Classic and essential movie reviews

Interstellar: A Modern Take on Classic Sci-Fi

sci-fi
2:49
PG-13
2014

Review by Brandon Talks Movies on Dec 07, 2017

Perhaps we’ve just forgotten that we are still pioneers. And we’ve barely begun. And that our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, because our destiny lies above us.

Ask someone today to list off famous sci-fi movies and you’ll get an eclectic list: Star Wars, Alien, E.T., Avatar, and many more. Science fiction was, at one point, an interesting but rather dry genre. Thematically, it was an exploration of the spirit and ethics of science—it provides answers, but it also provides questions, and those questions often end up being just as important as the answers. Classic sci-fi movies like 2001 and Planet of the Apes asked questions more than they provided answers, and that was the beauty of them. Soon, the lines blurred and sci-fi movies became more about incorporating scientific solutions into fast-moving, genre-mixing plots than asking questions.

In 2014, Interstellar brought sci-fi back to its roots. Directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) and starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain, this is a movie that uses the answers we have to uncover greater questions. It invokes a sense of wonder, even though it doesn’t answer all (or even most) of the questions it raises. But unlike classic sci-fi films, Interstellar is filled with suspense, drama, and plot twists that don’t detract from the traditional sci-fi elements. It’s a great modern take on classic sci-fi and there aren’t many movies like this being made today.

The plot is set sometime in the near-future, where plagues and drought are threatening to wipe out humanity. Cooper, a former military pilot, now raises his family on a small farm, trying to produce food in the face of great adversity. He stumbles across a group that’s researching other planets for humans to settle—and reluctantly agrees to use his piloting skills to aid their efforts. Together with scientist Brand and a small crew, he takes off to another galaxy to explore potential new homes there, and quickly discovers that planets and phenomena they don’t under­stand pose risks they never anticipated. The crew has to get creative if they want to save humanity.

Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant to die here.

Interstellar is a philo­sophical movie, but it’s also a treat for the senses. The visuals of the film are extremely well-done and really feel like other worlds. The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is epic and provides just the right amount of emotion to tense scenes. Every­thing comes together to provide a sense of wonder and exploration I haven’t seen since 2001.

The film contains plenty of awe-inspiring and question-raising phenomena to keep our minds working the entire time. It opens with an aspect of the supernatural, initially explained simply as a ghost, which is quickly followed by an unexplainable scientific occurrence the propels the plot forward. Along the way, there are strange but ultimately somewhat explainable concepts like time relativity—science is there to help the audience through these scarcely believable events and fantastic locations. But it’s fitting that a film about exploring and asking questions returns to that supernatural element. A character attempts to explain what’s going on, but I don’t think it’s an explanation so much as a hypothesis—a more pointed question meant to direct us to another line of questions. You’re not meant to under­stand every­thing so much as marvel at the mysteries of the universe.

Should I Watch Interstellar?

I’ll admit, I was initially a bit frustrated at the lack of real answers until I realized that the point was the questions. It’s OK if you don’t under­stand every­thing in Interstellar—that’s kind of the point. Knowing that from the start makes this a much more pleasant viewing experience. There’s plenty of tension and suspense, but this is ultimately a cerebral film that takes a bit of thinking to appreciate. It’s not for every­one—my teenage son wasn’t so into it, but I found the film interesting. Still, this is a great modern sci-fi movie with plenty to capture the imaginations of modern audiences. If you enjoy asking questions and exploring the unknown, you’ll find something to like here.

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Acadamy Awards

Winner: Best Visual Effects

Nominee: Best Music - Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Production Design

Christopher Nolan2010ssci-fi

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About Brandon

My name is Brandon, and I love movies. Not bad ones, though—just the good ones. I’m curating and reviewing a list of classic, essential-viewing, or just plain good movies from all decades, and I've been reviewing them since 2016. I also co-host Peculiar Picture Show, a podcast about movies and mental health and write about Dungeons & Dragons options, builds, and optimization.

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