ll just have to hope and see what happens. In the meantime, you can catch the latest adaptation of an Andy Weir novel, Project Hail Mary, in theaters now.

Movies about extreme survival go back to the dawn of Hollywood. Survival comes in many forms. It could be on a deserted island or a deserted planet. It may be in a jail or as a prisoner of war. There are many ways characters have to survive dangerous and arduous situations, and these movies will leave you white knuckling it until they either escape, get rescued, or perish trying to do either.

The Martian

Matt Damon plays an astronaut exploring Mars when he is accidentally left for dead on the red planet and is forced to find a way to live with no food and limited resources. The Martian has been praised for the science in (most) of the movie, but it's the survival aspect of the movie that really draws fans in.

The Bridge On The River Kwai

How dedicated are you to your country, and what will you endure to keep your pride? The legendary The Bridge On The River Kwai explores just how far a person will go in pursuit of both of those. In extreme conditions, the British prisoners of war go through the worst of everything, extreme heat, fatigue, disease, and torture, cannot keep them from that stiff upper lip attitude of the era.

28 Days Later

Plenty of movies show the extreme and terrifying nature of surviving a dystopian future or a zombie apocalypse. Few do it better than Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. The zombies are the things of nightmares, but somehow the characters keep living in whatever way they are forced to.

12 Years A Slave

There may be no better example of surviving under the most extreme conditions than the era of chattel slavery in 19th-century America. 12 Years A Slave is one of the hardest movies you'll ever watch, and it's also one of the most important movies of the last half century on the subject. Survival doesn't even begin to describe just how hard it was.

Society Of The Snow

The Oscar-nominated Spanish film Society of the Snow tells the now-infamous story of the Uruguayan rugby team who survive a plane crash in the Andes only to be forced into committing cannibalism to survive in the barren wilderness. It's as terrifying as it is inspiring.

Apollo 13

There are only three people in the history of the world who can really understand what it's like to survive a disaster in space. Tragically, most astronauts who have, didn't live to tell the tale. The three astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission did survive, and the 1995 movie starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon brings the story to the big screen in amazing fashion.

127 Hours

The true story of Aron Ralston, played by James Franco in 127 Hours, is one of the most visceral ever shown in a movie. It's a story that basically can understand just how harrowing it is. We can all imagine ourselves in a similar situation and wonder just how far we would go to save ourselves. Ralston goes further than most even dream possible, but he made it, and set an example of human endurance few have ever matched.

Schindler's List

Schindler's List is the kind of movie you are amazed by, but might not want to ever watch again. Of course, history is known to everyone who has been to school in the last 80 years, but that doesn't make the movie about the horrors of the Holocaust any easier to take in. It's an amazing movie and one of the scariest stories of survival by an entire group of people ever told. And it's told in honor of the six million who didn't make it.

The Revenant

Being left for dead in the wilderness, getting attacked by hostile people, and surviving a bear mauling certainly qualify a survival story for this list. Those things all happen in The Revenant, the movie that finally won Leonardo DiCaprio the Oscar he's been so deserving of.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is not just about the survival of the British soldiers on the beaches of the titular town at the outbreak of World War Two, it's about the survival of the whole nation. Had the army not been evacuated, the entire war would likely have gone very differently, not to mention the history of the United Kingdom. Christopher Nolan's masterpiece tells a number of stories of survival, and every one is important.

Cast Away

You knew this one had to be here. It's a story as old as time: a man surviving on a tropical island. It's been in myths and stories for centuries, and there is no better example in modern times than Cast Away. From making fire to building a raft to escape on, this one has it all.

The Shawshank Redemption

Being wrongly accused and convicted of a crime you are not guilty of is a nightmare that many people share. One of the best movies of the '90s, The Shawshank Redemption lets everyone see just how scary and emotional something like that could be. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are amazing in this enduring movie that people will still be watching and relating to for many more generations.

Alien

"In space, no one can hear you scream," is the tagline for one of the most celebrated sci-fi horror movies of all time. Ridley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien is a survivor on her own level throughout the franchise, and it all started with her surviving this movie.

First Blood

Sometimes, survival comes at the expense of the people trying to hunt you, like the cops in First Blood who make the mistake of forcing Green Beret John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) into the woods. Rambo knows how to survive, the cops never stand a chance.

The Pianist

Surviving the Holocaust has rarely been shown on screen as emotionally as it is in The Pianist. Adrien Brody's Oscar-winning performance is as powerful an example of survival as has ever been put on film.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games may not seem like it belongs on the list, but it certainly does. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) has to endure a lot to survive the games, and she thrives when she has to. The movie may be fiction, but the reality doesn't seem impossible, as scary as that is.

A Quiet Place

Surviving is hard enough. Surviving in total silence? Wow, that is truly another level. In A Quiet Place, we learn just how terrifying the silence can be, or really how scary it is when that silence is disturbed. A budding franchise shows just how viscerally people feel the quiet.

Rescue Dawn

Prisoner of war movies are pretty common in Hollywood history. Each brings their own nightmares of survival. Some of the most terrifying come from the Vietnam War, even when the camp is not in Vietnam, as is the case in Rescue Dawn. Christian Bale stars in this movie based on the true story of a pilot shot down over Laos and the horrors he must endure as a POW.

The Road

Cormac McCarthy's excellent (and bleak) book The Road was turned into an even bleaker movie starring Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee and set in a dystopian future. Human endurance is incredible, as even in the worst kind of situation, some survive. Never underestimate the love a father has for his son.

Unbroken

Angelina Jolie directed one of the most incredible stories of POW survival ever in Unbroken. The true story, about Louis Zamperini surviving multiple ordeals, including a plane crash, 47 days in a raft in the middle of the ocean, and two years in a POW camp. At the camp, he was tortured and used as forced labor. How he survived is nothing less than astonishing. The movie has mixed reviews, but the story is incredible, no matter how it's told.

Lone Survivor

Peter Berg directed Lone Survivor, based on the incredible true story of Marcus Luttrell, who was, as the name of the movie implies, the only survivor in a group of Navy SEALs on a mission in Afghanistan. Mark Wahlberg plays Luttrell, and Taylor Kitsch plays one of the members of his team who was killed. Though the account has been disputed, the movie still serves as a shining example of survival.

Into The Wild

Sometimes, it's human hubris that puts us in a position where we have to survive. Such is the case in the book and the movie Into the Wild. Alexander Supertramp, aka Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch), made his own choices that led him to the desperate situation that eventually, tragically killed him as he tried (and failed) to survive in the Alaskan wilderness.

Gravity

Surviving space is hard enough when you have other people with you. On your own, it's downright impossible. That's the situation Sandra Bullock's character finds herself in in Gravity. It's science fiction, but it's so believable. It's not like Alien or even The Martian, it's much closer to home.

The Diary Of Anne Frank

Maybe the most famous example of survival during the Holocaust is the story of Anne Frank and her family in German-occupied Holland during World War II. The incredible diary the young girl kept has inspired countless people and put a real face on the victims of the Third Reich. The book was turned into a movie nominated for eight Oscars, winning three.

Deliverance

It was supposed to be a relaxing and exciting canoe trip that instead turned into a harrowing story of survival after a group of friends, led by Burt Reynolds in Deliverance, are terrorized by a nasty group of locals who don't want them on the river. The incredibly popular movie is part action/adventure, part horror movie as the campers deal with some really scary actions from those out to kill them.

Alive

A few decades before the Society Of The Snow brought the story of the Uruguayan Rugby Team, who survived a plane crash and weeks on top of a mountain, to the big screen, Ethan Hawke and company told the story in Alive. It's not as visceral as the newer movie, but it's still an incredible telling of the story.

The Great Escape

To be fair, The Great Escape is as much a "boys adventure" movie as it is a story of survival. Still, there is no question that there are some sad, harrowing moments for the POWs in a German camp during World War II. People do die, and there are real stakes (at times) in this classic movie from old Hollywood with an all-star cast.

Children Of Men

Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 movie Children of Men is, in a world, incredible. It may be overshadowed by his more recent work, like Gravity and Roma, but it's my favorite movie of his. It's also a unique look at survival, not just by the main characters in the movie, but humankind as a whole.

The Is The End

We had to include one comedy on this list. There are a few examples of funny takes on survival, but none are quite as ridiculous as This is the End. The all-star cast of Hollywood stars playing ridiculous versions of themselves is both funny and actually pretty scary at times.

Into Thin Air: Death on Everest

Into Thin Air: Death on Everest, a television movie based on the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It depicts the true story of one of the deadliest seasons of climbing the world's highest mountain. Not everyone survives, but those who do, like Beck Weathers (Richard Jenkins), endured some of the most harrowing weather conditions ever seen on Earth.

The Swiss Family Robinson

One of the most famous stories of "surviving" has to be The Swiss Family Robinson, as told by Disney in a couple of different versions, including one in 1960. It's hardly harrowing, and it's pretty luxurious and therefore unrealistic, but it sure does seem like fun! Survival doesn't always have to be a nightmare in movies, apparently.

Man Friday

It's sort of surprising that the story of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe hasn't been made into more movies. Man Friday is probably the best adaptation of the enduring novel, so it'll stand in for all of them.

Life is full of choices, and there’s always pressure to choose the right option - no matter how small the matter. In the examples we're about to discuss, it only took one bad call to lead to unnecessary drama, and in some cases, death. While not all of them are tragic, beware of some old wounds that may be opened up in the process.

Mayor Larry Vaughn Keeps Amity’s Beaches Open - Jaws

Ok, let’s just get this out of the way: Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) should have never won re-election. Amity Beach’s big wheel politician should have been legislative dust after keeping the beaches open in Jaws. Yes, beach towns depend on revenues from summer tourists - but if there’s no surviving tourists that want to shop, is it really a win?

Dr. Mann’s Hasty Docking With The Endurance - Interstellar

Scientific minds are supposed to be among the smartest and most rational in the world, especially if you’ve been chosen to colonize a potential new home for Humanity. That fact just makes the manner of death that befalls Interstellar’s Dr. Mann (Matt Damon) all the more fitting. Perhaps one should check that the airlock seals are properly aligned before launching into a speech about “all mankind.”

Rose Leaves Jack To Freeze - Titanic

Ok, so Kate Winslet’s 2024 Titanic revelation that it wasn’t a door Rose DeWitt Bukater was clinging to for life kind of changes the equation of whether or not she could have saved Jack Dawson. That being said, it still doesn’t change the fact that people are going to argue there was still room on “the door” for old Jack.

Peter Quill Socks Thanos On The Brink Of Victory - Avengers: Infinity War

Every time someone watches the Marvel movies in order, this moment, in particular, is the definition of an "own goal." As Avengers: Infinity War almost saw the reason for a second half nullified by taking the Infinity Gauntlet away from Thanos, a moment of emotion from the ever-impulsive Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) allowed the Mad Titan to keep his magic glove, and get away.

Marty McFly Buys Gray’s Sports Almanac - Back To The Future: Part II

Oh Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). Even when you’re greedy, you’re just trying to protect the future. While our lessons in how Back to the Future’s time travel works have taught us time and again that fooling with the past is dangerous, Marty’s decision to buy Gray’s Sports Almanac was one of the greatest mistakes in pop culture history. Who really wants to live in Biff Tannen’s alternate 1985?

Someone Read The Latin - The Evil Dead Movies

This is the movie most people think of when you hear the phrase, “Don’t read the Latin.” The Evil Dead series has seen Ash (Bruce Campbell) and many others learn that lesson the hard way, as a Deadite plague tends to result after this grievous error. What did they think was going to happen when reading from a book bound by human flesh?

Iosef Tarasov’s Gang Kill John Wick’s Dog - John Wick

Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) made two huge mistakes in the John Wick movies. The first was thinking that he could convince retired hitman John Wick to sell his 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. The second, and more costly mistake, was to kill John’s dog, Daisy. The criminal underworld still hasn’t recovered from the actions of that night, so yeah: we’re thinking that’s a bad decision.

Walter Donovan Chooses Poorly - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Who did you honestly put your money on when it came to winning Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’s game for the Holy Grail? A professor of archeology who has a similarly learned father, or an industrialist aiding the Nazis? If you bet on Walter Donavan (Julian Glover) winning the day, I think you know how the Grail Knight would comment on this particular choice.

Howard Ratner Can't Stop Winning - Uncut Gems

One has to wonder if A24 set up microphones during preview screenings of Uncut Gems if only to measure the decibel level of audience yelling. The moment when Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) makes what would be his final bet had to have been one where people shouted at the screen in terror - which would have only been outdone by shock at the picture’s fatalistic ending.

General Ripper Starts A Nuclear War - Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

If any of us normal people think something’s wrong with our bodies, we usually consult a specialist. But Dr. Strangelove’s General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) isn’t quite normal, as he decided to initiate “nuclear combat toe-to-toe with the Russkies,” using only a paranoid hunch as his basis. If only the internet had been invented, so WebMD could have debunked his theories.

Icarus II Goes To Visit Icarus 1 - Sunshine

You can almost always count on a bad day in space if you’re the second expedition to venture out on a mission, and you suddenly discover the wreckage of the first. Sunshine’s Icarus II crew is put through the wringer after making the decision to visit the Icarus I. On the literal bright side, at least Capa (Cillian Murphy) saved the day, despite being the deciding vote that caused a chain reaction of deadly events.

Vincent Kapoor Tells Mark Watney His Messages Are On Live TV - The Martian

Never tell a rabble-rouser they’re on live TV, they’re just going to use the moment to misbehave. The Martian’s Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) did just that as NASA’s Director of Mars Missions, and it led to astronaut Mark Watney being so creative with his swearing his colleagues had to look it up. Which led to a double whammy of regret, as learning what those phrases meant was quite a shock.

Don Kisses His Wife - 28 Weeks Later

Ok 28 Weeks Later fans, which is the bigger mistake made by our good friend Don (Robert Carlyle): abandoning his wife Alice in the wake of an Infected attack, or kissing her without reservation as she’s in medical quarantine? That second choice seems to be the greater error, as while their reunion did patch up their marriage, the act of kissing and making up turned Don into a very special victim of the Rage Virus.

Dr. Alice Krippin Cures Cancer With Measles - I Am Legend

To be clear: curing cancer is not the poor decision that kicked off I Am Legend’s horrific apocalypse. Not to mention, the idea of Dr. Alice Krippin (Emma Thompson) to use genetically modified measles was a pretty clever twist to this medical marvel. But something suggests that there were not nearly enough human trials, as it only took three years to decimate humanity with the Krippin Virus.

Preston Reveals His Wife’s Secret - Tales From The Darkside: The Movie

Here’s a loophole you could argue until the gargoyles come home: if you confess to your wife a near-lethal encounter with such a creature of stone, but she turns out to be the cryptid in question, is it really breaking your vow not to tell the world? It sadly doesn’t matter as the Tales from the Darkside: The Movie segment “Lover’s Vow” sees James Remar’s struggling artist losing his life - as in this case, it technically counts.

Evelyn Reads From The Book Of The Dead - The Mummy (1999)

“No harm ever came from reading a book.” One of The Mummy’s funniest lines is also a statement that Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) should have known not to make. Then again, could it really be that bad of a decision if it led to a rollicking adventure that ended up with her falling for the dreamy Rick O’Connell? Oh, let us think…YES!

Dr. King Schultz Won’t Shake Hands - Django Unchained

Yes, Calvin Candie is a despicable slave owner, and one could hope he’s burning in Hell. But at the same time, Django Unchained’s big bad was in a position where a simple handshake would have allowed Django (Jamie Foxx) and his rediscovered wife to escape happily. Unfortunately, mentor/moral compass Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) couldn’t bring himself to do so…at least, not without taking his foe out with a hidden pistol.

Tony Stark Creates Ultron - Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Could we please put some more safeguards on genius billionaire philanthropist playboys using artificial intelligence to save the world? Avengers: Age of Ultron almost ushered in the promise of that dangerous title, as vindictive creation Ultron (James Spader) snipped his strings and almost destroyed humanity. Worse: his antics indirectly led to the Sokovia Accords, a set of laws so restrictive, yet so useless that all they could really do was set up a couple of Marvel sequels.

Batman Severely Underestimates Bane - The Dark Knight Rises

Bane (Tom Hardy) is a physically imposing villain so buff, that your dimension’s version of Superman might think twice before beefing with him. Perhaps the Batman of The Dark Knight Rises should have called the Kryptonian boy scout before tangling with the man in the mask, as he could have saved himself a lot of trouble, and all of the medical expenses incurred from a broken back.

Logan Nelson Misreads John Kramer’s X-Rays - Jigsaw

Do you want Jigsaw? Because this is how you get Jigsaw! Careless medical examiner Logan Nelson (Matt Passmore) turned out to be the person who wronged John Kramer in the Saw franchise, which led to his place as one of the first victims turned apprentice to the criminal mastermind. As soon as Mr. Nelson made that mistake, one of the many movie retcon that confused us was born.

Daniel Hillard Creates Mrs. Doubtfire - Mrs. Doubtfire

Some people will create Scottish alter egos to avoid therapy. While Mrs. Doubtfire is still a bittersweet bundle of laughs, and though Robin Williams’ Daniel Hillard did create a fantastic children’s show host, Euphegenia’s creation should have never come from the need to see his kids. It’s kind of a case of the best intentions leading straight into legal hell, isn’t it?

Peter Parker Tries To Erase His Friend’s Memories - Spider-Man: No Way Home

If you’re a genius like Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Peter Parker (Tom Holland), you should probably know better than to bork up your request to a Sorcerer Supreme to erase that knowledge from everyone’s minds. This kid really is Tony Stark’s protege, isn’t he?

David Drayton Gets Impatient In The Apocalypse - The Mist

If David Drayton (Thomas Jane) had waited just five more minutes in The Mist, we may have seen a wildly different ending where everyone lives and learns a powerful lesson about the dangers of mob mentality. Alas, Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novella did teach us that lesson, but with much deadlier consequences.

Kay Takes Compound Z - Alien: Romulus

We’re not a bunch of medical experts here at CinemaBlend, and we’ll readily admit that. But 9 out of 10 writers would agree that if we were given the choice to take the sketchy and untested Compound Z, we’d pass it up. That didn’t stop Kay (Isabella Merced) in Alien: Romulus, and the results were as messy as you'd think.

Madeline Ashton Forgets To Ask About Potential Side Effects - Death Becomes Her

The first thing that Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) could think to ask after being propositioned with eternal youth is “How much is it?” But what she should have asked is “What are the side effects,” as Death Becomes Her sees the “fading actress” panicking after she drinks the mysterious glowing pink liquid that makes it possible. Oops.

Fuller And Lewis Get Flirty With Rusty Nail - Joy Ride

You never know who’s on the other end of a CB radio. While it’s an antiquated form of communication, it didn’t stop brothers Fuller (Steve Zahn) and Lewis (Paul Walker) from having some fun with a random trucker with the handle of “Rusty Nail” in Joy Ride. What began as a flirty prank turned into a game of death…so don’t forget to screen your calls, and watch who you lead on.

The Daltons Turn Back For Hoppy - Speak No Evil

Kids. At some point, they have to grow up, and we’d like to think that the events of the horror remake Speak No Evil helped young Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler) get wise pretty quickly. Her family was free and clear from the murderers trying to adopt her for their own, but since she convinced them to turn back for her stuffed rabbit Hoppy, salvation was delayed throughout a long, awkward night.

Paul Hackett Goes On A Date - After Hours

Who says Martin Scorsese doesn’t have a sense of humor? 1985’s After Hours saw the legendary director land one of the best dark comedies of history, thanks to the film putting poor office worker Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) through the night from hell. And it’s all thanks to a blind date, which leads to a tragic death, which only spirals further into a nightmarish farce across New York City.

Harry And Lloyd Get Involved In A Kidnapping - Dumb And Dumber

No one would mistake Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) for being the most brilliant minds of any time. However, Lloyd’s love-sick quest to chase the woman he loves leads Dumb and Dumber’s dynamic duo into a dance with death. Stumbling into the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman, it never becomes a concern until Lloyd realizes the girl of his dreams happens to be that man’s wife.

Marty Bryce Goes Out For Pizza - Sneakers

Chance led to young Marty Bishop (Gary Hershberger) going out to pick up pizza for himself and his dear friend Cosmo (Jo Marr). If only Cos didn’t use his magic trick to force his friend to leave for dinner, he might have had a chance to save his friend from prison, and an eventual grudge.

General Brewster Activates Skynet - Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

Artificial intelligence is dangerous, kids. But you have to give Skynet credit, as it used a computer virus to trick Lieutenant General Robert Brewster (David Andrews) into giving it full control of the United States’ weapons apparatus. And that is why Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ends with the most shocking ending of the series, as Judgement Day is allowed to happen because the U.S. government wouldn’t spring for a Norton subscription.

Eli Sunday Begs For Help From Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood

Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) and Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) are a pair of foes for the ages. So when There Will Be Blood sees the young preacher begging his oil tycoon rival for financial help, the result is a monologue we could still quote by heart - and a fatal encounter with a bowling pin.

Even the best movies have scenes in them that completely take you out movie and ruin at least a small of it for the viewer. Films like Saving Private Ryan, The Departed, and even The Godfather all have scenes that almost completely ruin them. Well, that might be a little harsh, they are all still stone-cold classics, but they all have questionable moments that make you wonder how they remained in the movie.

The Baby In American Sniper

American Sniper is a tension-filled masterpiece with a fantastic performance by Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. The movie works on almost every level and yet there is that one scene, when Kyle is holding his newborn baby and it is clear to anyone watching that the baby is a prop. It's hard to believe the makers of the movie let that scene go like they did.

The Rat In The Departed

As if the lesson in The Departed wasn't clear enough, Martin Scorsese hits viewers across the face with a frying pan when the CGI rat walks across the balcony railing in the last shot of the movie. Why a genius like Scorsese felt the need to drive the point home in such a hacky way, we'll never understand.

The Bad Audio Sync In The Big Lebowski

Fans of The Big Lebowski know what we're talking about here. After Walter (John Goodman) fails to get Larry Sellers to crack, he decides to take to the streets and destroy what he thinks is Larry's new car. It's not Larry's, it's the neighbor's car and when the neighbor comes out, there is a really bad audio sync, and all of a sudden it feels like a bad Hong Kong action movie from the '70s. It may be the only flaw in an almost perfect movie.

Superman Turning Back Time In Superman

The Christopher Reeve Superman is still beloved to this day, and with good reason. It's among the best superhero movies ever made and it always will be. But let's be honest about the ending. The scene after Lois dies in her car and Superman is forced to fly around the world and actually turn back time is... awful. It's just so dumb and there are a million better ways that could have been handled.

The Laptop In Skyfall

Skyfall is a great Craig-era James Bond movie. There is no way around the fatal flaw that Q (Ben Whishaw) makes when he plugs a laptop recovered by Bond into MI-5's computer system. Of course, it's a booby-trapped computer that takes down the whole system. Who trained Q? his technology-challenged uncle? Come on, no one in his position would make that kind of mistake, It may sound pedantic, but it's just not reasonable.

Questionable Fight Blocking In The Godfather

Even a masterpiece like The Godfather has a moment that completely takes viewers out of the moment. When Sonny (James Caan) goes to confront Carlo, it's one of the most intense moments of the movie. Unfortunately, the fight blocking is, frankly, terrible and it looks really bad. Even the best can have flaws.

The Off-Color Joke At The End Of Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service is a really fun movie with some completely ridiculous moments that somehow work, like Samuel L. Jackson eating McDonalds. One insanely stupid moment that doesn't work is the off-color joke at the end of the movie by the damsel in distress. It just doesn't work at all.

Greedo Shooting First In The Re-Edited Star Wars

There are a lot of reasons to complain about George Lucas tinkering with perfection when he re-edited Star Wars in the '90s. Most of it is stuff people can live with, but reworking the scene in the cantina to make Greedo shot at Han Solo first really changes too much about the character and the movie. It should have never been done.

Tell Me I'm A Good Man In Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan is among the best war movies ever made. It doesn't need that final scene of Ryan asking his wife to "tell him he's been a good man." Even if director Steven Spielberg felt that the final scene at the cemetery in Normandy was needed, the shot of the elder Ryan walking with his family is all that the audience would need to understand who he was. The cheesy line just ruins it.

Mom's Named Martha In Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice

People can argue all day long if Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice is a good movie. It's certainly a lot better than many critics believe. But there is still that incredibly stupid and silly moment when the two titular superheroes almost bond over the shared name of their mothers. Cheesy!

Darth Vadar's "NOOOOO" In Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith

Whether you love the Star Wars prequels or not, most people agree that Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is the best of the three. That's even taking into account the oh-so-silly "NOOOOOO" when the newly formed Vader realized his love was gone. You know the others are rough movies when this is including in the best one.

Deadpool In X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a movie that some love and some despise. It can really go either way. But what can't be disputed is how terrible Deadpool is in it. Enough said. Even Deadpool though Deadpool was terrible as we learn in the post-credits scene of Deadpool 2.

The CGI Of Old Characters In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is arguably the best Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi. It takes a classic bit of Star Wars lore and makes it real. What isn't real, and almost takes the audience completely out of the movie is the CGI versions of Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin. It's so disconcerting it can't help but distract from what is otherwise a really great movie.

Flying Through Space In The Martian

For a movie that spends so much time and effort on the scientific details of surviving on Mars, The Martian completely throws it all out of the window at the end with the flying through space bit at the end as Matt Damon's character attempts to reconnect with his crew. It's such a shame such a fantastic movie ends with such a silly scene.

John Michael Higgins' Questionable Accent In Licorice Pizza

It's hard to say if John Michael Higgins' questionable Japanese accent when he is mocking his wife is supposed to play for laughs or what in Licorice Pizza, but the scene really doesn't work no matter what the intention was. It is a rare example of a scene in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie that should have been left on the cutting room floor.

Singing Elton John In Almost Famous

There is just something about a '70s rock band that is sort of loosely based on Led Zeppelin bonding over an Elton John song. It just seems so unlikely that Led Zeppelin or a band of their ilk would ever do something like that. It's so out of place in an otherwise fantastic movie.

Midi-chlorians - The Entire Star Wars Franchise

Midi-chlorians. There is probably no Star Wars fan on Earth who understands why the decision was made to make up these stupid things. They are so unpopular with the fanbase that they have essentially been reconned out of the whole universe and we're all grateful for it.

The Makeover In The Breakfast Club

Like a lot of comedies from the 1980s, The Breakfast Club has some problematic moments. Though not as extreme as a movie like Revenge of the Nerds and its very problematic content, the scene that sticks out like a sore thumb is when Claire (Molly Ringwald) does a makeover on Allison (Ally Sheedy) and she gets the attention of Andrew (Emilio Estevez) because all of a sudden she's pretty. Yikes.

The Plane Chase In Argo

Argo is a fantastic movie based on an even more fantastic true story. One thing that isn't true to the real-life escape portrayed in the film is the chase by the Iranian police of the plane on the runway as the embassy workers escape to freedom. It's a totally unnecessary addition to "Hollywood up" the ending. Just tell the remarkable story! It doesn't need more action!

Miranda Tate's Death In The Dark Knight Rises

Miranda Tate's death in The Dark Knight Rises has been derided by many as not worthy of the character. And that is totally true. It's just so...anti-climatic. She just... dies.

Every Scene With Mickey Rooney In Breakfast At Tiffany's

Breakfast At Tiffany's is one of the best rom-coms of all time. Still, modern audiences cannot get through the movie without wincing every time Mickey Rooney's incredibly racist portrayal of an Asian man is on the screen. Even in 1961 this should have been called out and left out of the movie. It's not just a bad accent, it's a very offensive one,

Surfing The Tidal Wave In Die Another Day

There are a lot of ridiculous moments in the James Bond franchise. Most of them are excusable, especially from the Roger Moore-era movies. The one scene that really isn't is when the Pierce Brosnan version of Bond para-surfs on a giant tidal wave. The CGI alone is offensive, even if we can suspend reality long enough for the ride.

The Hookup In Big

The Tom Hanks' classic Big plays out like a weird rom-com at times. It's unsettling at the least when you think about the real age difference between the characters. That's all we really need to say here.

Quentin's Cameo In Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino is one of the best filmmakers of his generation and Pulp Fiction is his masterpiece. Still, the scene that he is in, when he repeatedly uses a racial slur as he sips coffee is extremely obnoxious and completely unneeded. The bit about his wife and the coffee is fantastic, but everything after that should have just been cut.

Regina George's Death In Mean Girls

Why does Regina George need to die at the end of Mean Girls? It's such a weird exclamation point at the end of the movie that feels very unnecessary. She's been disgraced and disregarded, with good reason, does she really deserve to die? It really takes away from one of the best movies 2000s.

The God Of War In Wonder Woman

There is no question that the DCEU had a lot of problems really coming together and a great example of everything that was wrong with the now-rebooted franchise is adding scenes like Wonder Woman's battle with the God Of War at the end of the first Wonder Woman movie. It's just not needed. The movie could have ended before it and been an almost perfect superhero movie, instead, it just goes one step too far and almost gets ruined because of it.

The Rocket Launcher In Falling Down

Micheal Douglas' performance in Falling Down is amazing. The movie, for the most part, is fantastic. Sadly, what starts out as a very grounded yet terrifying look into one man's breakdown reaches the point of absurdity when he suddenly decides he needs to use a rocket launcher to get his point across. From a realistic movie to a cartoon in moments.

The Pictures At The End Of Crazy, Stupid, Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love goes from super fun to disturbing in the very last moments of the movie when Jessica, played by Lio Tipton gives Cal racy photos of herself. She is Cal's babysitter! Who thought that was a good way to end the movie?

The Explanation At The End Of Unbreakable

There are times when people are blown away by writer and director M. Night Shyamalan and there are other times he leaves everyone shaking their heads. The explanation of how everything worked in Unbreakable is the latter. We got, man, you don't need to bang us on the end with what it all means.

9/11 In Remember Me

One of the weirdest endings to a movie has to be the final scene of Remember Me. Everything romantic that has happened in the movie is rendered moot when it is revealed that Tyler (Robert Pattison) dies in the World Trade Center attack on 9/11. What? Why would anyone think that added anything to the story? So weird.

Nuking The Fridge In Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Okay fair enough, we can hear you saying Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull isn't a good movie. And you're right, it's not. But we just had to include the famous "Nuke the Fridge" scene because it makes a bad movie even worse and other than the weird choice of an ending involving aliens the "Nuke the Fridge" moment came when the movie still held promise.

Explaining Love In Interstellar

Interstellar is an awesome that asks at least as many questions as it answers. Why then did director and writer Christopher Nolan include such a hacky scene explaining the meaning of love? The world may never know.

The 2010s were a transformative decade for movies as directors like Damien Chazelle, Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele hit the mainstream, and many actors exploded into stardom or gave career-defining performances in movies like theirs. Now, it’s time to celebrate some of the best films of this decade and the performers who starred in them. 

Emma Stone – La La Land 

This ode to Old Hollywood and modern romance from Damien Chazelle is widely beloved in part because of Emma Stone's performance. If you go back to reviews for La La Land, you’ll see Stone and Ryan Gosling praised for their work as they played Mia and Sebastian, two aspiring artists who fall in love with each other. Notably, Emma Stone won her first Oscar for the film because of the wonderful performance she gave as the up-and-coming actress. 

Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids

When it comes to Bridesmaids and all its hilarious lines and gags, we all need to say a collective thank you to Kristen Wiig. Not only did the Saturday Night Live alum lead the stellar ensemble cast of this 2011 flick, but she also wrote the movie with Annie Mumolo, and they got an Oscar nomination for it. 

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

Moonlight, which famously won Best Picture in 2017, is a coming-of-age film that follows Chiron through three stages of his life, focusing on him exploring his sexuality and identity. In it, Mahershala Ali plays Juan, a man who has a pivotal role in Chiron’s early life. Famously, Ali won his first Oscar for his moving performance in this film. 

Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out

Get Out is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it marked the directorial debut of Jordan Peele. While this film about the deeply dark turn a trip takes after a white woman brings her Black boyfriend home to meet her family is career-defining for its director – as he’s gone on to become quite the name in the genre – it also marked a major breakout for Daniel Kaluuya who played the film’s lead, Chris. 

Amy Adams – Arrival 

Arrival is unquestionably one of Amy Adams’ best movies, and to this day, folks are still livid that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for it. She plays Louise, a linguist assigned to decipher and translate an alien language. However, as Arrival’s ending makes abundantly clear, there’s way more to it than that, and one of the major reasons this movie works is because of Adams’ masterful, emotional and nuanced performance. 

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

In Whiplash, one of J.K. Simmons’ best films, he plays a brilliant and brutal jazz conductor and instructor named Terence Fletcher. During the film, Miles Teller plays a young drummer named Andrew who is determined to become great, and his intense relationship with Terence and the notion of being the best is what makes Damien Chazelle’s film magnificent. On top of its overall acclaim, Simmons also won an Oscar for his performance.

Hugh Jackman – Logan 

Logan was Hugh Jackman’s last ride as the Wolverine, and it was basically perfect. While he’s returned to the role since in Deadpool and Wolverine, Logan still serves as a wonderful conclusion to the iconic X-Man’s story. It was also a game-changing Marvel film, as it brought a level of grit and intrigue that we hadn’t really seen in a movie from this universe before. 

Ben Affleck – Argo 

Much like Good Will Hunting, Argo marked a major milestone in Ben Affleck’s career. It was one of the films that solidified him as a top-tier director, and on top of that, he also starred in the film about a CIA agent disguised as a producer who goes into Tehran on a mission to save a group of Americans. Oh, also, the film went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars too. 

Jesse Eisenberg — The Social Network

The Social Network cast is stacked, however, it wouldn’t be what it is without Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg at its center. His nuanced performance which is somehow both collected and chaotic compliments Aaron Sorkin’s fast-talking script perfectly, and he expertly helped build up tension in the film that director David Fincher is known for. All around, that made for a perfect, heart-pounding drama about the rise of Facebook.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf Of Wall Street  

While Leonardo DiCaprio has a long list of career-defining performances, and he and Martin Scorsese have made many great movies together, you can’t deny that his portrayal of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street tops that list. 

Brie Larson – Room

The film Room, which is about a mother and her son escaping captivity, is masterfully led by Brie Larson, who plays Ma. Both she and Jacob Tremblay, who played her son Jack, were praised for their performances, and in 2016, the actress won an Oscar for her work. 

Daniel Craig – Knives Out

Now, I know that Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond was still happening in the 2010s. However, an equally important and brilliant role he took on was as detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s first whodunnit Knives Out. Now, after leading the cast of Knives Out, Craig has gone on to reprise his role as the Southern detective on multiple occasions, because he loves it and so do we. 

Ryan Gosling – Drive

If you look over Ryan Gosling’s best movies, on one side you’ll find his brilliant comedic films – like Barbie and The Nice Guys – and on the other side, you’ll find his stoic and dramatic performance, like the one he gives in Drive. Put simply, Drive wouldn’t work without the actor’s lead performance, because the entire film hinges on him and his abilities. 

Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool

After years of working to get it made and some well-timed leaked footage, finally, in 2016, Deadpool came out and we got to see Ryan Reynolds in his element as the Merc with a Mouth. 

Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea 

In a film about a man returning home to reckon with his past and grief after losing his brother, Casey Affleck gives an emotional and commanding performance. Not only did he win an Oscar for his work in this drama, but it’s also one of the big defining roles of his career. 

Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

Chris Evans began and ended his tenure as Steve Rogers in the 2010s. While all his outings as the star-spangled man with a plan were excellent, nothing tops his performance as Cap in the political thriller that is the Russo brothers’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is easily one of the best Marvel movies ever made. 

Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Under Wes Anderson’s precise direction, Ralph Fiennes occupied the pastel world of the Grand Budapest Hotel with grace and style. His fast-talking M. Gustave went on quite the adventure in this film, and he won over the hearts of audiences with his quick wit, smooth charm and impeccable work ethic. 

Natalie Portman – Black Swan 

Throwing it back to the beginning of the decade, Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan showed us Natalie Portman’s talents in a new light. While she had been on the scene and in big movies for years, this film marked a major milestone in her career as her performance as a tortured ballerina got her an Academy Award. 

Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buys Club

Obviously, for a couple of decades before this, Matthew McConaughey was known and beloved for fun movies like Dazed and Confused and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, in 2013, Dallas Buyers Club marked a notable shift in his career. Not only did he win an Oscar for this dramatic turn as a man who finds out he has AIDS, but he also went on to star in acclaimed projects like Interstellar and True Detective one year later, cementing himself as a magnificent dramatic actor with serious range. 

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Yes, Jennifer Lawrence leading The Hunger Games cast is one of the biggest triumphs of her career. However, amid all of that, she starred in the beloved dramedy Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper, and that’s the film for which she won her Oscar. This magnificent film about two people learning to live and thrive through grief and mental illness, is a thoughtful and funny film that Lawrence steals with her amazing performance. 

Brad Pitt – Moneyball 

Moneyball is the story about the general manager of the Oakland A’s using his business savvy and what little money his team had to assemble a rag-tag team of MLB players. Brad Pitt plays said manager, Billy Beane, and I mean it when I say the movie really wouldn’t work without him. He’s at the center of it, and he carries it to victory just like his character did with the A’s.  

Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther 

We sadly lost Chadwick Boseman way too early, however, his legacy will live on forever. This is in part because of his performance as the King of Wakanda, T’Challa. Black Panther was a historic moment in modern movie history, and his incredible take on the titular hero is a big reason why. 

Margot Robbie – I, Tonya 

Before I, Tonya, Margot Robbie was beloved for her supporting and ensemble roles in films like The Wolf of Wall Street and Suicide Squad. However, one of the movies that helped solidify her as both a leading lady and super producer was I, Tonya. She played Tonya Harding and produced the film under the banner of her company LuckyChap – which went on to make films like Barbie and Promising Young Woman. 

Florence Pugh – Midsommar

Florence Pugh exploded onto the scene with the haunting Ari Aster film Midsommar. The movie is now considered one of the best horror movies of all time, and a big reason why is Pugh’s performance. 

Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird

Talk about a dynamic duo. Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan are a match made in heaven, and that was solidified into fact when the actress played the titular Lady Bird in the director’s breakout film. Not only did fans fall in love with Ronan’s performance as the defiant teenage gal, but she also received wide acclaim and an Oscar nomination for it. Plus, it was the beginning of a glorious partnership between her and Greta Gerwig as they then went on to make Little Women together. 

Timothée Chalamet – Call Me By Your Name

These days, when people think of Timothée Chalamet, they likely think of him as Paul Atreides, the leader of the Dune cast. However, before that (and in a different decade) the film that sprung him into the mainstream was Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The deeply romantic and tender coming-of-age drama was led beautifully by Chalamet, and since then he’s taken on more roles that have helped cement him as one of the top-leading men of his generation. 

Anna Kendrick – Pitch Perfect

If you were a kid in 2012 (like I was), odds are you learned the “Cups” song. The movie about college acapella was a phenomenon in the early 2010s, and it served as a big breakout leading role for Anna Kendrick. Not only was she funny as Becca, but everyone also became aware that she had the singing voice of an angel.  

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years A Slave

Lupita Nyong’o’s first feature film was 12 Years A Slave. Her performance in the movie by Steve McQueen won her an Oscar in 2012 and solidified her as a top-tier dramatic performer. Since then, she’s gone on to star in massive blockbusters like Black Panther and A Quiet Place: Day One. 

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

There have been many amazing takes on the Joker, and Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck was a totally new one. In Joker, we see the villain’s origin story, and it’s a film that’s unlike any other DC project. The haunting performance ultimately won the actor an Oscar, and he reprised the part again in Joker: Folie à Deux.

Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road

The movie is named after Mad Max, and he’s great, don’t get me wrong, but Furiosa steals the show. Charlize Theron’s performance as the driver in Mad Max: Fury Road is fierce and jaw-dropping, and she’s one of many reasons why George Miller’s movie is considered one of the best action films. 

Michael Cera – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

You can’t have Scott Pilgrim vs. The World without a perfect Scott Pilgrim and that’s who Michael Cera is. He perfectly played the awkward yet heroic protagonist in Edgar Wright’s beloved film, and to this day, it's considered some of his best work.

Matt Damon – The Martian

This Ridley Scott movie is literally about one man who is stuck on Mars. Yes, there are other people in the film trying to save him. However, overall, The Martian is Matt Damon’s movie. He plays the stranded astronaut and scientist, and the heart, charisma, intelligence and even humor he brings to the space drama is unforgettable. 

All around, the 2010s were full of films that are on their way to becoming all-time classics, and it’s in part thanks to the brilliant actors who starred in them. 

The smartest people in the world are often featured in film, sometimes they are real, and sometimes fictional. They don't always have anything in common, either, other than being geniuses. One might be a math wizard, another a musician who hears music no one else could conceive of. Here is our list of people like that, the smartest people in movies.

The Theory Of Everything

It's impossible to have a list like this and not include The Theory Of Everything, a movie about the man, Stephen Hawking, who was considered the smartest man in the world for decades. Eddie Redmayne's award-winning performance as the physics genius is incredible and the movie makes some complicated science actually fun.  

The Big Short

Author Michael Lewis has an uncanny knack for making complicated subjects easily understandable to laypeople. The Big Short is based on one of his best books and breaks down what caused the financial meltdown in 2008/2009 in a way that everyone gets. Margot Robbie explaining it in a bathtub is a nice touch. It also features some really smart, neurodivergent characters based on the real people who saw the crash coming. 

Hidden Figures

Tragically, it took nearly 60 years to tell the story of Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). These "hidden figures" were a major force within the US Space Program in its earliest days and their math skills put everyone else to shame. The shame they brought to the program for its racial and gender segregation was even more important. 

A Beautiful Mind

The smartest guys in the room are often neurodivergent or suffer from mental health issues. A Beautiful Mind is one of the best examples of how an incredibly brilliant person, in this case mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) deals with schizophrenia while revolutionizing mathematics in this true story. 

Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting wasn't a real person, but he was smarter than everyone else around him. Good Will Hunting won Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Oscars for their wonderful script about a kid from South Boston who is shy about his incredible intelligence but has no patience for people who dismiss him because of his working-class roots. 

Don't Look Up

Adam McKay's apocalyptic satire Don't Look Up was a big streaming hit featuring two of the biggest stars around, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two of the world's foremost astronomers desperately trying to tell the world about impending destruction from above. No one is listening. 

The Social Network

Some people may disagree on whether Mark Zuckerberg is a genius, especially after watching The Social Network. Sure he may have borrowed the idea for Facebook from the Winklevoss twins, but he still built the company that turned into the behemoth we know all too well today. 

Real Genius

it's one of Val Kilmer's earliest roles is still one of his very best. Real Genius is a true cult classic these days and for good reason. It's really, really funny. It's aged much better than the other movie about nerds from that era as well, Revenge of the Nerds. 

American Fiction

A truly brilliant writer on the big screen is as rare as hen's teeth, but Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) in American Fiction clearly qualifies. He's the smartest guy in every room he's in, except maybe with his family, who are every bit as smart as he is. 

Sherlock Holmes

There is no detective, fictional or otherwise, as smart as Sherlock Holmes. In some ways, every TV and movie detective is based on the Holmes archetype. His insights and pure genius are what makes him so loveable yet annoying at the same time. There are plenty of great versions of him in pop culture as well, with Robert Downey Jr's version ranking among the best of them. 

Ex Machina

Like it or not, the tech bros are defining a lot of nerd culture. Oscar Isaac's character, Nathan Bateman, in Ex Machina, a movie that should have been nominated for Best Picture, but wasn't,  is pretty much the epitome of the modern tech bro, Love him or hate him, he's clearly supposed to be one of the smartest guys in any room he's in. 

The Imitation Game

Alan Turing is a tragic character in history, but there's no questioning just how brilliant he was or how influential his work has been. The Imitation Game finally brought his amazing, sad, and inspiring story to the masses and Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as the troubled genius entranced us all. 

Oppenheimer

Pound for pound, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer just might have the most brilliant people in one movie ever made. And all of them were real people. The scale of the Manhattan Project could only be told in a movie with the scale of Nolan's Best Picture winner. 

Stand And Deliver

Genius doesn't always hail from the hallowed halls of Ivy League universities or big-time board rooms. Sometimes they are just amazing high school teachers like Jaime Escalante, a math teacher in a disadvantaged high school in East LA. Escalante's story, brought to life on screen in Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos, is one of the most inspiring movies of the 1980s. 

Contact

Long before we had Neil deGrasse Tyson to explain to us mere mortals how the cosmos works, we had Carl Sagan. Contact, based on a novel by Sagan, tells the fictional story of Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) and her discovery of life outside our solar system. 

Limitless

Just like sports, sometimes genius comes from some performance enhancers. Well, at least, that's how it works in Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper as a regular who is transformed into the smartest guy in the world with a drug called NZT. Sure, it's a fictional story and nothing like that exists, but it makes for a really fun movie and some jealousy over what the drug can do. 

Proof

Sadly, genius and mental illness often go hand-in-hand, especially on film. Proof is as much about the latter as it is about the former. Gwyneth Paltrow stars alongside Jake Gyllenhaal as a brilliant mathematician living in the shadow of her even more brilliant late father who struggled with mental illness, something she fears could affect her as well. 

Idiocracy

The geniuses in Idiocracy aren't really geniuses at all. They are just the smartest people on earth in a future where the whole world has gotten really, really stupid. Mike Judge's brilliant, yet somewhat terrifying, vision of the future is something we desperately need to avoid at all costs! It's a brilliant movie about stupid people. 

Moneyball

Every baseball fan knows just how much Sabermetrics has taken over the sport, for better and for worse.  It really all started with Billy Bean, played by Brad Pitt, who leads a brilliant cast in Moneyball, the general manager for the Oakland A's whose story was told first in the book, then in the movie of the same name. There are a lot of really smart people in the movie, though how much better they made baseball in the end is debatable. 

Amadeus

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a towering figure in the history of music. His genius is undisputed and when he was brought to life on screen in Amadeus, the whole world got to see at least one version of the composer. Sure, there are a lot of artistic liberties taken by director Milos Foreman, but the movie isn't shy about showing just how brilliant Mozart was in this amazing biopic. 

The Martian

It turns out Matt Damon is pretty good at playing smart guys. In Ridley Scott's 2015 film The Martian, Damon plays a Mars explorer left for dead after an accident on the Red Planet. With no one around to help, he figures out how to feed himself, make contact with his colleagues, and finally escape certain death on the inhospitable planet. 

Rope

It is possible to be too smart for your own good, or at least think you're smarter than you really are. The characters in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope are one or the other, the viewer has to decide. Loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb murder of the 1920s, two smart college kids try to get away with the perfect murder. 

Pi

There is a fine line between genius and madness, and Darren Aronofsky's first film, Pi, explores that to great depths. It's not an easy movie to watch, both due to its subject matter and its filming techniques, but like the characters in the movie, it's a brilliant film. 

Searching For Bobby Fischer

Chess masters are often thought of as the smartest guys in the room because the complex game is so hard for most people to master. The level of skill on display in Searching For Bobby Fischer is a great example of just how competitive these geniuses can be when it comes to one of the hardest games in the world to conquer. 

Finding Forrester

In Finding Forrester, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) is mentored by a brilliant, but reclusive writer played by Sean Connery. The movie shares a lot in common with Good Will Hunting as Wallace is doubted by the elite at every turn, but comes out triumphant in the end. 

WarGames

It's pretty easy to point out the ridiculousness of a high school kid played by Matthew Broderick somehow taking over the nuclear response protocols of the United States during the Cold War, but that isn't really fair to do with WarGames. Broderick plays high school student David Lightman who unwittingly almost starts World War III after he plays a computer game. It turns out he's also the only one smart enough to figure out how to stop it. 

Little Man Tate

You never really know where genius will come from. Sometimes it comes from the most average of places, as portrayed in Little Man Tate. Fred Tate (Adam Hann-Byrd) is a childhood prodigy being raised by a normal working-class mother played by Jodie Foster. He's brilliant in school and seemingly a musical genius. All of this means, of course, that he is ostracized by the other kids in school and the movie highlights just how hard it can be for kids like Fred. 

Steve Jobs

Like a lot of tech billionaires, calling Steve Jobs a genius is sure to rankle some folks. That's okay, but no one can deny just how successful he was in building one of the largest computer companies in the world. In the movie Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder is played by Michael Fassbender and while it's definitely a loving look at the techie's life, it does show the downside as well. 

Powder

Powder is far from a perfect movie, to say nothing about its very controversial director, Victor Salva. Still, it absolutely deserves a spot on any list of the smartest guys in the room. The main character, Powder, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, is not only the smartest person, possibly on earth, but that intelligence comes with supernatural powers as well, truly unlocking the mind's full potential or something. Yeah, it's not perfect. 

Revenge Of The Nerds

We'll just get this out of the way off the top with this entry: Revenge of the Nerds is one of the most problematic movies of the 1980s. There are a lot of reasons why they aren't worth going into here, except to say they are not trivial. But, it's also a movie about a bunch of really smart nerds who take on the jocks in that classic battle as old as time immemorial.  

Iron Man

Yeah, yeah, how can a comic movie be on this list, you're probably asking yourself. Well, because at least in the MCU, Tony Stark is absolutely stone-cold genius. you can argue that he's not, the guy invented the Iron Man suit in a cave in the desert! Who else could do that? Frankly, it's good that the MCU isn't just about superpowers gifted by the gods or freak scientific accidents. Sometimes it just takes a really smart person to be a superhero. 

Arrival

Denis Villeneuve's underrated Arrival tackles a problem that will surely come into play if and when contact is ever made with extraterrestrials. How will we communicate? It'll take a genius to figure that out and in Arrival, that genius is linguist Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams. She's a different kind of genius than almost all the others on this list, but she qualifies just as much. 

Looking for movies like Interstellar after revisiting one of the best sci-fi films of all time? Well, we have something that’ll make you oh so excited. In honor of the 10th anniversary of one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies, we’ve put together a rather robust list of titles that touch on similar topics, have a similar tone, or fill the audience with wonder and awe (or a combination of the three).

From classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey to more modern gems like Arrival, and so much more, there’s plenty to choose from. In fact, there are probably enough options here to keep you busy on a long journey to deep space.

Arrival (2016)

Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 sci-fi drama, Arrival, has a lot in common with Interstellar, and the similarities go beyond just both movies having confusing endings. Both highly decorated movies feature incredibly complex and emotional stories about parents going to great lengths to either connect with their children or save them, as well as stories about the uncertainty of the future.

Stream Arrival on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Arrival on Amazon. 

Frequency (2000)

Gregory Hoblit’s 2000 sci-fi thriller, Frequency, follows NYPD detective John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) as he communicates with his father (played by Dennis Quaid) over the radio. But here’s the thing, his dad has been dead for 30 years and has been contacting him from 1969. 

Rent/Buy Frequency on Amazon.

Contact (1997)

Another movie about someone going to great lengths to find or contact a loved one, Robert Zemeckis’ Contact follows Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) as she finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and embarks upon an epic mission to the far reaches of space. And you’ll also get to see a younger Matthew McConaughey long before he played Intestellar's Coop.

Rent/Buy Contact on Amazon.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

One of the landmark sci-fi movies of the 20th century, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey follows a group of astronauts as they are sent on a mission to Jupiter to find a mysterious object that’s calling to Earth. This Oscar-winning sci-fi classic walked so Interstellar could run.

Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on Max.
Rent/Buy 2001: A Space Odyssey on Amazon.

Sunshine (2007)

In Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, a group sets off to the dying sun in a last-ditch effort to reignite the solar surface and prevent humanity from suffering a cold and drawn-out death. Much like Interstellar, this film about saving the human race explores man's fight for survival, but also man's downfall.

Rent/Buy Sunshine on Amazon.

Big Fish (2003)

Okay, Big Fish isn’t a sci-fi movie and it doesn’t take place in space, but Tim Burton’s moving fantasy drama does focus heavily on the bond between parent and child. Much like Interstellar, this is a movie built on the back of familial bonds, both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Rent/Buy Big Fish on Amazon.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

One of the most inventive Best Picture winners in recent memory, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a mind-bending, genre-bending, and incredibly emotional epic about a seemingly normal woman (Michelle Yeoh) going to great lengths to form a meaningful relationship with her family. The familial bonds and drama found in this movie are on par with anything in Interstellar.

Rent/Buy Everything Everywhere All at Once on Amazon.

Moon (2009)

Moon is one of those sci-fi movies any fan of the genre should watch at least once in their lifetime. Following a lone worker (played by Sam Rockwell) as he completes his mission on the lunar surface, Duncan Jones’ inventive drama explores loneliness and humanity while also featuring one bizarre twist after another.

Rent/Buy Moon on Amazon.

Ad Astra (2019)

Though it doesn’t get talked about nearly enough, Ad Astra is one of the great space-travel movies of the past decade. The movie follows Brad Pitt’s lone astronaut as he travels to the far reaches of the solar system to find and confront his missing father (played by Tommy Lee Jones) before the weary figure can do the unthinkable and wipe out humanity with the push of a button.

Rent/Buy Ad Astra on Amazon.

Inception (2010)

Released four years before Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s Inception is another sci-fi epic that focuses on the relationship between parent and child just as much as it does with massive set pieces and philosophical questions. And with so many crazy fan theories, it’s a fun movie to revisit.

Rent/Buy Inception on Amazon.

Gravity (2013)

A Best Picture loser that should have won the top prize, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was one of the most breathtaking cinematic experiences of the 2010s. Centering around Sandra Bullock’s solo astronaut stranded in Earth’s orbit, the movie follows the terrified yet determined heroine as she goes to great lengths to make it home.

Rent/Buy Gravity on Amazon.

The Martian (2015)

Not only do Interstellar and The Martian both feature incredible performances by Matt Damon, each film also tells a remarkable story of two astronauts as they embark upon perilous journeys that test them physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Rent/Buy The Martian on Amazon.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, like Interstellar, captures the heart and imagination of the audience better than most. This iconic ‘70s film about humans making contact with mysterious extraterrestrial visitors pushed the sci-fi genre in a new direction nearly 50 years ago, and its influence can still be felt decades later.

Rent/Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Amazon.

Ex Machina (2015)

Released just months after Interstellar, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina offers a more frightening and bleak sci-fi tale with its story about a state-of-the-art robot (played by Alicia Vikander) and the programmer (played by Domhnall Gleeson) hand-picked to perform a Turing test. Despite the different tones, both movies focus on exploration and how much we really don’t know about the universe or ourselves.

Rent/Buy Ex Machina on Amazon.

The Fountain (2006)

One of Darren Aronofsky's best movies, The Fountain is split up into three loosely connected storylines that all center on characters (played by Hugh Jackman) going to extreme lengths to save the women they love (played by Rachel Weisz) in various scenarios. Emotional, spiritual, and awe-inspiring, this is worth a revisit.

Rent/Buy The Fountain on Amazon.

Prometheus (2012)

A prequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien, Prometheus is set years before the Nostromo incident and follows a group of archaeologists as they travel to a distant moon in search of sentient life. But, what they find is far more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined. 

Rent/Buy Prometheus on Amazon.

Midnight Special (2016)

One of the best sci-fi films of 2016, Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special follows a father (played by Michael Shannon) as he tries to hide his son (played by Jaeden Martell) from both the government and a mysterious cult after it’s discovered the boy has mysterious powers. Mixing sci-fi with family drama elements, Nichols crafts an exciting and poignant story like no other.

Rent/Buy Midnight Special on Amazon.

District 9 (2009)

Neill Blomkamp gave the world one of the most groundbreaking sci-fi action thrillers in 2009 with his feature film debut, District 9. Set in South Africa years after spaceships bring an alien race to Earth, the movie dives into the tense relationship between humans and extraterrestrials, and doesn’t shy away from tackling complex themes.

Rent/Buy District 9 on Amazon.

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, a project started by Stanley Kubrick and brought to fruition by Steven Spielberg, follows a young android (played by Haley Joel Osment) as he embarks upon a journey of self-discovery. Caught between man and machine, this proves to be no easy task for the emotional cyborg programmed to love.

Rent/Buy A.I.: Artificial Intelligence on Amazon.

Hopefully, this will be helpful when finding something to watch after Interstellar. But if you’re looking for newer films, there are plenty of upcoming sci-fi movies headed to the big screen in the very near future.

We all know movies like Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic have made a ton of cash at the box office, with each comfortably eclipsing the $2 billion line. However, there are other films whose impressive theatrical runs aren’t as remembered, despite making a ton of money before they left the silver screen. Here are 32 movies you might not know made over $500 million, per Box Office Mojo.

The Smurfs (2011)

Remember The Smufs, the 2011 CGI/live-action hybrid starring Neil Patrick Harris and those titular blue villagers from the classic cartoon of the same name? If not, you’ll probably be even more surprised to learn the forgotten film made a staggering $564 million at the box office. Sure, the vast majority of that was in international markets, but still!

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

Despite being far from the best Indiana Jones movie, 2008’s The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull happens to be the best-performing entry in the franchise with a ridiculous $787 million theatrical run. Sometimes folks go in droves to see a bad movie, especially when there’s a nearly 20-year break between entries in a franchise.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Mission: Impossible II is considered by many to be the worst film in the Tom Cruise action franchise, and there’s a case to be made for that. And even though we don’t look at the 2000 movie fondly, there’s no denying the fact that moviegoers were all about it nearly a quarter-century ago, as the film made $546 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

The Grinch (2018)

It’s no secret that animated movies make a ton of cash, especially releases that appeal to both children and adults. And it appears that was the case for Illumination’s 2018 adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic Christmas book, The Grinch. This movie, which we often forget about, made an impressive $540 million back in late 2018.

The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was one of the most talked about movies of the early 2000s, but we honestly forgot it made THIS much money during its run. The celebrated or controversial film, depending on who you ask, made a mind-boggling $612 million worldwide, with most of that being in the United States (remember all those church groups buying up entire screenings?).

Mamma Mia! (2008)

We all remember Mamma Mia! for its catchy renditions of ABBA classics, a fun-loving spin on a Broadway musical, and its all-star cast, but what’s often forgotten is the fact that it raked in a ton of cash. Though the lion’s share of its $695 million gross was in international markets, there’s no denying this Greek-set romance story was a success.

Ted (2012)

The 2012 summer box office was wild with successful movies like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, but there was another major hit released between two of the best superhero movies of all time: Ted. Seth MacFarlane’s raunchy comedy about a man and his stuffed animal was a massive hit with audiences, bringing in $549 million by the time everything was said and done.

Cinderella (2015)

There have been a crazy number of Disney live-action adaptations over the past decade or so, but one that is often left out of the conversation is Cinderella. Though not as successful as The Lion King or The Jungle Book, this Lily James-led fantasy film brought in an impressive $542 million worldwide back in 2015.

The Meg (2018)

People must really like to see a) Jason Statham movies or b) shark-centric thrillers or c) all of the above because The Meg, a seemingly non-descript 2018 action flick took a massive bite out of the box office with a wild $529-million run a little more than a half-decade ago. And while its sequel didn’t reach as high of a mark, it still performed really well.

Meet The Fockers (2004)

No one would hold anything against you if you didn’t remember a single thing from Meet the Fockers, the 2004 sequel to the Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro 2000 comedy, Meet the Parents. This is especially true when it comes to how well the movie performed worldwide: $523 million.

World War Z (2013)

One of the more recent additions to the list of movies with disastrous productions, World War Z was able to turn it around and absolutely kill it in theaters back in the summer of 2013. Despite all the problems during production and post-production, as well as OK reviews, this Brad Pitt zombie thriller brought in $540 million worldwide.

Night At The Museum (2006)

The Night at the Museum franchise has gone on to produce multiple sequels and give families something to watch on family movie night, and so it shouldn’t be surprising that the Ben Stiller-led fantasy comedy performed well at the box office. But did you know it made $574 million back in 2006? That’s a stack of cash.

Life Of Pi (2012)

Sometimes it feels like Ang Lee’s Life of Pi is a movie that has been lost to the sands of time, but let’s not forget that the 2012 book-to-screen adaptation of one of the most decorated novels of the early 21st century made more than $609 million during its run. It didn’t perform all too well in the States ($125 million), but its international gross was something to behold.

The Croods (2013)

Remember The Croods, the 2013 animated film that saw Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, and Catherine Kenner voice a family of cavemen? If the answer is no (or even if it is yes), you’ll probably be surprised to learn that it made $587 million worldwide during its theatrical run, which was enough to launch an entire franchise that included movies, shows, and even video games.

The Boss Baby (2017)

The Boss Baby is a movie many of us probably remember for one reason or another, meaning we either watched the Alec Baldwin-led animated film or saw its trailer during our visits to the theater in 2017. Well, the movie was not only a hit, but a massive hit, bringing in a total of $527 million before it finally left the big screen.

Hancock (2008)

Here’s something crazy to think about: Hancock, the 2008 Will Smith-led superhero movie made more money at the box office than Iron Man, the film that launched the MCU and changed Hollywood as we know it today. 

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Not only was Kong: Skull Island the most successful movie in the Monsterverse, but it also performed really well at the box office back in early 2017. By the time everything was said and done, this monster movie made a staggering $569 million worldwide.

The Martian (2015)

We’re not knocking the movie, but Ridley Scott’s The Martian somehow won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 73rd Golden Globes, which is crazy to think about. Know what else is crazy? Oh, just the fact that this 2015 Matt Damon movie made $631 million months before it received all those accolades.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World is nowhere near the top of the ranking of best Marvel movies, and at one point it was seen as a failure or misstep for the young franchise. However, it still made $645 million worldwide. Sure, it’s not quite Avengers numbers, but this mops the floor with some of the later MCU films.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

The first Venom movie made more than $850 million back in 2018. And while its sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, didn’t come close to touching that, its $506 million run is impressive considering several factors. The biggest of these is the fact that it came out in October 2021, a time in which theaters were still struggling to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Men In Black 3 (2012)

Men in Black 3 wasn’t necessarily a bad movie, but it’s wild to think that the third entry in the Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones franchise would be its most successful. Released in 2012, this sci-fi action comedy brought in an otherworldly $654 million in box office receipts.

Maleficent (2014)

2014 was a massive year at the box office with movies like Godzilla, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Interstellar bringing in bundles of cash and millions of moviegoers to screens around the world. Another addition to that list was the Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent, which earned $760 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest movies of all time.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Da Vinci Code is a bad movie with one of the worst Tom Hanks hairdos of all time. However, Ron Howard’s 2006 adaptation of Dan Brown’s conspiracy thriller was a huge hit with audiences and made $760 million worldwide.

2012 (2009)

Roland Emmerich’s 2012 is one of the craziest disaster movies of all time, but it’s also one of the most successful, which is somehow hard to believe. Released in 2009, a time in which people still thought the world would end in 2012, this John Cusack-led thriller brought in an impressive $791 million worldwide.

The Secret Life Of Pets (2016)

This one is wild, but did you know The Secret Life of Pets made $876 million at the box office back in 2016? No, well, it actually happened and we can’t figure out a) how it happened and b) why we don’t recall its massive success. But with Illumination being behind the runaway hit, it shouldn’t be all that surprising.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

A wildly inaccurate historical film or a biopic everyone needs to see depending on who you ask, Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the biggest movies of 2018. And while Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther dominated the box office conversation that year, let’s not forget that the Queen movie made $911 million before it left the big screen.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (2018)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor or the more popular Harry Potter movies, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a success. In fact, the 2018 sequel made a cool $656 million in the weeks following its release, which is quite a feat.

