10 Space Movies That Broke All The Rules
The mind-blowing, the awe-inspiring, and the downright weird, these space movies changed everything.
Humanity's fascination with space has been providing inspiration for moviemakers, and capturing audiences imaginations, for generations. The vastness of galaxies and planets beyond our own is something which cinema frequently explores, and with plenty of films to choose from within this genre, there have to be those that do something different to set themselves apart from the rest.
Whether it is holding up a lens to ourselves and changing or challenging the way we think, or transporting us to galaxies and worlds unknown, there are countless space movies that have broken the rules, pushed the boundaries, and taken us on incredible journeys in the process.
It's one of the few genres that has limitless possibilities, and time and time again the films have found ways to shock, inspire, thrill and provoke their audiences in new and exciting ways.
From ground-breaking special effects, carefully balancing and mixing up genres, or presenting themes and ideas that are still being unpacked to this day, these are just some of the films that have taken that one bold step and thrown the rulebook out the window...
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey
At a time when space movies weren't as common as they are now, 2001: A Space Odyssey not only broke the mould for this genre, but it pushed the limits of what was cinematically possible in general.
Stanley Kubrick's 1968 magnum opus took us all the way from the dawn of man to beyond the infinite in this unforgettable cosmic masterpiece. It has been blowing minds for over 50 years, and is still frequently cited as one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, and certainly one of the most influential.
From its iconic imagery, to the truly out of this world ending, 2001's use of practical effects and beautiful symmetrical cinematography provided the blueprint for all space set movies that would follow.