You love thrillers about space exploration and dark dystopian worlds. Therefore, you might have watched the 2014 movie Interstellar — where former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) leads a mission to find a habitable new planet for the human race in another galaxy.
This movie was a monumental success with thriller fans, generating an average user score of 8.5/10 on Metacritic. That's almost universal acclaim! (If you haven't seen this movie, it's streaming on Amazon Prime and Paramount+ in the United States as of September 2022.)
ThrillerFix won't spoil the ending of Interstellar, but there's a massive cliffhanger that sets up the possibility for a sequel. While there are no official plans for a follow-up, fans of the film are hoping for news about "Interstellar 2" soon!
In the meantime, check out these 15 books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts that correlate to Interstellar in one way or another. The recommendations below relate to space/time travel, wormholes, dystopian worlds, and other themes from the movie.
READ
Greg Keyes' companion book to Interstellar retells director Christopher Nolan's screenplay in a narrative style. There's nothing here that you won't find in the original movie. However, you can revisit Cooper's mission to save humanity from extinction, identify parts of the script you might have missed the first time, and
fantasize about what "Interstellar 2" might be like! Read here.
One of the most significant themes of Interstellar is space travel and the possibility of exploring new 'Earths.' A similar theme plays out in Dark Matter, a 2016 novel about Jason, a guy who wakes up in a new world where nearly everything is not what it seems. As this brief blurb explains, the twisty-turvy
plot will keep you hooked to the end — just like Interstellar!
"His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible." Read here.
What happens when a gamer enters a new universe that opens up unimaginable possibilities for him? And, then, what happens when living in that universe becomes a battle for survival? Find out in Edge of Reality, which sits between the thriller-horror and sci-fi thriller subgenres. With only a few characters and
not a lot of dialogue, the book creates an intimate experience that leaves you turning each page with excitement and fear, similar to the original Interstellar movie. Read here.
ThrillerFix readers love a good fiction book, but this non-fiction read will take you on a journey behind the science-fictiony stuff that makes Interstellar one of the hallmarks of the thriller movie genre. Written by Nobel prize-winning physicist Kip Thorne, who helped director Nolan with the technical aspects of the movie,
The Science of Interstellar explains the laws of the universe that make many aspects of Interstellar (and hopefully "Interstellar 2!") physically possible. Read here.
In Interstellar, Cooper travels much further than Mars to find a planet that's habitable for humans. But what if there were a race for humans to get to the Red Planet? That's the premise of Gregory Benford's The Martian Race, recommended by the Mars Society, where two teams compete to become the
first people to walk on Mars. As the book's blurb explains: "Now, the problem isn't who will return to Earth first, but if any of them will return at all." This gripping read changes the perception of Mars as a planet with nothing on it to a dystopian world that could spell the end for the human race. Read here.
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WATCH
Moon only garnered $9.8 million at the box office after its 2009 release. However, the film has become a cult classic for thriller fans who love the galaxy and its possibilities for humankind. It stars Sam Rockwell as Sam, an astronaut who works on the moon and provides clean fuel for Earth. Before his mission
is over, Sam discovers another human being on the moon who looks and acts just like him. How did this clone come to be? If you love the intensity and passion of Interstellar, check out this far-less-known film. Watch here.
The Martian, based on Andy Weir's famous fiction book of the same name, shares all of the same themes as Interstellar. As you watch this film — which stars Matt Damon as an astronaut who becomes stranded on the Red Planet — you'll notice themes such as anxiety, seclusion, and man versus the natural
world. You might or might not like it as much as Interstellar, but you can add it to your watch list before news of "Interstellar 2" hopefully comes out soon! Watch here.
Sunshine was not a hit after its 2007 release, but it has gained more prominence thanks to the success of its director Danny Boyle. Sunshine, like Interstellar after it, explores the human need for survival after a natural disaster and the future of Earth. Watch here.
You probably haven't heard about The Right Stuff — based on the book by Tom Wolfe — but this must-watch movie covers much of the same territory as Interstellar. The film, for example, focuses on a group of characters, and its plot involves space travel. The Right Stuff is a historical retelling of the United States
Space Program during 1958-1963, when the U.S. competed against the former Soviet Union for space flight superiority. Watch here.
5. Invasion
With the surplus of sci-fi thriller-related TV shows in recent years, Invasion failed to make an impact during its release in 2021. However, the supernatural drama will soon return for a second season. Interstellar fans might like this show because it has a dystopian bent and features mysterious aliens.
Invasion is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
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LISTEN
What better way to wait for potential news about "Interstellar 2" than to indulge in this podcast, which reexamines the original movie? In each episode, No Time for Caution covers the plotlines and themes of Interstellar and its related folklore and cult status.
The Strata, made by Beyond the Dark, is a sci-fi thriller serial about a detective in a dystopian world forced to work with a ganglord to pay for his life-saving treatment. Like Interstellar, The Strata is notoriously dark and based around a group of characters. Download this show if you like atmospheric sci-fi
Interstellar is based on science about the galaxy and features many of its physical laws. Now, take a deep dive into the galaxy and its broader context by listening to Wired magazine's Geek's Guide to the Galaxy. In each episode, sci-fi author David Barr Kirtley talks to a guest about a sciencey space topic such
as gravity, alien life, and existential physics. One of the earlier episodes (#127) even features a review of Interstellar. Listen here.
Want to fulfill your sci-fi thriller fix until you hear possible news about "Interstellar 2"? Look no further than Vast Horizon. This podcast is an audio drama about Dr. Nolira Eck's fight for space survival after she wakes up on an empty colony ship, leaving her to deal with a personal existential crisis. The podcast shares many
of the same themes as Interstellar, such as space travel and the battle of good vs. evil.Listen here.
5. Walkabout the Galaxy
What's the weather like in space? What are the edges of the Solar System? Why do moons and stars emit toxic fumes? Walkabout the Galaxy — brought to you by the University of Central Florida — answers these questions and dissects different space-related topics during every episode, helping you brush up on
your galaxy knowledge before the possible release of "Interstellar 2."
The above podcasts are available on various podcasting platforms.
There's no confirmed release for "Interstellar 2," and news about this possible sequel remains as mysterious as the original movie. However, plenty of books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts will keep you entertained right now. Do you have recommendations you would add to this list? Let ThrillerFix know in the comments section below!