Suicide Squad (2016)

David Ayer’s Suicide Squad has received a ton of crap over the years for not really making sense and feeling like multiple movies taped together instead of one cohesive film. And while we can go on and on about the 2016 DCEU movie’s shortcomings, the movie did happen to make $749 million at the box office. 

Beauty And The Beast (2017)

Not only did the 2017 live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast make more than $500 million at the box office, but it also crossed over into the $1 billion territory, which is quite surprising. All in all, the movie made $1.2 billion, which makes it one of the most successful films of all time.

Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Is Alice in Wonderland a good movie? No, not really. But did Tim Burton’s 2010 adaptation of the classic Lewis Carroll novel make a ton of cash? Yeah, by the boatloads. This wild, nonsensical, and nightmarish movie brought in more than $1 billion back in the day, which is mindboggling.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is often considered not only one of the worst movies in the franchise but also one of Michael Bay’s worst films. However, this 2009 summer blockbuster made a mind-blowing $836 million at the box office, which was more than $100 million more than its predecessor.

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Though it didn’t make nearly as much as some of the earlier movies in the comic book franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse didn’t have a terrible run upon its release in 2016. In fact, the movie, which saw Oscar Isaac play a villain that looked a lot like a certain Power Rangers big bad, made a cool $544 million by the time it left theaters.

Friends and readers, the IMAX format is on a hot streak. 2024 movies like Dune: Part Two and Civil War have been hyping up that particular venue in their marketing, which is great news for the future. But what's even more exciting are the re-releases, like Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, that have been attracting moviegoers to take part in the large format 70mm magic outside of the crop of incoming blockbusters.

With that particular scenario in mind, I’d like to suggest some long overdue re-issues that the IMAX format could benefit from. Though mostly, I’ve crafted this list as a love letter to fond outings of the past, as well as some titles I missed for one reason or another that I’m still looking to catch. So let’s start the countdown, and go big with these delightful IMAX releases that deserve another spin on the platter.

Speed Racer

You can bet I caught The Wachowskis’ Speed Racer back when it was released in IMAX the first time around. But now, with the film’s critical reappraisal, it feels like the perfect time to bring that large format magic back to the biggest screens possible, if only to encourage a 4K remaster and home video release to follow.

Tron: Legacy

As we make our way to Tron: Ares’ upcoming Disney movie release date of October 10, 2025, people are going to want to revisit 2010’s Tron: Legacy. The IMAX 3D variant is hands down the best way to experience Joseph Kosinski’s awe-inspiring cult classic, and a revival could fuel the next entry in the Tron franchise timeline’s journey to the big time.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Sometimes a major motion picture like Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol films special scenes in IMAX format, but doesn’t send that version to home video. As the series continues to be quite popular, despite Dead Reckoning’s box office performance, Ghost Protocol lighting the fuse in IMAX is quite an opportunity to remind people why the format works so beautifully.

Fantasia 2000

In the absence of further installments of what was supposed to be a Fantasia franchise, bringing back Fantasia 2000 for a new generation would take total advantage of people seeking out IMAX 70mm entertainment. It could also spark the want for a fresh installment, which in turn could be a major movie event waiting to happen. Also, "Rhapsody In Blue" in true IMAX would especially make my day.

The Polar Express

As far as my money is concerned, IMAX 3D is the superior third-dimensional experience at the movies. And while I’ve seen periodic re-issues of The Polar Express in regional IMAX showings, this year’s 20th anniversary basically begs for this holiday favorite to ride the rails on a wider scale.

Treasure Planet

Treasure Planet is another Disney movie that seems to have amassed more love over time, and it was also part of the early era of IMAX conversions for the studio’s work. If you can convince me Jim Hawkins’ coming of age journey through space wouldn’t look and sound brilliant in this format, I’ll stop asking for it... but good luck trying.

Tangled

One of several IMAX titles offered in 3D internationally, to have Tangled re-released for the rest of the world to experience nice and huge would be a beautiful sight. Even though I fully understand it's hard to see third-dimensional thrills through tears of joy, I think this would certainly be worth the extra cash on the big, big screen.

No Time To Die

Yes, I have another international IMAX 3D variant to plug, because while the company has seemed to distance itself from wide spanning releases in the format, movies like No Time To Die still get to enjoy such versions. Standard 3D was a treat for Daniel Craig’s James Bond swan song, so I could only imagine the premium format expansion of the picture being even more exciting to behold.

Dune

Much like No Time To Die, the first half of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune also received the IMAX 3D treatment in certain international markets. With the 70mm variant of Dune: Part Two already returning to rake in the IMAX cash, having a double feature that includes this version of the previous part of the story just makes business sense.

Real Steel

While we continue to wait for some sort of movement on the Real Steel Disney+ series, Shawn Levy’s rock ‘em sock ‘em sci-fi flick has become a streaming champion. The fanbase seems to be there, so why not let people indulge in some massive robot fighting action on an IMAX screen?

Ford v. Ferrari

A lot of the movies on this list are admittedly some pretty huge genre undertakings, which usually makes for the majority of movies that are presented in IMAX. However, learning that Ford v. Ferrari had a limited run in large format only makes me want to relive the heartbreak and the triumph of Matt Damon and Christian Bale’s journey through auto racing.

The Martian

If The Martian’s IMAX 3D variant could be brought back to premium auditoriums worldwide, I’d gladly be seated to see Mark Watney’s journey to survive the wilds of Mars at least a handful of times. Also, this would make for a perfect Matt Damon double feature with either Ford v. Ferrari or Interstellar, which actually is returning to IMAX this November!

Top Gun: Maverick

While I got to see Top Gun: Maverick in a Dolby auditorium, I missed out on experiencing this Tom Cruise legacy-quel in the IMAX format. If we’re going to get the world as hyped for a potential Top Gun 3 as Mr. Cruise happens to be, a re-issue of this box office goliath is a good first step.

Beauty And The Beast (1991)

The original animated Beauty and the Beast was Disney’s first IMAX re-issue of a classic from the vaults. As if that wasn’t enough incentive to send this tale as old as time back to the movies, this variant also happens to be the Special Edition, which reinstates the oft-overlooked and yet best Beauty and the Beast song “Human Again.” I need to see and hear this movie on an IMAX system, and I especially need that tune to be a part of the experience.

Alita: Battle Angel

There was an IMAX re-release of Alita: Battle Angel as part of an early effort to get fans back into movie theaters in late 2020. But if 20th Century Studios really wanted to take advantage of the re-issue craze that seems to be going on right now, as well as try to gauge the popularity of Robert Rodriguez’s cult favorite manga adaptation, another roll of the dice in IMAX 3D would certainly be welcomed.

Turning Red

Yes, I know Turning Red was re-released into theaters this spring. However, there are two versions that sadly never got to shine in its hugely altered 2022 theatrical exhibition: 3D and IMAX. Seeing that the movie was optimized for large format when first watching it on Disney+ broke my heart, as the gigantic finale alone would have been worth the ticket price.

Our girl Mei deserves her day in IMAX, and the 2024 theatrical landscape has plenty of room. With plenty of other titles on this list set to get their premium ticket due, there’s certainly a wide swath of options to entice moviegoers to keep fueling the recent boom in this format.

When you think of Kristen Wiig’s funniest moments, either from her days as a Saturday Night Live cast member or from her best movies, it might not be what she says that makes you laugh, but how she says it or the expression she makes as she speaks. Regardless of what it is that makes the following Kristen Wiig quotes so memorable, we certainly found them hilarious.

"I Learn Something Every Day At Target. Yesterday, I Learned That Coca-Cola Is Dark Brown" - SNL (as Target Lady)

Arguably the single funniest SNL sketch starring Kristen Wiig sees her playing the aptly named Target Lady, who likes to converse with her customers while ringing them out even if they don’t ask to. One such example is when the grocery store checker revealed something relatively obvious about a popular brand of soda that she, somehow, did not realize until recently.

"Are You An Appliance?" - Bridesmaids

Perhaps the one scene from Bridesmaids — the 2011comedy that made co-writer Kristen Wiig into an Oscar-nominated SNL star — that sees the actor at her most brilliant is when an overly relaxed Annie causes a ruckus on a flight in first class. After a flight attendant named Steve (Mitch Silpa) tries to get her back to coach, she intentionally calls him “Stove” instead, leading to this cleverly taunting question.

"I Got Shot In Nicaragua!" - MacGruber 

In one of the best movies based on an SNL character, 2010’s MacGruber, Will Forte’s bumbling titular operative tries to calm Vicki’s (Kristen Wiig) nerves by comparing their mission to a job they did in Nicaragua. When she reminds him how things ended up for her then, he immediately recants the statement.

"Someone Threw A Box Of Dictionaries Out Of A Four-Story Window, Crushing Everything Below My Waist... So, I Think I Know A Little Something About People Throwing Words Around" - SNL 

In an underrated SNL sketch from Season 32, Kristen Wiig and host Alec Baldwin play colleagues who end up offending each other with literally every single thing they say while carpooling to work. For instance, when Baldwin’s character tells Wiig to be more careful about the "words you throw around,” it reminds her of an oddly specific incident that has left her metal from the waist down.

"It's Just, It's The First Time I've Ever Seen You Look Ugly And That Makes Me Kind Of Happy" - Bridesmaids

In Bridesmaids, while searching for Lillian (Maya Rudolph), Annie (Wiig) cannot help but smile when she sees an upset Helen’s (Rose Byrne) “ugly crier” face and lets her rival know exactly how this sight makes her feel. However, the socialite refuses to accept that her face could possibly bear an unfavorable expression.

"James Bond May Go By 007, But I Give This Film a Double ‘Oh, Brother!’” - SNL 

Kristen Wiig appeared on “Weekend Update” a few times as Amy Poehler’s Aunt Linda, a film critic who is impossibly hard to please. At least she has a clever and even punny ways of rating movies, with her review of 2006’s Casino Royale being one of the best examples.

"Ohhhh Myyy Goddddddd!" - SNL

One of the best examples of how Kristen Wiig can turn just about any phrase into comedy cold comes from one of her most memorable recurring characters, Sue. When someone announces a secret that they want to keep for a surprise and you hear her say this in her signature, rousing tone, you know that she is about to get out of control with excitement.

"He Looked Like Jesus... He Was Wearing Sandals" - SNL 

Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis appeared in several sketches as a gum-chewing, air-headed couple who are impossible to talk to, which makes them the worst crime witnesses imaginable as a detective (played by host Kevin Spacey) discovers. When Wiig’s character mentions that the car thief “looked like Jesus,” the detective assumes she means he has a brown beard, only for her to clarify she was referring to his footwear.

"Oh, How Romantic! What Woman Gives Another Woman A Trip To Paris?" - Bridesmaids 

Annie’s rivalry with Helen reaches its peak at Lillian’s bridal shower in Bridesmaids, when the upstaging socialite reveals she is taking the bride to France as her pre-wedding gift. To tries to back up her reaction by pointing out that such a getaway is typically something that couples do together.

"... Just Kidding..." - SNL 

Arguably, Wiig’s funniest recurring “Weekend Update” guest is Judy Grimes — a travel expert whose extreme nerves cause her to compulsively make things up, ending just about every sentence with an assurance that she is “just kidding.” It’s truly a wonder to watch her spout out these falsehoods (or are they?) in such an intense rapid-fire momentum.

"I Do Believe In You. I Just Know You're Gonna Fail" - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story 

One of the many music biopic cliches explored in 2007’s Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is that the subjective artist’s first marriage tends to fall apart due to a lack of support from their spouse (and vice versa). John C. Reilly’s titular soon-to-be rock star experiences this when his first wife, Edith (Wiig), reveals that, while she does want to be supportive of his music career, she can’t feign her faith in his talent.

"And I Burnt My Arm In The Oven. It Hurts Pretty Bad, But I Didn't Even Scream, 'Cause I Keep The Pain Inside Of Me" - SNL 

Kristen Wiig hosted SNL’s Season 46 holiday episode, which features a “Christmas Morning” rap music video starring her as a mother whose only gift was a robe. The song takes her family’s ignorance a step further with a lyric that reveals her reluctance to announce a kitchen injury while the rest are preoccupied with their truckload of presents.

“I Apologize For Screaming At The Top Of My Lungs” - Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar 

Quite a few of Kristen Wiig’s funniest movie moments happen to take place on airplanes, such as in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, starring Wiig as Star and her co-writer, Annie Mumolo, as Barb. We only see the middle of the duo’s flight to their titular vacation destination, but the takeoff must have been pretty intense if Star felt the need to apologize to a passenger for her behavior.

"I've Already Been Working On My Accent. Wallaby. Didgeridoo. Hugh Jackman" - Despicable Me 2 

Illumination’s Despicable Me 2 sees former supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) partnered with Anti-Villain League agent, Lucy (Wiig), whom he starts to fall for, only to learn she is being relocated to Australia. She demonstrates how she has been preparing to move down under by practicing some local phrases, including the name of a certain Academy Award nominee and X-Men movies star.

"Have Fun Having A Baby At Your Prom" - Bridesmaids 

Annie (Wiig) loses her jewelry store gig after a teen’s (Mia Rose Frampton) request for a “Best Friends Forever” necklace leads to a heated verbal sparring match. The single most biting (but not so-R-rated) insult in this classic Bridesmaids scene implies that one of the customer’s “four boyfriends” is going to be the father of her child.

"At This Time Of Dayee? It's Gonna Be Jahmed" - SNL 

In the first edition of the recurring SNL sketch, “The Californians,” Stuart (Fred Armisen) catches Devin (Bill Hader) kissing his wife, Karina (Wiig), and tells him to "Get back on San Vicente, take it to the 10 then switch over to the 405 North and let it dump you out onto Mulholland where you belong!" What makes Karina’s response such a gut-buster is not just her over-the-top West Coast accent, but Wiig’s struggle not to break character.

"I'm Hoping For Some Mauling. Like, On My Shoulder Or Lower Back" - How To Train Your Dragon

In How to Train Your Dragon, the younger members of the Viking village called Berk prepare for dragon fighting class by discussing the anticipation for the pain they are likely to experience in this next brawling session. Wiig’s character, Ruffnut, easily has one of the funniest expressions of this in the DreamWorks animation favorite.

"Can't Say The Pledge Of Allegiance Or I'll Burn My Hand, So I Guess My Heart's A Little Warmer Than Yours" - SNL

One of Kristen Wiig’s most ridiculous recurring SNL characters is Penelope, who tends to make a competition out of literally everything, such as when she volunteered at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. When one person (played by Kenan Thompson) mentions how seeing how many people are volunteering “really warms [his] heart,” she can’t help but embellish just how much warmer her heart is.

"Haven't You Ever Wondered If The Real Ocean Sounds Like Our Noise Machine?" - Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar 

There are so many hilarious Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar moments and quotes to choose from. One of the funniest to come from Wiig’s character, Star, comes when she compares the sound you hear from inside a seashell to the sound of her noise machine from home.

"Instead Of Using Paper Money, I Think We Should Pay For Things With Clouds" - SNL

Kristen Wiig has portrayed various celebrities on SNL, but one of her funniest impersonations is that of eccentric Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Björk. When Seth Meyers brings the Iceland native onto “Weekend Update” to discuss her ideas to save her country from financial ruin, he quickly realizes that she is not qualified to tackle this issue.

"It's A Good Tub. I Slept In There On My 30th Birthday, Remember?” - Bridesmaids 

Annie finds the missing Lillian at her apartment, where she reminisces about all the things that she is going to miss about living there after she gets married and moves out. Among them is her bathtub, which Annie mentions also has a special place in her heart for serving as a bed the night she entered her 30s.

"Hey, That Pollo Is Loco" - Despicable Me 2 

In Despicable Me 2, Gru and Lucy break into a restaurant that they discover is guarded by one erratic chicken. After incapacitating the fowl foe, she makes a pun regarding its behavior that calls to mind a famous food joint called El Pollo Loco.

"Okay, Were Britney Spears And Christina Aguilera The Same Person?" - Girl Most Likely

Out of context, this quote from Girl Most Likely — a 2013 dramedy starring Wiig as a failed playwright forced to live with her mother (Annette Bening) after suffering a meltdown — sounds like someone exposing how out of touch they are with pop music history. In reality, it comes from a scene when her character, Imogene, goes to a ‘90s pop music tribute show where the same woman performed as both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

"He Looked Like A Rabbit" - SNL 

Only some of Kristen Wiig’s recurring SNL characters have catchphrases, such as her half of the ignorant and infantile couple she portrayed alongside Jason Sudeikis in several episodes. Nearly each of their segments ended with Wiig’s character declaring that the person they just drove mad resembled a hare.

"God, You're Noteworthy!" - The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

In star and director Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Kristen Wiig’s character, Cheryl Melhoff, makes frequent appearances in the title hero’s many fantasies.  In one, after Walter rescues Cheryl’s dog from a catastrophe, she expresses her gratitude by calling him “noteworthy,” reflecting his fear that he has never done anything noteworthy in his life.

"If Your Man Likes Chicken, He Might Like Chicken Man" - SNL 

In a fun SNL game show sketch, Kristen Wiig and her fellow Bridesmaids cast member Maya Rudolph play models presenting a showcase of prizes a contestant could have won, including a lifetime supply of chicken from a company called Chicken Man. The way Wiig delivers this line — in an unusual accent and whilst struggling to contain her laughter — is one of the more potent examples of her ability to make even the simplest lines such classics.

"No One Can Get Anywhere In Three Seconds. You're Setting Me Up For A Loss Already" - Bridesmaids 

In Bridesmaids, during the wedding party’s flight to Las Vegas, Flight Attendant Steve is at wit's end with an overly relaxed Annie, who refuses to leave an open First Class seat. When he gives her a measly three seconds to get back to coach, her acknowledgment of just how unfairly brief that is makes for a good point.

"I Almost Hit A Horse Once With My Smart Car. I Ended Up Driving Right Under It! It Left A Brown Racing Stripe On The Hood And I Loved It!" - SNL 

Sometimes, when trying to make conversation with her customers, Target Lady shares a personal story that just ends up alienating them more. For instance, when she references the time a new paint job for her small car more than likely cost the life of an animal.

"Last Night A Bird Chased Me Home, And I Wished It Was You" - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

In Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) finds the love he has been waiting for with a woman he shares a lot in common with named Chani Lastnamé (Wiig). She has an appropriately bizarre way of expressing her feelings for the absent-minded weatherman. 

"I Mean, What Are We Gonna Say, 'Dear America, Remember That Astronaut We Killed And Had A Really Nice Funeral For? Turns Out He's Alive And We Left Him On Mars. Our Bad. Sincerely, NASA'" - The Martian 

As NASA’s director of public relations, Annie Montrose (Wiig) has a real challenge on her hands when it is discovered that Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is alive and trapped on the Red Planet in The Martian. Wiig’s character is not quite the comic relief of Ridley Scott’s 2015 space movie favorite, but the comedian still gets one of the funniest quotes of the movie, and fittingly so.

"Do You Consider Yourself A Moderate Republican, A Conservative Republican, A Tea-Partier, A Crazy Whack-A-Doodle, Or A Democrat Voting Sarcastically?" - SNL 

In an SNL sketch set during the months leading up to the 2012 Presidential election, Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe plays a voter stopped by a surveyor (Kristen Wiig) whose questions go quite off-topic. Before then, however, she asks him to identify his political affiliation in five increasingly ridiculous ways.

"And Also, I Did Purchase A Spanish Dictionary. I Didn't Like What You Said" - Despicable Me

Kristen Wiig plays a couple of different characters in the Despicable Me movies — the first being abusive orphanage owner Miss Hattie, to whom Gru says, “You have a face” in Spanish when he first meets her. She later reveals that she was able to translate it with a Spanish dictionary that she hits him with in retaliation. 

These are just some examples of the hilarious things Kristen Wiig has said over the years. In reality, we might laugh at anything she says.

Though Hollywood A-listers make more money for one movie that some of us will see in a lifetime, there are times where even some of the highest grossing actors of all time didn’t make as much as you'd think. Over the years, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt have brought in massive paydays for acting and producing, but those same stars have also seen incredibly small paychecks for one reason or another.

If you’ve ever wanted to know about 33 actors who made way less than you’d think for a beloved movie, look no further…

Robert Downey Jr. Made $500,000 For Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was the first major star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and would be a staple of the Infinity Saga for more than a decade. During this time, he made a ton of money for his superhero performances. However, he only took home a comparatively small payday of $500,000 for 2008’s Iron Man, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Bill Murray Made $9,000 For Rushmore

Bill Murray is one of the most beloved actors of all time and a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson’s ever since the release of Rushmore back in 1998. That fruitful partnership started out modestly for the SNL alum, as he was paid $9,000 for his take on Herman Blume, per Vulture.

Gal Gadot Made $300,000 For Wonder Woman

When Gal Gadot first signed on to portray Diana Prince in the DCEU back in 2014, Variety reported that the Fast & Furious star would take on a salary of $300,000 per movie, including Wonder Woman, which was released three years later.

Julia Roberts Made $300,000 For Pretty Woman

Though she had some success at the box office prior to its release, Julia Roberts turned into a massive star thanks to 1990’s Pretty Woman and one of the most well-known A-listers on the planet. However, Roberts, who would go on to earn a ton of cash for movies like Erin Brockovich years later, reportedly received a modest sum of $300,000 for her role in the all-time great romantic comedy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hilary Swank Made $3,000 For Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank won her first Oscar and became one of the most talked about actresses thanks to her transformative portrayal of Brandon Teena in Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry. When appearing on Women’s Dinner Party years later, Swank revealed she was paid $3,000 for the role, which wasn’t enough to qualify for health insurance.

Tom Hanks Made $50,000 For Toy Story

Tom Hanks, who won two Academy Awards prior to the 1995 release of Toy Story, was reportedly paid $50,000 to provide the voice of Woody in the landmark Pixar film, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the same article, the publication reported that Hanks made $5 million upfront for its 1999 sequel.

Oprah Winfrey Made $35,000 For The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple back in 1985. The media mogul, who is worth billions today, later told Essence she was paid $35,000 for portrayal of Sofia.

Robin Williams Made $75,000 For Aladdin

Aladdin will forever be remembered as one of the best Robin Williams movies, and rightfully so. And while the late actor provided countless hours of incredible lines for his co-starring performance, he only made $75,000 for his troubles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Jamie Lee Curtis Made $8,000 For Halloween

John Carpenter’s Halloween, one of the best horror movies, turned Jamie Lee Curtis into a scream queen almost overnight. However, the Academy Award winner later told People Magazine that she only made $8,000 for her portrayal of Laurie Strode.

Nick Castle Made $25/Day For Halloween

Nick Castle has played Michael Myers a total of five times over the years, with the most recent being 2022’s Halloween Ends. Though the role made him a horror icon, Castle told Vanity Fair he was only paid $25 for each day of shooting in the original back in 1978.

Matthew McConaughey Made Less Than $200,000 For Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, a role that ushered in a new era of his career. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was paid less than $200,000 upfront for the movie9 but did receive an undisclosed amount on the backend.

Chris Evans Made $300,000 For Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans was a driving force for the first few phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was paid handsomely for his efforts later on. However, when he was cast to play Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, he reportedly only made $300,000, per The Guardian.

Jeff Daniels Made $50,000 For Dumb And Dumber

Jeff Daniels, who was mostly known for his dramatic roles at the time, was cast to appear alongside Jim Carrey in the Farrelly Brothers’ 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber despite New Line Cinema wanting someone else. Years later, the directors told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio low-balled him with an offer of $50,000, thinking he’d say no. You know the rest.

Taraji P. Henson Made $150,000 For The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a performance that netted her a great deal of screen time. However, as she later told Variety, she was only paid $150,000 for the gig, which was several hundred thousand dollars less than her initial request of $500,000.

Jonah Hill Made $60,000 For The Wolf Of Wall Street 

Jonah Hill was paid $60,000 for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 epic comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. While that may seem small considering the size of his role, Hill later told Howard Stern (via BBC) that he immediately took the offer, adding that he would have sold his house and given all his money to work with the acclaimed director. 

Orlando Bloom Made $175,000 For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy 

Orlando Bloom was an instrumental part of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with his character, Legolas, being featured heavily throughout all three movies. During a 2023 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the actor revealed he was paid a total of $175,000 for the entire project.

Jon Heder Initially Made $1,000 For Napoleon Dynamite 

Napoleon Dynamite pretty much came out of nowhere and took the world by storm in 2004, partly because its star, Jon Heder. A few years after the film’s release, Heder told Stuff Magazine that he initially made $1,000 from the movie but was later able to negotiate his deal after MTV picked up distribution.

Daisy Ridley Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

Daisy Ridley was a relatively unknown actress when she was cast in one of the lead roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which might explain her low salary for the 2015 blockbuster. According to Variety, that number was reportedly between $100,000 and $300,000.

John Boyega Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

John Boyega’s Finn was one of the most heavily featured characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the young actor reportedly only received a payday somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000, per Variety.

James Earl Jones Made $7,000 For Star Wars

James Earl Jones’ dynamic voice gave Darth Vader a menacing edge in George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars (and the rest of the franchise), but did you know that he was only paid $7,000 for the first movie? When speaking with the American Film Institute, the legendary actor admitted that he thought that was good money at the time.

Mel Gibson Made $9,000 For Mad Max 

After appearing in Mad Max, Mel Gibson would go on to lead some of the best action movies of all time, but back when he was cast in the late ‘70s, he was a broke college student. That’s why, as he told ExperienceWith.com, his $9,000 salary for George Miller’s dystopian thriller seemed like a fortune.

Seann William Scott Made $8,000 For American Pie 

American Pie was one of the biggest movies of the ‘90s, and Seann William Scott’s Stifler was its breakout character. So, how much did the young actor make for his career-defining role? Well, as he told The Rich Eisen Show in 2023, he was paid $8,000, most of which he spent on a used Thunderbird.

Christian Bale Made The Minimum Salary For American Psycho 

Christian Bale’s take on the unhinged Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho is one of the actor’s most unforgettable performances, but it could very well be one of his smallest paydays. Though he didn’t reveal the exact number in a 2022 GQ profile, the actor did say it was the “absolute minimum they were illegally allowed” to pay him.

Michelle Williams Made $625,000 For All The Money In The World 

Michelle Williams was reportedly only paid $625,000 for her portrayal of Gail Harris in Ridley Scott’s 2017 biographical crime thriller All the Money in the World, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Though this is a hefty fee, her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, was reported to have taken home $5 million for his role.

Barkhad Abdi Made $65,000 For Captain Phillips 

Barkhad Abdi became an overnight sensation following the release of Captain Phillips, in which he plays lead pirate Abduwali Muse. According to the New Yorker, Abdi’s acting debut and Oscar-nominated performance earned him $65,000.

Jennifer Lopez Made $0 For Hustlers 

Jennifer Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Hustlers, a movie she made for free. During a GQ breakdown of her biggest career moments, the multi-talented star said she starred in and produced the movie for no upfront money, as she was investing in herself. However, it wasn’t disclosed as to how much she made on the backend of the film’s release, which was $157.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Gunnar Hansen Made $800 For Texas Chain Saw Massacre 

Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface is an instantly recognizable horror villain thanks to his mask made of human flesh and signature chainsaw. But did you know that the actor was only paid a three-digit sum for his performance in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? In 2013, the actor told Fast Company that he made $800 for his part in the iconic ‘70s horror movie.

Dustin Hoffman Made $20,000 For The Graduate 

The Graduate was the movie that turned Dustin Hoffman into a young Hollywood star, but it was also one that didn’t earn him a whole lot of money. According to a 1968 New York Times article, Hoffman reportedly made $20,000 for his career-defining role, but he only ended up keeping $4,000 of that after expenses and taxes were taken out.

John Candy Made $414 For His Home Alone Cameo 

The late John Candy appears in Home Alone for only a few minutes, but it’s still wild to think that his cameo only netted the actor $414. In the Home Alone episode of Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, it is revealed that Candy’s unforgettable portrayal of Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, didn’t necessarily break the bank.

Jessica Chastain Made $1.75 Million For The Martian 

Jessica Chastain’s paycheck for The Martian was shockingly low. Around the time of the film’s 2015 release, there was a report that the actress made $7 million from her part, but she told The Huffington Post that she actually made around a quarter of that, which would be around $1.75 million. The film’s star, Matt Damon, reportedly made between $15 and 25 million for his part.

Brad Pitt Made $6,000 For Thelma And Louise 

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and highest paid actors around today and has been that way for the better part of the past 30 years. However, that wasn’t always the case. According to the Daily Mail, the actor was paid just $6,000 for his breakout performance as JD in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise.

Jon Voight Made The ‘Minimum’ Salary For Midnight Cowboy 

Jon Voight received all kinds of nominations for his performance in Midnight Cowboy, but the actor was paid the “minimum” for his portrayal of Joe Buck. When disclosing this to The Guardian decades later, Voight also revealed he received a $14.73 charge for meals on the final day of the shoot.

Adam Levine Made $0 For Begin Again 

Maroon 5 frontman and former coach on The Voice Adam Levine appeared in John Carney’s 2014 musical dramedy, Begin Again for free. When speaking with USA Today around the time of the film’s release, Levine explained that he did the movie “for no money,” stating that he had made enough through his other ventures and wanted the experience.

It’s safe to say that all of these actors have done okay for themselves over the years after making relatively small salaries throughout their career. But it’s still wild to think about Robert Downey Jr. only making half-a-million to play Tony Stark. What a steal.

Every year, the Academy Awards ends with the honors of Best Picture being announced to the world. Admittedly, the Academy doesn’t always get it right. For every Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, there’s a potential Crash to take its place the next year. So let’s talk about the Best Picture losers that really should have won, and why these golden competitors deserved more. 

Belfast

Kenneth Branagh’s bittersweet story of Buddy (Jude Hill) growing up during The Troubles in Ireland was bested by CODA as the top of the 2022 Academy Awards winners lineup. It was a surprising upset that made history for streaming originals, but it also left a beautifully formed tale of childhood and struggle behind in the dust.

1917

Bong Joon-ho’s darkly comedic Parasite, was an absolutely sterling choice for Best Picture. However, looking back on 2019’s films to be honored, Sam Mendes’ 1917 was both a technical and emotional marvel. Depicting World War I through what looked like a single take, the powerful film should have emerged victorious.

A Star Is Born

On the sliding scale of egregious wins/losses at the Oscars, 2019’s Academy Award winners possess one of the most upsetting upsets in the show’s entire history. Director/star Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born failed to secure the win over Peter Farrelly’s Green Book when it came time to award the top prize. You can still hear the screams from that night floating through the air, if you listen close enough.

Arrival

2017’s Academy class of nominees saw La La Land and Moonlight duking it out for Best Picture honors, right to the epic Oscar night mistake that saw victory proclaimed and reversed in the same moment. If only Arrival had seen its fortunes faring better as the true BP winner, perhaps this whole incident could have been avoided entirely. We’ll never truly know.

The Big Short

How strong of a year did the Oscars have in 2016? There are several movies that could have handily taken the prize, despite the fact that Spotlight’s Best Picture win is still something to celebrate. Much like that true-to-life drama, Adam McKay’s The Big Short was a movie that tackled personally identifiable issues and should have won the top prize in the process.

Whiplash

You could very easily mention Birdman’s 2015 win in a room of movie fans and draw a fair amount of sighs and cheers. At the same time, if you said something like "Whiplash was the true best picture of 2014," you just might hear a more unified response supporting that very claim. 

The Wolf of Wall Street

Oh, The Wolf of Wall Street, how you deserved so much more. Though 12 Years A Slave took the top prize, 2014’s Best Picture race did have some other competitors that felt as deserving as the winner. What’s even crazier than this film not winning is that Margot Robbie wasn’t even nominated for her star-making performance.

