Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller reveal the 4 best sci-fi movies they've seen and one is a John Carpenter film you've never heard of

Date:
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
The filmmakers behind Ryan Gosling's new sci-fi movie highlight four genre works for you to watch before their latest big-screen project.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Project Hail Mary ( PHM ) will be the latest addition to the ever-expanding sci-fi film library when it takes flight in theaters later this month.

Its book namesake notwithstanding, the number of movies that the Ryan Gosling-starring vehicle could've been inspired by, then, is for lack of a better word astronomical. While that's a question I could've put to
directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller in our exclusive chat prior to the release of one of 2026's most exciting new movies , I chose to ask them something else: in their esteemed view, what do they consider to be the Mount Rushmore of sci-fi movies? Here's what they chose. Article continues below
You may like Project Hail Mary review: Ryan Gosling's new sci-fi movie is a mesmerizing and profoundly moving near-masterpiece 8 movies about our current relationship with AI Chris Pratt thinks AI could create 'a lot more movies' after new movie Mercy 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Trailer - YouTube Watch On Where to stream: HBO Max (US), ITVX (UK), and HBO Max and Binge (Australia) Runtime: 139 minutes Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% (critics); 88% (audience)

"You have to put 2001: A Space Odyssey in there," Miller said after dwelling on it for a few seconds.

He's not wrong, either. Stanley Kubrick's seminal sci-fi epic has influenced countless other works, be they films, TV shows, books, or video games. It's also been parodied to the hilt, too, with The Simpsons , Futurama , South
Park , WALL-E , and even Warner Bros. in the first trailer for the studio's 2024 megahit Barbie, taking a satirical stab at the genre-defining flick.

It polarized critics upon initial release, but 2001 has not only left a lasting legacy in science fiction as a whole, but also impacted our entire culture, particularly from a technological standpoint. In an age where artificial intelligence impacts every industry and is causing some concern, 2001 's examination of the dangers of A.I. through its primary antagonist HAL-9000 has never felt more prescient than it does today. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Dark Star (1974) Dark Star 1974 Trailer HD - YouTube Watch On Where to stream: Prime Video and The Criterion Channel (US), Prime Video (UK), and Binge (Australia) Runtime: 83 minutes Rotten Tomatoes score: 74% (critics); 64% (audience)

And now for something completely different. A 1974 sci-fi comedy, Dark Star was the directorial debut of none other than legendary auteur John Carpenter. In it, the crew of the eponymous and deteriorating space vessel seek out
and destroy unstable planets that might threaten the future colonization of other worlds. Yeah, it's as surreal as it sounds.

Given the seemingly infinite amount of sci-fi films that are out there, some will argue that, while Dark Star is now considered a cult classic, it has no place sitting above other critically acclaimed and award-winning movies.
Lord, though, is adamant it should. What to read next Crime 101 writer-director reveals his 'Mount Rushmore' of crime movies December isnt just for holiday movies here are 9 new films I streamed this month that
arent Christmas-themed 6 new 4K Blu-rays from December 2025 to add to your collection

"It's a keystone film that you can trace Alien back to," Lord said of Dark Star 's influence on that 1979 sci-fi horror flick (NB: both movies were written by Dan O'Bannon). " Dark Star was a big source of inspiration for Alien and for us [on Project Hail Mary ] because of how messy our ship is depicted, and the way people talk to each other feels naturalistic in both it and our film." Today's best Amazon Prime deals Amazon Prime Video - Free
Trial View at Amazon Amazon Prime - Monthly 8.99 /mth View at Amazon Amazon Prime - Yearly 95 /year View at Amazon Alien (1979) Alien Trailer HD
(Original 1979 Ridley Scott Film) Sigourney Weaver - YouTube Watch On Where
to stream: Hulu (US), Disney+ (UK), and Disney+ (Australia) Runtime: 116 minutes Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% (critics); 94% (audience)

Considering how much of an influence Dark Star was on PHM and Alien , it
won't shock anyone to see that the latter is also among Lord and Miller's top picks.

"Even though this isn't a horror movie, we tried to capture the essence of Alien ," Lord explained. "Our cinematographer, Greig Fraser, was really inspired by Alien and the way it was photographed. At the start, it feels a little bit warmer than your typical sci-fi film. We just love the way that movie feels, too, with its quilted walls and the camaraderie among the Nostromo crew." Today's best Hulu and Disney Plus deals Disney+ Monthly Standard With Ads 4.99 4.99 /mth View at Disney+ Disney+ Monthly Standard
7.99 7.99 /mth View at Disney+ Disney+ Monthly Premium 10.99 10.99 /mth View at Disney+ E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) ET The Extra Terrestrial (1982) Official 20th Anniversary Trailer Movie HD - YouTube Watch On Where to
stream: rent or buy on the Apple , Amazon , Google , and YouTube stores (US), Disney+ (UK), and Disney+ , Paramount+ , Binge , and Foxtel (Australia) Runtime: 114 minutes Rotten Tomatoes score: 99% (critics); 72% (audience)

Widely considered to be among iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg's best works, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial is another of Lord and Miller's favorite flicks and, as Miller stated, not just "because it's an obvious choice to include."

Indeed, parallels can be drawn between E.T. and Elliot, the boy who befriends E.T., and that of Gosling's Ryland Grace and the arachnid-like Eridian he calls Rocky. Both films feature unlikely human-alien friendships that become central components of their respective tales and, among other things, thematically highlight tolerance toward beings from other walks of life. Today's best Paramount Plus deals Paramount Plus Premium - Monthly $12.99
/mth View at Paramount+ Paramount Plus Premium - Yearly $119.99 /year View at Paramount+ From Amazon and Sony , Project Hail Mary will achieve blast-off on March 19 (UK and Australia) and March 20 (US and everywhere else). Before it does, read my Project Hail Mary review to see if it's worth watching. Today's best Amazon Prime deals Amazon Prime Video - Free Trial View at Amazon Amazon Prime - Monthly 8.99 /mth View at Amazon Amazon Prime - Yearly 95 /year View at Amazon



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