25 Best Mind-Altering Movies Like Interstellar

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Released over a decade ago in 2014, Interstellar is still widely regarded as one of Christopher Nolan’s best works, standing out even amidst an impressive filmography that includes blockbusters like Inception and Dunkirk. Loved Interstellar? Check out JustWatch's guide below to find similar films and discover where to watch them streaming online.

Set in the near future, the film follows farmer and former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) as he travels through a wormhole to find a new home for humanity. With its stunning visuals, emotionally gripping narrative, and mind-bending exploration of space and time, Interstellar has rightfully earned its place as one of the most celebrated sci-fi films of all time. So much so that the movie managed to pack theaters in India during its 10th-anniversary re-release.

While Interstellar remains Nolan’s only space-themed film, it’s far from his only mind-bending work. The filmmaker is known for his thought-provoking storytelling and intricate narratives. But beyond Nolan’s filmography, there are several other films that push the boundaries of imagination to the fullest.

If you enjoyed Interstellar, here are some other must-watch movies that will take you on a similar journey through science, space, and the human spirit.

Best Space Movies Similar To Interstellar 

Movies similar to Interstellar can be categorised into two types: those that delve into the intricacies of time travel, time dilation, and human perception of the universe, and those that feature astronauts embarking on ambitious space missions to save humanity.

If you're more interested in the latter, you should check out Gravity. Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, the film follows two astronauts struggling to survive after being stranded in space when their mission goes disastrously wrong. Another must-watch space epic is Sunshine, widely regarded as one of the best space films of all time. The film follows a group of astronauts on a perilous mission to reignite the dying Sun with a nuclear fission bomb in order to save humanity from extinction.

No list of great space movies would be complete without mentioning the classics, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris. Despite being released decades ago, these films laid the foundation for the sci-fi genre, inspiring countless movies that followed.

Mind-Bending Movies Similar to Interstellar

Interstellar is a great sci-fi space adventure epic, but it’s also a thought-provoking film that nudges you to reflect on humanity, the concept of time, existential dilemmas, and the vast unknown. If you're looking for movies that will leave you questioning reality, there's no better place to start than Christopher Nolan’s own filmography.

Nolan’s 2010 film Inception navigates the complexities of dreams and the fascinating concept of controlling them, while his more recent Tenet explores the manipulation of time once again—this time by following a secret agent sent back to alter the past and change the course of history.

If you enjoyed Interstellar, you should also check out Passengers. Much like Interstellar, the film revolves around the premise of finding an alternate home for humanity after Earth is devastated by climate change. It follows two passengers who navigate life on a spaceship and fall in love along the way. While the film’s setup feels like a continuation of Interstellar’s themes, it leans more towards a grounded romantic drama rather than an ambitious space epic.

Another time-travel film that doesn't always come up in discussions about movies like Interstellar, but is worth mentioning, is Looper. Starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the same hitman at different ages, the movie explores the concept of time travel through the eyes of an assassin forced to confront his younger self. While Looper leans more toward sci-fi noir, it checks the box for mind-bending storytelling.

There are plenty more films that fit the bill. Interested in exploring the full list? Keep reading!

25 Best Movies Like Interstellar and Where to Watch Them

In the mood to watch more movies like Interstellar? Check out JustWatch’s guide below to see 25 more films like Interstellar, along with details on where to stream, buy, or rent them online in India.

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  1. Gravity

    Gravity

    2013

    #1

    Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first Shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The Shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone-tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness of space. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

  2. Sunshine

    Sunshine

    2007

    #2

    Fifty years into the future, the sun is dying, and Earth is threatened by arctic temperatures. A team of astronauts is sent to revive the Sun — but the mission fails. Seven years later, a new team is sent to finish the mission as mankind’s last hope.

  3. Inception

    Inception

    2010

    #3

    Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.

  4. 2001: A Space Odyssey

    #4

    Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

  5. Solaris

    Solaris

    1972

    #5

    A psychologist is sent to a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the mental problems of cosmonauts on the station. He soon discovers that the water on the planet is a type of brain which brings out repressed memories and obsessions.

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  6. The Martian

    The Martian

    2015

    #6

    During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

  7. Passengers

    Passengers

    2016

    #7

    Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are two passengers onboard a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet. The trip takes a deadly turn when their hibernation pods mysteriously wake them 90 years before they reach their destination. As Jim and Aurora try to unravel the mystery behind the malfunction, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction... only to be threatened by the imminent collapse of the ship and the discovery of the truth behind why they woke up.

  8. Ad Astra

    Ad Astra

    2019

    #8

    The near future, a time when both hope and hardships drive humanity to look to the stars and beyond. While a mysterious phenomenon menaces to destroy life on planet Earth, astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across the immensity of space and its many perils to uncover the truth about a lost expedition that decades before boldly faced emptiness and silence in search of the unknown.

  9. Looper

    Looper

    2012

    #9

    In the year 2044, time travel has not yet been invented but in 30 years it will have been. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target into the past where a looper, a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to close the loop, sending back Joe's future self for assassination.

  10. Tenet

    Tenet

    2020

    #10

    Armed with only one word - Tenet - and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

  11. Moon

    Moon

    2009

    #11

    With only three weeks left in his three-year contract, Sam Bell is getting anxious to finally return to Earth. He is the only occupant of a Moon-based manufacturing facility along with his computer and assistant, GERTY. When he has an accident however, he awakens to find that he is not alone.

  12. The Midnight Sky

    The Midnight Sky

    2020

    #12

    This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.

  13. First Man

    First Man

    2018

    #13

    A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

  14. The Butterfly Effect

    #14

    A young man struggles to access sublimated childhood memories. He finds a technique that allows him to travel back into the past, to occupy his childhood body and change history. However, he soon finds that every change he makes has unexpected consequences.

  15. Cloud Atlas

    Cloud Atlas

    2012

    #15

    A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Based on the award winning novel by David Mitchell. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

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  16. Stalker

    Stalker

    1979

    #16

    Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, a place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers, and where the normal laws of physics are victim to frequent anomalies. A stalker guides two men into the Zone, specifically to an area in which deep-seated desires are granted.

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  17. High Life

    High Life

    2018

    #17

    A father and his daughter struggle to survive in deep space where they live in isolation.

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  18. Blade Runner 2049

    Blade Runner 2049

    2017

    #18

    Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

  19. Prometheus

    Prometheus

    2012

    #19

    A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

  20. Oblivion

    Oblivion

    2013

    #20

    Jack Harper is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. His existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.