Gravity

Another heavy hitter that looked like it might take Best Picture in 2014 was Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity. Though it was nominated in the same class as Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years A Slave, Sandra Bullock’s bad day in space was an absolutely golden flick that should have triumphed.

Hugo

2012 gave the world another divisive Best Picture winner that’s still questioned to this day: The Artist. However, if Hollywood wanted to honor the art of filmmaking, with another movie made with visual gimmicks and a story full of heart and emotion, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo would have been a fantastic choice for the honors. 

The Social Network

Some upsets in the category are so large the world tends to skate over history in favor of a more fitting result. 2011’s victory for The King’s Speech is definitely present, since just as we’ll continue to call out Andrew Garfield deserving an Oscar nod, we’ll continue to highlight how The Social Network should have been the top movie of this Academy Awards scrum.

Up in the Air

The first year of the modern Academy Awards with an expanded Best Picture field, The Hurt Locker was named the top flick of its class. And yet another story about wounds that cut personally and professionally should have really been the belle of the ball. It’s ok: Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air will still reign in our hearts, even if the Academy was not so kind.

Inglourious Basterds

Some might argue that with a newly expanded nominee field came some nominations for movies that could have won the “popular film” Oscar. If anyone tells you Inglourious Basterds is one of those movies, you look them straight in the eye and ask them to repeat it. This just might be Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, and that's a bingo.

Frost/Nixon

History comes alive at its best in movies like Frost/Nixon. Watching the verbal sparring match between Michael Sheen and Frank Langella was one of the joys of the film. Ultimately, No Country For Old Men took the top prize at the 2009 Academy Awards, but there’s a silent majority that would make the case for this being the truly deserving title. 

Milk

At once deeply heartwarming and utterly tragic, Gus Van Zant’s Milk chronicled the life and loss of openly gay politician and activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn). A member of the highly competitive year that saw No Country For Old Men win top honors, the picture deserves extra consideration to this day. 

Michael Clayton

Some years are just too good in the history of film, and it’s a shame there aren’t more ties for movies that equally deserve the win. No Country For Old Men saw itself at the heart of that very storm as the victor of 2008’s Oscars. That being said, good luck trying to make a case against Michael Clayton being the true victor of that year, especially with that explosive finale.

Brokeback Mountain

Mark 2006 down as yet another Oscar competition where the winner was marked as a controversial bad kid of the family. Crash would take the top prize, but you could already hear viewers openly questioning why Brokeback Mountain’s heartbreaking tale of forbidden love didn’t make the grade. 

Good Night, And Good Luck

Crash’s 2006 win saw a field of better, more competitive films losing out on the Best Picture moniker. Even with George Clooney walking away with a Best Supporting Actor win for Syriana, the loss of his directing/co-writing efforts in Good Night, and Good Luck still remains one of the most notable mistakes. At least the film made the list of CinemaBlend's 100 Best Movies of the 2000s, and rightfully so.

The Aviator

How, how, how did Million Dollar Baby beat The Aviator in 2005’s Best Picture race? Martin Scorsese’s historical drama brilliantly danced between celebrating old Hollywood opulence while also diving into the tortured psyche of Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio). Scorsese eventually scored a big win with The Departed a couple years later, but this loss still stings quite a bit.

The Green Mile

When Stephen King goes to the Oscars, his work goes in style. Just five years after Frank Darabont sent The Shawshank Redemption to its Best Picture showdown, the legendary collaborator scored another nod with The Green Mile. American Beauty won that year, a win that over time and consideration makes this King loss all the more upsetting.

Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan feels like a movie that should have, without question, won a BP trophy at the Oscars. That feeling was firmly in place right until the night the actual victor, Shakespeare in Love, took home its spoils. Go ahead and take some time to punch the floor if you have to. It’s perfectly natural.

L.A. Confidential

Titanic truly was the ship of dreams for James Cameron and most everyone involved in its production. It was a mythic victory that made history for years to come, but was it really the correct choice? When the BP race that included that film also featured L.A. Confidential within its ranks, you don’t need to be a detective to know the real answer.

Apollo 13

Here’s an interesting Academy Awards two-step: in 1995, Forrest Gump won Best Picture, but it probably shouldn’t have. Meanwhile,1996 saw Mel Gibson’s Braveheart winning those same honors; the same year that the Tom Hanks starring Apollo 13 should have brought home the gold. 

The Shawshank Redemption

Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect movie; full stop. Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s fairy tale for adults is still a well-regarded picture to this very day, standing as one of the best films of all time. And yet it couldn’t beat Forrest Gump for the big prize at the 1995 Oscars. I wish I could tell you that was the right choice.

Goodfellas

As far back as Oscar watchers can remember, the loss of Goodfellas to Dances With Wolves was one of the worst upsets to behold at the Academy Awards. Whether you’re a clown or not, that competition was not funny or amusing and may have inspired some fans to swear as much as Joe Pesci has in his entire career with Martin Scorsese.

Working Girl

1989's Oscars were all about Rain Man fever, as Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman's dramedy took home that year's top prize. Which is fine and good but, if the Academy wanted to reward that genre in a better fashion, director Mike Nichols' Working Girl was right there, waiting for the chance. At least Carly Simon's iconic "Let The River Run" won Best Original Song in that same year, so the Melanie Griffith/Harrison Ford/Sigourney Weaver love triangle didn't go home empty handed.

Broadcast News

The Last Emperor is the movie that won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Picture; at least that’s what it says in the history books. And yet, there’s quite a bit of room for doubt, when taking into account that the powerhouse dramedy Broadcast News was also up in that same race. At the same time, the movie’s loss is one that Albert Brooks’ Aaron Altman would view as just another day at the office.

Network

1977 was a red hot year in Academy history, as Rocky became the underdog to rise up and claim ultimate Oscar victory. While the flick's place in the pantheon of sports movies is without question, the presence of Sidney Lumet’s Network in that same contest makes me wonder if the right choice was made, or if anyone else is as mad as hell that this satire wasn’t chosen as the top film.

Little Women

Greta Gerwig not being nominated for directing Little Women is an Oscar travesty. But the fact that the movie failed to win Best Picture in 2020 just makes that fact even more heartbreaking. And considering how the movie's story breaks viewers' hearts with a classic and well-known piece of literature, it’s even more aggressively aggravating. 

The Post

The Shape of Water absolutely deserved Best Picture in 2017, especially when it came to striking a blow for genre films at the Oscars. Even with that in mind, Steven Spielberg’s political/journalistic epic The Post is admittedly a more traditional pick that stands as one of the best “What If” cases in Academy Awards history.

The Martian

Admittedly The Martian is a movie that, while technically being a work of science fiction, rides the lines of more traditional Oscar genres rather well. You can argue whether it’s a comedy or a drama contender, especially thanks to the Golden Globes debacle that inspired that same question. What you can’t argue is that Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel wasn’t a prime contender for the Academy's biggest honor in 2016.

Brooklyn

Director John Crowley’s Brooklyn was a quietly effective story that recounted the immigrant experience and all of its highs and lows. But not all of the beauty in the world could push this film ahead of Spotlight in 2016’s Oscars race; and that’s something that will continue to stick out for as long as we keep these records.

The Queen

2007 saw Martin Scorsese winning pretty huge for The Departed, after losing some well-fought battles with films like Goodfellas and The Aviator. At the same time, Stephen Frears’ The Queen was sitting right there, expertly navigating the story of Princess Diana’s death and how Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) worked though the ensuing public fallout. 

Even royalty can somehow be overlooked at the awards show, proving how unpredictable this long-held tradition truly can be. The Academy Awards have always been a night of winners and losers, and all anyone can do is hope that the right balance between both sides is struck. 

But there will always be a history of people arguing over who the real winners were, as you can see with the films we’ve highlighted above. So when things don’t go the way you hoped on Oscar night, take comfort in the fact that there’s usually someone that’ll be in that same corner you’re cheering from.

Some of what many would consider to be the greatest movies of all time are also those based on classic and beloved novels. And while there are folks out there who think you don’t need to read the book after watching the movie, there are dozens of examples that prove otherwise. 

From Academy Award-winning dramas to a few landmark fantasy films and just about everything in between, here are 32 books that you might still want to read after you watch the movie. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start strolling through this library of great titles… 

Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and the Michael Crichton book on which it was based are both cultural touchstones in their respective worlds. And while they share the basic concept of a disaster falling upon an amusement park full of cloned dinosaurs, there are some key differences that make reading the book an entirely different experience.

The Shining  

Stephen King is no fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the 1980 adaptation of his horror novel of the same name. Kubrick’s version makes all kinds of changes when it comes to the characters (played by Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duval, and Danny Lloyd) and the overall departure of his original intentions.

The Harry Potter Books

Even though there were eight Harry Potter movies (The Deathly Hallows was split in two) that were all at least two hours long, a lot of material was cut when adapting J.K. Rowling’s popular fantasy books. While we wait for the upcoming Harry Potter series on Max, now would be a great time to go back and read all the novels.

Dune

Denis Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation of Dune (the second half is due in March 2024) gets a lot of things right when it comes to adapting Frank Herbert’s influential sci-fi epic, but like other movies based on fantasy novels, there’s a lot left on the page. This classic, 896-page epic won't be a quick read but it's a classic. 

To Kill A Mockingbird  

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is considered one of the great American novels, and it's a must-read (if you haven’t already) even after watching the 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck. The narration by Scout throughout Lee’s book adds an incredible quality and pacing to the story, a childlike wonder that isn't quite captured in the screen version.

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz  

L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is totally worth reading, especially if you’ve seen the 1939 film adaptation. And while both share similar story components, the original text is full of so much more, including a longer stay in Oz, an army of mice saving Dorothy and company from the poppy field, and very different versions of those well-known characters.

The Hobbit And Lord of the Rings Trilogy 

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels, some of the best literary experiences of all time, were famously turned into two trilogies by Peter Jackson. And while the movies are awesome in just about every possible way, Tolkien’s original books include so much more story. No extended version could contain all of this.

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer 

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer stands a good chance of winning a ton of awards, and rightfully so. But if you want to go back and read more about J. Robert Oppenheimer, his life, and role in the creation of the Atomic bomb, American Prometheus, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s 700-page biography is going to fill in a lot of the blanks.

The Color Purple  

Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is a Pultizer Prize-winning novel that should be read at least once in your life. Yeah, it was turned into a decorated movie adapted by Steven Spielberg (with a musical-based version coming out in December 2023), but Walker’s rich text and plot threads add so much to the story.

World War Z   

It’s hard to imagine a movie adaptation being less like the source material than 2013’s World War Z. Unlike the movie, which focuses on one character experiencing Hell on Earth, Max Brooks’ novel is set up like an oral history with each chapter focusing on a different, and sometimes, terrifying event, narrated by various characters. 

Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption

Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption has been the highest-rated movie on IMDb for a very long time, and is considered one of the top-tier Stephen King adaptations. Interestingly enough, the 1994 movie starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman is based not on a novel, but a 127-page novella, originally included in the book Different Seasons.

It

Stephen King’s It, all 1,138 pages of it, tells the fascinating and frightening story of a group of kids (later adults) teaming up to defeat a demonic entity multiple times throughout their lives. The 1990 miniseries, and a pair of theatrical releases that followed years later, only touches on part of King’s epic, and the full story must be explored. 

Ready Player One 

Steven Spielberg’s 2018 adaptation of Ready Player One is fun and all, but it’s an almost completely different experience when compared to Ernest Cline’s original novel. There are more than a dozen major differences ranging from minor changes to massive reimaginings of key sequences.

The Martian  

If you got a kick out of the blend of comedy, drama, and intense sci-fi action in Ridley Scott’s The Martian, then Andy Weir’s novel of the same name is going to be something to check out. It has the same tone but more of it.

All You Need Is Kill (Edge Of Tomorrow)

All You Need is Kill was later turned into Edge of Tomorrow (also known as Live Die Repeat) with Doug Liman taking on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel. There were all kinds of changes made for adaptation ranging from its characters and story to how the ending plays out.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower  

Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is based on his book of the same name, is a wonderful adaptation that mostly sticks to the source material. However, there are enough changes to make reading the coming-of-age novel worth a read, specifically its epistolary presentation.

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump the movie and book are two completely different beasts, so much so that watching and reading each version is an entirely different experience. Nearly every aspect of the story was changed in some way when being adapted into an Oscar-winning film, including Forrest’s personality and its ending. Forrest even goes to space in the book, which never happened in the movie.

Pride And Prejudice 

With so many different adaptations of Pride & Prejudice over the years, sometimes it’s fun to go back and read Jane Austen’s original novel to see how each version sticks, or diverts, from the source material.

I Am Legend 

Though I Am Legend the book and movie follow an almost identical path through the majority of their respective stories, the 2008 film adaptation starring Will Smith makes a drastic change to Richard Matheson’s original novella with its ending. We won’t ruin it for the uninitiated, but it completely changes how you see Dr. Robert Neville. 

2001: A Space Odyssey 

Stanley Kubrick and author Arthur C. Clarke shared credit on the 2001: A Space Odyssey screenplay, which Clarke later turned into a novelization. In addition to some shifts in the tone and style, the novel also makes the main portion of the story a mission to Jupiter opposed to Saturn as seen in the classic sci-fi epic.

Gone Girl  

We could write a whole article about how David Fincher’s 2014 adaptation of Gone Girl differs from Gillian Flynn’s novel. In fact, the entire third act was rewritten by the acclaimed author for the movie starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

The Accidental Billionaires (The Social Network)

Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book, The Accidental Billionaires, which was later adapted by Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher as The Social Network, details the founding and early days of Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. If you’re looking for a more detailed (as surprising as that may be) look at the social media giant, this book will do the trick.

The Hunger Games Books

Some would say The Hunger Games is a better movie than book, but the only way to know for sure is by reading Suzanne Collins’ 2008 young adult dystopian novel and its various sequels (and prequel).

In Cold Blood  

In 1967, Richard Brooks adapted Truman Capote’s 1966 true crime thriller, In Cold Blood, a painstakingly crafted breakdown of a quadruple-murder and the two men who carried out the senseless act of violence. Capote’s words just fly off the page, especially in the tense and foreboding opening chapter. 

Fight Club 

Fight Club the movie and book have the same basic premise: a nameless narrator befriends the man he’s always dreamed of being, starts an underground combat group, and then things get out of hand. However, if you want to see characters and situations not covered in David Fincher’s movie, as well as a different ending, check out Chuck Palahniuk’s novel.

Little Women 

There have been a total of seven adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s 19th-century coming-of-age novel, Little Women, each making minor changes of their own over time. If you’ve seen one, two, or all of them, you should probably read the book to see what’s changed and what’s stayed the same. 

No Country For Old Men 

The Coen brothers’ Academy Award-winning adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men is one of the best films of the 21st century, but the book is also more than worthy of a read. It’s sparse, it’s violent, and features a lot more of Tommy Lee Jones’ character as he provides the narration throughout.

American Psycho 

After making your friends watch American Psycho, why not have a book club with Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel of the same name. Surprisingly enough, Mary Herron’s 2000 adaptation is a toned down version of Patrick Bateman’s descent into madness, and cuts back a lot of the central character's outlook on life and other social groups.

Trainspotting  

Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting, which was later adapted into a film of the same name by Danny Boyle, is more of a series of short stories than the film starring Ewan McGregor. The book is also written in the Scottish dialect. While the text can sometimes be a challenge, it's never enough to take away from this story that is at times hilarious and other times heartbreaking.

Matilda  

Danny DeVito did an outstanding job bringing Roald Dahl’s Matilda to life back in 1996, but this doesn’t mean it’s a 100% faithful adaptation. This is a good reason to go back and read the timeless children’s book, as it’s similar but different, familiar yet fresh. There are also a number of changes in the 2022 musical inspired by the book, meaning fans of the Netflix movie should check out the book if they haven’t already.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been adapted for screen and stage numerous times, but it’s never too late to go back and read the fantastical and whimsical novel. It’s fun to see how Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Tim Burton’s more faithful 2005 adaptation compare to this fun children’s book with all its bad eggs and imaginative treats.

The Exorcist 

William Peter Blatty wrote both the novel and film versions of The Exorcist, but this doesn’t mean they are entirely the same. The book, which came out only two years before William Friedkin turned it into a movie, is surprisingly even darker, more sinister, and more graphic. On top of that, there are also numerous minor differences throughout its story, so much so that reading it is a fresh experience.

With a whole slew of upcoming book-to-screen adaptations coming to theaters (and streaming services) in the coming months, you can expect to see some major changes to this list in the near future. 

From the earliest days of cinema, filmmakers understood the power of the medium to show us worlds that we would never be able to otherwise experience. Science fiction, in all its forms, can show us a future that's terrible or wonderful. It can show us alien worlds and it can bend the laws of physics and make us wonder, what if?

Science fiction covers a lot of ground, and so, any list of the best sci-fi movies ever made is going to cover a variety of fantastical stories. While they all share a few common characteristics, the main thing these 35 films have in common is greatness.

35. Annihilation 

Annihilation is a movie that was generally reviewed well, and it’s also a movie that a lot of people have very strong feelings about. However, the fact that everybody feels strongly about it shows how well the movie did its job. On its surface Annihilation is a science fiction story with a mysterious alien presence and strange creatures, but there’s a lot more going on inside Annihilation. It’s also an emotional journey about change, grief, and loss. 

34. Robocop

There's a lot to love about Robocop, and, to be clear, we're talking about the original version from 1987. If you're into hyper-violent action movies, it has that. If you just like science fiction movies with cyborgs, you're covered. However, one thing that elevates Robocop from simply being a fun movie to becoming a great one is the satire. The film has something important to say about modern society, something that might be even more relevant today than it was in the 1980s. It's a smart film that just so happens to have people turned into a red mist via high-caliber machine guns. 

33. The Fifth Element

Luc Besson's The Fifth Element is one of those films that took a while to become a fan favorite. It did solid box office business but was far from a huge hit when first released. However, through home video and streaming services, more and more people have come across the film and it seems to have become a film with little negative reaction. Bruce Willis plays a cab driver who gets pulled into a fight for galactic survival by a beautiful woman played by Milla Jovovich. The premise is simple but thanks to delightfully fun characters like Chris Tucker's Ruby Rhod and a musical number that nobody will ever forget, this one will survive the test of time. 

32. Blade Runner 2049 

The sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner took decades to produce, and much like the movie that came before it, Blade Runner 2049 largely failed to ignite audiences but make no mistake, this movie is, also much like the original, an absolutely amazing piece of filmmaking. It’s beautiful, both in cinematography and tone. Ryan Gosling’s performance is excellent. It’s a fitting follow-up to a classic. 

31. Tron

In the 1980s the computer became a device that the average family could afford, as such, there was an explosion in ownership, yet, in many ways, people didn't understand them. This aspect of science fiction made real was the premise of Tron, a film that wondered about what was happening inside the machine. While the film may feel a little dated by current standards, you simply can't underestimate what the movie brought to the screen upon its release. The computer effects that created the digital world had simply never been seen before. It was a leap forward in technology that dozens of films would be influenced by. The film has ultimately spawned enough additional materials it can be hard to keep the Tron timeline straight, and a third Tron film is finally on the way. 

30. The Abyss

While most science fiction movies take place among the stars, some of them can work within the confines of our planet. The Abyss finds alien life residing at the bottom of the ocean, showing that James Cameron has been wondering what's going on in our waters since long before Titanic. The claustrophobia of the environment is palpable, making the movie an exciting ride all the way through. In addition, it brought computer-generated characters to the next level thanks to groundbreaking work from Industrial Light & Magic. They're still impressive effects, even if, James Cameron now finds them "quaint."  If you haven't seen this one, fix that soon. 

29. Inception

While director Christopher Nolan did a lot of good to bring credibility to the comic book genre with his Dark Knight trilogy, it was a film he made in between those movies that was truly revolutionary. In many ways, the set-up was that of a simple heist. However, the trick was that the information our team needed to steal was inside somebody's mind. The story creates technology that allows them to enter the dreams of unsuspecting victims. Inception has many of the hallmarks of the best science fiction. It creates a fictional world with specific rules that the story must abide by, making the situation feel more real than it could ever be. This, combined with some stunning visual set pieces, captured largely practically rather than digitally, makes Inception a worthy recent entry to this list. And of course, there's also the Inception ending which has remained one of the most talked about movie conclusions ever.

28. Ex Machina

The concept of artificial intelligence has been covered in countless science fiction movies over the years. However, it has never been done as well as it was in Ex Machina. Alicia Vikander plays Ava, an artificial life form that may, or may not, be capable of true consciousness and emotion. Can humans truly relate to a machine the way we relate to each other? And if we can, what exactly does that mean about our concepts of what it means to be alive? Ex Machina is the all too rare dramatic science fiction movie. It has no ray guns or explosions. It's ultimately about people, even if one of the people isn't entirely real. 

27. Edge of Tomorrow

Tom Cruise is almost always an actor who's good for having a fun time at the movies. However, the criminally underrated Edge of Tomorrow is so much more than that. The story follows Cruise's character, a military officer who has never seen combat before but is now forced to the front lines, as he accidentally gets exposed to alien technology and discovers that the reason the aliens are winning the war is that they can travel back and repeat time and learn from their mistakes. Once he gains the same ability we get to see him use it to learn how to fight and try to win. Also, you get to watch Tom Cruise get blown up, a lot. 

26. Back to the Future

And, while we're discussing time travel, let's talk about what is probably the most popular time travel movie ever made. Even more rare than science fiction drama is the science fiction comedy, yet, Back to the Future lands it perfectly. The science fiction mechanic of the film indeed exists only to give a reason to have 1980s Marty McFly experience the world of 1955, yet, the movie deals with many of your standard time travel tropes including accidentally changing the past to negate the future, the bootstrap paradox, not to mention the possibility of accidentally becoming your own father, which is funny, and also gross. It's a movie so great that fans wanted more sequels for years. 

25. The Martian 

When a science fiction movie gets nominated for Oscars, you know it's something special. The Martian is one of the more recent movies but it has earned its spot. While the movie is Cast Away in space, it's also so much more. This movie just has everything that hardcore science fiction fans love, space travel, alien worlds, and enough scientific facts built in to make the science fiction plausible. Add in the fact that the film is legitimately funny and you've got a movie that has a little something for every type of sci-fi fan.

24. 12 Monkeys

Terry Gilliam has directed some gloriously fantastic science fiction, including a couple of films that came very close to making this list. However, his best science fiction movie has got to be 12 Monkeys. The story of a man sent back in time to prevent the spread of a plague would seem straightforward, but straightforward is something that never happens when Terry Gilliam is involved. A movie that earned Brad Pitt his first Oscar nomination and also contains one of the best performances by Bruce Willis simply can't be left off this list. 

23. The Day The Earth Stood Still

The question of whether or not we're alone in the universe is a consistent theme in science fiction films. The answer to that question was the subject of one of the great classics of the genre, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Today the words "Klaatu barada nikto" still survive in pop culture, which shows just what an impact the movie had. One wonders how many people even know that this is where the phrase comes from. So often when we do meet aliens in movies they are hostile invaders, but even back in 1951, a movie wondered if we might have been the aggressive ones. 

22. Snowpiercer

Most of the movies on this list are big and popular films that you're likely familiar with, even if you haven't seen them. Snowpiercer was something of an unknown quantity upon its release. Over time, however, it has acquired a significant fanbase. Korean director Bong Joon-ho's English-language debut sees Chris Evans as a passenger on a train in a future world that has been taken over by ice. Only those on a constantly moving train survive and quality of life is dictated by your position on the train. Those in the back start a revolt that takes them forward on the massive train. Whether you're looking for great action sequences or an examination of society you'll get both with Snowpiercer. 

21. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

There are so many ways one could describe Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's a science fiction drama, it's a romantic comedy, it's just a general mind-fuck of a movie. Eternal Sunshine is all these things and more. Charlie Kaufman is known for writing some of the more offbeat stories in recent memory but this one may very well be his masterpiece. By the time this one came out we knew that Jim Carrey wasn't just a comedian and we already knew how great Kate Winslet was, but we saw entirely different sides of both actors here. The story follows two ex-lovers as they decide to get the memories of each other erased from their heads. The movie is utterly bizarre but that doesn't stop it from being an emotional journey. 

20. Dune (2021) 

Ever since David Lynch tried, and unfortunately failed, to adapt Dune for the screen, the Frank Herbert novel was widely considered impossible to turn into a movie. Denis Villeneuve has found at least half of the solution, as 2021’s Dune is an absolutely excellently produced film, and it has a shelf full of Oscars to prove it. If there’s any knock against the film, it’s that it only tells half the actual story.

19. Arrival 

On its surface, Arrival stars Amy Adams as a linguist whose expertise is called upon when alien life makes first contact with Earth. However, as with all great science fiction, there’s a great deal more going on. A very well-constructed story, and the third science fiction movie directed by Denis Villeneuve on this list, Arrival is an emotional character exploration with a satisfying, if potentially heartbreaking, conclusion. 

18. The Terminator

No list of science fiction films could be complete without the movie that created one of the biggest action heroes of all time. The Terminator introduced Arnold Schwarzenegger as an unstoppable killing machine and for a guy that looked like he did, audiences bought it. Even if Arnold himself was unsure about his most iconic line. While the movie doesn't have the flashy special effects of future sequels, that's part of why this movie still stands up. It's a desperate fight against an unstoppable force; it's not supposed to be pretty. While most of the movies that followed never held up, the reason they even tried was because the original was so good. 

17. Wall-E

One of the best science fiction films ever made deals with elements of artificial intelligence, love between artificial beings, and the destruction of human habitat. Also, it's an animated Pixar movie. Pixar has a near-perfect record when it comes to creating good movies, however, Wall-E may be in a class by itself. It's a film so good that the movie doesn't even require dialogue for half its runtime. It is by far the best animated science fiction movie ever made and Wall-E will be one of our favorite sci-fi characters forever. Wall-E and Eve is one of the greatest cinematic romances of all time. 

16. Jurassic Park

While actors performing against non-existent characters on a green screen is fairly commonplace now, such things were mostly unheard of prior to the release of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park. What's more, while many digital effects in other films from the era don't really hold up today, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park do. That, combined with one of John Williams' best scores makes for not only one of the best films of the '90s but also an all-time classic. Also, it has dinosaurs in it and they eat people. You really can't go wrong with that. None of the sequels have ever come close to surpassing the original, something even Colin Trevorrow admits to now. 

15. Aliens

Following up Ridley Scott's Alien could not have been an easy task even if James Cameron acted like it was the easiest thing in the world. The director made at least one brilliant decision, however. Rather than try to recreate the pulse-pounding terror of the original film, brilliant in its own right, he traded some of that tension in for space marine action. There continue to be attempts to recreate the magic of an Alien sequel, but nobody, even Ridley Scott himself, has been able to go back to this world and figure out how to make it work. It's hard to believe people told James Cameron Aliens would end his career.

14. Planet of the Apes

Who could have possibly dreamed that all these years later a movie about a planet run by apes would still be so popular? And yet, here we are. While the original may be best known for its famous twist ending, its influence on popular culture simply can't be overlooked. It received sequels, adaptations, spoofs, a new trilogy of movies that have been as good as anything the series has ever produced, and the equally well reviewed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. None of that happens without Charlton Heston and the "damn dirty apes" which earns it a spot on this list. 

13. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

You can't talk about science fiction without including Star Trek in the conversation. For a series that's gone on as long as it has, the movie side has seen its ups and downs, but the best of them still has to be the second film in the franchise: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. If you were a hardcore Star Trek fan then this film was a godsend as it brought back one of the great villains from the original series. However, you didn't need to be steeped in lore to enjoy Ricardo Montalban's over-the-top evil performance. The movie's so good the reboot film series wanted to do their take on it, but really, there's no way to improve on perfection. 

12. Everything Everywhere All At Once 

The word masterpiece should not be used lightly when discussing films, but it has been used frequently by critics discussing Everything Everywhere All At Once. Michelle Yeoh is always great on screen but she is in a class all by herself in this multiverse story that sees Yeoh jumping between her various realities and trying to save everything. It’s the newest film on this list, but we’re confident this one will stand the test of time. The film had an incredible night at the 2023 Academy Awards, taking home the prizes for Editing, Screenplay, three of the four acting awards, and, oh yeah, Best Picture. Few movies have ever had a better night at the Oscars. 

11. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

While the original Terminator is a classic, it was the sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, that took the franchise to the next level. This time Arnold got to be the hero as he was sent back in time to protect John Conner from the next generation of Terminator. James Cameron has always been one to latch on to the newest technology in filmmaking and for Terminator 2 it was digital morphing effects that allowed the T-1000 to transform in front of our eyes. Add to that the fact that the film was rated-R, during a time period where the PG-13 rating was beginning to establish movie dominance and fans got exactly the sequel they wanted, bigger and better. 

10. The Thing

You know that you've made a seminal work of science fiction when your movie is so good, people forget it's a remake. John Carpenter's The Thing technically follows 1951's The Thing From Another World and while that movie is still pretty good, it doesn't hold a candle to the masterclass in science fiction and horror that Carpenter's film was. The movie is still debated today as the ending of The Thing is left open to interpretation. Was The Thing destroyed, or is one of the final survivors actually a monster in disguise? 

9. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

What is there to say that hasn't already been said about the Star Wars trilogy. It quite simply changed the way Hollywood works. While some, including George Lucas himself, aren't necessarily thrilled by that fact, it's the world we live in now. The Empire Strikes Back was the film that proved that the pop culture circus that surrounded the first film was no accident. In many ways, the sequel is even superior to the original. With one of the greatest twists in the history of film included, The Empire Strikes Back will never be forgotten. 

8. E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial

So often in science fiction, the aliens are the bad guys that need to be defeated. However, Steven Spielberg's E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial doesn't just create a sympathetic alien that needs to be protected, it puts that protection in the hands of kids, making the movie something that entire families can enjoy. As such, it becomes one of those films that people make sure is seen by future generations. It's a heartwarming story that can hit you in the feels whether it's the first time you've seen it or the 50th. 

7. Metropolis

Made in 1927, when movies were still without sound, Metropolis is still one of the most influential science fiction movies ever made. Its visuals and effects were ahead of their time, fitting for a movie that portrayed a world that was highly advanced in technology, if not in humanity. It's difficult to argue that without Metropolis we may have never had any of the other films on this list. If you've never seen the film it is worth it to take the time and find it, if only to see the precursor to so many other genre classics. 

6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Hey look, it's Steven Spielberg again! The accomplished director has numerous great films on his filmography but when it comes to the science fiction genre, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is clearly his magnum opus. The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe is a topic in several films on this list, but while most films are about the answer, Close Encounters is a film about the question. It's about humanity's fascination with the idea of aliens and the lengths to which some will go to find a connection with the rest of the galaxy. It's a beautiful film and clearly one of the top ten in all of science fiction. 

5. The Matrix

The best movies are the ones that turn out to be great when you had no idea what to expect. The Matrix surprised pretty much everybody when it was released in 1999. Its cutting-edge use of "bullet time" cameras and "wire-fu" martial arts combined with a cyberpunk aesthetic was quite simply a combination that nobody had seen before. Add a solid story with a healthy dose of philosophical discussion on the nature of reality and the result is so popular that the universe is still being mined for stories to this day.  Perhaps none of The Matrix sequels have measured up, but that just shows how great the original truly was. 

4. Blade Runner

The fact that Blade Runner saw a sequel 25 years after the original debuted is all it takes to show how this film has survived over the years. Ridley Scott's story about a future where androids are virtually indistinguishable from humans and live amongst us captured the imagination. Perhaps one of the reasons the film has been so popular is that it has so many versions to choose from. No fewer than seven different cuts have been released over the years. The fact that so much work has been done following the initial release not only shows that fans are still interested but also helps to show how involved the film's story truly is, and that it can be looked at from so many different perspectives. 

3. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

While The Empire Strikes Back is viewed by many to be the high point of the Star Wars franchise, you simply can't underestimate just how important a film the original movie is. It not only launched the biggest property in the history of pop culture, but it changed the way movies were made and the way science fiction was viewed by the masses. No longer was it simply the purview of little kids watching Flash Gordon serials. Science fiction was now serious business. Everybody tried to do their own Star Wars after the original became the highest grossing film of all time. They all failed to match its brilliance. 

2. Alien

"In space, no one can hear you scream." With that simple phrase, we were introduced to some of the most terrifying alien creatures that have ever been created. Luckily, we were also introduced to one of the most badass heroes that science fiction, or any genre, has ever seen. Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley broke the mold when it came to genre heroines and she's still one of the greatest ever created. Alien was as good a science fiction film as it was a horror movie and the two are inextricably intertwined with each other -- in fact, Alien also ranks highly on our list of best horror movies of all time. It is absolutely one of the best science fiction movies ever made. 

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Every movie on this list is a great one, but all of them owe something to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie has everything you could want. It's got impressive outer space scenes. It's got drama that borders on horror thanks to a slightly deranged computer. Then it's got completely off-the-wall imagery and symbolism from Stanley Kubrick that still has people talking and asking questions to this day. After all these years we still can't stop thinking about 2001, which is why it's still the best science fiction movie ever made. 

Good science fiction movies come out all the time, but it takes something more to truly become great. Time will tell what modern movies might one day join this group of the best the genre has to offer.

Also, be sure to check out our list of sci-fi movies that have a 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. 

When it comes to some of the biggest films of the last decade, one that always pops up in my mind is The Martian. The Academy Award nominated movie told the story of a lone astronaut who had to find a way to survive on Mars after mistakenly being left for dead by his team, and told a tale of perseverance and strength. 

But with a film that was so well-received and with many stars headlining it, one might be wondering where the cast of the feature adaptation of Andy Weir's popular novel might be today. Well look no further, as this is what The Martian cast has been up to, and what they have going on in the next couple of years. 

Matt Damon (Mark Watney)

First up on this list is Matt Damon, the star of The Martian, who plays Mark Watney. From his Academy Award-nominated role, Damon has gone on to star in several movies that you might recognize. He had a funny cameo role in Thor: Ragnorok, a role he's expected to reprise in the upcoming 2022 movie release, Thor: Love and Thunder. 

Besides that, he’s also had starring roles in films such as The Great Wall, Stillwater, and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel. And he reprised his famous role as the titular character in Jason Bourne. Besides his upcoming appearance in Love and Thunder, Damon is also going to be appearing in the new Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer. 

Jessica Chastain (Commander Melissa Lewis)

Next up, we have another big-time star, Jessica Chastain. Since her role as Commander Melissa Lewis in The Martian, Chastain has appeared in a number of movies and been a part of television as well. 

In terms of films, she was in The Zookeeper’s Wife, It: Chapter Two, a part of The 355 cast, won an Academy Award for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and more. She was also in the miniseries, Scenes From a Marriage, and in the TV series, George and Tammy. 

Coming up, she is going to be in several films, including The Good Nurse, Memory, The Division and Mother’s Instinct, so keep an eye out for this talented actress. 

Kristen Wiig (Annie Montrose)

Kristen Wiig portrayed Annie Montrose in The Martian. Known for her hilarious yet moving comedic roles Kristen Wiig has done plenty of movies since the film. She was in the 2016 version of Ghostbusters, closed off the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, was one of the villains in Wonder Woman 1984, was in the comedic hit, Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar and more. 

She’s also appeared in TV shows as well, including a recurring voice role in the adult animated series, Big Mouth, voiced Jenny Hart in Bless the Harts, and was in MacGruber. Coming up, she’s going to continue her role in the Despicable Me franchise in the upcoming Despicable Me 4, and she'll also be appearing in Mrs. American Pie on Apple TV+.

Jeff Daniels (Theodore “Teddy” Sanders)

Now we have Jeff Daniels, who played Teddy Sanders in The Martian. Daniels has been in many TV shows since his appearance on The Martian. He did have a big role in the film Allegiant, but TV is where he really shined in recent years. 

Daniels had a part in the miniseries, Godless, The Looming Tower miniseries, and recently starred in the Showtime series American Rust. Coming up, he’s going to be appearing in a new Netflix limited series called A Man In Full. 

Michael Pena (Major Rick Martinez)

Michael Pena played Major Rick Martinez in The Martian, and has been quite active in his career. He had a voice role in The Lego Ninjago Movie, had a fun part in Ant-Man as well as its sequel, was in the latest rebooted version of A Wrinkle in Time, had a big role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and most recently was a part of the Moonfall cast.

He also had a huge role as Kiki Camarena in the TV series, Narcos: Mexico. Next up, he will be in the upcoming film, Secret Headquarters, as well as reprise his role as Luis in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson)

Sean Bean played Mitch Henderson in The Martian. Bean has been very active in television, and has appeared in many shows. He appeared in Legends, Wasted, Broken, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Oath, Medici, Curfew, World on Fire, Time, and most recently, Snowpiercer, all in main or recurring roles. Talk about a big-time actor.

He’s also appeared in films like The Young Messiah or Dark River, but television is where Bean really shined. Coming up soon, he’s going to be in another new BBC series called Marriage, as well as a new movie role in Knights of the Zodiac.

Kate Mara (Beth Johanssen)

Kate Mara played Beth Johansson in The Martian, and has grown her career even more since then. In terms of movies, she’s appeared in such hits like Captive, Morgan, The Senator, Ghostwriter and more, but television is also where she’s been able to show her talents. 

She had a voice role in Moonbeam City, played Zoe Barnes in the House of Cards cast, portrayed Patty Bowes in the Ryan Murphy drama, Pose, and starred in the miniseries, A Teacher. Soon, she’s going to be in a new TV miniseries for FX called Class of ‘09. 

Sebastian Stan (Dr. Chris Beck)

Sebastian Stan has only continued to grow in popularity since his role as Dr. Chris Beck in The Martian, appearing in many TV shows and movies. One of his biggest roles is playing Bucky Barnes, otherwise known as The Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role that he reprised for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast. 

Other than the MCU, Stan has been active in both movies and television. Some of his biggest roles were I, Tonya, where he received critical praise for his performance, Destroyer, The Devil All The Time, Monday, The 355, the Hulu original movie, Fresh and more. He’s also dived back into TV for a bit to play Tommy Lee as part of the Pam & Tommy cast on Hulu. Coming up, he's set to appear in the film Sharper. And in 2020 he was listed among the stars of the film The Brutalist, though we haven't seen updates on that project since. 

Aksel Hennie (Dr. Alex Vogel)

Next up, we have Aksel Hennie, who played Dr. Alex Vogul in The Martian. He’s appeared in films such as The Congo Murders, The Cloverfield Paradox, The Doorman, The Middle Man and more. He’s also had roles in TV shows such as White Wall and Nobel. 

In the next couple of years, he will be in a new film called Immortal. According to Deadline, the film began production in September 2021. 

Mackenzie Davis (Mindy Park)

Mackenzie Davis played Mindy Park in The Martian, and she’s appeared in films such as Blade Runner 2049, Freaks of Nature, Tully, Terminator: Dark Fate, the 2020 Christmas film, Happiest Season and more. She’s also had roles in TV shows like Halt and Catch Fire, as well as the miniseries Station Eleven. She even played Yorkie in the famous Black Mirror episode, “San Junipero."

In 2020, Variety included her among the cast of an upcoming film called Alpha Gang. 

Benedict Wong (Bruce Ng)

Benedict Wong's star has continued to rise over the last several years since The Martian released and he played Bruce Ng. His biggest role thus far has been playing Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently as part of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cast, but Wong has done plenty of other TV shows and movies too. 

Some of his highlights include a big role in the film Nine Days, a role in the Raya and the Last Dragon cast, a starring role in the TV series, Deadly Class, a voice role in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and more alongside his many appearances in Marvel. Coming up, he’s going to be in the new Disney+ Marvel show, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and in a Netflix TV series called The Three-Body Problem.

Donald Glover (Rich Purnell)

Donald Glover played Rich Purnell in The Martian. Besides his accomplished music career as Childish Gambino, Donald Glover has appeared in many movies, including Solo: A Star Wars Story, Guava Island, The Lion King, and more. 

He’s also been the creator and star of his own FX series, Atlanta, which as of writing this, just wrapped up its third season. Soon, he’s going to be starring in a TV series called Mr. & Mrs. Smith based on the movie of the same name. 

Chen Shu (Zhu Tao)

Chen Shu portrayed Zhu Tao in The Martian, and since then has appeared in a variety of TV shows and movies. These include, but aren’t limited, to the movie Fell in Love Like a Star, the miniseries A Love for Separation, the TV series, Peace Hotel, the TV series Behind the Scenes, the film Cloud Mountain and more.

Eddy Ko (Guo Ming)

Eddy Ko played Guo Ming in The Martian, and has appeared in a couple of films, including Beyond Redemption, The God of Wealth, and The Thousand Faces of Dunjia. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor)

Last but not least, we have Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has also continued to make a name for himself since his role as Vincent Kapoor in The Martian. Since the film, he appeared in Triple 9, Mary Magdalene, The Lion King, The Old Guard, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and portrayed Baron Mordo in both Doctor Strange and its sequel. 

He also had a role in the TV series, The Man Who Fell to Earth. Among his upcoming projects are The Pod Generation, The Old Guard 2, and Rob Peace (the latter which he's expected to direct, per a report from Variety in 2020.) 

With so many stars, it’s hard to sometimes keep track of all the amazing stuff that they’re doing, but it's clear everyone's been busy with interesting movies and TV shows since the sci-fi film released in 2015. 

When it comes to some of the new 2022 movie releases, a big one that everyone has been talking about is Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and you want to know who is one of the stars? Benedict Wong, who plays Wong. A fitting name, is it not? 

But, while plenty of people know him from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the sorcerer supreme, there are so many Benedict Wong movies and TV shows out there that you can stream if you want to learn more about the actor and see some of his fantastic work over the last several years. Let's take a look at what really shows off his acting talent. 

Marco Polo (Netflix)

The Netflix series, Marco Polo, is based on a real person, the son of a Venetian merchant who is left behind in China and ends up becoming a leader during the Mongol Empire under the mentorship of Kublai Khan, one of the Great Khans. 

While this show is fictional, the backstory about who the characters are is real, and Benedict Wong actually starred as Kublai Khan. If you think he’s great in the MCU, you should see him in something like this where he really fights with swords, and uses hand to hand combat to constantly outdo his enemies. Marco Polo was actually one of the most expensive shows that Netflix ever did - which is why it’s a shame that it was cancelled after only two seasons. But, it’s still a great watch for fans of Wong’s acting ability. 

Stream Marco Polo on Netflix.

Annihilation (Paramount Plus)

Next up, we have Annihilation. This sci-fi thriller stars several big names, who play a group of scientists on a mission to enter into a quarantined zone that has turned into a strange world due to aliens inhabiting the area - but this adventure soon turns deadly. 

Benedict Wong played Lomax, the interviewer who really gets down to the bones of the story of the scientists who went into the Shimmer (the quarantine zone), and while his role isn’t as big as some of the others in this film, his character is essential in driving the plot forward, and even if just acting as an interviewer, his calm voice and persona was perfect for this part. The Annihilation ending is also just crazy - it’s a shame the movie did so poorly at the box office. 

Stream Annihilation on Paramount Plus.
Rent/buy Annihilation on Amazon.

Nine Days (Starz)

Moving on, we have a personal favorite of mine, Nine Days. This smaller, independent film follows the story of a man and his assistant as they interview souls for the chance to be born, but when one of his former souls has their life come to an end suddenly, he finds himself questioning everything. 

This movie is one of those films that makes you think for hours on end - and everyone should see it at least once. Benedict Wong stars as Kyo, the assistant to Will (Winston Duke) who aids in bringing the souls into existence, and I absolutely love his chemistry with Duke. These two should really be in more films together because they worked as partners perfectly. This is also one of Zazie Beetz's best films, but it’s also a shining light for Wong, as well. 

Stream Nine Days on Starz.
Buy Nine Days on Amazon.

The Martian (Amazon)

Oh, The Martian is a classic. In this Academy Award-nominated feature film, The Martian tells the story of an astronaut who is left behind on the red planet when his team is forced to leave, thinking he is dead. Now, it’s up to him to somehow survive while the rest of his team tries to figure out a way to get him back when it’s revealed he’s very much alive. 

The Martian has so many stars, from Matt Damon to Donald Glover to many, many others, but Benedict Wong is also a fantastic addition to the cast. He plays Bruce Ng, the director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a character who aids in helping Matt Damon’s character survive and somehow get back down to earth. Everyone works together so well in this film alongside Wong, and not only does he get to show his charismatic personality, but his dramatic skills, as well. 

Rent/buy The Martian on Amazon.

Raya And The Last Dragon (Disney+)

Next up, we have a Disney film that is sure to entertain both young and old. Raya and the Last Dragon follows the titular character, Raya, in a quest across the ancient world where she seeks to reunite the nations in order banish evil spirits from her home, with the aid of some friends from each realm. 

The Raya and the Last Dragon cast is stacked with celebrity voices, including Benedict Wong, who voices Tong in the film, a warrior with a heart of gold and an eccentric personality that truly sticks with you as you watch the film. Out of everyone, I have to say I love him the most, if not for the fact that Wong’s voice-acting was so great and added so much personality to the gruff man, more than I ever thought I would see. There were things about the movie that I didn't love, but Wong’s voice skills were certainly a huge win among everything else. 

Stream Raya and the Last Dragon on Disney+.
Rent/buy Raya and the Last Dragon on Amazon.

Deadly Class (Amazon Prime)

Let’s see Benedict Wong be a badass again in Deadly Class. This Syfy series that ran for one season follows the story of King’s Dominion, a private academy that looks normal from the outside, but on the inside, trains its students to become the ultimate assassins. 

Benedict Wong freaking shines in this show, man, and it upsets me that there was only one season. His character, Master Lin, is a no-nonsense, kick-ass headmaster who truly got me hyped while watching this show, and his ruthlessness was just the perfect amount that I needed to really appreciate his character. Wong is awesome in these badass roles and damn it, he needs to have so many more of them. Less special effects, more stuff with knives and swords, please!

Stream Deadly Class on Amazon Prime.

Redemption (Netflix)

In this action drama, Redemption (released as Hummingbird in other countries), tells the story of a war veteran who is haunted by his past and the former crimes that he has committed, but soon, his life begins to change when he meets someone who pulls him right back into a life of crime. 

While the film itself has a story that could have been written a little better, in my eyes, I think that Redemption overall is a great action movie with some substantial drama. Benedict Wong portrays Mr. Choy, one of the main villains of the film, and again, Wong performs excellently as someone who is bad. I know he does well in good-guy roles too, but he really knows how to be scary sometimes, and Redemption shows that. 

Stream Redemption on Netflix.
Rent/buy Redemption on Amazon.

Black Mirror (Netflix)

Bet you weren’t expecting this one. Black Mirror, a popular Netflix anthology series, takes place in alternate worlds where certain kinds of technology has taken over society and influences our culture, most of the time for the worst, and creates chaos. 

While there are so many great Black Mirror episodes, Benedict Wong actually had a starring role in the Season 3 episode, “Hated in the Nation,” where he played Shaun Li, someone who works on cases on behalf of the National Crime Agency. This episode is quite complex, as its main theme is that it brings attention to the seriousness of cancel culture, but Black Mirror is a show you should really go into without too many plot details. 

Just know that Benedict Wong is fantastic in this role, as well, and really kills it - and you don’t need to watch any other Black Mirror episode to enjoy the great story in this. 

Stream Black Mirror on Netflix.

The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance (Netflix)

Next up, we have The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. This Netflix original series, which served as a prequel to The Dark Crystal, pairs fantasy and puppetry in an epic tale about three Gelflings who take it upon themselves to begin a rebellion against their former rulers when their home is threatened. 

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance has so many well-known actors who voiced characters in this, and Benedict Wong is just one of many. He voiced the character The General (also known as skekVar), one of the leaders, and his voice was, again, perfect. It makes me wonder why Wong hasn’t done more voice work, because he suited this character so well. I’m still upset that the show was cancelled after only one season. 

Stream The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix.

His Role In Doctor Strange - And Other MCU Films

We obviously have to put this here. While Benedict Wong first showed up as Wong in Doctor Strange in 2016, he has continued to make appearances in a variety of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, such as Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and most recently, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

While the whole Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cast is incredible in their own right, Benedict Wong as Wong is just perfection. He’s funny, serious, and has the right amount of sass in him to make the best Sorcerer Supreme, and I for one can’t wait to see what he’s going to do next in the MCU. 

Stream the MCU films on Disney+.
Rent/buy the MCU films on Amazon.

I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before we see more amazing work from Benedict Wong, but for now, we have all these awesome choices to pick from. Maybe you found an all new movie to hyperfixate on for a little bit.

There is no way of getting around it, Chiwetel Ejiofor is one of the best living actors, and one who can easily bounce from playing a shoe-obsessed drag queen with an entrepreneurial spirit to an unlawfully enslaved person on a 12-year crusade to secure his freedom, and a vengeful and overzealous sorcerer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without even so much as batting an eye. Yeah, he’s that good.

So good, in fact, that it is hard to settle on one, two, or even 10 of Chiwetel Ejiofor's best movies and we had to go and make a longer-than-usual list of his great performances that should all be required viewing for anyone who appreciates films that are better than just great. Let’s dive in...

12 Years A Slave (2013)

After being kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1840s Washington, D.C., talented violinist Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) spends the next 12 years of his life enduring hardships and atrocities no person should endure, while never letting go of his fight for survival, freedom, and reunion with his family back home.

Steve McQueen’s masterpiece, 12 Years a Slave, features one of the most outstanding and heartbreaking performances of Ejiofor’s career, one that sticks with you nearly a decade after its release. The actor’s take on the historical character is so raw and real you almost forget you’re watching an actor and not the real person.

Stream 12 Years a Slave on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy 12 Years a Slave on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.

American Gangster (2007)

The lives of Harlem drug dealer Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and NYPD detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) become intertwined as the former falls under the watchful eye of the latter over the course of a sprawling drug investigation.

The American Gangster cast is full of talented actors from top to bottom, and this includes Chiwetel Ejiofor and his portrayal of Frank’s brother and right-hand man, Huey Lucas. And even though he’s not front and center throughout Ridley Scott’s crime epic, Ejiofor further cemented his place in Hollywood with this gripping and unforgettable performance.

Stream American Gangster on Peacock.
Rent/Buy American Gangster on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Love Actually (2003)

Nine stories of varying levels of interconnectivity play out over the course of the holiday season, where people explore new beginnings, fresh starts, and one final shot at love before it’s too late. 

One of the best parts of Richard Curtis’ 2003 Christmas classic Love Actually is the story involving a love triangle shared by Juliet (Keira Knightley), her husband Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and his best friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who is madly in love with the new bride. It is hard not to feel bad for Peter throughout the course of this story, but it is somewhat comforting to know he has no knowledge of his friend’s obsession with his wife.

Stream Love Actually on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Love Actually on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Children Of Men (2006)

After a mysterious pandemic leaves the human population infertile and on the brink of disaster, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) finds himself in the middle of the fight for survival when he is tasked with escorting a young refugee with a history-changing secret to safety.

Chiwetel Ejiofor absolutely shines in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian thriller, Children of Men, with his portrayal of Luke, a colleague of Theo’s ex-wife Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore) whose role in the plan to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to safety isn’t what it seems. And plus, he’s at the center at the movie’s most thrilling sequence, the one-shot escape scene.

Rent/Buy Children of Men on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Kinky Boots (2006)

With his family’s shoe factory on the verge of going out of business, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) teams up with Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a daring and confident drag queen, to come out with a line of kinky footwear in hopes of reversing their fortunes.

Ejiofor is to die for in Julian Jarrold’s 2006 comedy, Kinky Boots, and it's undoubtedly one of the actor’s most confident and lovable characters yet. The way he handles himself as Lola never comes off as anything but genuine. But, he should have won the Golden Globe if we’re being honest.

Stream Kinky Boots on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Kinky Boots on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Martian (2015)

After it is discovered that astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is not actually dead but fighting to survive alone on the surface of Mars, a global rescue operation is booted up to pull off the impossible and bring him home.

Ridley Scott's The Martian is a team effort through and through, and everyone gets time to shine in this thrilling astronaut drama, including Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Vincent Kapoor, the man in charge of NASA’s Mars program. It is also funny seeing the actor share the screen and work with Benedict Wong just one year before they’d do it again in Doctor Strange.

Rent/Buy The Martian on Amazon.
Get it on 4K/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) goes from having everything he could want in life to having nothing at all after losing the ability to use his hands following a near-fatal accident. But, his fortunes are changed when the meets a powerful sorcerer who can give him what he lost and more.

Although not the best Marvel movie, Doctor Strange does lay a great deal of groundwork for what was to follow in the MCU, as well as introduced several memorable characters, including Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). We’ll avoid all the details of his arc for those who haven’t seen the movie, but it is a tremendous turn with a prospect of an interesting future, especially in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, one of most anticipated 2022 movies.

Stream Doctor Strange on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Doctor Strange on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an illegal immigrant living in London who makes his living driving a cab during the day and working at a hotel at night. If life couldn’t be any more complicated enough for the young man, things take a turn when he discovers a human heart clogged in the toilet of one of the hotel’s rooms.

Although he had appeared in a number of movies and shows by this point, Ejiofor became a force to be reckoned with thanks to his brilliant performance in Stephen Frears’ incredible 2002 thriller, Dirty Pretty Things, a movie that also starred French superstar Audrey Tautou.

Stream Dirty Pretty Things on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Dirty Pretty Things on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.

The Old Guard (2020)

When a group of centuries-old mercenaries with amazing regenerative powers learns they are being hunted by a mysterious organization, they do everything in their power to preserve their secret, their lives, and the only family they’ve ever known.

There is just so much to love about Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2020 Netflix superhero film, from its thrilling story, exceptional cast, and all those incredibly choreographed and painful-looking action sequences. But, one aspect that grounds the movie and gives it a lot of heart is Chiwetel Ejiofor’s portrayal of James Copley, a former CIA agent who goes to very extreme (and questionable) lengths to come to terms with his own grief. Let's hope this is the same when the upcoming The Old Guard 2 lands on the streamer.

Stream The Old Guard on Netflix.

Amistad (1997)

In the aftermath of a slave uprising aboard a ship heading from Cuba to America, those involved are held prisoner and forced to go trial in 19th-century Connecticut. When the matter reaches new levels and becomes one of the biggest topics of discussion, everyone from freed slaves (Morgan Freeman) to a former President of the United States (Anthony Hopkins) become involved.

Although Steven Spielberg’s historical drama is mostly remembered for the performances by Freeman, Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey, and Djimon Hounsou, there is a tremendous early show of talent by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays James Covey, the man who served as an interpreter for the defendants during the heated trial. 

Stream Amistad on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Amistad on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.

Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006)

Set in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that claimed the lives of more the 227,000 people, the stories of multiple survivors, government officials, and journalists are told in great detail as they fight for survival and understanding against a ticking clock.

Bharat Nalluri’s 2006 two-part disaster film Tsunami: The Aftermath (which came out more than a half-decade before the emotionally taxing The Impossible) features a tremendous cast who tell all sides of the tragic story, including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sophie Okonedo, who play a married couple searching for their young daughter who was swept away in the wave. The way in which Ejiofor captures the pain, confusion, and anger of a father searching for his missing child is gut-wrenching to say the least.

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As you can see by the sheer number of impressive roles that touch just about every genre, there’s a strong case to be made for Chiwetel Ejiofor being one of the all-time greats. Let’s just hope he finally receives an Oscar and Golden Globe one of these days. If not that, maybe he'll receive some accolades for his performance in Showtime's The Man Who Fell to Earth, just one of the major series coming to the 2022 TV schedule.

In an event that many would consider to be a long time coming, Jessica Chastain won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 94th Annual Academy Awards. Her performance in 2021’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye earned her the nomination, which was also her third, having previously been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for The Help, and for her leading role in Zero Dark Thirty the following year.

However, the California native - who is also known for superhero movies like X-Men: Dark Phoenix, horror movies like It: Chapter Two, and action thrillers like The 355 - has given plenty of other performances that critics and audiences alike would agree deserved similar accolades. Let’s revisit these performance by checking out Jessica Chastain’s best movies available now on streaming, for digital rental, or on physical media, starting with her best work in the eyes of the Academy.

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (HBO Max)

Tammy Bakker (Jessica Chastain) and her husband, Jim (Andrew Garfield), build one of the largest empires in the history televangelism, until a series of shocking scandals are revealed, threatening to destroy their relationship and their reputation.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain disappears into the role of the titular televangelist in The Eyes of Tammy Faye - a bold, revealing biopic from The Big Sick director, Michael Showalter, that is based on a 2000 documentary of the same name.

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The Help (HBO Max)

A young, aspiring author (Emma Stone) interviews Black maids (Oscar winners Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer) for a book about their perspective on the White women who employ them in 1960s Mississippi.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain received her first Academy Award nomination for playing good-hearted, ostracized socialite Celia Foote in The Help - writer and director Tate Taylor’s 2011 adaptation of the novel by Kathryn Stockett.

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Zero Dark Thirty (Amazon Rental)

A CIA operative (Jessica Chastain) struggles to endure the moral inner conflict and emotional turmoil of carrying out heinous interrogation methods while spending several years searching for the whereabouts of wanted terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain received her second Academy Award nomination for her mesmerizing performance as the lead of Zero Dark Thirty - originally intended as a chronicle of the failed attempts to catch the orchestrator of the attack on September 11, 2001, before his capture ten years later - from Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow.

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Take Shelter (Tubi)

A construction worker (Michael Shannon) begins to question the safety of his family and his own sanity after he begins to experience a series of strange, foreboding visions of an oncoming apocalyptic event.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: If you ask me, Jessica Chastain should have received an Academy Award nomination, as well as Michael Shannon, for their riveting portrayals of a husband and wife threatened by the dwindling mental health of one in Take Shelter - a masterful, heart-stopping family drama from writer and director Jeff Nichols.

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Jolene (Tubi, Pluto TV)

A young, orphaned woman (Jessica Chastain) sets off on her own at age 15 and spends the next several years traveling the country in search of some sort of normalcy, finding heartbreak and disappointment at every turn.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: In 2008, after various appearances in TV shows such as ER, Jessica Chastain made her theatrically released, feature film debut as the title role of Jolene - director Dan Ireland’s harrowing adaptation of the story by award-winning author E.L. Doctorow.

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The Tree Of Life (Hulu)

A disillusioned, modern day man (two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn) struggles with questions of existence, purpose, and faith as he recalls his complicated relationship with his father (Oscar winner Brad Pitt) while growing in Waco, Texas, in the 1950s.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: The one film that Jessica Chastain has said had the most profound impact on her life and career and is most difficult to re-watch for how accurately it captures her “heart and soul” is 2011’s The Tree of Life - a bizarre, inventive, and thought-provoking existential analysis that only writer and director Terrence Malick could make.

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Lawless (Rental)

Three brothers (Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke) fight to keep a moonshine business afloat in the midst of unwanted offers of partnership and the arrival of a corrupt police officer (Guy Pearce) in Depression era Virginia.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain steals the show as Maggie Beaufort, a waitress who falls in love with Hardy’s Forrest Bondurant, in Lawless - writer Nick Cave (yes, the musician) and director John Hilcoat’s 2012 adaptation of Matt Bondurant’s historical novel about his own family, The Wettest County in the World.

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Interstellar (Paramount+)

A former science engineer and pilot (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey) leads a team of explorers on an expedition through the unknown reaches of outer space in order to find a new home for mankind as the Earth rapidly grows unlivable.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain is one of the three brilliant actresses from 2014’s Interstellar cast who play the role of McConaughey’s estranged, earthbound daughter, Murph, over the course of several decades, in co-writer and director Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning, visually stunning, mind-bending space odyssey.

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The Martian (Amazon Rental)

In the wake of a deadly storm, the botany expert (Matt Damon) of a space exploration mission is assumed dead and abandoned by his crew on Mars, where he struggles to survive as NASA struggles to figure out a way to bring him home.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: While Jessica Chastain did not get to be the one to go into space or rescue Matt Damon in Interstellar, she got to do both the following year as the disco-loving Ares III commander, Melissa Lewis, in The Martian - one of the sharpest, most intense, funniest, and simply best space movies from director Ridley Scott which is based on Andy Weir’s acclaimed novel.

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Get The Martian on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Crimson Peak (Netflix)

A young writer (Mia Wasikowska) falls for a wealthy, English aristocrat (Tom Hiddleston) who invites her to live with him and his sister (Jessica Chastain) at their lavish family estate, unwitting to the shocking secrets and vengeful spirits that lurk within the walls.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Guillermo del Toro, who previously produced the Jessica Chastain-led horror film, Mama, in 2012, directs the actress in a sinister (and, apparently, emotionally draining) performance as Lady Lucille Sharpe in 2015’s Crimson Peak - a chilling ghost story in the style of traditional, gothic costume dramas with stunning production design.

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A Most Violent Year (Showtime)

An immigrant (Oscar Isaac) and his wife (Jessica Chastain) aspire to achieve the American dream by capitalizing on the crime and corruption surrounding them, which also threatens to destroy them, in 1981 New York City.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Before they both starred in X-Men movies and eventually reunited for HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Jessica Chastain gave an electrifying, femme fatale-inspired performance opposite her longtime friend Oscar Isaac as her onscreen husband in 2015's A Most Violent Year - a captivatingly dark period piece partially inspired by true events from writer and director J.C. Chandor.

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The Zookeeper’s Wife (Netflix)

A woman (Jessica Chastain) and her husband (Johan Heldenbergh) use their zoo in Warsaw, Poland, as a sanctuary for hundreds of Jewish refugees - and animals, too - in the wake of the Nazi invasion in 1939.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain is a tour de force as one of the boldest and most heroic figures of World War II-era Europe, Antonina Zabinska, in The Zookeeper’s Wife - an inspiring 2017 drama based on the book by Diane Ackerman from acclaimed director Niki Caro. 

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Jessica Chastain will soon play another famous “Tammy” in George and Tammy - a Paramount+ original miniseries profiling the romance between country music star Tammy Wynette and George Jones, which will reunite her with Take Shelter’s Michael Shannon. She also will also star in the upcoming Netflix exclusive true crime story, The Good Nurse.

Sebastian Stan is a name that should sound very familiar these days. From starting his career with smaller TV roles to becoming a big name in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan has made a name for himself in Hollywood with his diverse portfolio of amazing portrayals, from a man with a metal arm and heaps of trauma to psychopaths and rock stars. 

If you’re looking for some Sebastian Stan movies and TV shows that you can watch right now, check out these picks down below. 

The Martian (Amazon Rental)

In this Academy Award-nominated film, The Martian follows the story of a man stranded on Mars when his team thinks that he is dead after a harsh storm on the new planet. Now, alone and with barely any way to survive, he has to rely on his smarts, talents, and everything else to survive until a rescue can occur. 

Sebastian Stan portrayed Dr. Chris Beck in The Martian, the flight surgeon for this mission, and he (alongside everyone else in this crazy ensemble of stars) shines. Everyone does so well here, including Stan, creating the ultimate space drama. 

Rent The Martian on Amazon.

Logan Lucky (Hulu)

In Logan Lucky, a family decides to pursue a heist and steal money from the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race, all while trying to avoid getting caught by security officers, people who work for the government, and others. 

While Sebastian Stan’s role as Dayton White wasn’t a huge part of the film, he stole every scene he was in. It’s because of his character that the Logans are even able to escape with the money in the first place, and his lines are delivered perfectly. Watching Stan in this comedy just makes me want to see him in many more. 

