I've Watched Dozens of Sci-Fi Movies: These 4 Are the Most Accurate
Even the scientists did not have anything to complain about.
Is it important for a science fiction movie to be accurate and believable from beginning to end? More likely no than yes – and the millions of fans of the genre will attest to that.
However, it is through careful attention to detail that you can allow the viewer to immerse themselves in what is happening on screen (and earn praise from NASA, of course).
1. The Andromeda Strain, 1971
When it comes to Robert Wise’s The Andromeda Strain, the film adaptation of Michael Crichton's book of the same name, the consensus among scientists is that it is very accurate. The movie, which tells how a fatal accident brought microorganisms from space to Earth and caused a large-scale epidemic, seems plausible to scientists, as do the methods shown to combat them.
The only thing that experts have noted is that it is unlikely that any space strain could actually process atomic energy.
2. Apollo 13, 1995
Ron Howard's movie about the failed lunar mission of Apollo 13 pays a lot of attention to the scientific and technical aspects, which sometimes makes the viewer feel like watching a documentary. The actors in the main roles underwent extensive "space" training – they were taught not only the basics of astrophysics, but also how to pilot spacecraft.
For the scenes on the ship that took place in weightlessness, NASA provided the film crew with its laboratory aircraft. The interior of the plane was also equipped with two cramped cabins that exactly replicated the Apollo's interior.
3. Moon, 2009
Duncan Jones' movie, which tells the story of humanity's distant future where mining is already taking place on the moon, focuses on what happens to a man who has been alone for a long time with a robot named GERTY.
The idea of mining helium-3 on the moon may well be realized in the future, as there are indeed significant reserves of this gas under the surface of the satellite. As for the lunar station itself, the robots, and the lunar rovers, the film crew consulted with aerospace engineers and roboticists, and were also inspired by the designs of various spacecraft.
4. Contact, 1997
Robert Zemeckis' Contact is based on the novel of the same name by the famous astrophysicist and exobiologist Carl Sagan, who devoted most of his life to the study of space and the search for extraterrestrial life.
In the novel, Sagan tried to imagine how humans themselves would react to the news of the first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, and not just officials such as scientists, but also ordinary citizens. And Zemeckis not only masterfully brought this aspect of the novel to the screen, but also made sure that every detail related to the alien cipher and the operation of telescopes was depicted as accurately as possible.