The Cinema of Astronauts in Jeopardy

On the 50^th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, I have compiled a list of films that have attempted to capture both the adventurous wonder and the dangerous horrors of space travel.

As we learn more about vast new expanses of our universe with unmanned space probes, space travel becomes a more tangible prospect within our grasp. These films have captured our imagination and whetted our appetite for the challenges of exploring the universe beyond our own planet.

In recent years we have seen a slew of big budget films exploring the technology and spirit (or folly) necessary for traveling through space and reaching unknown destinations. The infinity of space is both intriguing and terrifying. Even more so today since advancements in science and technology have shown that we are very likely not alone in the universe. 

Our imaginations run wild as we contemplate the unknown with possibilities both positive and negative. But as humans have taken their first steps into space we have discovered that the study of science and physics are critical to the understanding of the cosmos and how to survive in it.

Whether you are fascinated by the prospect of space exploration, discovering unknown regions of our universe, the challenges of living in isolation from the rest of humanity while floating in a self-contained bubble orbiting the earth, or stranded on an uninhabited planet, scientific reality-based astronaut films that attempt to portray realistic adventures in space while keeping the fantasy elements to a minimum are becoming a genre on it's own. 

We have come a long way toward making those ambitious dreams of life in space a reality and recent films and documentaries have made the prospect seem a little more exciting if scary. IMAX space documentaries such as Blue Planet (1990), Cosmic Voyage (1996), Space Station (2002), Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon (2005) and Hubble (2010) have ignited the imaginations of many filmmakers, making the idea of living and traveling in space tangibly real.  

The latest in a new sub-genre of Sci-fi space films have created a whole new visual vocabulary for realistic interstellar space travel. Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 (1995) set a new standard for astronaut films, Alfonso Cuarón’s award winning film Gravity (2013), Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014) and Ridley Scott’s The Martian (2015) each taking the perennial Homeric hero’s journey to a whole new metaphysical level with both intellectual and emotionally satisfying results.

Below is a list of 26 films that represent the evolution of the astronauts-in-jeopardy adventure cinema since 1950. You are now go-for-launch. T minus 3, 2, 1, liftoff…

Ad Astra (2019)

First Man (2018)

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Passengers (2016)

The Martian (2015)

Interstellar (2014)

Gravity (2013)

Stranded (2013)

Europa Report (2013)

Prometheus (2012)

Moon (2009)

Sunshine (2007)

Solaris (2002)

Red Planet (2000)

Space Cowboys (2000)

Mission to Mars (2000)

Armageddon (1998)

Lost in Space (1998)

Event Horizon (1997)

Apollo 13 (1995)

The Right Stuff (1983)

Alien (1979)

Marooned (1979)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Rocketship X-M (1950)

JP