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The Bronze (Hulu)

Oh, The Bronze is a fun one for Sebastian Stan fans. The Bronze, a sports comedy, follows a former gymnastic Olympic bronze medalist who takes it upon herself to train an up and comer, so she can get herself back in the spotlight. 

Sebastian Stan plays Lance Tucker, the Team USA coach in The Bronze, and let me say that this movie was genuinely so silly in so many ways and Sebastian Stan was one of the best ways. His character is a riot and so funny, and there’s one scene featuring him and Hope (the main character) that will have you laughing your ass off. I swear to you on my life. While I do think you need to be into sports at least a little to really enjoy the film, it’s still such a fun time. 

Stream The Bronze on Hulu.
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Pam & Tommy (Hulu)

At this point, I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard of Pam & Tommy on Hulu. This miniseries tells the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, their whirlwind romance, and the private sex tape that was stolen from their home and leaked online that changed their lives forever. 

While everyone in the Pam & Tommy cast is phenomenal, there’s nothing quite like Sebastian Stan as Mötley Crüe drummer, Tommy Lee. It’s hard to remember that this is literally the same man who plays Bucky Barnes for Marvel, but he puts on a performance that stands out amongst the rest, and the story is entertaining from beginning to end, and makes me want to watch the Pamela Anderson documentary coming to Netflix even more. 

Stream Pam & Tommy on Hulu.

I, Tonya (Hulu)

In this Academy Award-nominated film, I, Tonya tells the story of famous Olympic ice skater, Tonya Harding, and her fall from grace when she gets caught up in a crime that connects her to an attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan. 

It is criminal that Sebastian Stan was not nominated for an Oscar for his performance in I, Tonya. While I am also partial to Margot Robbie and her killer ice-skating skills in this, Sebastian Stan as Jeff Gillooly (who was Harding’s husband) was so well-done and should have received all the awards. Truly, one of his best performances so far in his career. I could re-watch it over and over again. 

Stream I, Tonya on Hulu.
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The Devil All The Time (Netflix)

Based on the book of the same name, The Devil All the Time is a Netflix original that follows a young man who is hell-bent on protecting anyone that he loves when his hometown becomes corrupted with people who are selfish and will do anything in order to succeed. 

Sebastian Stan plays Lee Bodecker, a sheriff who, like the main character, Arvin, is very protective of his sister but has a corrupt side as well. Stan isn’t in the film for very long (since there are so many amazing actors in The Devil All The Time cast), his scenes are great. I especially love the moment between him and Tom Holland (Arvin) near the very end, which really caps off the movie beautifully, but I can’t reveal exactly what. I think you should just watch it regardless. 

Stream The Devil All the Time on Netflix.

Fresh (Hulu)

Ever wonder how a romantic comedy can turn twisted in a half hour? Take a look at Fresh, a Hulu original film that follows the story of Noa and Steve, two seemingly normal people in a relationship that takes a dark turn when they go away for a weekend to spend some time together. 

I’m going to be honest in saying that Sebastian Stan as Steve absolutely terrified me in this film. I don’t know what it is - I’m so used to him playing “good guy Bucky Barnes” for Marvel that the idea of him as this charmingly unbalanced person really unnerved me - which is why it’s such a good performance of his. He pulls it off so well, from the beginning to the end of the film. 

Stream Fresh on Hulu.

Ricki And The Flash (Pluto TV)

Ricki and the Flash stars mega-star Meryl Streep as the titular Ricki, who left her family years ago to become a rockstar, even though it never worked out for her. However, she returns years later in order to make amends when her daughter is going through a hard time. 

If the idea of Meryl Streep rocking out on a guitar isn’t enough for you to want to watch this film, Sebastian Stan as Joshua Brummel should be enough. While it’s not a role that immediately stands out amongst many on this list, his role in Ricki and the Flash feels sweeter and tamer than many of the others, showing what it’s like to have a family that’s distant and how amends must be made over time and not instantly. The whole cast worked wonderfully together. 

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We Have Always Lived In The Castle (Netflix)

As someone who really enjoyed the mystery novel this was based on, We Have Always Lived In The Castle was a great adaptation. This film follows a family that lives in isolation after a tragedy struck them six years ago, but when a cousin of theirs arrives with sinister hidden intentions, it’s up to the family to stop him. 

Sebastian Stan was excellent in his role as Charles Blackwood. He perfectly portrayed his charm mixed in with evil intent, and so much more into one, creating a a great horror movie villain. We Have Always Lived In The Castle is certainly a great Netflix horror movie that’s perfect for Halloween, but you can watch it any time of the year for Stan’s awesome performance in it. 

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The Last Full Measure (Amazon Rental)

In this army film based on the very true story of William H. Pitsenbarger, The Last Full Measure follows William during his time in Vietnam saving 60 men as a Pararescuman, and later on, the struggles of Pentagon staffers to try and get him awarded the Medal of Honor thirty-two years after he sacrificed his life. 

Sebastian Stan actually stars in this film as Scott Huffman, who was loosely based on William Parker Hayes Jr., one of the people who was tasked with getting Pitsenbarger  the Medal of Honor years later. And, honestly, watching this film again makes me realize how great of a lead actor Stan really is, because he portrays the role so well and elevates this war movie alongside the rest of the brilliant cast. 

Rent The Last Full Measure on Amazon.

Gossip Girl (HBO Max)

Before he ended up becoming huge in Marvel and other areas of his career, Sebastian Stan was on the legendary CW show, Gossip Girl. This dramedy followed the lives of the elite on the Upper East Side of New York, and the scandals both teenagers and adults got themselves into on a daily basis. 

While Stan’s character, Carter Baizen, only appeared for eleven episodes out of the whole series, every single time he was on the screen he was awesome and conniving, and a fantastic character overall. As one of his earlier roles, Stan makes Carter one of the most memorable recurring characters even years later, which says a lot about his acting skills. 

Stream Gossip Girl on HBO Max.

His Role As Bucky Barnes In Marvel (Disney+)

It’s why you’re here - heck, it’s how I know about him. Sebastian Stan took on the role of Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers childhood best friend, who later is captured by HYDRA and ends up becoming the Winter Soldier. Now, years later, he’s appeared in several MCU films and even his own television show.

I have full faith that even without Marvel, Sebastian Stan would have brought us many amazing roles, because he’s a truly talented actor. But, you can’t deny that playing Bucky Barnes probably helped a lot. From the moment he stepped on the screen, to appearing as a part of The Falcon and Winter Soldier cast, this man embodied the role of Bucky Barnes, displaying that full spectrum of badassery, trauma, charisma, and so much more. I truly cannot imagine anyone else playing this role, and I can’t wait to see him again, hopefully in the upcoming Captain America 4 alongside Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson - let the bromance continue, please!

Stream his Marvel movies and TV shows on Disney+.

With so many movies and shows already, I’m sure Stan is only going to become even bigger over time, and hopefully it won’t be long before we see him in another great movie or TV role.  

You want to know someone that I’ve come to really enjoy over the last decade? Kristin Wiig. From her time on Saturday Night Live to some of her latest movie releases, she’s always been an actress that has steadily made me laugh no matter what role she’s in. 

But even with everything she’s done, there are surely some roles that stand out amongst the rest. So if you’re looking for the ultimate ranking of Kristen Wiig’s best movies, here are my personal picks. 

10. Whip It (2009)

Whip It is a coming of age sports comedy starring a variety of famous faces like Elliot Page, Drew Barrymore and others. It might be hard to believe that Kristen Wiig was also a part of this film, but she played Maggie, a rollerblader as part of a roller derby team and forms a close bond with Bliss, a young teenager who lies about her age to join the team. 

The reason why I put Wiig’s performance on here versus some of her others is that I really like her role as almost the caregiver. Her scenes are few and far between within the film, but they stand out amongst the rest. I especially love the moments where Bliss (played by Elliot Page) goes to live with her for some time and they have a genuine conversation about the aspects of parenting. 

Wiig’s acting in this film was genuinely really good and showed her skills as a dramatic actor mixed in with comedy. The only reason why it’s so low is because with so many stars, she didn’t get as much screen time as she should have. 

9. Adventureland (2009)

As someone who grew up only twenty minutes away from the actual park this movie was based on, I’m a teensy bit biased, but I love Kristen Wiig in Adventureland. This coming of age flick is all about young adults working at the park over the summer, but boy does she and her regular on-screen co-star, Bill Hader, steal the show. 

Seriously, Adventureland is one of Bill Hader’s best roles, but it’s also one of Wiig’s best roles too. Their chemistry is to die for and they make the perfect pair in running this theme park with an iron grip and yet at the same time creating hysterical moments that stick with you for hours. I genuinely loved the heck out of his movie and trust me, if you’re a fan of these two, you’ll live this film too. 

However, they do have another spot on this list together, so keep an eye out for that. 

8. Mother! (2017)

It might be strange for me to put a Darren Aronofsky psychological horror film down here for Kristin Wiig, but hear me out - she’s actually terrifying in Mother!

She’s barely in the film, which is why it's down here so low, but her few interactions with Jennifer Lawrence’s character chill me. Her line delivery is such a stark contrast from her usually repertoire of movies that it makes me feel really weird. You’d never picture Wiig to be in a situation where they are literally destroying the home of someone but here we are. 

Wiig definitely has the potential to be great in more psychological horrors, and I think that Mother! proves that. It’s a shame she didn’t get as much screen time as she deserved. 

7. How To Train Your Dragon Series (2010-2019)

I’m not the only one who ugly cried when the How To Train Your Dragon series ended, right? This series was such a shining light in the world of animation and the score was phenomenal as well. The voice cast was also stellar, but one that always stood out to me was Wiig’s voice as Ruffnut. 

While Wiig is no stranger to lending her voice to projects, I personally love her in How To Train Your Dragon, considering she was in all three movies. Her character was not smart but damn, was she a warrior and a capable dragon fighter, and Wiig’s voice was perfect for that. She delivered those lines exactly as they should be and made Ruffnut a character to remember. 

It also helps that she was hilarious whenever she would try and get with Eret. You have to love her dedication. 

6. The Martian (2015)

The Martian was a fantastic film with another stellar cast, most of which you all know about, from Matt Damon to Donald Glover to Sebastian Stan, but Kristen Wiig was also a huge part of this film and played the NASA media relations director. 

Again, this film only continues to prove my point that Wiig should be in more dramatic roles. While you can still clearly tell that she delivers her lines with a bit of that comedic flair, she really shined in this role, showing the difficulties of being the head of something as big as the media for NASA.

The Martian was one of 2015's best films, and she, alongside its great cast, was a big reason why. 

5. The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (2013)

This movie always makes me cry a little because I relate to Walter Mitty so much. He’s someone who just lives in his head and has all these fantasy worlds all painted out, but he’s still a normal human being with normal crushes, and he happens to have a crush on Kristen Wiig’s character, Cheryl. 

This is such an underrated gem for Wiig, because she and Ben Stiller have such great chemistry. Not only is this one of Ben Stiller’s best roles, but Wiig is rocking it here too. Watching them feels like viewing a real relationship. It doesn't feel forced and the pacing is just right. They have their own problems that they work through to find their happy ending. 

I just love them together in this, from the moment their scenes start. 

4. The Skeleton Twins (2014)

While Adventureland was the first time we got to see the chemistry between Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins capitalize on that. The film stars the two as twin siblings who are both going through the worst times of their lives and have to rely on each other to get better somehow.

This was one of the first Kristen Wiig films that genuinely made me cry. As someone who grew up with an older brother and having that special sibling relationship, this movie paints it perfectly how sometimes it’s awesome and sometimes it’s not, and both Wiig and Hader act their butts off to show it - and it works out beautifully. 

If I could, I’d erase my mind and watch this again for the first time just to experience their excellent chemistry, but I can’t do that. However, if you’re looking for a film where both Wiig and Hader are amazing, check this one out. 

3. Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021)

This movie is just the best. 

This release not only made me laugh so much but remind me of how great of a comedic actress Kristen Wiig is. 

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a comedy about lifelong friends leaving their hometown and going on a crazy adventure, running into ridiculous situations that will surely make you snicker. But what really makes this film so great is the comedic timing of both Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, who both wrote the film. 

They’re just so funny. I wish this film had been released into theaters instead of going to streaming because it deserved to be a box office hit. While I do think that Wiig is great in more dramatic roles, these comedic ones have always been where she’s showing her prowess as an actress. 

2. Despicable Me Series (2013-2017)

How To Train Your Dragon is a fantastic series in and of itself, but I feel like there are so many characters that a lot of the fantastic voice actors can get overshadowed. In the Despicable Me series, Kristen Wiig doesn't get overshadowed at all voicing Lucy, the love-interest, and later wife, of Gru. 

There’s just something about her voice that makes me smile every time, from how she speaks with the little girls to her action scenes where she kicks butt to her awkward yet cute dates with Gru in Despicable Me 2, she played the perfect badass woman in animated form and showed off how great she is as a voice actor. 

1. Bridesmaids (2011)

You knew this was coming from the beginning, don’t lie. Bridesmaids is the best Kristen Wiig movie, no doubt. While the Bridesmaids cast is iconic in every way, Wiig is the person who starred and made this movie so freaking funny. 

Written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo (who also wrote Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), this film has some of the funniest moments in a romantic comedy, from the breakout performance of Melissa McCarthy to Maya Rudolph’s wedding dress scene to Wiig’s drunk performance on the airplane, it just always makes you laugh. 

But there’s something so compelling about Wiig’s character, Annie, that I relate to on a personal level. She’s someone who was given a crap hand in life and just wants to try and turn that around, but it’s up to her to make that change - in hilarious ways, of course, and still become a better person regardless. The whole entire story is so funny and Wiig only makes it funnier with her acting, leading this to be her best movie so far. 

I’m sure that over time, this list will change and we’ll see Wiig in even more amazing roles, but for now, these are some of the best that you should definitely watch right now. I, for one, am going to rewatch Bridesmaids for the millionth time. 

In my opinion, no one has quite blown up as much in the past few years as Donald Glover. While the actor is also super talented with music, releasing several albums under the name “Childish Gambino,” Donald Glover is an amazing TV and movie actor, and his roles deserve all the praise in the world, with parts in everything from NBC series to major films.

From playing the hardworking Earn on Atlanta to young Lando in Solo, Glover has given some wildly awesome performances. Here’s where you can watch the best Donald Glover movies and TV shows that are streaming right now.  

Community (2009-2014)

This NBC comedy created by Dan Harmon follows the story of Jeff Winger, a former lawyer who loses his practice when the board finds out he faked his law degree. In order to become a lawyer again, he attends Greendale Community College, where he meets an interesting and diverse collection of people in a study group. 

Hands down, if you’ve heard of Donald Glover, it was most likely from this show. Donald Glover blew up as Troy, a former high school sports star who’s just trying to find his way in life now. He was funny, heartwarming, and had the best friendship with Abed. It was a shame when he left the show to pursue other projects, but no one can deny that for the time Troy was a main character, Community was at its peak. 

Stream Community on Netflix. 

Atlanta (2016-Present)

Moving onto this popular FX series, Atlanta follows Earn and his daily life in Atlanta, trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his ex-girlfriend, Van, with whom he shares a daughter, while also working with his cousin, Alfred, who's a rapper.

Atlanta has certainly proven successful for Donald Glover. As a creator, director, writer, and actor on the show, the FX comedy is his baby and it is fantastic. Atlanta offers some seriously hilarious moments that will have you holding your side from laughing so much, but has deeper meanings to many episodes as well, with fantastic performances from cast members Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz and more. Now all we need is Atlanta Season 3. 

Stream Atlanta on Hulu. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Telling the origin story of one of the greatest Star Wars characters ever, Solo: A Star Wars Story follows Han Solo in his early years, showing how he met iconic characters like Chewie and Lando, his past romances prior to Leah, his adventures, and everything else in between. 

Donald Glover played a young version of Lando in Solo, and you know what? I don’t care what anyone says - I absolutely loved this movie. As someone who grew up watching Star Wars with my family, I really enjoyed what Solo brought to the table in terms of story. I personally think that not only did Donald Glover do a fantastic job in his role, but the rest of the Solo cast was fantastic as well. If I could see Glover do Lando again, I would most certainly pay for it. 

Stream Solo: A Star Wars Story on Disney+. 
Rent Solo: A Star Wars Story on Amazon.

The Lazarus Effect (2015)

Next up, we have a fun supernatural horror film. The Lazarus Effect is about a group of researchers led by a man named Frank and his fiancée, who have achieved the unimaginable - the ability to bring back the dead. But, through this, they bring horrors onto themselves and the world that they never thought possible.

Look, I’ll be honest - The Lazarus Effect isn’t my favorite horror movie. I think there are plenty of others we could call the best horror movies. However, I do think it’s entertaining, with plenty of scares that it will please anyone who wants to watch a fright fest. Donald Glover in his role as Niko is great, alongside the rest of the cast, and for anyone who loves an interesting idea such as bringing someone back from the dead, I think this is a great movie to try out. 

Stream The Lazarus Effect on Pluto TV. 
Rent The Lazarus Effect on Apple TV+.

The Martian (2015) 

In this Academy Award-nominated feature film, The Martian tells the story of an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars after his team assumes him to be dead, and now he must rely on his intelligence and ingenuity to find ways to not only survive, but signal to Earth that he is alive and in need of a rescue. 

I won’t lie, there are so many stars in The Martian that Donald Glover might be missed. People like Matt Damon, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara, and Benedict Wong all have big roles in this and tell a story that is truly amazing to watch. Donald Glover as Rich Purnell is great - and who could forget that iconic waking up/falling scene? Gets me every time. 

Rent The Martian on Amazon.

The To Do List (2013)

Next up, we have the romantic comedy, The To Do List. This movie, starring Aubrey Plaza, follows a recent high school graduate who feels she needs to try and have more sexual experiences before she heads to college, creating problems and hilarious moments. 

Like the drama The Martian, this comedy is packed with stars besides Donald Glover, such as Bill Hader, Rachel Bilson, Andy Samberg, and several others. However, with such a large ensemble cast filled with so much talent, The To Do List is a fun time, with plenty of instances where you’ll chuckle, laugh, or snort. Plaza, especially, brings her comedic prowess, creating an entertaining, hilarious romantic comedy. 

Stream The To-Do List on Showtime. 
Rent The To-Do List on Amazon.

Magic Mike XXL (2015)

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me? Magic Mike XXL is the follow up to the 2012 movie, Magic Mike, following Channing Tatum’s Mike again, as a now-retired male stripper, who decides to help his friends put on one last show, embarking on a road trip to Miami Beach to perform at an exotic-dance convention. 

I can confirm that this is my favorite Donald Glover performance - and not because he’s shirtless...Not at all. 

Jokes aside, I actually do really like seeing Glover perform in Magic Mike XXL. I feel like with so many of his other roles, he’s either very comedic or very serious. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s enjoyable to see him sort of just laid back in this fun movie as Andre. Plus, you get to hear his awesome voice - how can you not feel relaxed listening to his singing chops?

Stream Magic Mike XXL on HBO Max. 
Rent Magic Mike XXL on Amazon.

The Lion King (2019)

Next up, we have the live-action remake of The Lion King. This story follows Simba, a young lion cub who runs away from Pride Rock when he believes he is the reason his father is killed. However, when his evil Uncle Scar takes over, he must fulfill his duty, and return home to save his people. 

Donald Glover actually voices older Simba in the remake, paired next to the queen herself, Beyoncé, who voices Nala. And, honestly, their two voices singing together is something I could listen to over and over again. While I will always have a special place in my heart for the original The Lion King, as I’m sure many others do, I do enjoy this one. 

The Lion King cast is star-studded, the Pumbaa and Timon moments are hilarious, and the cinematography is beautiful. If only they could make the animals a little more expressive. Then this would have been even better. 

Stream The Lion King on Disney+. 
Rent The Lion King on Amazon.

30 Rock (2006-2012)

Prior to his big role on Community, Donald Glover guest starred in a couple of episodes of 30 Rock. This popular NBC sitcom (which he also wrote for) tells the story of the boss at an SNL-like sketch show, who has to manage her relationships with the show’s star and its executive producer. 

While Glover only guest starred on a few episodes, it’s still enjoyable to see him before his was a big-shot in Hollywood. If you haven’t watched 30 Rock, you really should. The 30 Rock cast is stacked with talented individuals, the story is enjoyable, and there are plenty of moments that will make you laugh incredibly hard. 

Stream 30 Rock on Peacock. 

Saturday Night Live (2018)

The popular sketch show that’s been ongoing for more than forty years, Saturday Night Live is iconic for many reasons, offering a slew of comedic performances from their cast members as they parody pop culture, politics, and more. 

Donald Glover hosted an episode - and performed as Childish Gambino. This, to me, is one of the best SNL episodes in recent years. Glover was part of some hilarious sketches - my personal favorite being the Barbie Instagram sketch - and his performances were super entertaining as well. If you haven’t seen his episode, be sure to check it out now. 

Stream Donald Glover’s SNL episode on NBC.

Bonus Item: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding, and Spider-Man: Homecoming was a part of that expansion. Here, Peter Parker returns home after Captain America: Civil War, and we get to see what it’s like to have Tony Stark watching his every move, and trying to be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man while also dealing with regular teenage issues - such as trying to ask out the right girl to a dance. 

Look, Donald Glover only appears in one scene, but come on. It was memorable and speaks so much for the possibility of the MCU. He played Aaron Davis. You know who that is? The Prowler, a.k.a. Miles Morales' uncle. He even said in the movie that he had a nephew. Does that mean we might get an actual live-action Miles Morales from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse? The possibilities are endless. I wish we could see more of him. 

And, to be honest, if you’re a fan of superhero movies, be sure to watch this one. Tom Holland as Peter Parker is great, as is the rest of the cast. Don't just watch it for Glover - watch it because it's so much fun. 

Rent Spider-Man: Homecoming on Amazon. 

Donald Glover is truly a multi-faceted performer who has done so much, and honestly, I can’t wait to see what he does next. If Atlanta Season 3 could get here quicker, that would be great. Until then, I must remain patient.  

It is hard to imagine a world in which Matt Damon never became an actor. For the better part of the past 25 years, the Academy Award winner has proven time and time again just why he’s not only one of the best actors of his time but also one of the most beloved, even when he’s playing despicable, good-for-nothing characters with psychotic and sociopathic tendencies. Perhaps it’s that balance (and that charm of his) that has made Damon one of the most successful names in Hollywood.

Picking a list of the 10 best Matt Damon movies is a monumental task, not because there’s a lack of choices but because of the abundance of notable dramas, comedies, action films, and thrillers that have featured one of Boston’s favorite sons. But, someone has to be up to task and so we’ve put together a rundown of Damon’s best movies and where you can find them, whether it be on a streaming service or a physical release (which is the only way you can watch a certain movie of his).

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the Academy Award-winning Gus Van Sant drama Good Will Hunting follows Will Hunting (Damon), a once-in-a-generation genius who walks the halls of M.I.T., not as a student or professor but as a janitor from the south side of Boston. When the troubled youth has a run-in with the law, Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) gives Will a way out of jail and puts him in contact with therapist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), a meeting that will not only change his life but everyone around him.

Stream Good Will Hunting on Starz.
Rent/Buy Good Will Hunting on Amazon.
Buy Good Will Hunting on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Martian (2015)

Ridley Scott’s Golden Globe-winning “comedy” The Martian, which is based on Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, follows astronaut/botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) as he struggles to survive after the other members of his space crew believe he died in a dust storm on the surface of Mars. Armed with the power of science, more potatoes than anyone would care to eat, some ketchup, and a playlist consisting of the top disco tracks, Watney tries to pull off the impossible: survive long enough for NASA (with the help of other space programs) to send a crew back to rescue him.

Rent/Buy The Martian on Amazon.
Buy The Martian on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Following the death of three out of the four Ryan brothers, who are all killed in action during World War II, the United States Army sends a group of soldiers to find and rescue the youngest of the pack: Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan follows Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his group of men as they go behind enemy lines to find and bring the young soldier home to his grieving mother before she loses all of her children in the brutal conflict. 

Despite being very early on his career (Good Will Hunting had not yet been released when production began), Matt Damon stands toe-to-toe with acting heavyweights like Tom Hanks and Tom Sizemore in this brutal and realistic depiction of war.

Stream Saving Private Ryan on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Saving Private Ryan on Amazon.
Buy Saving Private Ryan on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Departed (2006)

Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime tragedy The Departed (a remake of the Hong Kong thriller Internal Affairs) follows two Boston police officers who are opposites in just about every way imaginable. On one side there is Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), an honest cop who goes undercover in Frank Costello’s (Jack Nicholson) criminal organization in attempt to bring it down from the inside. Then there is Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), Costello’s mole in the Boston Police Department who has been funneling information to his mentor for years. 

Despite only sharing very little time together on screen, the lives of the two cops at the center of The Departed are connected in more ways than they could ever know.

Stream The Departed on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Departed on Amazon.
Buy The Departed on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Ocean’s Movies (2001 - 2007)

With exciting and clever scenarios, a large ensemble cast (that grows with each subsequent film), and an all-around fun vibe, the Ocean’s movies are three of the best heist films of the 21st Century. Whether Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) gang of master thieves, conmen, and colorful characters are robbing a Las Vegas casino (Ocean’s Eleven), planning elaborate jobs in Europe (Ocean’s Twelve), or returning to the scene of the crime (Ocean’s Thirteen), it’s always an enjoyable time.

Matt Damon’s Linus Caldwell, a young pickpocket and son of an infamous con artist, is one of the youngest and greenest members of the central gang, but this doesn’t stop him from trying, time and time again, to show he has what it takes to be one of the leaders of the group.

Stream Ocean’s Eleven on HBO Max. Rent/Buy Ocean’s Eleven on Amazon. Buy Ocean’s Eleven on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Stream Ocean’s Twelve on HBO Max. Rent/Buy Ocean’s Twelve on Amazon. Buy Ocean’s Twelve on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Stream Ocean’s Thirteen on HBO Max. Rent/Buy Ocean’s Thirteen on Amazon. Buy Ocean’s Thirteen on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is a man with an extraordinary set of skills (hand-to-hand combat, guns, driving, you name it,) but no memory, after being brought back from the brink of the death by the crew of a fishing boat in the middle of the sea. As Bourne attempts to piece together the events that led to him being in the middle of the ocean, he finds himself also battling a group of elite assassins sent in to make sure he doesn’t uncover his past, in Doug Liman's 2002 spy thriller The Bourne Identity.

Rent/Buy The Bourne Identity on Amazon.
Buy The Bourne Identity on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Anthony Minghella’s 1999 psychological thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley centers on Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a charming and handsome young man who is also a narcissistic pathological liar who will do anything to get want he wants. When asked by a wealthy businessman to bring his errant son, Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) home from the Italian coast, Ripley kicks off an elaborate scheme filled with envy, broken trust, brutal and senseless murder, and stolen identity by the time everything is said and done. A monster behind a handsome face, Mr. Ripley gives a whole new meaning to the term psychopath in this thrilling adaptation of Patrica Highsmith’s iconic novel.

Stream The Talented Mr. Ripley on Tubi.
Rent/Buy The Talented Mr. Ripley on Amazon.
Buy The Talented Mr. Ripley on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

True Grit (2010)

In the aftermath of her father’s murder at the hand of Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her find the vicious outlaw and bring him to justice. The pair is soon joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), a man who also has his own reasons for tracking down the wanted man. Together, the three unlikely friends embark on an epic journey in hopes of stomping out evil out in the Old West, in the Coen Brothers’ 2010 remake of the classic western True Grit.

Stream True Grit on Cinemax.
Rent/Buy True Grit on Amazon.
Buy True Grit on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Contagion (2011)

Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 triller Contagion is a terrifyingly accurate depiction of a pandemic that follows a diverse cast of characters as they try to make sense of the deadly virus that has the potential of wiping out the entire human race. One of the more prominent stories is that of Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon), a man who lost his wife and son to the mysterious virus, though he and his daughter seem to be immune to its effects. Much of the breakdown of society is shown through Mitch’s eyes, as he tries to make a better life for his daughter and survive not just the pandemic but the collapse of the natural order of the world around them.

Rent/Buy Contagion on Amazon.
Buy Contagion on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

John Grisham’s The Rainmaker (1997)

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1997 adaptation of John Grisham’s The Rainmaker centers on struggling attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) as he teams up with Deck Shifflet, a paralegal who means well but has a checkered past, to take on the Great Benefit insurance company that refuses to cover procedures for its clients that could potentially save their lives. If Baylor and Shifflet are to be successful in the case, they will have to outwit the massive corporation and their ice cold attorney, Leo. F Drummond (Jon Voight), in a heated legal argument.

Stream John Grisham’s The Rainmaker on Starz.
Rent/Buy John Grisham’s The Rainmaker on Amazon.
Buy John Grisham’s The Rainmaker on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Honorable Mentions

On top of all of Matt Damon’s great leading roles, the multi-talented actor has also made played some amazing supporting roles throughout his career, some that just have to be mentioned before we wrap this up. First, there is Damon’s surprise appearance as the crazed astronaut known as Mann in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, which adds an extra dimension of drama to the 2014 sci-fi epic. 

And then there are all of Damon’s appearances in the various Kevin Smith movies that definitely deserve some recognition (Dogma would have been included in the main list if it were not for the movie being impossible to find without spending an arm and a leg). And, last but not least, is Damon’s cameo in Thor: Ragnarok, when he played Loki in the dramatization of the God of Mischief’s “sacrifice.”

These movies should be more than enough to give you a taste of what Matt Damon has to offer as an actor. And, who knows, maybe The Last Duel will be on this list before too long. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend’s list of all the 2021 movie premiere dates to find out where you’ll see Damon and your other favorite actors on the big screen.

Matt Damon has one of the better track records when it comes to his Hollywood career choices. With films like Saving Private Ryan, The Departed and Ford v. Ferrari under his belt, the actor, writer and producer has more than proven he’s got a good eye for picking solid projects. That doesn’t mean he’s always gotten it right, though. There have been some clunkers along the way -- and, it turns out, he’s also turned down at least one major motion picture opportunity: James Cameron-directed blockbuster Avatar. At least he has a funny story to tell about how John Krasinski reacted when he found out his friend had passed on the role of a lifetime.

It’s not like Matt Damon wasn’t already a household name when James Cameron was getting Avatar off the ground. The actor had already won an Oscar for his Good Will Hunting screenplay and proved he had serious box office staying power as a part of the iconic ensemble of the Oceans franchise. So it’s not surprising that the famed director would have sought him out to star as Jake Sully in the film. It’s just a little shocking that Matt Damon revealed at the Cannes Film Festival (via Deadline) that he said “thanks, but no thanks” when he was offered not just a role but a decent piece of the film’s financial windfall:

That’s probably one piece of Hollywood history no one wants to lay a claim to, so you can imagine why Matt Damon’s mega-famous peers like John Krasinski found it hard to believe that he’d made that career choice. He remembers how his friend and collaborator reacted when he told him he’d passed on Avatar -- initially with shock, but then with a sage kind of wisdom:

The Quiet Place creator does make a good point. Sure, having a role in the famed director’s legendary space fantasy is a gold star on anyone’s resume, regardless of their star power. But Matt Damon is not the first actor to turn down a huge role, and he won’t be the last. Plus, regardless of how much money Damon lost out on, Avatar may not have been a career-making moment for him. Again, he was already a pretty big star.

The role offered to him eventually went to Sam Worthington, and Matt Damon obviously faired just fine in the long run. He even got a chance to go to space a couple of times, in Interstellar and The Martian -- so, technically, he still could have met John Krasinski there anyway.

The subgenre of space movies makes up an essential portion of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. The genre has always been the best at exploring the unknown, and what symbolizes that concept better than the mysteries that lie beyond the stars?

