It's been over a week now since Christopher Nolan's Interstellar hit our cinema screens and it's divided opinion as predicted. Some are already hailing it as Nolan's greatest movie worthy of the label "masterpiece", while others are less forgiving and see it as a film riddled with flaws. The reality, as is often the case, probably lies somewhere in between - clearly Nolan is aiming for epic with Interstellar; nothing less than an insight into the nature of humanity and their place amongst the stars. But for all its ambition the film's shortcomings make it fall short of the instant classic it is clearly striving to be. For many, Nolan has overreached himself and the grand accomplishment Interstellar could have been has turned out to be a technically proficient movie lacking the depth it sought to impart. Movies set in space are given a literal blank canvas upon which to project storylines and themes, and the space setting has thrown up a number of great films which make the most of the potential offered by this setting. From colourful, fast-paced operatic adventures to low key character-driven pieces oozing claustrophobia, there's plenty of choice for all cinematic tastes. Here are ten must-see space movies which lack the obvious flaws found in Interstellar while at the same time taking our exploration of the stars in a variety of new directions.
