Interstellar Review: A starry sci-fi paragon
After hearing great things about this film and seeing it has the most watches and fans on Letterboxd, I finally checked it out with my mom. I know, I'm so late to the party. To be fair, this game came out when I was 7, though, so I think I deserve a bit of grace. Often hailed as the definitive sci-fi film—one that even "normies" like, as ugly a term as that is—I was hyped to check it out. I heard this was the most emotional Nolan film, which was a good sell for me, which was a good sell for me, because many of his films are needlessly hollow and macho. So, did the film live up to its hype and reputation? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be discussing in today's article. Thanks so much for joining me, and I hope you enjoy your time on the site!
First, let's get into a couple of negatives before we get to the excellent positives. One, the son should've had more weight in the plot, even though he wasn't a major driving force. It did feel like Cooper loved his daughter much more, and while I get it, since she spent years trying to get him back, I think exploring more of the son's psyche would add a lot.
Secondly, I think I—and most people I know—would prefer the film if it didn't lean so heavily into weird and fantasy at the end. I feel like there could've been some better way for the daughter to be involved, because that part of the film just felt entirely out of left field for me.
Otherwise, though, I adore this movie. This is definitely one of Nolan's best, and it shocks me that something like Dunkirk has anywhere near as high a RT score as this flick, let alone surpasses it by 19%.
Firstly, Nolan finally hit a great balance of emotion and tension in this film. While some of his previous films did alright with emotional stakes, most were downright mediocre in that regard. The performances across the board—my particular favorites being Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, and McKenzie Foy as the lead protagonists—were wonderful. Each performance was full of unmistakably flawed, human emotion that conveyed contrasting feelings about the world's bleak situation. While the morally gray boat scene in The Dark Knight and plenty of small moments throughout Memento were moving, this Nolan film best grounds the extravagance in heart, making the interior and exterior stakes equally rich and compelling.
While I think The Odyssey is incredibly shot and the best-framed and cinematographic Nolan film, Interstellar remains the most beautiful and awe-striking. Each planet—even the post-apocalyptic-adjacent Earth—is one of the best visuals ever put to the big screen, and still remains the greatest technical marvel of any sci-fi movie I've watched. Of what I've watched, Project: Hail Mary is the only film that can come close in beauty, and it's still a distant (yet commendable) second place.
Even some of the side characters here were memorable in ways I wasn't expecting, as Nolan has a track record for rather boring side characters. TARS, the robot guy was so adorable and whimsical, and every scene with him put an enormous grin on my face. He was probably my favorite part of the movie. Matt Damon as the minor villain here was another standout, as brief as his role was.
While I didn't love the execution of the non-realistic direction the final act took the film, the story was still immense, immersive, and satisfying. I was at the edge of my seat, feeling the widest range of emotions of any Nolan film to date: no question.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 95%
Letter Score: S+
Star Ranking: 5 out of 5
Interstellar is a beautiful combination of a heartfelt story, sci-fi wonder, interesting characters, and some of the best visuals ever put on the big screen. It has a couple of tiny kinks that could've been ironed out, but it's considered one of the best films of all time by so many for a reason.
Interested in checking out some other awesome sci-fi films? Check them out below!
Brighton Nelson
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