A visually stunning cosmic epic where heart and science collide, if unevenly.
Verdict tier Recommended, most critics liked it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
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Critic consensus
Critical reception for Interstellar is broadly positive, with most reviewers admiring its ambition, visual scale, and thematic scope — particularly its interweaving of astrophysics with the emotional bond between a father and daughter. Several critics highlighted the film's immersive cinematic experience, especially on IMAX, and its willingness to engage seriously with complex scientific ideas. Common criticisms include an overlong runtime with pacing issues, a narrative that some found overly convenient or not entirely satisfying despite its ambitions, and a sense that the film falls short of the towering sci-fi benchmarks it invites comparison to.
3 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 16 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Interstellar is an incredible ride, a film that will scare and stupefy and drop jaws and make us weep, the kind of film that makes our hearts thump against our ribs for forty straight-minutes and makes us believe in the glory of the movies...
Top critic
Film review ·
'Interstellar' is a sweeping, audacious effort by a filmmaker whose reach inevitably exceeds his grasp. But how can you not applaud its sheer sense of scale, drama, and fearlessness? Now forget everything you've read and heard and go experience it for yourself!
Top critic
Film review ·
THE height of dramatic tension in 'Interstellar' involves two spaceships competing to dock onto the same space station. That's how cerebral Christopher Nolan's latest film is. That's after he has taken a swirl through a twister of a wormhole, but before he rolls into the unfathomed depths of a blackhole. And while other filmmakers would be content imagining just one other world, he gives us three — with own skies, gravity, surfaces, and climates.
Top critic
Film review ·
Regardless of its faults Interstellar offers enough big screen thrills and even has a few interesting questions to ponder over. Is it humane to abandon everyone on this planet to continue life on another? How morally sound are you to sermonize about not abandoning people if you are perfectly okay with abandoning a humanoid to save your own self? And how much would you pay to keep the magic and market of 2D IMAX alive?
Film review ·
This film is likely to down in history as one of the best science fiction films ever made along with the likes of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is hard to ignore the influence of that Kubrick classic in terms of scale and opulence. It is a one of its kind experience at the cinema theatres. And on a side note, remember what Dylan Thomas said about not going gently into the good night.
Film review ·
The terminologies and mathematical formulae might confound some, but you will nonetheless be dazzled. Subtexts abound: the individual vs. the good of mankind, love's overarching influence over time and space and so on.
Film review ·
The movie's multilayered narrative makes a second viewing essential for serious viewers. While it would be a bit early to call it Nolan's best film till date, Interstellar is certainly a worthy addition to his decorated body of work. A must watch!
Film review ·
It's a human drama, it's an end-of-the-world thriller, it's a spacetime odyssey, it's a big-budget action spectacle, and by the end, it's also a mind-bender. The only thing it's not is Memento, by far my favorite Nolan film. But considering the bar that the latter film set, that's not something that I could hold against Interstellar, and neither should you. So, clear 3 hours from your schedule this weekend and be prepared to get your mind blown.
Film review ·
Interstellar gives space travel a whole new dimension. But even with all the scientific jargon, the film bears a lot of soul. The love that connects a father and his daughter transcends time, and eventually, the space. This is a beautifully shot film from an ace director that succinctly captures what inter-galactic travel would feel like. Its only flaws, as pointed out, are weak acting and a lived-in storyline. But you will definitely leave the theatre with your mind blown and a desire to watch it once again. If you do, make sure you get the IMAX experience.
Film review ·
The movie has some superb visual effects, making it a must-watch on an IMAX screen. It won't blow you away like Gravity but it'll certainly make you feel like a part of the intergalactic adventure. With Hans Zimmer's background score giving it the typical grandiose that he's known for, the film takes you on a ride through the vast, infinite space making you face the unknown. Somewhere in that journey is also one of a father and daughter who go on a ride at different times and face a hitherto unknown part of their lives. The project is ambitious and Nolan gives it his all. He reached for the stars and in a long, slowly paced way got as close to it as possible cinematically.
