Here are a few Starfield-like movies and shows to watch when you’re not busy playing Bethesda Game Studios’ latest open-world RPG, from Ad Astra to Interstellar and beyond.
Starfield, Bethesda’s latest sci-fi RPG, was finally released this week after nearly a decade of development. That game puts players in the role of the newest recruit of Constellation, an organization of space explorers in 2330 who embark on a mission to uncover the mysteries of the universe.
With the game’s official launch this week, fans have quickly taken to charting their own stories in the vast universe of Starfield’s Settled Systems, whether it be through the creation of new mods, building elaborate extraplanetary outposts, or hunting for the best ships in every star system.
Below, we’ve gathered a list of movies and shows that have similarities to Starfield, whether in their depiction of a spacefaring civilization in the far future or in the common philosophy of space travel as a catalyst for humanity’s evolution. Maybe the vibes are just right, or there’s one crucial detail they share.
In any case, here are our recommendations for the best movies and TV shows to watch after you’re done exploring the vast world that is Starfield.2001: A Space Odyssey
What it is: Stanley Kubrick’s epic sci-fi drama follows a group of astronauts and scientists who travel to Jupiter aboard a spacecraft piloted by an artificial intelligence on a mission to uncover proof of extraterrestrial life.
Why it’s like Starfield: Like Bethesda Game Studios’ latest RPG opus, 2001: A Space Odyssey is all about the bigger existential questions of humanity’s potential future among the stars. Are we alone in the universe? How would humanity evolve in space? All these questions and more are at the heart of the film’s powerful vision of an alternate future. —Toussaint Egan
Where to watch it: Streaming on Prime Video and Max; available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu.Ad Astra
What it is: A 2019 psychological sci-fi drama about an astronaut sent on a mission to an abandoned space station orbiting Neptune to reconcile with his estranged, previously thought-to-be-dead father in an attempt to halt an extinction-level event.
Why it’s like Starfield: The film’s depiction of human colonization of the inner solar system bears a striking resemblance to Starfield’s own depiction of extraplanetary civilization. Subterranean colonies on Mars, restaurant chains on distant alien moons — it’s uncanny! —TE
Where to watch it: Available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu.Armageddon
What it is: A classic disaster movie about an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, and the ragtag group of oil drillers turned astronauts sent on a last-ditch mission to stop it.
Why it’s like Starfield: Well, you start the game as a miner working for peanuts and rather quickly gain the ability to become an asteroid-shattering demigod, so there’s that. But Starfield also has a bit of a ragtag feel to it, as your character — who isn’t even supposed to be here — links up with other people who have no business being in a grand universe-spanning plot, but here you are, and even if things are a bit dire, you might have some fun on the way. —Joshua Rivera
Where to watch it: Streaming on Max; available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu.Battlestar Galactica (season 3)
What it is: After two seasons following the last remnants of humanity as they were ruthlessly pursued by the artificial Cylons, season 3 of Battlestar Galactica entered a bold new era: one where they colonized a harsh but habitable world, New Caprica, only to be sold out and occupied by the Cylons.
