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Star Trek: The Motion Picture poster

Movies that feel likeStar Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.

If you loved Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the closest films we have are 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and Solaris (1972). All three share Star Trek: The Motion Picture's cerebral and awe feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Ikarie XB 1 (1963).

πŸ… 51% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.4 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Robert Wisecerebralepictwistyawe
8 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· HBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video

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If Star Trek: The Motion Picture hit the spot, these will too

2001: A Space Odyssey poster
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968 Β· dir. Stanley Kubrick
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8.3science fiction Β· mystery Β· adventureMax

The same two preoccupations: man vs machine, and artificial intelligence

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

The Day the Earth Stood Still poster
The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951 Β· dir. Robert Wise
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.7science fiction Β· thriller Β· drama

The same hand behind both of them: Robert Wise

The difference: Less epic, more its own thing

An alien and a robot land on Earth after World War II and tell mankind to be peaceful or face destruction.

Solaris poster
Solaris
1972 Β· dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.9drama Β· science fiction Β· mysteryMax

Cerebral where it counts, twisty underneath

The difference: Lighter on scale

A psychologist is sent to a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the mental problems of cosmonauts on the station. He soon discovers that the water on the planet is a type of brain which brings out repressed memories and obsessions.

Silent Running poster
Silent Running
1972 Β· dir. Douglas Trumbull
πŸ… 71%β˜… 6.6science fiction Β· adventure Β· drama

Both land scale and awe at once

The difference: Leans further into drama

After the entire flora goes extinct, ecologist Lowell maintains a greenhouse aboard a space station for the future with his android companions. However, he rebels after being ordered to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with everyone but his mechanical companions.

Stargate poster
Stargate
1994 Β· dir. Roland Emmerich
πŸ… 53%β˜… 7action Β· adventure Β· science fiction

Two things both keep coming back to: teleportation and space opera

The difference: Played as action first

An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.

Return of the Jedi poster
Return of the Jedi
1983 Β· dir. Richard Marquand
πŸ… 83%β˜… 8.3adventure Β· action Β· science fictionDisney+

Common ground: spacecraft

Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, the Emperor prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, and the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes poster
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
1970 Β· dir. Ted Post
πŸ… 37%β˜… 6adventure Β· science fiction Β· mystery

Both lean on ideas more than on science fiction

The sole survivor of an interplanetary rescue mission lands on the planet of the apes, and uncovers a horrible secret beneath the surface.

Moonraker poster
Moonraker
1979 Β· dir. Lewis Gilbert
πŸ… 59%β˜… 6.3action Β· adventure Β· thrillerPrime Video

Adventure with a pulse of scale, in both cases

After Drax Industries' Moonraker space shuttle is hijacked, secret agent James Bond is assigned to investigate, traveling to California to meet the company's owner, the mysterious Hugo Drax. With the help of scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond soon uncovers Drax's nefarious plans for humanity, all the while fending off an old nemesis, Jaws, and venturing to Venice, Rio, the Amazon...and even outer space.

The Wandering Earth II poster
The Wandering Earth II
2023 Β· dir. Frant Gwo
πŸ… 83%β˜… 6.7science fiction Β· action Β· adventure

Awestruck mystery, and it commits to that

The difference: 44 years apart, and the 2020s show

Humans built huge engines on the surface of the earth to find a new home. But the road to the universe is perilous. In order to save earth, young people once again have to step forward to start a race against time for life and death.

Ikarie XB 1 poster
Ikarie XB 1
1963 Β· dir. JindΕ™ich PolΓ‘k
πŸ… 100%β˜… 6.9science fiction

Both keep coming back to the same thing: spacecraft

The year is 2163. Starship Ikaria XB-1 embarks on a mission deep into space in search of alien life. During their perilous journey the crew confront the effects of a malignant dark star, the destructive legacy of the 20th century and, ultimately, the limits of their own sanity.

Star Trek Beyond poster
Star Trek Beyond
2016 Β· dir. Justin Lin
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7action Β· adventure Β· science fictionParamount+

Both are built on the same subject: space opera

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire poster
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
2023 Β· dir. Zack Snyder
πŸ… 22%β˜… 5.6science fiction Β· action Β· adventureNetflix

Cerebral science fiction in both cases

When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for survival.

In the mood for more cerebral?

all cerebral movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s defining feeling.