Film review ·
Nicely done, Nolan, but maybe I was expecting more... But one thing is for sure, fans of his work are gonna love it. The rest of us, vaguely familiar with his other works, might not find it as accessible. Maybe because its nowhere near as cheesy as an Independence Day? Or maybe because it will come to mean different things to different people. But whatever you think about it, just "don't go gentle into that good night".
Film review ·
Despite the complaints, this is one intergalactic trip the audience needs to take. It may not match up to those touchstones of sci-fi cinema - Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey but it finds its place in pantheon of films which dare to dream.
Film review ·
Some of humanity's greatest achievements have been finding the answers to questions that confounded generations, and these answers came as a reward after many moons of toil. Patience, it seems, is always rewarding. Interstellaris quite like that. As it twists around time, space and everything in between, it rewards you for patience, attention and curiosity. It also serves a measure of these for each individual, because like all of cinema, Interstellar isn't for everyone.
Film review ·
With a 169-minute run time, the film drags in parts, but never fails to intrigue.
Film review ·
Despite all its thrills and brain teasing, Interstellar doesn't seem as exceptional as it tries to be. Last year, Gravity showed us what filmmaking craft can do to a simple tale of survival. Nolan's film is no less in its ambitious execution. But it never quite manages to deal that final blow. It's audacious, it's intriguing but it's also very convenient. Much like theoretical physics, it rationalizes it's subject to the point where it seems like it's real. Perhaps it takes its own assumptions a bit too seriously.
Film review ·
There's plenty in Interstellar for a geek and much for the passionate movie-goer willing to surrender to a space opera, a magnificent cauldron in which time, love, mortality, parenthood and astrophysics bubble and elegantly spill over.
From our readers
36 ratings · user score 8.5
Interstellar. It is hard not to expect anything but the best when you are watching a Christopher Nolan movie. After all, he has earned this high level of expectation from his every movie. Interstellar, is his most ambitious work. When other film-makers try to make you believe that there might be other planets for us to live, Nolan goes two steps further and show you such three planets. This movie is a grand cocktail of science fiction, human emotions and their never ending survival instincts. He succeeds big time except for the middle portion involving character of Matt Damon. If you can forgive Nolan for this, then Interstellar is one of the rare cinematic experience that will be cherished forever. Nolan deliberately avoids CGI and that's why all the special effects feel so real. Performance wise Matthew McConaughey is more than brilliant and keeps you glued to the screen. Second best are the robots which are simple and more humane than humans in the movie. I am going with fantastic 8 out of 10 for Interstellar. To Nolan, you want to give a perfect 10 for his ambition and fearlessness. Like Spielberg, he is bound to go into history as most influential film maker for current and coming generations.
Interstellar is the kind of film that makes you feel under-qualified for criticizing it. In fact, I refuse to pick faults with it because I don't remember the last time I was so taken by a science-fiction film. And Chris Nolan continues to dumbfound me with every element of his filmmaking. Interstellar is highly cerebral without being vague or throwing scientific jargons at you. It is a truly immersive, meditative and exhilarating movie experience. For the first 30 minutes or so, the pacing felt slower than we're used to, but before I knew it, my mind was locked (or 'docked') into the inter-galactic space travel, the laws of space-time continuum, the fragility of our life-sustaining planet and just how very little we know about the universe. Please take your children to watch this instead of movies that offer mindless entertainment and item numbers. They might come out of the theater wanting to become future astronauts and scientists.
As visually stunning a movie can be.Nolan presents a whole new idea of worm holes,black holes,space time continuum. Go for it for the sheer brilliance of the director in portraying a space adventure.
