If you like Interstellar, check out this 5-year-old space film that feels like a spiritual successor to Nolan’s film

Christopher Nolan Interstellar is one of the best science fiction films of the 2010s, and although others have tried to repeat its success, there is only one other space film that truly feels like a spiritual successor to it. Christopher Nolan has done a bit of everything in his career as a filmmaker, and his works are best known for the recurring themes he addresses in them. Nolan’s films often tackle themes of time, personal identity, and memory, and in 2014, he took these and others a step further. Interstellar.

Set in 2067, with humanity facing extinction due to a global plague, former NASA test pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is recruited by NASA physicist John Brand (Michael Caine) to pass through a wormhole and Cross the galaxy to discover which of the three planets could be a new home for humanity. Interstellar It was a huge critical and commercial success, and is widely considered to be one of Nolan’s best works. As mentioned above, many space films have tried to do what Interstellar did, but only one truly feels like a spiritual successor: Astra Ad.

Ad Astra shares many visual and thematic similarities with Interstellar

Ad Astra and Interstellar are visual spectacles

Astra Ad is a psychological science fiction film co-written and directed by James Gray. Set in the early 22nd century, Astra Ad follows Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), a major at US Space Command. When mysterious power surges threaten to destabilize human civilization, Roy is informed that the surges are linked to the Lima Project, a space station in orbit around Neptune, sent 29 years earlier in search of intelligent life. The Lima Project was led by Roy’s father, Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), then Roy agrees to travel to Mars to see if the station’s crew is still alive.

Astra Ad it received positive reviews, mainly praising its visuals and Pitt’s performance, although it did not perform as well at the box office. Although Astra Ad was released five years later Interstellarit has many visual and thematic similarities that make the first the closest thing to a “sequel” to Nolan’s film. Both films went above and beyond with their visuals to Cooper and Roy’s travels through space, and in terms of story and themes, both characters faced the destruction of Earth and were tasked with finding a new home for humanity.

Ad Astra’s family story is as touching as Interstellar’s

Ad Astra was a father and son story

Amidst the stunning visuals, the suspense and tension that arise during your missions, and the plot twists, Interstellar and As Astra they have family stories that are their backbone. In Interstellar, Cooper’s daughter Murph tries to convince him to stay, but he promises he will return – the problem is that he doesn’t know how long he will be away and ends up spending decades in space. Murph ends up helping Professor Brand with a gravitational equation that could help them move humanity to other habitable worlds and thus hopefully bring Cooper back.

Astra AdRoy’s family story is about Roy and Clifford, but there is also Roy’s marriage. As mentioned above, Clifford was sent into space with the Lima Project 29 years before the events of the film, and although they reunite during Roy’s mission, it’s a touching reunion. During one of his solitary trips through space, Roy has a moment of reflection about his relationship with Clifford, but also with his ex-wife, Eve.

It’s family problems and stories that mainly motivate Cooper and Roy to fulfill their respective missions, despite the dangers and obstacles that accompany them. Cooper wants a future for his children while Roy seeks to find his father and reconnect with him, and as a plus, they will be helping to save humanity.

Interstellar vs. Ad Astra: What is the best space movie?

Both are great space movies that are worth watching

Both Interstellar and Astra Ad are some of the best science fiction films of the 2010s and are worth watching, but one of them stands out as the best space film. Astra Ad spends more time with just its main character, allowing for more development and for the audience to get to know Roy better than they did. InterstellarAccording to Cooper, loneliness in space is more evident and impactful in Astra Adand the family story has a greater message than that of Interstellar – and yet, Nolan’s film is better.

Astra Ad is much slower than Interstellarwhich is something viewers have pointed out as a flaw, and Roy’s mission lacks the action seen in Interstellar – certainly, Astra Ad has wild laboratory baboons, but it doesn’t compare to the tension and uncertainty on Cooper’s mission in Interstellaralong with the twists and turns of each visit to humanity’s potential new homes. Interstellar It also has a much better balance between stories on Earth and in space what Astra Adas the latter focuses more on Roy’s time in space. Both films are watching and they are exciting and exciting space films, and they make a very entertaining double feature.