This blog is mainly about books, but every now and then I’ll throw in some movie posts… because why not. In this case, it is closely based on a book, as I’m extremely psyched about the new “The Martian” movie. Why? Because it’s probably the best book I’ve read this year (though it came out earlier), and it couldn’t look more promising. On that basis, I had a recent chat with my friend Felipe over good sci-fi films I’ve recently seen which he should watch, and decided to share those recommendations here. In no particular order:

Edge of Tomorrow

Say what you like about Tom Cruise, how likeable or dislikeable he is, but when it comes to blockbusters, the man seldom gets it wrong. And with this film, he couldn’t have had it more right. It’s an amazing movie, a sci-fied Groundhog Day that hits every note. The movie suffered from terrible marketing (don’t know how many times they changed the name), which may have hindered your awareness of the film. Go see it now if you haven’t. See it again if you have.

Moon

The story of a man stuck on his own in the moon, willingly… the film that put director Duncan Jones (of Source Code fame) on the map, it’s a riveting, bleak, dark insight into the human mind. Definitely worth a watch.

Ex Machina

Probably one of the best films I’ve seen about AI, the film focusses on the Turing Test, whether you can tell man from machine, and what would happen when that is accomplished…. and its not good for us, I’m afraid. Very well made, worth having a look.

Interstellar

Christopher Nolan can do no wrong. This is such a good film, superbly acted, extremely well made. Even though you have to really strain yourself to listen to what Matthew McConaughey is saying all the time (why does he have to whisper in every movie?) the movie grips you from the start and never lets you go. Love the science, love the story… great movie.

About Time

This is a funny one, because it’s more rom-com than sci-fi, but still definitely worth watching. The latest from Richard Curtis, he of Notting Hill, Love Actually, et al, this is a story of a young guy who discovers a time travelling gene runs in is family, allowing him to jump back in time to find the right girl. It’s a really sweet movie, highly recommended.