The plot starting off depending more on Hans Zimmer than the actual visuals, Interstellar talks about a near- future Earth (non-fiction #1) where crops are dying, dust storms are giving people not rashes, but serious, cancerous lung diseases, and people are forced into agriculture (Orwellian? or simply fascist?). So, the people who are actually farmers but pretend to be geniuses with lots of love for their daughters and sons and baseball, stick drapes to their shoulders and play faulty superheroes. Matthew McConaughey is one such character. He is very good, and I would have used the word "excellent" had it been a weepy melodrama with Meryl Streep as the actress who talks about saving the Earth by committing suicide or something, eventually both sweeping the Oscars. But, no, you have more annoying characters to come. The superheroes, commissioned by a propagandist Sir Michael Caine through NASA, go on a voyage to find a habitat for humans who are all dying by coughing only or maybe starving, too. Now I was thoroughly impressed by the space spectacle (fiction #1). Double Negative folks are really something; Inception, even. While it will remind you of Gravity, it holds it for too long and this is where melodrama kicks in. Mind you, as we go further, you will find humor in the nooks and corners of the film. You may laugh, you may weep, and all science fiction disappears in thin air, unless you think the inside of a space shuttle in a studio shown in the film gives you the wind of it. Altercations between the characters kicks in, and it seemed they didn't only annoy the audience, but each other, too. Anne Hathaway was annoying, although her character seemed real (non- fiction #2). Expendables 4 is what you will see for the next few minutes. I am starting to recoil from Nolan's notions just because of one particular scene, which takes up almost all of the second half and all we see is the constipated characters doing a interstellar space stunt with a shuttle and their roving vehicle. After the scene, there is heavy humor and the characters testify it. Irony. The time and space parameters with respect to their linearity and how age matters was wonderful to watch and it was the only new thing that fascinated me in this celluloid. The next interesting stuff were the climax sequences, which you will require at least some basic idea about physics in order to construe. It was like Upstream Colour, but with more CGI and brains. There is intergalactic fight scene between two astronauts which may not have been put up for humor effect, but I laughed. A villain (non-fiction #3) comes out of nowhere and takes up at least 20 minutes, which further upset me. The main story as a whole is, thus a mixture of fiction and non- fiction. The science about dimensions was really food for thought and mesmerizing to watch.
LOST (again) in the SPACE and TIME after watching Interstellar! After all it's a Nolan's Odyssey. Simply we can call it as a Nolan's Zone. A zone created by Nolan brothers, which is a combination of reality, fiction and science. That thought will take you to watch it in any cost (at least it made me to go and watch on big screen). Also trailers and clips of the movie can prepare you for the amazing things you are going to experience in movie theaters. If it's going to be your first ever Nolan's movie! Then BEWARE and don't attempt it; because it will make you crazier and it won't make any sense out of it. And of course it is not for mass audience or as we call it as a Popcorn audience. There are two types of movies, one type of movies you will forget after some time. And another will haunt you for the rest of your life and that's why this movie will become Immortal in your mind. Interstellar is Second type of movie, which may lead you to many questions after watching it. If you get answers to those questions, it may lead you to some more questions (Latest example is Inception). Understanding this movie may differ person to person due to different approach to unfold it as it requires some homework and reading about scientific concepts like Wormholes, Black holes, space and time relativity, laws of gravity, etc. Nolan explained many things to viewers as story unfolds slowly. But many things have been left un-explained and kept hanging. That's the reason it can disappoint someone like me, who expects all questions answered. The most important thing is that, because of some flaws and loopholes in the story, it's not the Nolan's best one. This TAG still remains with Dark Knight Triology and Inception. Another thing is that, some people may compare it with last year's highly criticized flick Gravity, but it's not even similar by any means. The movie is all about finding a solution. The problem is that, in near future earth will become inhabitable place for a mankind. So the scientists from NASA expected a solution outside of our galaxy by inventing a habitable planet which will be earth like environment. And after finding it safe to live, mankind can travel and settle down there. Nolan "literally played" with Space and Time for finding this solution. And really he played it very well! Now did our protagonist found this earth-like place? What obstacles he may face during this journey? The movie is all about these things. Even after completion of movie, you may not find all the answers to your questions because it is Nolan's movie. That will lead to finding those answers in your own perception and understandings. As far as Nolan is concerned, we all know he doesn't like sequels. And after looking at closing sequence of the movie, it is clear that this movie will haunt me more; if they not make a sequel after it. It will make more unanswered questions. I had expected more "Space Scenes". Some may say it is Over-rated movie this year. But I have not find it Overrated, because, nobody gave it full 5 out of 5..
