NASA just launched Artemis II and it has the world buzzing about space travel once again. Artemis II, which took off on April 1, is going to take a journey around the moon. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen are on the mission.
If all goes according to schedule, the team should reach the Moon on Monday, April 6. That gives you several days to check out some of the best movies about space travel in the meantime. Go on an adventure from the comfort of your own home or the movie theater while they embark on their historic mission.
The Martian (2015)
The Martian tells the kind of story that’s engaging but that isn’t at all what you’d want to see happen to a real space crew. The premise is that botanist Mark Watney is left stranded on Mars during a dust storm as his team believes he’s dead.
We then watch as Mark finds ways to survive all alone on a planet that’s as far away as possible from his home. There are plenty of intriguing scenes involving NASA back home though, as they try to find ways to bring him back.
Between the experiences of the folks working at NASA and the journey that his team embarks on to return to Mars for Mark, there’s a ton in The Martian for anyone enthralled by Artemis II.
Armageddon (1998)
Michael Bay’s inclusion of the moon and the Apollo 11 mission in Transformers: Dark of the Moon was not his first foray into a story about space. In 1998, he directed Armageddon, which is still viewed as a classic by many.
The movie centers on NASA’s decision to send a group of core drillers on a mission into space to destroy an asteroid the size of Texas, which is on a collision course with Earth. It’s a thrill ride for the entire two and a half hour runtime.
The science behind Armageddon isn’t exactly accurate and it’s more of a fun action romp than anything else, yet that’s why people love it so much. While accuracy is welcome, sometimes you just want to have a great time while watching a space film.
Fly Me To The Moon (2024)
Fly Me to the Moon is a completely different kind of space movie. Rather than focus on traveling to the moon or to another planet, it tells a story about the people looking to stage a fake moon landing in the event that Apollo 11 failed.
The focus is certainly more on setting up the false landing than anything else, yet there are still scenes involving the true astronauts and NASA. The drama of whether or not the mission succeeds in this alternate telling of history is very intriguing.
It helps that the scenes on the ground are boosted by two charismatic leads. Scarlett Johansson plays the advertising executive behind the false shoot, while Channing Tatum is the launch director who makes sure it looks accurate.
Moon (2009)
While a lot of space movies focus on the travel that it takes to reach a destination, this one takes place with our protagonist already on the moon. The film follows astronaut Sam Bell as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint on the far side of the moon.
An accident leaves Sam wounded and all he wants to do is get back to his wife and child. However, Moon delivers an unexpected twist that changes everything about the film leading up to that point.
Not to give things away here, but this makes for one of the most intriguing and trippy sci-fi movies you’ll find. Sam Rockwell delivers a masterful performance where he’s mostly on his own, showcasing his tremendous acting talents.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
You simply can’t discuss space movies without mentioning 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s the film that inspired so many and set the tone for what a movie about space could and should look like.
Many film fans still hold this up as one of the greatest movies in history, regardless of genre. The premise centers on Dr. Heywood Floyd being sent to investigate a mysterious object on the moon. That makes 2001: A Space Odyssey a perfect movie to watch while Artemis II heads there as well.
The object, a massive monolith, is shown to appear throughout the technological evolution that humans experience, adding to the mystery of it all. Stanley Kubrick’s depiction of the moon was considered especially realistic, which lent to the longstanding conspiracy theory that the real moon landing was faked.
Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan dipped his toe into the realm of space movies with Interstellar and it may be the greatest work of his storied career. The movie takes place in a dystopian future where Earth is on the verge of becoming uninhabitable.
NASA, which now operates in secret, is leading a plan to send a former NASA test pilot and a few other astronauts into space to see whether a planet can become the new home of humanity. Simply watching them travel through space is incredibly engaging.
Interstellar is boosted by stunning visuals and sound, as well as an emotional core centered on the relationship between a father and his kids. The mission doesn’t exactly go as planned, but the adventure will have you hooked from start to finish.
Project Hail Mary (2026)
Maybe you want a night out this weekend, so instead of a cozy space film at home, you can hit the movie theater. Right now, Project Hail Mary is playing and it’s kind of all that the moviegoing world can talk about right now.
From directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the story, based on a novel written by Andy Weir (who also wrote The Martian), centers on a man who awakens on a spacecraft without memory of who he is. He ultimately meets an alien and the two work together to try and save their respective homes.
Project Hail Mary mostly sees the protagonist in space, which is ideal for those who are captivated by Artemis II. However, the flashback scenes, as they’re setting up and planning for the trip, are also fascinating.
Apollo 13 (1995)
If you want to watch a movie about going to the moon as real astronauts actually go to the moon, then Apollo 13 is a great choice. The film tells the true story of the aborted 1970 mission of the United States’ fifth-crewed endeavor to the moon.
Ron Howard captures the entire thing brilliantly as the director, while Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton deliver tremendous performances as the main astronauts.
Apollo 13 was met with widespread acclaim and found itself nominated for nine Academy Awards. You’d be hard-pressed to find any movie about traveling to the moon that feels more appropriate during the Artemis II journey.
First Man (2018)
We return to another Ryan Gosling film for a great movie about space travel. First Man is wildly different from Project Hail Mary since it’s based on a true story.
From acclaimed director Damien Chazelle, First Man sees Gosling star as Neil Armstrong and tells the story of the long journey he took to become the first person to walk on the moon. Knowing the outcome might take away from some of the drama, yet the film still hits incredibly hard.
First Man is a true cinematic achievement. It explores a moment in history, while also being a complete spectacle. Each scene where Armstrong is in a ship or traveling through space makes you feel like you’re sitting side-by-side with him, which is breathtaking.