In Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 novel Project Hail Mary, Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace, a middle-school teacher, wakes up on a spaceship with no clue of how he got there. Many have hailed Ryland’s journey to saving humanity and surviving in space while forming an unlikely friendship with an alien named Rocky.
If the film warmed your heart and put you on the edge of your seat, here are five space survival thrillers to check out:
Silent Running (1978)
After the end of all botanical life on Earth, ecologist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) maintains a greenhouse on a space station and refuses to follow orders to destroy it. Assisted by three robots and a small human crew, he must do everything he can to preserve the invaluable greenery.
Where to stream: Prime Video (rent for ₹99)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Based on the events of the Apollo 13 lunar mission, astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) find themselves desperately fighting for survival when a routine space mission goes awry. It is an adaptation of the book Lost Moon by astronaut Jim Lovell.
Where to stream: JioHotstar
Gravity (2013)
Medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), who’s on her first space mission, and astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), who’s on his final, must find a way to survive when they are hit by debris during a routine space walk and are stranded with no way back home.
Where to stream: Prime Video
Interstellar (2014)
Ex-NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) begrudgingly agrees to pilot a spacecraft after Earth becomes uninhabitable. Even as the group of astronauts struggles to find a habitable planet, Joseph’s daughter, Murphy, seems to be receiving messages from a ‘ghost’.
Where to stream: Prime Video/JioHotstar
The Martian (2015)
Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) might find a way to survive on Mars when his mission goes horribly wrong. Based on Andy Weir’s 2011 novel, the film sees him find a way to contact home after he’s presumed dead due to a fierce storm.
Where to stream: JioHotstar