Great movie. I was sitting at the edge. This movie gives pleasure and yeah it will make yu curious. Great story, fine balance between science fiction and emotion i.e., family bond; great visual effect made it awesome
" Interstellar " Nolan delivers again. This man's level of imagination > Sum of Other Directors' . Being a science enthusiast, I found this movie amazing. Perfect. Superb performance by McConaughey, Hathaway, and others too. And when Nolans being the writers, never worry about the script.
Interstellar: "Expect the Unexpected" should be the tag-line of every Nolan movie. Same goes for this movie as well. Interstellar is a dazzling, striving, fascinating journey. Note: My Analysis and the real 'Nolan'/movie explanations may diverge. Abide with that. He is the monarch of all the mind-blown flicks. Interstellar is a smart blend of passions in a sci-fi movie. Nolan always adds scarce emotions to all of his pictures which make me tear up all the time, but this is his most sentiment betrothed movie for sure. He has perfectly combined the bond between a dad and his daughter. This movie proves that our love can truly surpass time and space; that no matter how remote that special someone be, they will always matter to our hearts against the cold milieu of survival. Plot: The world is getting shattered by drought and famine, making it unbearable for beings to endure. In the meantime, Cooper finds a surreptitious NASA epicenter and goes out for a voyage to save the world. A group of discovers must travel beyond our solar system in search of another planet capable of Humankind. In the expedition, they had to face a lot of footraces which coerce them to select between their family and the future of the human race. Now the movie goes quite clean till the first one and half hour. After that, The Endurance crew gets to know the actual enigmas of this entire trip. 1. The secret NASA center's Professor Brand has got two strategies of saving the civilization. First, he promises Cooper that he will solve a forward-thinking equation, which will help the NASA to take the Earth's surviving populace into the space by launching a massive space station. Second, if he fails in the solution, NASA has made plans of reaping a bank of fertilized human ova serving them to keep alive the humanity after earth gets wholly devastated. The Endurance's job is to find the flawless habitat for the subsistence of the embryos. They were to be located in artificial wombs and carried to term. Of course, the crew will devote the next 10-15 years taking care for a bunch of kids before using the next set. The population bang would be exponential since the next batch would be larger because there were more people available to take care of them. Later we got to know that entire journey was a swindle and Plan A was near to impossible. So plan B was the real plan. 2. Matt Demon (Dr. Mann)'s act was unforeseen. He proved that when you are in a dying condition, the only thing you care about is you and your family and nothing else. The climax comes next. I personally believe that the movie should have ended in a different way. The paradox they shown in the film and Murph's apprehension of who "the ghost" was, to Matthew's realizing what was going on, to that specific scenario in the black hole, to him finding his daughter and the full Murphy station sequence. I would have adored if Coop would have died entering the Black Hole. The earth would have died out and Anne Hathaway and Edmunds start a new civilization. This would have left a cult ending, but Nolan always wants a twisted finale to all of his flicks. Nevertheless, the actual climax was nice as well. Apart from this the other departments were bang on, Heart touching acts, Superb Soundtrack, Wonderful DOP work, fabulous direction, etc. I felt that there was a problem with the sound-mix. The subtitles assisted well though. Anyways, I loved this much, much, much more than Gravity. I hope Interstellar gets plentiful Oscars this year like Gravity did. Must Watch!
Simply amazing & visual delight
Credits
Matthew McConaughey
Anne Hathaway
Michael Caine
Jessica Chastain
Mackenzie Foy
Ellen Burstyn
Bill Irwin
Matt DamonEnglish films like Interstellar
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