Film

Red Planet

Name: Red Planet
Genre: Thriller, Action, Science Fiction
Released: 2000
Cast: Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss, Benjamin Bratt, Tom Sizemore, Simon Baker

A Y2K-era space thriller where an astronaut crew lands on Mars to investigate a terraforming experiment gone wrong. Val Kilmer leads a solid ensemble through claustrophobic survival against both the Martian environment and their own failing systems. It's earnest sci-fi adventure that takes its premise seriously, even when the script doesn't always deserve it.

TMDb rating

2.9

If you liked this

Mission to Mars2000

Released the same year, it's another Mars-exploration thriller with genuine spectacle and production design that justifies the big screen. Similar stakes, similar era, equally committed to the premise.

But It's slower and more meditative than Red Planet, which some will find contemplative and others will find draggy.

Gravity2013

The modern heir to this kind of survival-in-space thriller. Stunning technical filmmaking married to genuine human fear, with a protagonist improvising their way through cascading failures with the same ingenuity Kilmer's character shows.

But Much of its power comes from IMAX cinematography; watching on a smaller screen loses some of what makes it special.

The Martian2015

Another stranded-on-Mars story, but one where the tone is lighter and the problem-solving is front-and-center. Matt Damon does more with fewer resources than any of Red Planet's crew. Sharply written, deeply fun.

But It's so competent and charming that it can feel slight—less about genuine danger and more about watching a very smart man optimise his way home.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Red Planet

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Solaris1972

Both place crews on distant worlds to solve a mystery, but Solaris is interested in what the mission reveals about us, not whether we'll make it home.

Andrei Tarkovsky's philosophical sci-fi about a space station orbiting an alien planet. Utterly unlike Red Planet—it's about what space exploration does to the human soul, not survival against odds. Hypnotic, profound, and genuinely alien.

But It's 167 minutes of Russian cinema; patience and tolerance for ambiguity are prerequisites. Narrative barely moves.

Sunshine1999

Danny Boyle's underrated deep-space thriller about a mission to reignite the dying sun. Gorgeous, unsettling, and uncompromising about the loneliness and psychology of space travel. Better film than Red Planet by a comfortable margin.

But The third act pivots into horror territory that some found jarring, and the ending is ambiguous in ways that frustrated audiences then.

Lockout2012

A goofy, underslung action-adventure with Guy Pearce rescuing his ex-girlfriend from an orbiting prison. Same energy as Red Planet but half the runtime and twice the fun. Knows exactly what it is.

But It's B-movie schlock; if you're looking for serious science fiction, this isn't it.

Interstellar2014

Nolan's epic about astronauts searching other worlds for humanity's survival. Massive in scope, scientifically rigorous, emotionally brutal. Puts Red Planet's ambitions in perspective by achieving what it reached for.

But Nearly three hours and intellectually dense; some scenes feel like lectures. Requires patience and rewatches to fully land.

Life2017

A lean, brutal thriller where a space station crew discovers hostile extraterrestrial life. Tense, claustrophobic, and unafraid to punish its characters. Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds in survival mode.

But Nihilistic and bleak; it doesn't offer the catharsis or problem-solving satisfaction that makes Red Planet's ending feel earned.

Moon2009

Sam Rockwell alone on a lunar base with an AI, confronting isolation and corporate betrayal. Philosophical sci-fi that's genuinely suspenseful, gorgeously designed, and deeply moving. A masterpiece of restraint.

But Almost entirely set in grey industrial interiors; if you need visual variety or constant action, it will feel monotonous.

Oblivion2013

Tom Cruise in a post-apocalyptic Earth thriller with a premise that slowly unfolds. Visually stunning, mysterious, and mechanically tight. Similar era of sci-fi optimism even if the details differ.

But The twist is divisive—some find it brilliant, others feel genuinely cheated by where the story goes.

For All Mankind2019

Red Planet assumes a future where space exploration is routine and corporate; For All Mankind builds that world year-by-year with real stakes and wonder intact.

An alternate-history series where the space race never ended. Gorgeously designed, rigorously thought through, and genuinely exciting about exploring the solar system. Scratches the itch Red Planet has without the catastrophe.

But Sprawls across multiple timelines and decades; the soap opera elements of character drama will frustrate those wanting pure adventure.

The Right Stuff1983

Red Planet asks 'what if Mars went wrong?'; The Right Stuff asks 'why do we go at all?' and answers with such humanism that it reframes the entire conversation about space travel.

Philip Kaufman's magnificent chronicle of the Mercury Seven and the birth of human spaceflight. Three hours that justify every minute. It's about courage and ego and the audacity of reaching skyward. Emotionally epic.

But It's a character study first and a spectacle second; if you want non-stop space action, this is half political drama and half small-scale flying sequences.