Many people call Stanley Kubrick a genius that was ahead of his time and some just call him an extraordinary filmmaker that saw things that the rest of us couldn’t or didn’t want to. However a person refers to Kubrick, his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, did have several elements that were well beyond the curve when it came out in the late 60s, and it’s fair to state that the movie has been memorable enough to keep in mind all these years. But there are other movies that are somewhat similar or have elements that are easy to compare to Kubrick’s movie, even if they come in a kind of comical way. It does indicate that the movie did inspire a good number of people when it came to making their own stories since if one looks hard enough they can see a parallel between this movie and many others that’s astounding since it might take a certain perspective to really see it, but with enough of an explanation it could work.
Here are a few movies that are similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
5. Supernova
It’s fair to think that a lot of people don’t even remember this movie with James Spader and Angela Bassett since it didn’t really stand out among the many other movies that came out around the same time. But it was interesting since the ship that the crew was on was sentient, not unlike HAL, and there were a few other similarities such as the device that was brought on board that captured the attention of at least one crew member. There are a couple of other elements that are easy to compare as well but the one thing that Supernova had is action, which 2001 didn’t have a whole lot of to be certain.
4. Interstellar
Strange phenomena having something to do with space travel is kind of a common thing to look for since most movies that have to do with space travel of any kind tend to get a little out there when they really get going. Interstellar was one of those that a lot of people wanted to believe was real since they enjoyed the story and the idea of it, but the fact is that a lot of what went on is just as much science fiction as 2001, especially when it comes to space travel and the idea of strange, mysterious objects and ideas that end up shaping the story and bringing a new level of understanding to humanity.
3. Passengers
When one thinks of how long it would take to get to the nearest star in our solar system it’s daunting without any doubt, and trying to reach a habitable planet appears to require enough time for a lifetime to pass by. This story was about the accidental waking of a single person on a trip that was meant to be spent entirely in cryostasis so as to keep the passengers from aging before they could get to their destination. But as the story goes, the man and the woman he wakes from her slumber end up finding a meaningful existence on the ship in a way that might not have happened had they been allowed to sleep until they reached their destination.
2. The Neverending Story
This is an odd pick, isn’t it? But it has more to do with what happens near the end as Dave Bowman sees himself aging before his very eyes, only to notice the monolith that was a big part of the story. In a strange way, this feels like the book in The Neverending Story, a gateway of sorts to a different level of existence that neither individual knew about until they experienced it firsthand and had no way back. It’s a difficult and very different way to look at things, but it’s still something that drew a type of parallel that I couldn’t ignore. Plus, the idea of watching from afar, being a spectator, while still being involved in something is kind of interesting.
1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The search for something that some believe in and some don’t is a driving force in both movies, and while Hitchhiker’s is a comedy that has dramatic notes in, highly unlike 2001, it’s still a movie that has purpose and meaning that is meant to be discovered by the main protagonist, and in the end is barely understood but still somehow grasped since both stories end on a note that’s not perfect, but is at least intriguing. One thing about Hitchhiker’s though is that a lot of people were really upset about the whole idea that it didn’t follow the original story to a tee, which is pretty common in a Hollywood movie.
Kubrick was definitely ahead of his time in a few ways, but he was a better inspiration for it.Angela Bassett
Follow Us
