14 Great but Lesser-Known Movies Set in Space, Ranked

1. High Life (2018)

Robert Pattinson in space, need I say more? Okay, fine, there's more. He's Monte, a man on a mission with a bunch of other criminals. Their goal? Travel towards a black hole to harness its energy. But there's a catch: there's also a creepy doctor doing fertility experiments on them. It's as unsettling as it sounds. The movie blends sci-fi, horror, and an uncomfortable sense of intimacy. It's weird, it's disturbing, but it's impossible to look away. Watch this one once, and you'll never forget it.

2. Cargo (2009)

A Swiss gem, a lesser-known diamond in the rough. Set in the 23rd century, Earth's a wasteland, and the hot ticket is a space trip to an idyllic colony named Rhea. Our protagonist, Dr. Laura Portmann, signs up for a cargo mission to get there. But hold up—there's something in the cargo hold. It's not just boxes and machinery down there; it's a human experiment gone wrong. It's suspenseful yet not flashy, and the plot twist? Exquisite. I'm not giving it away; you've got to see it for yourself.

3. Love (2011)

A sentimental title for a film that's anything but. Astronaut Lee Miller finds himself stranded in the International Space Station after losing contact with Earth. Yep, you heard right, everyone's gone silent. Days turn into years, and the guy digs into the journals of a Civil War soldier for company. Intrigued? It's visually rich but also exceptionally slow-burning. Don't expect laser guns or space chases; this one's a philosophical maze.

4. Europa Report (2013)

Think of this one as a blend of Apollo 13 and Paranormal Activity. A found-footage deal but make it space. A crew is sent to Jupiter's moon Europa to see if there's life in the water beneath the ice. Spoiler alert: it's not a fishing trip. Things go sideways when they find more than just water; they find...something else. Data's lost, crew members go missing, and communication with Earth is kaput.

5. Pandorum (2009)

Claustrophobia. In space. This one's got Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster waking up from hibernation with zero memories aboard a colossal spaceship. It's falling apart, it's dark, and—plot twist—there are savage humanoid creatures lurking in the shadows. Think of it as Resident Evil but without the cheesy dialogue. It's got existential dread with a seasoning of action.

6. Aniara (2018)

A study in human behavior. A commercial spaceship named Aniara is taking people from Earth to Mars. Simple, right? Nope, you're wrong. A collision sends the ship drifting endlessly in space. So what do people do? They shop, they party, they worship a machine that simulates Earth's landscapes. It's a trip that turns from weeks to years, and let's just say cabin fever reaches a cosmic level.

8. Solaris (1972)

Tarkovsky, anyone? An oldie but a goodie, Solaris takes us to a space station orbiting a planet of the same name. The crew's acting weirder than a cat in zero gravity. Why? Turns out, Solaris has the power to manifest human thoughts. Now, imagine your guilt, sorrow, or regret taking human form. This Russian classic is a sci-fi parable that redefines 'introspective.' More talk, less action, but said talking delves into the very essence of the human psyche.

9. Moon (2009)

A one-man show. No, seriously, it's just Sam Rockwell and a monotone A.I. named GERTY on a lunar base. Sam Bell, our leading guy, is mining Helium-3 like it's going outta style. Lo and behold, he stumbles upon...himself? Yep, multiple Sams, all expendable. With cloning, ethics, and corporate greed, you may walk in expecting a Cast Away in space, but you'll strut out questioning, "What does it even mean to be me?"

10. Last Days on Mars (2013)

Martian soil samples that turn people into homicidal zombies. Yep, that's the gist of it all. An astronaut crew is just about to head back to Earth when one of them finds bacterial life. This ain't your average bacteria, though; it's the murderous kind. Picture The Thing but with a red backdrop. You've got distrust, isolation, and alien bacteria hunting down astronauts like it's a game of tag. Only, you don't want to be 'it.'

11. Event Horizon (1997)

A spaceship resurfaces after vanishing into a black hole. Sounds like a rescue mission, but it's a trap. The ship, you see, has been to another dimension—hell, or something akin. Doors close on their own, video logs are filled with unspeakable horrors, and the ship seems alive, like a beast. It's a haunting atmosphere amplified by jolts of gruesome imagery. Like Dante's Inferno but with zero gravity.

12. Prospect (2018)

A teenage girl and her dad land on a green moon filled with gems. Easy money, right? Wrong. They encounter other prospectors, but these aren't your friendly neighborhood miners. One word: mercenaries. The movie takes the Wild West and flings it into outer space. Quick-draws, betrayal, and a treasure trove of gems that everyone's willing to kill for.

13. Silent Running (1972)

A future where Earth's flora is extinct, and the last surviving plants are in space greenhouses. A lone botanist, Freeman Lowell, decides he can't let the greenhouses be destroyed as ordered. So what does he do? He kills his crewmates and takes control of the ship. It's an eco-conscious film with a dash of murder. WALL-E, but if WALL-E decided to go all-out rebel.

14. Dark Star (1974)

A low-budget space comedy, Dark Star is like watching 2001: A Space Odyssey if it were filmed in a garage. Four astronauts have the job of blowing up unstable planets to pave the way for human colonization. One of their intelligent bombs, Bomb #20, decides it wants a deeper meaning to life. Yep, it's an existential bomb. Meanwhile, the crew deals with an alien that's basically a beach ball with claws.