Keeping our list limited to classics that explore worlds beyond Earth, but from an Earthling’s perspective, we sifted through the best streaming services to subscribe to for the greatest movies set in space so we could report back our findings. Enjoy these stellar cinematic journeys!

Solaris (1972)

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Starring: Donatas Banionis, Natalya Bondarchuk

What it’s about: A psychologist experiences an unexpected and unexplainable encounter when investigating a death at a space station on a distant planet.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Tarkovsky (the highly imaginative mind behind some sci-fi movies rated high on Rotten Tomatoes) makes one of his most intense, thought-provoking, and cerebral dramas out of Solaris – a mesmerizing, mysterious, mind-bending thriller was later remade by Steven Soderbergh with George Clooney in the lead.

How to watch Solaris

• Stream Solaris Max
• Rent or buy Solaris on Amazon
• Buy Solaris on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Wandering Earth (2019)

Director: Frant Gwo

Starring: Wu Jing, Qu Chuxiao

What it’s about: In order to save the planet from the nearly-expired Sun, astronauts attempt to physically move it to a safer location in outer space.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Netflix’s Chinese-language adaptation of Cixin Liu’s novel, The Wandering Earth, is a unique end-of-the-world drama with stunning visuals and gloriously over-the-top action.

How to watch The Wandering Earth

• Stream The Wandering Earth on Netflix

Explorers (1985)

Director: Joe Dante

Starring: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson

What it’s about: A 15-year-old enlists his two friends to help construct a spaceship out of blueprints that came to him in a dream.

Why it is one of the best space movies: One of the earliest and best Ethan Hawke movies, Explorers, brings the ultimate childhood space travel fantasy to life with an adventure the whole family will love.

How to watch Explorers

• Rent or buy Explorers on Amazon
• Buy Explorers on Blu-ray on Amazon

Serenity (2005)

Director: Joss Whedon

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres

What it’s about: The continuing adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds and his ragtag crew of outlaws evading interplanetary government detection centuries after Earth becomes uninhabitable.

Why it is one of the best space movies: After Firefly was prematurely canceled, fans were given some closure in the form of the feature-length spin-off, Serenity, which mostly ditches the original series’ unique Western themes but is still a thoroughly exciting action thrillride.

How to watch Serenity

• Rent or buy Serenity on Amazon
• Buy Serenity on Blu-ray on Amazon

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Director: Dean Parisot

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver

What it’s about: The stars of a canceled, cult favorite sci-fi series are enlisted for the gig of their lives by a desperate alien species who believes their show is real

Why it is one of the best space movies: While essentially a clever and hilarious satire on geek culture, Galaxy Quest is still as exciting as any episode of Star Trek, Buck Rogers, or Battlestar Galactica could be and one of the best movies of the ‘90s as a result.

How to watch Galaxy Quest

• Stream Galaxy Quest on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Galaxy Quest on Amazon
• Buy Galaxy Quest on Blu-ray on Amazon

RocketMan (1997)

Director: Stuart Gillard

Starring: Harland Williams, Jessica Lundy

What it’s about: A spacecraft designer lives out his life-long dream of becoming an astronaut, but his childish antics and bumbling nature cause trouble on the first expedition to Mars.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Not to be confused with an Elton John biopic from 2019, RocketMan is a funny, family-friendly Disney movie that deserves a sequel with an inspiring message about following your dreams.

How to watch RocketMan

• Rent or buy RocketMan (1997) on Amazon
• Buy RocketMan (1997) on DVD Amazon

Apollo 13 (1995)

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton

What it’s about: In April 1970, a technical malfunction interrupts a mission to the moon, forcing three astronauts and those at Houston to race against time and safely bring them home.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Apollo 13 is a breathtaking, Academy Award-winning retelling of a shocking true event that remains the ultimate cautionary tale of space travel and one of Tom Hanks’ best movies.

How to watch Apollo 13

• Stream Apollo 13 on Netflix
• Rent or buy Apollo 13 on Amazon
• Buy Apollo 13 on Blu-ray on Amazon

First Man (2018)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy

What it’s about: In the late 1960s, Neil Armstrong struggles with safety hazards and his own emotional issues as he prepares for a history-making trip to the Moon.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Gosling gives one of his best performances as the titular First Man in this revealing biopic with Oscar-winning visual effects that place you right in the front seat of the Space Race.

How to watch First Man

• Rent or buy First Man on Amazon
• Buy First Man on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Right Stuff (1983)

Director: Philip Kaufman

Starring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn

What it’s about: The origins of the United States space program as seen through the eyes of the seven experienced pilots chosen to be the first astronauts.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Inspired by Tom Wolfe’s award-winning non-fiction book, The Right Stuff (one of the most acclaimed box office bombs of the ‘80s) is a story about staring the impossible in the face and having what it takes to achieve a goal, whatever the cost.

How to watch The Right Stuff

• Rent or buy The Right Stuff on Amazon
• Buy The Right Stuff on Blu-ray on Amazon

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood

What it’s about: An astronaut crew investigates a mysterious discovery buried underneath the Lunar surface, which evolves into a fierce battle for supremacy between man and machine.

Why it is one of the best space movies: One of Stanley Kubricks’ best movies, 2001: A Space Odyssey (which he co-wrote with original novel author Arthur C. Clarke) is a groundbreaking spectacle with timeless, Academy Award-winning special effects, thought-provoking themes, and (courtesy of the iconic AI HAL-9000) technophobic caution.

How to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey

• Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on Max
• Rent or buy 2001: A Space Odyssey on Amazon
• Buy 2001: A Space Odyssey on Blu-ray on Amazon

Gravity (2013)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney

What it’s about: An engineer and a veteran astronaut must engage in an unforgiving fight for survival on the outskirts of Earth’s gravitational field.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Cuaron won his first Academy Award for directing the thoroughly intense Gravity, which also completely and deservedly swept 2014’s technical categories for its unbelievably vivid recreation of outer space in all its beauty and cold brutality.

How to watch Gravity

• Rent or buy Gravity on Amazon
• Buy Gravity on Blu-ray on Amazon

Interstellar (2014)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain

What it’s about: A NASA pilot-turned-farmer is forced to leave his daughter behind and join the search for a new home as Earth runs dangerously low on resources.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Unsurprisingly, one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies, Interstellar, won a Best Visual Effects Oscar, but the heartbreaking father-daughter story is truly why this modern, pre-apocalyptic sci-fi classic is destined to remain timeless.

How to watch Interstellar

• Stream Interstellar on Paramount+
• Stream Interstellar on Netflix
• Rent or buy Interstellar on Amazon
• Buy Interstellar on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Martian (2015)

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain

What it’s about: When an astronaut is accidentally left stranded on the Red Planet, he must “science the shit out of” his situation to survive as NASA struggles to figure out how to bring him home.

Why it is one of the best space movies: For all of its gorgeous imagery, thrilling suspense, and braininess, what really sells this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel, The Martian, is Damon’s engaging charisma and the script’s tasteful humor amid otherwise grim and distressing circumstances.

How to watch The Martian

• Stream The Martian on Max
• Rent or buy The Martian on Amazon
• Buy The Martian on Blu-ray on Amazon

Titan A.E. (2000)

Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman

Starring: Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore

What it’s about: A young survivor of Earth’s destruction several years earlier becomes the final hope for humanity after learning he holds the key to finding a long-lost, coveted ship.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Years before The Martian or Interstellar, Matt Damon got to be the space traveler doing some saving, instead of being saved, in Titan A.E. – an inventive, visually unique, and thrilling animated adventure the whole family will love.

How to watch Titan A.E.

• Rent or buy Titan A.E. on Amazon
• Buy Titan A.E. on DVD on Amazon

Contact (1997)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey

What it’s about: An ambitious astronomer discovers irrefutable evidence of extraterrestrial life, leading to the construction of a device that may redefine space travel.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Based on the novel by famed astrophysicist Carl Sagan, Contact is a transfixing, highly imaginative, and emotionally impactive drama and one of Robert Zemeckis’ best movies.

How to watch Contact

• Rent or buy Contact on Amazon
• Buy Contact on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ad Astra (2019)

Director: James Gray

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones

What it’s about: The son of a long-missing astronaut is given the chance to finally find him when NASA suspects he is the cause of a strange threat to Earth.

Why it is one of the best space movies: From its intense introduction to the thought-provoking ending of Ad Astra (which translates from Latin to “to the stars”), the film boasts stunning visuals and an extremely plausible depiction of commercial space travel that, boldly, does not shy away from the concept’s potential dangers.

How to watch Ad Astra

• Rent or buy Ad Astra on Amazon
• Buy Ad Astra on Blu-ray on Amazon

Sunshine (2007)

Director: Danny Boyle

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh

What it’s about: When the Sun begins to lose its spark, an international crew of astronauts is sent to revive it with a nuclear blast.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Almost like Armageddon with a bigger brain, writer Alex Garland’s Sunshine is a real nail-biter of a concept elevated by a thoroughly inventive storyline and an engrossing visual scope.

How to watch Sunshine

• Rent or buy Sunshine on Amazon
• Buy Sunshine on Blu-ray on Amazon

Moon (2009)

Director: Duncan Jones

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey

What it’s about: A man nearing the end of his three-year mission retrieving resources from the lunar surface makes a startling discovery that changes the outlook of his career and his entire life.

Why it is one of the best space movies: Sam Rockwell gives one of the most memorable sad astronaut performances in Moon – a criminally underrated thriller that brilliantly uses outer space as a backdrop for a gripping tale of existential dread.

How to watch Moon

• Rent or buy Moon on Amazon
• Buy Moon on Blu-ray on Amazon

Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver

What it’s about: A commercial spaceship crew discovers an extraterrestrial life form that puts everyone on board at risk of a brutal fate.

Why it is one of the best space movies: The first installment of the ongoing Alien movies franchise is a brilliant cosmic epic with the pulse-pounding tension of a slasher movie, famous for introducing one of the most badass female characters in sci-fi history: Ellen Ripley.

How to watch Alien

• Stream Alien on Hulu
• Rent or buy Alien on Amazon
• Buy Alien on Blu-ray on Amazon

WALL-E (2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton

Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight

What it’s about: An adorable robot left to clean up an abandoned Earth meets a mysterious, advanced model searching for life on the uninhabitable planet.

Why it is one of the best space movies: The beautifully animated and thought-provoking Pixar movie classic WALL-E is a good palate cleanser from all the doom and gloom in most other space movies, despite touching on some frighteningly plausible themes.

How to watch WALL-E

• Stream WALL-E on Disney+
• Rent or buy WALL-E on Amazon
• Buy WALL-E on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Star Wars movies and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, for instance, make space travel look fun, until you see these films and begin to reconsider that thought. At least we can say that space movies give us a rush that most Earthbound adventures cannot hold a candle to.

Director Ridley Scott’s adaptation of The Martian is one of those random successes that’s hard to see playing out in any other method than it did back in 2015. Matt Damon’s Mark Watney anchored an ensemble cast with his central character, who was full of wit, scientific knowhow and a creative handle on the English language, swears and all. And yet, if 20th Century Fox had its way, Matt Damon would have missed out on the Oscar-nominated role, because the studio's first choice was Channing Tatum.

It’s strange to think about that alternate casting, but it’s exactly what would have happened had Matt Damon himself not lobbied for the role. I learned this surprising fact when speaking with author Andy Weir, the man who wrote the novel The Martian was based off of. Celebrating the release of his latest book, Project Hail Mary, I couldn’t help but ask about the history of the film adaptation of Weir’s self-published success story. When it came to the subject of whether or not there was competition for the role of Mark Watney, Weir told the following story:

There is literally nothing to argue with in that story about how The Martian could have turned out way different. Channing Tatum is a great leading man, to be sure, and he does have a wit about him. And if he'd landed the role of Mark Watney, Tatum may not have made his appearances in both Magic Mike XXL and The Hateful Eight, both of which filmed around the time The Martian was in production. Before we go any further though, let’s imagine what a Tatum-enhanced version of The Martian could have looked like.

For sure, Channing Tatum’s Mark Watney could have dealt with building shelters, surviving the elements and stitching his own wounds without a hitch. But after almost six years of holding The Martian as a cinematic, and sci-fi, touchstone, it’s hard to think of anyone other than Matt Damon in that role. Part of that equation is because if Mr. Tatum was playing Mark Watney, we’d have expected him to survive no matter what; which robs the narrative of all the fun and tension in his quest to survive.

Andy Weir certainly knows it, as he was also really pulling for Matt Damon to play Mark Watney in The Martian. But the largest hypothetical problem with this project was the fact that if Ridley Scott’s decision-making process broke the other way, Weir wouldn’t have had any say. At that time, The Martian was just a project where Andy Weir was paid for the rights and given no producer credit or the creative input that came with it. That happens to be one of the differences when it comes to Weir’s involvement in the upcoming adaptation of Project Hail Mary.

Though the book has just been released to the public this past Tuesday, Andy Weir’s latest creative offering has already been set to be adapted by writer Drew Goddard, who also wrote the script that brought The Martian to life. With Phil Lord and Chris Miller set to direct, much like they were set to do on the currently stalled-out adaptation of Weir’s Artemis, and Ryan Gosling set to play the lead character of Ryland Grace, there’s already a framework in place to bring another sci-fi epic of snark and science to the masses. This time out, Andy Weir has that producer’s credit and a say in how things pan out.

It’s going to be a while before Project Hail Mary makes it to the big screen, but already it sounds like Andy Weir has confidence that the team involved will get the job done. Which is fantastic, because much like that moment The Martian landed Matt Damon as its lead, this could be the moment that defines another box office smash based on a pretty exciting book. Should you want to check out Project Hail Mary, it’s available for purchase now, ready to take you on another epic journey in the depths of space.

There have been some great space travel movies throughout the history of cinema, with everything from the 1902 french silent film Le Voyage Dans la Lun (A Trip to the Moon) to Stanley Kubrick's 1969 masterful 2001: A Space Odyssey coming to mind. As the years have gone by there seems to be more and more narratives centered around the idea of space travel with beautifully shot blockbuster masterpieces like the 2014 Christopher Nolan epic Interstellar, and low-budget sci-fi horror thrillers like the 2013 found footage hit Eurpoa Report, and more.

Between 2010 and 2019, audiences around the world were treated to some of the greatest offerings in the history of the genre, so many that you might have forgotten one or two. To remind you of some, I've put together a list of 11 great space travels movies to come out in the past 10 years for you to explore. Buckle up and don't forget your dramamine because this is going to be a wild ride…

Interstellar (2014)

Audiences are still debating the divisive ending of Christopher Nolan's 2014 space/time travel/father and daughter drama, but despite the confusing final act of the nearly three-hour blockbuster, Interstellar remains one of the most inventive and enjoyable movies to come out in the past 10 years, no matter the genre. Not only does it feature one of the best Matthew McConaughey performances and a great score from Hans Zimmer, much of the film wasn't shot on a green screen and offers some pretty revolutionary ideas concerning space travel, relativity, and most of all, humanity's quest to find answers to all of life's questions. Add in some impressive shots of black holes, warm holes, and holes left in the hearts of several of the characters, and you have yourself an adventure worth revisiting six years later. At the very least just go back and watch the insanely beautiful trailer.

Ad Astra (2019)

There were great space travel movies scattered throughout the 2010s like galaxies in the vast universe, and one of the brightest of those was James Gray's melancholic story of a broken man hunting his long-lost father in the depths of space: Ad Astra. Starring Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, the film does an amazing job of turning what seems like an everyday job for its central character into a great odyssey from which we don't know if he'll return. And if he does return, how will the journey affect him? By the time Tommy Lee Jones' Clifford McBride is seen in the flesh, his son has experienced much more than he ever thought he would, and he still has more lessons to learn before it concludes.

First Man (2018)

Damien Chazelle's retelling of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon could have taken a very conventional route similar to something like Apollo 13, but thankfully his 2018 film First Man was anything but conventional. Instead of beaming with patriotism like so many have done before him, the director of La La Land and Whiplash showed a side of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) that few had ever seen before. By including the death of Armstrong's young daughter in the early goings of the film, the director was able to add depth, emotion, and a different kind of pride to a movie that thumbed its nose at the normal space travel feature. It also avoided all of those over-the-top shots of rockets shooting off into space and instead focused on the Gosling's astronaut and what he was feeling at the time of the launch.

The Martian (2015)

Ridley Scott's epic story of the power of engineering and the human spirit might not be a comedy, but that doesn't mean The Martian isn't an amazing movie deserving of all the credit it has received since its 2015 release. Everything from Matt Damon's performance as stranded astronaut Mark Watney to Jessica Chastain's Melissa Lewis and the rest of Watney's crew and scientists back on Earth who come up with amazing ways of risking life, resources, and tons and tons of cash to get him home is enough to earn it a spot on this list, but that's not all. It has been five years since it first hit theaters, but its shots of space, the martian surface, and labs and facilities on our planet only add to the grand scale of this surprisingly refreshing space travel film.

Gravity (2013)

Unlike the first four movies on this list, Alfonso Cuarón's 2013 space thriller Gravity doesn't so much as deal with astronauts traveling to a far-off destination as much as it focuses on the journey home. Clocking in at 91 minutes (each as action-packed or tense as the last), the perilous journey of Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) surviving the destruction of her ride back home and the death of her entire crew, is something that really stands the test of time. It's only made better with George Clooney's Matt Kowalksi, who helps guide Stone along the way as she finds different methods of getting back to the safety of Earth. The film took home seven Oscars at the 86th Academy Awards, including best director, and it deserved each and every one of them.

Lucy In The Sky (2019)

Loosely based on the real-life story of former astronaut Lisa Nowak, the 2019 space drama Lucy in the Sky follows Lucy Cola (Natalie Portman), an astronaut so impacted by her first trip to space that she no longer feels a connection with her husband or family back home. What follows is a woman's obsession with getting back to space, no matter what it takes or will cost her. As the movie goes on, Lucy becomes obsessed with two of her fellow astronauts and that's where things take a turn. It failed to gain any traction at the box office and was panned by critics when it was initially released, but it still offers an in-depth look at the psyche of someone deeply affected by space travel.

Life (2017)

In addition to all the grand and critically acclaimed space travel movies releases in the 2010s, there was also a great deal of horror and hard sci-fi thrillers to come out. One of the beset examples of that is the terrifying alien flick Life which boasted an incredible cast that included Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Rebecca Ferguson as members of a crew aboard the International Space Station who receive a soil sample from the Martian surface that is believed to contain life. Once the sample is brought aboard the ship, the madness begins to unfold, slowly at first, before reaching a fever pitch as an alien life form takes out the scientists one by one as they try to prevent it from getting to Earth.

High Life (2018)

Robert Pattinson is preparing for the release of one of his biggest features yet in Tenet, and still filming what could prove to be a career-defining role in 2021's The Batman, but the former Twilight star isn't a newcomer when it comes to sci-fi thrillers and moody space movies. For example, take a look at Claire Denis' 2018 sci-fi drama High Life in which Pattinson plays Monte, one of several prisoners with death sentences sent to the depths of space to find a black hole where they are to extract a new form of energy. In addition to dealing with dark matter surrounding the infinite abyss that is the black hole, the film also deals with the birth of children through artificial insemination, finding one's place in the universe, and coming to terms with one's past.

The Wandering Earth (2019)

You might remember The Wandering Earth not because you saw the 2019 Chinese sci-fi epic but because of the headlines inspired by the fact that it brought in $700 million at the box office, with less than $6 million of that coming domestically. Despite not too many people seeing it during its brief run in the United States, The Wandering Earth reached a new audience on Netflix, where people got to see the ridiculousness of the movie's plot. Set in 2061, the story centers around a civilization on Earth who feels its more viable to simply move Earth to another star when the Sun turns into a red giant. This unconventional approach to the genre is pretty revolutionary and offers a breath of fresh air (unlike for the inhabitants of the planet in transit) to the premise of a space travel feature.

Europa Report (2013)

Found footage films were all the rage in the early years of the 2010s and it was only a matter of time before something like Europa Report hit theaters and streaming services around the world. This 2013 sci-fi horror film splices together footage from the fictional Europa One mission as it sets off to Jupiter's moon of the same name after it's discovered to potentially harbor life. Even after the crew loses contact with Earth, they push forward with their mission as they see how far they are willing to go in order to learn if life does exist outside the comfort of our home planet.

Hidden Figures (2016)

And then there is the 2016 biographical drama Hidden Figures, which technically doesn't deal with the main characters going and traveling through space, but its portrayal of the female mathematicians who were instrumental in helping American astronauts leave Earth's surface in the early 1960s. Based on a true story, the Academy Award-nominated picture takes an extensive look at the ups and downs of the African American women who fought racial injustices at NASA while the space agency was fighting the Soviets in the heat of the Space Race. And plus, the performances from Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe make Hidden Figures worth it alone.

This isn't even beginning to scratch the surface of all the great space travel movies that came out between 2010 and 2019, so let me know your favorites that might have slipped through the cracks.

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Of the recent films that aim to imagine what future we may be heading toward, it seems that Ad Astra is one of the most accurate and, in some ways, the most optimistic. That being said, to say that the film itself is optimistic in its content is a whole different discussion entirely. In the somber interplanetary adventure from co-writer and director James Gray, Academy Award-winner Brad Pitt plays Astronaut Roy McBride, who is tasked with a top secret mission to search the deepest reaches of outer space for his long lost father (Tommy Lee Jones). His expedition takes the audience on a tour of a futuristic society that does not feel far out of reach (including commercial space travel), but it's also an often horrifying cautionary tale that might even keep Elon Musk up at night.

Ad Astra is far from being the first film that might discourage children from pursuing their dreams of walking on the Moon (especially out of fear of an ambush by space pirates), but it is arguably one of the best of its subgenre and possesses some fascinating themes and ideas. If you're a fan of that kind of stuff, the good news is that many are available to stream or rent on many of your favorite platforms – including these twelve titles:

2001: A Space Odyssey (HBO Max)

Name just about any futuristic space travel adventure made in the last 50 years (Ad Astra most definitely included) and you can easily see how it was inspired by this highly influential sci-fi classic from one of the most highly influential filmmakers in history. Winner of the 1969 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Stanley Kubrick's viscerally stunning adaptation of the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke is an epic battle of wits between man and machine in the midst of an expedition to find the origins of mysterious artifact found on the Moon.

Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on HBO Max here

Rent 2001: A Space Odyssey on Amazon here

First Man (Amazon Rental)

Just a year after the Moon served as the starting point of the adventure in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, in reality Earth's lunar satellite was a long sought-after destination that mankind finally reached when Neil Armstrong stepped onto its surface. You will feel like a front seat passenger of that journey in Damien Chazelle's First Man – an engrossing, in-depth retelling of the historic Moon landing through the eyes of Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), who is revealed to be a more complicated and socially distant instant individual than most people may believe. (one could point out that describes either Brad Pitt or Tommy Lee Jones' characters in Ad Astra too).

Rent First Man on Amazon here

Apollo 13 (Amazon Rental)

As previously mentioned, Ad Astra does serve as an effective lesson in the dangers of leaving Earth, but Ron Howard's pulse-pounding, Academy Award-winning 1995 thriller is the ultimate cautionary space travel tale because it's based on a terrifying true story. The source of the iconic quote "Houston, we have a problem," Apollo 13 stars Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon as a trio of astronauts who, along with their earthbound colleagues at NASA, must devise a plan to safely bring the titular spacecraft home after it suffers internal damage mid-mission.

Rent Apollo 13 on Amazon here.

Space Cowboys (HBO Max)

One could almost consider 2000's Space Cowboys to be a piece of alternative history imagining what could have happened if the men involved in the Apollo 13 disaster actually missed out on visiting space until they hit their golden years. Such is the case for four retired air force pilots (played by director Clint Eastwood, James Garner, and Ad Astra stars Donald Sutherland and Tommy Lee Jones) tasked with putting a failing satellite back into orbit. It's a fun, unearthly action film about second chances that does indeed feature the N*SYNC tune of the same name in its soundtrack.

Stream Space Cowboys on HBO Max here

Rent Space Cowboys on Amazon here

The Martian (Amazon)

Yet another fairly recent film that makes a space explorer's life look like a freaking nightmare is The Martian, which is probably the most lighthearted title to fall under that category (enough so that this highly entertaining futuristic thriller based on Andy Weir's novel and directed by Ridley Scott won the 2016 Golden Globe for Best Picture in the Musical or Comedy category). Matt Damon also won a Globe for his charismatic performance as an astronaut stranded on the Red Planet, which very loosely parallels Brad Pitt's performance in Ad Astra (like if Roy McBride were a personable human being with a sly sense of humor... which he is not).

Rent The Martian on Amazon here

The Man Who Fell To Earth (Amazon Prime)

Like Ad Astra, this 1976 sci-fi drama falls more into the vein of arthouse societal commentary than B-movie spectacle. The Man Who Fell to Earth follows an alien who becomes an entrepreneur on Earth in order to raise funds to build a spacecraft and return to his dying planet, but human greed becomes an insurmountable obstacle. If that concept alone is not enough to lure you in, perhaps seeing late musician David Bowie in his first starring role as the title character will.

Stream The Man Who Fell To Earth on Amazon Prime here

Rent The Man Who Fell To Earth on Amazon here.

Gravity (Amazon Rental)

If you ask me, the most dazzling and technically brilliant scene in Ad Astra happens near the beginning when Roy McBride miraculously survives the sudden destruction of a space antenna that sends him hurdling toward the Earth. Imagine the suffocating intensity of that scene for 90 minutes and you have Gravity, a gorgeous visual achievement starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts left stranded in the middle of space after a deadly accident. Earning director Alfonso Cuaron his first Academy Award in 2014, this moving, brilliantly acted space adventure does not give you a single moment to catch your breath.

Rent Gravity on Amazon here

The Wandering Earth (Netflix)

The catalyst of Roy McBride's mission to the furthest edges of the solar system in Ad Astra is the discovery of massive surges of energy threatening the Earth which he has been tasked to stop. However, in The Wandering Earth, the plan set forth to save the planet from a dying sun is not to leave it, but to literally move the Earth somewhere else by constructing giant thrusters that essentially turn it into a giant spacecraft. This Chinese import, exclusively available on Netflix, is the kind of high-concept sci-fi thriller that is still irresistibly fascinating even as it resorts to Roland Emmerich levels of over-the-top.

Stream The Wandering Earth on Netflix here

Europa Report (Hulu)

The most important detail about Roy McBride's mission in Ad Astra, and what truly motivates him to accept it, is that energy surges that threaten the planet may be tied to an expedition to find intelligent life on other planets led by his father years ago. Of course, the search did not go so well, and neither does a similar mission depicted in Sebastián Cordero's Europa Report, which follows space travelers as they find more than they bargained for on Jupiter's moon of the same name. District 9's Sharlto Copley stars in this intense 2013 found footage thriller about the sacrifices that are often required to survive the unforgiving environment of unexplored territory.

Stream Europa Repot on Hulu here

Rent Europa Report on Amazon here

Interstellar (Amazon Rental)

Writer/director Christopher Nolan tried his hand at pre-apocalyptic science-fiction in 2014 with Interstellar, another technical marvel about a group of astronauts tasked with saving humanity on a dying Earth by searching for a new home. Of course, the stunning visuals and cataclysmic threats are not all that earns this Oscar-winner parallels with Ad Astra. The true heart of the film is the relationship between Matthew McConaughey's Cooper and his daughter, Murph (played as an adult by Jessica Chastain) kept apart by a wormhole that extends their distance by decades.

Rent Interstellar on Amazon here

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (Netflix)

The painful distance between Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his father, Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. (Sean Connery), is more metaphorical than the relationship between Roy McBride and his father, Clifford, in Ad Astra. Yet, it is equally relatable, especially when the famed archaeologist must track down his missing, estranged dad and learn to work out their differences while struggling to beat the Nazis in a quest for the Holy Grail. Now, despite the fact that the dysfunctional father-son theme is really the only thing that Ad Astra has in common with the wholly earthbound Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, that is not going to keep you from watching, will it?

Stream Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade on Netflix here

Rent Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade on Amazon here

What do you think? Are you an Ad Astra fan because the film reminded you of these movies, or are you a fan of that film in spite of these movies? Let us known in the comments and be sure to check back for more information and updates on Brad Pitt’s space odyssey, as well as plenty more recommendations of what you can stream or rent, here on CinemaBlend.

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Out of all the times that The Wonderful World of Disney could have chosen to return, this current era of isolation is probably one of the best and most fitting opportunities. With people stuck in their homes and entertainment being at even more of a premium at this point, the four week event starting next Wednesday is a great opportunity for Disney to raid its storied vault and entertain the masses.

But why stop at four weeks? Why not keep this train going, especially when there’s so much content to throw into the queue? That’s exactly what we’re proposing on this end, as we’ve thought up a list of 10 movies that would be wonderful for Disney’s iconic night at the movies to capitalize on. Just imagine turning on the TV, and seeing Tinkerbell flying over Cinderella’s castle, waving her wand to usher in one of these gems.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

As far as Disney’s animated film library is concerned, there are quite a few titles that don’t get the love they deserve. Atlantis: The Lost Empire falls firmly into that bucket, as the action-adventure picture became a cult classic, but hasn’t exactly been a cottage industry for the studio. Now’s as good a time as any to bring viewers old and new back to the lost continent, in the hopes that a live-action remake could finally happen in the near future.

Treasure Planet

In that same era of Disney films that saw Atlantis: The Lost Empire released into the world, Treasure Planet’s reworking of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island was also a film that didn’t hit it as big as the studio had hoped. A space-based quest for treasure and finding one’s self in the middle of a life-changing adventure, it’s another throwback that’ll please those that have seen it, and capture the imaginations that haven't had the pleasure.

Captain America: The First Avenger

It’s not all animated adventures on the Disney lot, especially after their acquisition of Marvel Comics and its film apparatus made the studio the leading purveyor of four panel blockbusters. While Captain America: The First Avenger isn’t exactly an obscure piece of their collection, it is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films that gets pushed to the side often in favor of bigger fare. Much like Agent Phil Coulson told Cap himself in The Avengers, the world could use some of the old-fashioned hero action that this film beautifully piles on.

The Rocketeer

Director Joe Johnston is a Disney Legend in his own right, as he’s delivered solid cult classics like Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, as well as laid down the basis for the studio’s later work in the MCU with Captain America: The First Avenger. But one film that latter blockbuster owes a huge debt to is Johnston’s previous work in the comic’s realm, The Rocketeer. Designed as an adaptation/tribute to comics of the past, it’s probably the movie that landed Johnston the gig directing Steve Rogers’ first adventure in the first place. Most importantly, it still holds up as a hell of a ride.

Tomorrowland

Talking about director Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland is a very bittersweet experience. On the one hand, the film was a flop that probably landed its name on the pile of things not to talk about on the Disney lot. Not to mention, it probably killed the sequel to Tron: Legacy dead in its tracks. And yet, this visionary story of the promise of the future, and deciding to make it a good one in the present, is worth a nice re-examination. What better way to get people talking about Tomorrowland than showing its hopeful future on TV screens far and wide?

Tron: Legacy

You could call Tron: Legacy the Tomororrowland of its day. While director Joseph Kosinski’s film was actually a hit on paper, it didn’t make enough money to prioritize any sequels over, say, all those Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. The child, much like its parent, exposed viewers to a digital frontier no one ever thought they’d see again; and it did so in dazzling color. People could uses something as gorgeous and hopeful as Tron Legacy in their living rooms.

The Martian

We’re digging a little deeper into the Disney vault now, as the 20th Century Fox films that are now sitting in there are equally exciting prospects for televised entertainment. While The Martian does have some slightly salty language, director Ridley Scott’s film adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel of survival and isolation is apropos of the world we live in right now. Watching Matt Damon’s Mark Watney snark his way through sciencing the hell out of Mars makes a lot of sense right about now. Just as the book itself was edited for classrooms, some minor surgery would be needed to turn this gem into a family movie night.

