The Most Scientifically Accurate Space Movies

Metaverse Planet October 14, 2025Last Updated: November 3, 2025

3 minutes read

Many space movies have been released throughout cinematic history. But which of them are the closest to real physics? We have compiled the most realistic space films.

One of the most beloved aspects of the science fiction genre is undoubtedly space movies. Some space films are also known for being more realistic than pure fantasy. To achieve this, directors may work with real physicists to give the audience an accurate experience. So, what are the most realistic space movies released to date?

In this content, we have compiled the space movies closest to real physics for you. Whether based on fiction or a true story, all these films have been highly praised for presenting a high degree of realistic details. Let’s get right to the list.

Contents show

The Most Realistic Space Movies

Interstellar (2014)
Contact (1997)
Apollo 13 (1995)
First Man (2018)
The Martian (2015)
Gravity (2013)

Interstellar

Year: 2014
Director: Christopher Nolan
IMDb Score: 8.7

Interstellar, although entirely science fiction, is known as a production that contains elements close to reality. Christopher Nolan created this film by consulting with Kip Thorne, one of the most famous scientists in astrophysics. The film’s depiction of a black hole was highly praised for being very realistic even before NASA took its actual photos. Although it has some exaggerations, we can say that Interstellar is a production with realistic elements.

Contact

Year: 1997
Director: Robert Zemeckis
IMDb Score: 7.5

The film Contact is adapted from the book by Carl Sagan, one of the world’s most prominent astronomers. Since it was written by such a great physicist, it would be wrong not to include it on the list. Yes, the possibility of aliens sending a signal doesn’t sound very realistic right now, but we can say that the physics, space exploration, and the general societal structure in the film are very realistic. Who knows, maybe one day we will also receive such a signal from space.

Apollo 13

Year: 1995
Director: Ron Howard
IMDb Score: 7.7

The film Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard, managed to secure its place on this list because it is based on a true story. The film is about NASA‘s attempt to safely bring the astronauts back after the spacecraft in the Apollo 13 mission was damaged.

First Man

Year: 2018
Director: Damien Chazelle
IMDb Score: 7.3

First Man, starring Ryan Gosling, focuses on the life and historical mission of Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the Moon. This fact alone is enough for it to be realistic. The film’s screenwriter visited NASA headquarters before writing and consulted with real astronauts and physicists. It is said that a total of 50 different draft scripts were created. This indicates that it is a film that was truly worked on to be realistic.

The Martian

Year: 2015
Director: Ridley Scott
IMDb Score: 8.0

The Martian, also known as just Martian, is described by many as the most realistic space film. Inspired by Andy Weir‘s book of the same name, the film follows the astronaut Mark Watney who is stranded on Mars and tries to survive there. With the Martian atmosphere, his struggle for survival, his experiments, and more, it offers us a highly accurate experience in every sense.

Gravity

Year: 2013
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
IMDb Score: 7.7

Gravity, released in 2013, has realistic aspects, even though it leans heavily toward fiction in some areas. It is a film that has been described as realistic by many experts regarding the structure of the Earth’s atmosphere, the astronauts, and the appearance of the space stations. It is fair to say that it adheres to physics in most such matters.

We have compiled some of the most realistic space movies you can watch right now. Since these films were shot in accordance with real physics, they will give you a much better experience while watching. Do you have any suggestions? You can share them with us in the comments.