That Thing You Do

Another Fox acquisition, Tom Hanks’ writing/directing debut That Thing You Do would pretty much be able to run as is. Fondly remembered far and wide as a heartfelt look into ‘60s pop music, the semi-musical comedy spawned a memorable hit from the late Adam Schlesinger, and a bunch of scenes of whimsy and tomfoolery that are still quoted to this day. With the recent watch party commentary still out there, folks would only need to account for commercials to get in on the fun; or they could opt to just watch the film as is.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

You knew you weren’t leaving here without a Star Wars movie being thrown onto this list, right? To omit the other huge powerhouse that Disney acquired in recent history would have been akin to siding with the Empire as they plan to build the Death Star in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Sure, ABC could show any of the other movies in the series, but that’s been done before. Bringing the story of hope in a rebellious time in the galaxy would be a fresh move involving an old friend. Also, that Darth Vader scene can make anyone forget their troubles for its brief, but devastating duration.

Artemis Fowl

We’re going to wrap things up with a curveball, as Disney’s upcoming streaming original Artemis Fowl could be one hell of a TV event with the right timing. Kenneth Branagh’s film, set to debut on Disney+ June 12, is already making a name for itself as a play to bring people onboard with their platform. However, if ABC were to set aside a special night around the time of the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday, Eoin Colfer’s tale of fairies and thievery could be a special occasion, with a nice plug for the home team built right in.

When you wish upon a star, it’s movies like this that get you far. The Wonderful World of Disney is something that should have never went away, and with quarantine bringing it back from the depths of the Disney warehouse of ideas, one could only hope it’ll stick with us for much longer than the four week run that’s currently planned. As you can see with the selections we’ve picked out, it’s not like the Mouse House doesn't have enough movies to show or anything.

The Wonderful World of Disney kicks off on ABC May 20 with its airing of Moana. Of course, if you want to bring the wonderful library of Disney films into your life on a much more frequent basis, you could check out the 7-day free trial that could change your cinematic life!

After almost 85 years of making blockbusters, awards darlings, and general crowd pleasing movies under the name 20th Century Fox, the famed studio has officially changed its name. It was recently announced that Disney, the new owners of the formerly independent major studio, have now rebranded 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures as 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures.

We are now in a new era of motion picture history, and as this bold new epoch unfolds, it’s a good time to look back and remember the beautiful visions that 20th Century Fox has brought us in the past. So cue the iconic fanfare and conduct along as if it was the last time, as we celebrate these ten favorites from the history of Fox movies.

10. The Martian (2015)

Sci-fi has been a genre that 20th Century Fox has always made some pretty interesting films from. While it has made movies in all corners of the cinematic world, the world of the fantastic has been a place where Fox has made a cozy home, shown again in one of its most recent films, Director Ridley Scott’s The Martian.

As astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) finds himself stranded on Mars, the challenges faced in this adaptation of author Andy Weir’s grounded, but futuristic tale are all brought to brilliant life. With an ensemble of unique characters that all make up the team that will help Mark try to come home, the action and the character work are both painted in brilliant detail.

9. Young Frankenstein (1974)

While writer/director Mel Brooks’ classic Young Frankenstein owes its own debt to the horror genre, it’s comedy that rules the roost in this takeoff based on Mary Shelley’s iconic masterpiece. Brooks worked with valued collaborator Gene Wilder, whose performance as Frederick, the grandson of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, is a gem in a career full of winners.

Pitted against Marty Feldman, Madeline Khan, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars, and Peter Boyle as The Monster himself, the talent on display is on par with Mel Brooks’ direction of the script that he and Wilder co-wrote. Running gags, romance, and a musical number all make this film a true classic in the 20th Century Fox fault.

8. Miracle On 34th Street (1947)

20th Century Fox movies aren’t all creatures and sci-fi, as they’ve also made some heartwarming films in their day. Miracle on 34th Street is one of the prime examples of such a movie, as George Seaton’s holiday focuses on something much more grounded, but still very fantastical: the existence of Santa Claus.

A legal debate over whether Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is truly the Santa is the heart of the movie’s story, as folks far and wide have encountered his magic firsthand at Macy’s, which prompts skeptics to come out of the woodwork. With Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood as the mother and daughter caught in the middle of it all, the film would spawn a remake, but the original version is still firmly placed in the hearts of its fans.

7. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Divorce is a hard topic to tackle in entertainment, whether it’s aimed at adults or children. It’s a fact that makes director Chris Columbus’ 20th Century Fox classic Mrs. Doubtfire sound all the more magical, as it is a movie that speaks of this subject with a high degree of emotional understanding, while also serving as a fall down funny vehicle for Robin Williams’ comedy chops.

Williams plays both a father whose about to be separated from his family, and the housekeeper alter-ego he invents to keep himself in the picture, and the resulting film is one of his career’s best efforts. Showcasing both the dramatic and slapstick sides of Robin Williams, as he navigates life with ex-wife Sally Field and their three children, Mrs. Doubtfire doesn’t take any shortcuts, and serves as a 20th Century Fox movie that can make the whole family laugh, cry, and smile without ever feeling either emotion is out of place.

6. All About Eve (1950)

Before Titanic and La La Land tied its record for the most Academy Award nominations, 20th Century Fox had Hollywood history beat with All About Eve. When all was said and done, 14 nods were handed to this drama involving the fickle nature of both show business and the fans that love it so.

With Bette Davis’ actress Margo striking up a friendship with younger, eager fan Eve (Anne Baxter,) their relationship goes from friendly to furious, as Eve takes advantage of her newfound connections and tries to make a name for herself as an actor. Six of the 14 Oscars All About Eve was nominated for were won, with another record for four actress’ being nominate for top honors from the film, and it’s still a film that’s worth its epic reputation.

5. Die Hard (1988)

It doesn’t matter which sequel you value over the other, or if you think it’s a Christmas movie or not: 1988’s Die Hard is, and always will be, one of the best 20th Century Fox movies ever. Bruce Willis’ origin story as the unkillable John McClane is still a modern benchmark for action-comedy to this very day, and it’s not hard to see why.

Fighting through a skyscraper of villains, and trying to convince the police below that he’s on the up and up, Willis’ iconic ‘80s hero pitted against Alan Rickman’s formidable, and borderline charming villain is something that’s kept the film in the public consciousness for decades since its release. Say what you will about the rest, but Die Hard is a solid gold classic.

4. Fight Club (1999)

Here’s an interesting scenario: author Chuck Palahniuk’s incendiary counter-culture novel Fight Club, a long standing middle finger to consumer and corporate culture, became a long standing hit for a major film studio. With 20th Century Fox taking a gamble on this payload of shock and awe philosophy, it was a bold statement as the world headed into a new millennium.

The adventures of Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden and Edward Norton’s unnamed narrator, and their mutual investment in “Project Mayhem” outraged quite a few with its content back in its theatrical run. But as time and analysis have shown, director David Fincher’s adaptation of such a firebrand of a book was way ahead of its time, and an indicator of what audiences were truly ready for when it came to pushing the envelope.

3. Star Wars (1977)

If there was ever a movie that put 20th Century Fox on the map, at least in the world of the modern blockbuster, it has to be the original Star Wars. While Steven Spielberg’s Jaws brought the concept of a smash summer hit into the forefront, it was fellow film brat George Lucas that turned that model into a bonafide smash. The first adventure of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill,) Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher,) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in this classic trilogy, Star Wars kicked off a world of cinema through what could have been a simple one-off.

But instead, Lucas’ lore was so compelling, and the results of that first film so thrilling, that audiences kept 20th Century Fox in the Star Wars business for some time; a fact that undoubtedly convinced Disney to purchase Lucasfilm, and eventually Fox itself. All of that magic, and merchandising, started with this singular sci-fi event that marked a seismic shift in filmmaking.

2. The Sound Of Music (1965)

Some musicals are memorable, while others are so timeless they become annual institutions. Rogers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is most definitely one of the latter, as every year ABC or one of its affiliated networks has shown the film around the Christmas holiday for some time. While director Robert Wise’s movie is another classic that falls into the “Christmas or Not?” debate, what can’t be questioned is how well the film holds up.

Julie Andrews’ delightful nun turned governess Maria and Christopher Plummer’s handsome, but firm Captain Von Trapp slowly start to fall for each other, with the backdrop of Hitler’s rise to power providing a dramatic threat to their burgeoning romance. Of course, that’s just the surface to a story that has plenty of warmth and memorable songs to move it along into the history books as a 20th Century Fox classic.

1. Alien (1979)

Some may find it weird to say that director Ridley Scott’s Alien is the best 20th Century Fox movie known in its entire history, but hear me out. Not only was the film a certified hit in the wake of Star Wars mania, it’s also been one of the most consistent properties the studio has ever held, and with a comparatively smaller market share thanks to its R-rating.

But that’s never stopped the Sigourney Weaver led franchise from, even in its darker days, making a lot of noise. It’s all because of that first film, with H.R. Giger’s vision of a hellish extraterrestrial hunted down Ripley and her crew in bloody, frightening fashion. Much like Die Hard, the Alien franchise built a rock solid reputation on its initial dose of terror, and has been able to beautifully do business on it ever since.

It’s hard to believe it, but with the close of 2019, we also put to rest a whole decade of sci-fi movies that have come out in the 2010s. Much like any other genre you can think of, there were ups and downs, but those ups were exceedingly memorable.

Come to think of it, there are 10 movies that showcase the best of what sci-fi had to offer in the past decade. Each of the following films we’re about to list off are shining examples of what the best of this particular genre can represent.

Some are flights of fancy, others are grounded explorations into very topical subject matter. All are proven results of what happens when the human imagination takes flight, and shows us either something we’ve never seen before or a fresh angle on a well-worn classic. Here now are the 10 best sci-fi movies of the 2010’s.

10. Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Our first entry is a young one, as director Robert Rodriguez and producer James Cameron came together to finally bring Alita: Battle Angel to the big screen. After almost 20 years of development and interest, the story of a young cyborg and her quest to defeat an all-seeing evil was brought to life.

The wait was well worth it too, as Rosa Salazar’s portrayal of Alita is at times wild-eyed, while also hardened with the resolve of a warrior. Both her sensitive and badass sides get to play a good game, among a cast that also boasts Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connolly and Mahershala Ali.

But perhaps the most exciting reason Alita: Battle Angel takes its place among the best sci-fi movies of the decade is the fact that it introduced the world of its franchise as a familiar dystopia set in a breathtakingly fresh universe. This film is built much like its protagonist: with wild eyed visuals and incredible action, and its story definitely deserves to continue in a sequel or two.

9. Tron: Legacy (2010)

While fresh concepts rule this list on the whole, there’s a couple of returns to legendary franchises that made for some of the best sci-fi movies of the 2010s. Joseph Kosinski’s Tron: Legacy took a Disney sci-fi movie from the studio’s own dark age and revived it into a modern hit that still resonates with fans today.

Bringing back Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn for a new adventure in the world he created, Tron: Legacy also complimented his return with the introduction of his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) and companion Quorra (Olivia Wilde.) This central trio of characters would fight against the greatest threat to the machine world: Kevin’s program alter-ego CLU (also Bridges) in a battle setting up the future of the entire film universe.

Though Tron: Legacy’s roots were in reviving a previously existing property, the balance between fan service and new, exciting adventures was properly struck. By the time this underrated gem had finished telling it story, there was no doubt that Tron had a good reason to exist in our modern world.

8. Looper (2012)

Writer/director Rian Johnson has tried his hand at several different genres, but sci-fi seems to be the only one he’s really repeated himself with, besides that of the detective fiction. His first foray into that very type of film, Looper, still remains as one of the best films to come out of the man’s career, as well as one of the best sci-fi films of the decade.

Pitting Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis against each other as two versions of the same person, this time travel thriller starts out on a personal level, but soon grows into an epic that spans the decades and puts everything, and everyone, on the line.

It’s an inventive thriller, with an ending that still has audiences talking to this very day about what it all means. And whether you love or hate Rian Johnson’s work on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, this movie was an effort impressive enough to land him in that prime gig.

7. War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017)

“How the hell do you reboot Planet of the Apes?” is a question that people asked themselves shortly before Rise of the Planet of the Apes debuted in 2011, silencing critics and starting a new trilogy of backstory for the classic series to rest on.

While director Rupert Wyatt kicked things off with that film, it was director Matt Reeves that kickstarted the trilogy into fame and fortune, with War for the Planet of the Apes turning out to be the crowning achievement in Caesar’s reign.

Closing out the series with a soulful finale that saw Andy Serkis’ Caesar and Woody Harrelson’s Colonel battle it out for dominance, War for the Planet of the Apes stuck the landing and put a fitting button on a series that asked what it truly means to be human and what it would take for our species to truly lose its way.

6. Gravity (2013)

At its heart Gravity is a very simple premise: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney have a bad day in space. But when that bad day happens to be an intricately planned misadventure that starts with a wrecked space shuttle and ends with a tense re-entry into the atmosphere, those words just don’t seem to cut it.

Throw in the fact that Sandra Bullock’s Dr. Ryan Stone is forced to confront and overcome traumatic circumstances in her life during her fight for survival, and you can see how Alfonso Cuaron’s sci-fi movie exemplifies everything the genre should stand for.

With a realistic protagonist, an extremely grounded (but equally tense) challenge and visually dazzling photography, Gravity is a very heartfelt story told with the pacing and action of a blockbuster.

5. Ex Machina (2014)

It’s time now to get into the top five sci-fi movies of the decade, and from this point on, it could be argued that each film we’re about to discuss will be a classic in its own right. Fittingly enough, we start with a movie that’s definitely built on the bones of classic sci-fi lore: Alex Garland’s Ex Machina.

There are so many ways to interpret what exactly goes in Ex Machina, as at times Domnhall Gleeson’s Caleb and Oscar Isaac’s Nathan seem to be playing a game of wits against each other. At other times, it feels like Alicia Vikander’s synthetic being Ava is playing them both. With both of those schools of thought in play, the film plays with the audience’s expectations, as well as their minds.

No matter how you look at it, this existential crisis in a remote location boils over into the larger argument of just where the line between humans and machines lies, and if it could ever be crossed in either direction. In true Garland fashion, the solution is left for the audience to decide, but not before Ex Machina takes some extremely unsettling twists and turns.

4. Inception (2010)

Speaking of mindbenders, let it be known that writer/director Christopher Nolan is one of the foremost practitioners of such a prospect. Inception is arguably still the man’s masterpiece of manipulation, as both the concepts of time and memory are used to tell a layered narrative that plays like a jigsaw puzzle and a thrill ride.

Leonardo DiCaprio leads a team of memory extractors (including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy and Ellen Page) that try to win the freedom of their leader by playing a game of mental espionage and deception. Of course, the longer Inception gets, the muddier the truth of its protagonist becomes, ultimately arriving at a cathartic ending that everyone still chooses to dissect.

While the surface of Inception looks like a simple adventure thrill ride with a stereotypically “difficult” question to answer, the finale of the film is so open to interpretation that you can’t get a definitive solution from anyone. Even with evidence firmly in hand, there’s always someone who’ll force you to question what you know to be real, which is extremely meta considering Inception puts DiCaprio’s lead character through that exact same ringer.

3. The Martian (2015)

Science fiction isn’t always about complicated, outlandish narratives, nor is it constantly about other walks of life. Some of the best sci-fi, like in Ridley Scott’s adaptation of author Andy Weir’s The Martian, deals with realistic situations in scientifically creative ways.

Harkening back to stories like Robinson Crusoe or any other tale involving a shipwreck, The Martian sees botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) survive the harshness of Mars as if he would an extended period of time in any wilderness.

There’s sci-fi at work to be sure, as the film does focus on a manned mission to Mars, but without shortcuts such as terraforming, hyperdrives and cryogenic sleep, The Martian is firmly planted in the world of practical solutions and very human risks. At times thrilling and hilarious, it should serve as the inspiration for the next generation of astronauts to reach for the stars.

2. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Blade Runner is an undisputed classic of sci-fi, as so many stories that came after it were inspired by its existence. It is a bedrock of modern cyberpunk, as well as any story involving the quest for artificial life to be seen as actually living.

And yet, there was still room to make lightning strike twice, as Blade Runner 2049 stepped right back into the world of Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and continued the story that started 30 years prior in a way that expanded the original film’s meaning, without compromising its quality.

As Ryan Gosling’s K digs around history familiar to those in love with the original film’s mythos, Blade Runner 2049 pushes further with those same questions, weaving a story for director Denis Villeneuve’s sequel to really sink its teeth into. The past and the future collide to make for a film that’s artistically beautiful and thematically haunting.

1. Arrival (2016)

It was completely unintentional to put Denis Villeneuve films into the top two slots of this list. And yet, the only film that could beat Blade Runner 2049 for the best sci-fi film of the decade is the much more contemporary, and radically more grounded tale, Arrival.

Denis Villeneuve’s first sci-fi film, and arguably his best by a hair, the story sees a linguist (Amy Adams) racing against time and military machinations in order to preserve peace between a newly discovered alien species who are trying to communicate with humanity for the very first time.

While there are aliens and a new form of language involved, Arrival is a tense, but heartbreaking drama that sees Amy Adams deliver a performance so nuanced, she should have won (or at the very least scored a nomination) the Academy Award for Best Actress the year she was eligible. It is a movie that preaches a message of peace and communication without getting too sentimental or outlandish.

It’s grounded, but fantastical, and it’s a film that’s as relevant today as it was a couple of years ago. If there was one film to be selected as a stone cold classic on this list, you’re looking at it.

Sci-fi at its best makes us think about who we are, where we’re going and how we can be better. These ten films show the best examples of how such stories are told and how they should continue to be told in the next decade and beyond.

Let’s enter this new era remembering how these films touched our hearts and minds, and here’s to the next decade of sci-fi, ready to bring us fans new and exciting treasures to behold one step into the future.

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Oh, to be sad in space! We’ve all been there, or at least felt like we've been there, and know the heavy-breathing clouding astronaut's helmets and tears filling them up. Looking out into the great and beautiful unknown of the stars and far-off galaxy during a long reflection of existentialism. It’s not exactly what Star Wars cracked it up to be, is it? Over the years, lonely space movies have become an intriguing subgenre filled with memorable explorations of humanity, incredible cinematography, visual effects achievements and some of the best showcases from starring actors we've seen in any genre.

In honor of Ad Astra’s recent release, let’s venture through the cold vacuum of space and take a look at the best somber astronaut performances. Each one of these is a solid offering. This was a tough one to rank – you’ll be in good hands and feel all of the emotions with each one of these movies. However, as just about all space movies have taught us, you can never leave with the crew you came with. There can only be one number one. He's a look at the saddest of the sad astronaut performances on the big screen.

10. Keir Dullea, 2001: A Space Odyssey

Yes, the benchmark space flick of space flicks is at ten. Remember, this list is based on acting performances. If the judgement was on the film itself 2001: A Space Odyssey may have a place at the tip top. But, Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 incredible filmmaking and ideas is the star of this classic and unforgettable film. Now Keir Dullea, who plays Dr. Dave Bowman plays a role in executing his vision, but another actor could have done the job. Still, Dullea’s moments probing defiant HAL robot and transcending space and time are nothing short of epic.

9. Robert Pattinson, High Life

Earlier this year, future Batman star Robert Pattinson delivered one of the best performances of his career with a really weird sci-fi film to remember him by. At its heart, High Life shows Pattinson playing a young father raising his daughter in space. It also highlights his immense talent in ways that far outstretch his Twilight days. His performance stands out among the movie’s shocking twists and turns led by French filmmaker, Claire Denis’ twisted direction. If you like a compelling performance, try out this vastly underseen space ride.

8. Jodie Foster, Contact

Robert Zemekis’ 1997 space flick Contact is based on a book by a legendary astronomer of television, Carl Sagan. The movie follows Jodie Foster’s Dr. Ellie Arroway as she finds evidence of life outside of Earth and travels to the great beyond to find its source. It poses grand questions to the audience about science, religion and humankind, all while Foster comes out on top with a convincing performance – even with some not-so-great effects by today’s standards.

7. Matt Damon, The Martian

The winning element of Ridley Scott’s The Martian is Matt Damon’s on-screen charisma as his astronaut character is stranded on Mars. He makes a dire and complicated situation into a highly engaging and entertaining one. He’s a sad astronaut for sure, but he uses a flair of sarcasm and wit to elevate the often-somber genre into something with more levity. Damon’s performance has a deft touch as he sits with the audience, explaining the science. You'll be with him the entire way.

6. Brad Pitt, Ad Astra

Space’s newest recruit is Brad Pitt in James Gray’s Ad Astra (alternative title Sad Astra). The sci-fi drama explores a new corner of the genre as the slow-burn visual spectacle shares a message focused on someone’s personal mental health journey. Pitt’s character ventures “to the stars” when his famous astronaut father is said to be the cause of a universe-threatening surge. Brad Pitt gives an expertly-restrained performance where little needs to be said in order for the audience to understand his pain and realizations.

5. Tom Hanks, Apollo 13

“Houston, we have a problem.” Those words alone are enough to send us back to the memorable performance of America’s Sweetheart, Tom Hanks in Apollo 13. Ron Howard’s 1995 movie is a crowd-pleasing classic that really is that good every time. In it, Hanks plays Astronaut Jim Lovell, alongside Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon’s real-life portrayals of the space mission gone wrong when the spacecraft suffers internal damage and threatens their ticket home. The Hanks performance is both memorable and emotional enough to land it smack dab in the middle of this list.

4. Ryan Gosling, First Man

In stunning contrast to the standing ovations and supbeat soundtrack of Apollo 13 is Damien Chazelle’s First Man. The solemn drama tells the story of famous figure Neil Armstrong by delving into the man he was, and what the history books never filled in for us. Ryan Gosling disappears in the role as an awkward astronaut quietly grieving the loss of his young daughter. Gosling’s heartbreaking performances reveals Armstrong’s personal journey to the moon that redefined the previously romanticized space mission.

3. Matthew McConaughey, Interstellar

Christopher Nolan’s venture into the world of space sci-fi may have involved a confusing time-traveling bookcase plot, but Matthew McConaughey was the 2014 film’s secret weapon. McConaughey showed off a different side to his typically laid-back on-screen persona as Interstellar’s unwavering hero: a NASA pilot and engineer. The actor gives an emotional performance as his character Cooper greatly feels the stretch of space and must leave his children behind. It’s a stunning study on parenthood and is among Matthew McConaughey’s best work.

2. Sam Rockwell, Moon

Coming at runner-up for the best sad astronaut performance is Three Billboards Oscar winner Sam Rockwell for 2009’s Moon. The indie film was made on a really low budget of $5 million and made just under $10 million in movie theaters, but wow is it an impressive entry to this genre. Rockwell carries the film on his own in a weighty role revolving around a man who has spent three years completing a mission on the moon. For all its grand twists and scientific questions, Sam Rockwell is the heart of the movie and expertly pulls on the audiences’ heartstrings.

1. Sandra Bullock, Gravity

At number #1 is Sandy Bullock in Alfonso Cuarón’s seven-time Oscar winner, Gravity. It’s a no-brainer really. She’s incredible in this role. Take away the breathtaking visuals of this once-in-a-lifetime moviegoing experience and we’d still be talking about her acting achievement. She says a lot with so little to work with in a way that transcends all other performances like this. When Ryan Stone becomes stranded alone in space on her first mission, she takes us along in her moments of sadness, hope and exhaustion. It’s perfect.

Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite performance starring a sad astronaut? Leave a comment below and vote with our poll!

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There has been a lot of talk about October box office records this month, with Venom and Halloween tearing up the charts during their opening weekends and beyond. It's talk that has been completely justified, if you look at the numbers for best October openings throughout history. In fact, you can take a look at those openings for yourself below, just to see how historic this month really has been.

As you can see from the data, both Venom and Halloween have totally dominated the conversation. In addition, A Star is Born has also made its way onto that chart. Still, let's set the stage a little before diving into the numbers and factors involving these champions. Now typically, October has been seen as a dumping ground for off-season write-offs and horror cash ins. After all, it's a month before November picks up steam with prestige season and family blockbusters galore.

In recent years though, it has become another testing ground for franchises and concepts that, outside of tentpole season, could stand a chance at success. Just look at this year's three additions to the top openings of all time: Venom, Halloween, and A Star Is Born. Two are remakes or reboots of familiar properties, and one is a spinoff adjacent to the superhero craze that has run wild in Hollywood.

While Halloween is the one film that probably would have opened this month no matter what, the other two had other choices. Yet, A Star Is Born more than likely going to be the film that really kicked off the prestige season, which has been a boon for the movie's October debut the same weekend as Venom. Meanwhile, Tom Hardy and Sony's superhero saga was positioning itself far enough outside of either tentpole season, so as to feed viewers starved for blockbusters and specifically comic book content.

Both films gambled and it paid off, with Venom even setting a brand new record for the month. Yet if you look a little deeper, there may be another, more traditional reason this could have worked in this year's movies' favor.

As you'll see on the list of 10 films above, all but two (Shark Tale and Gravity) are sequels, remakes, or adaptations (The Martian) of familiar material. Also, for a month that promises all things spooky, only two legitimate horror films are on the list for best October openings (Paranormal Activity 3 and Halloween). Even with the work done to turn this normally dormant month into a viable candidate for box office competition, sequels and spinoffs are clearly what seems to be working most.

October still hasn't seen a blockbuster opening make or cross the $100 million line, so there's still work that could be done to make the month more prominent for moviegoers in the future. With months like February and September sharing a similar profile, the successes with films like Deadpool, Black Panther, and IT haven't yet been replicated. Venom came close though, with $80,255,756 in its opening frames.

Even without a fish that big, this pond has still crossed some massive landmarks in the past decade, as eight of the top 10 titles happened in the last 10 years - with the top five being solely occupied by that time frame's bounty. So going forward, what does this mean for October?

Well, since September is now a new month to colonize with horror hits, thanks to IT and now The Nun striking it rich, October is no longer the sole month to depend on for chills and thrills. Rather, it's now another good month to test out could-be blockbusters, and could be the month that starts awards season a little earlier moving forward. That's not a bad place for October to be.

Personally, I think it looks as if October is basically the new April, as we've seen that off-season month grow into a hot competitor once Marvel Studios got its hands on it. It might even become Sony's Marvel niche, leaving Marvel Studios to keep a tight grip on the end of April or early May as the company always intended. It's all rather up in the air at this moment, but once the month produces a $100+ million opening, I'd expect trend chasers to take whatever film achieves that milestone as the gold standard.

One final note about this year's results, which were compiled by Box Office Mojo, is something that could spell new wins for an old franchise. Comparing Venom to Halloween, the estimated respective takes of $80.3 million versus $77.5 million may seem close. Consider the following: Venom had premium formats and 3D to help inflate its grosses; while Halloween only had some premium formats, a total lack of 3D support, and an R-rating it earned in blood. With fewer resources, the sequel closed its fortunes to a cap of roughly $3 million dollars. The bottom line: don't be surprised if Eddie Brock and Michael Myers happen to have a rematch in the next couple of years.

The box office calendar has diversified itself drastically over the last decade, with more and more "surprises" landing in months we wouldn't expect them to inhabit. This year brought us three in the month of October, and looking at October 2019's line-up, there's some more records to potentially be broken. With Warner Bros. testing the waters themselves with the Joker spin-off, The Addams Family and Are You Afraid Of The Dark? looking to please families in the Halloween spirit, and the long awaited Zombieland 2 currently penciled in to make its debut, we might see some of these titles knocked off the list, in favor of some fresh blood.

While we wait for next October to finally roll around, CinemaBlend will keep you updated on the new movie releases coming in 2019.

A decade may as well be an infinity in the world of movies. The amount of product that is released in that time frame is pretty voluminous when discussing cinema on the whole, so sometimes it's a good idea to narrow your focus to a smaller cosmos in the continuum. Strangely enough, we're about to embark on a journey that understands this concept extremely well, as we're about to go through a list of the ten best science fiction films of the past decade. Each film has made it onto this list for some very good, and, in some cases, reasons extremely important to the genre itself. But each film is, in its own way, a sci-fi classic in the making.

10. District 9

Some directors make such brilliant debuts that they have a hard time measuring up to, much less surpassing, those initial efforts. Director Neill Blomkamp's District 9 is definitely one of those sorts of films, as his Apartheid allegory involving an alien race that's been living among humans still stands as his best work yet. Not to pass any more judgement on Elysium and Chappie than we already have, but the unique presentation of a found footage thriller, mixed with a compelling performance by then unknown Sharlto Copley, made for intriguing viewing. However, the reason it stands out in a decade's worth of genre material is because it was able to take a socially conscious subject and, without pretension or hamfisted intent, made a viably entertaining film out of it.

9. Looper

Time travel is so hard to work with, considering it's a subject of such scrutinous continuity that you really need to know what you're doing to make it work. Director Rian Johnson, as per usual, knew what he was doing when he made Looper, and it shows in every frame of his third motion picture. Pitting Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis against each other in a time turning thriller, Johnson mashes film noir trappings and fast paced action to make a sci-fi film that both die-hard fans and those outside of the genre could get behind. Also, that ending still has us thinking in the years since its release.

8. Interstellar

Writer / Director Christopher Nolan has never been shy when it comes to high flying concepts, two films in his filmography stand out as sci-fi luminaries. One of them is, naturally, his ode to Kubrickian space travel, Interstellar. With the help of project consultant / theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, Nolan not only launched into one of the more accurate depictions of time dilation, black holes, and space travel without faster than light travel, but also spurred Thorne to make some new discoveries on the practical side of things. To craft a sci-fi film full of wonder and emotional depth is one thing, but to help influence real-life science in the process is something spectacular.

7. Edge of Tomorrow

John F. Kennedy once said that, "victory has a hundred fathers, and defeat is an orphan." Well, Edge of Tomorrow was certainly an orphan when it came to the box office expectations, but lucky for Tom Cruise and company, everyone loves an endearing orphan! Edge of Tomorrow, or Live. Die. Repeat. as some of you may have come to know it, blends a killer sense of humor and some top notch action with the sort of sci-fi premise that makes the film stand out. Perhaps the best reason for including this film in our line-up is the fact that its personality shone so bright, and it came so highly recommended, that it snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and even put itself on track for a sequel.

6. Wall-E

Some folks will tell you that Wall-E doesn't belong on this list. Well, those type of people are absolutely wrong, as the Pixar blockbuster is one of the most memorable sci-fi films to come from any corner of cinema. The fact that the film is an animated product shouldn't be considered a drawback, as the depiction of two robots in love, against the backdrop of the human species' attempts to redefine itself once more, are pure science fiction gold. Even better, the film is accessible to children and adults, which is a rare feat on this list, as most of the subjects involved are so mature that kids aren't ready for them yet. But if you want to give them a head start on getting to all of the other stuff on this list, start them out with Wall-E!

5. Moon

The second of three directorial debuts on this list, Moon jumpstarted the career of writer/director Duncan Jones much like District 9 did for Neill Blomkamp's career. Although, Moon is a much more claustrophobic story, as this film embraces its spartan, but effective approach to storytelling. Through an extremely limited cast of characters, Jones tells an intricately layered story that brings up some of the toughest ethical quandaries that we've seen in sci-fi history. And every fiber of this film is anchored by Sam Rockwell's equally charming and upsetting performance, as the man at the center of the film's thematic maze.

4. The Martian

Science fiction can get really fantastical when it wants to, but sometimes the greater achievement is creating a sci-fi film that stays as rooted to reality as possible. It's this sort of film that The Martian strives to be, and with its story set only a couple decades from our present day, with technology and solutions that are, for the most part, extremely plausible in their execution. Pile a wicked sense of humor, and a sense of good old hard work through global cooperation, and you'll find yourself in the middle of a feel good science experiment of a film.