Can’t get enough of Artemis II? These moon movies will tide you over until the next lunar mission

From the day Artemis II launched, the public has been hooked. NASA’s return to the moon after five decades has seemingly become everyone’s new favourite reality show. Every day we’ve kept our eyes peeled for the latest updates, including how far the astronauts have travelled, what they’re eating, and even what tunes they’re blasting through the spacecraft.

But this riveting journey will soon come to an end. Artemis II is expected to splash down on Earth on Saturday (AEDT), marking the end of our beloved space drama until Artemis III takes flight in 2027.

The Artemis II crew have been our favourite “reality stars” for days now. What will we watch once they’re back on Earth?NASA via AP

If you don’t think you can wait that long to re-tune into your new favourite pastime, here are eight moon-related films to tide you over.

A Trip to the Moon

YouTube

Our fascination with the moon stretches back to 1902, when French filmmaker Georges Méliès created the short silent film A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune). A professor and five fellow astronomers travel to the moon in a rocket propelled by a large cannon. After disembarking, the group explores the lunar surface, discovering various wonders and dangers along the way.

This film essentially gave birth to the sci-fi genre, becoming the first to explore space travel, giant lunar mushrooms and even aliens.

2001: A Space Odyssey

HBO Max

By now, space is almost synonymous with 2001: A Space Odyssey. Stanley Kubrick rewrote the sci-fi handbook with this 1968 epic, which examines topics still astoundingly relevant today: the dangers of artificial intelligence (hello, HAL 9000), the mysteries of the universe, and life beyond our planet.

Much of the film’s plot kicks off on the moon, as a mysterious monolith is discovered buried near a lunar crater. From there, an expedition to Jupiter commences, triggering a cascade of reality-bending, mind-baffling phenomena. This film is credited as being one of the most influential cinematic productions of all time, inspiring many classic sci-fi blockbusters since, such as Arrival and Alien.

2001: A Space Odyssey changed the sci-fi game, inspiring some of the classic space movies to come.AP

Airplane II: The Sequel

Buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video or YouTube

When the existential dread of 2001 becomes too overwhelming, Airplane II is here to (ironically) bring you back down to Earth. It chronicles Ted Striker’s return, as he attempts to save the first commercial lunar flight from hurtling towards the sun.

The 1982 absurdist comedy is best described as dumb fun – William Shatner plays a deadpan parody of himself, people shave while crash-landing, and there’s no shortage of literal spit-takes. It’s the kind of film that gets away with lines like, “irony can be pretty ironic sometimes”. Pure gold.

Apollo 13

Netflix, Binge

Tom Hanks in space. Enough said.

Ron Howard’s 1995 blockbuster is adapted from Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, a book written by real-life astronaut Jim Lovell and journalist Jeffrey Kluger. It captures the failed 1970 lunar mission, which involved Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise. When an explosion takes place on board the spaceship, oxygen levels quickly begin to deplete, threatening the lives of those on-board. The mission goes from one of exploration to rescue.

Beyond brilliant performances from Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton, the movie also turned heads for its accuracy. Howard reportedly employed NASA experts to train the cast in flight-control, and also filmed scenes inside an actual reduced-gravity aircraft.

Tom Hanks really suits space in Apollo 13.AP

The Dish

Stan*, HBO Max

Australia jumped on the moon bandwagon in 2000 with The Dish, a historical dramedy about the 1969 Apollo 11 lunar landing.

A true underdog story, it follows a group of people (including Sam Neill) responsible for a giant radio astronomy observatory in rural NSW, which happens to be the only station in the region capable of receiving signal to relay man’s first steps on the moon. Against all odds, including crazy weather events and many sheep, they come out victorious, broadcasting the historic moment to wide-eyed audiences.

Despicable Me

Disney, Stan, Paramount+, Binge, Prime Video, Netflix

Before Despicable Me became the behemoth, minion-crazy franchise it is now, it began with a simple moon quest. More specifically, supervillain Gru wanted to steal the moon by shrinking it to prove he’s more evil than fellow villain Vector.

The 2010 family film quickly became a smash hit, giving rise to what is now the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time. In fact, the films have collectively grossed over $US5.6 ($7.95) billion globally (including the Minion movies). Gru may ultimately not have stolen the moon, but he clearly stole our hearts.

First Man

Buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video or YouTube

Ryan Gosling is obviously very comfortable in space. Seven years before the success of Project Hail Mary, which has been smashing the box office recently, the actor was on a different space mission, one that saw him embody one of the most famous astronauts in history: Neil Armstrong.

First Man, Damien Chazelle’s 2018 biographical drama, offers a glimpse into the personal and professional pressures of space exploration, following Armstrong in the decade before his venture to the moon in 1969. Beyond its emotional core, the film also looks magnificent. It even won an Oscar for visual effects in 2019.

Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong in First Man.Universal Pictures

Fly Me to the Moon

Apple TV

Where there’s a moon landing, there’s a conspiracy theory. Greg Berlanti’s 2024 rom-com Fly Me to the Moon winks at this, playing into the non-believer’s notion that humankind did not set foot on the lunar surface.

Set around the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, a marketing whizz (Scarlett Johansson) is asked to film a fake moon landing for NASA in case the actual mission fails. This, of course, goes against everything the mission’s launch director (Channing Tatum) believes, leading the two to butt heads before eventually falling in love. Though somewhat contrived, the star power between Johansson and Tatum is undeniable, and the tailored ’60s dresses are something to behold.

Fly Me to the Moon takes the conspiracy theories and turns them into a playful love story.

*Stan is owned by Nine, which also owns this masthead.

Must-see movies, interviews and all the latest from the world of film delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our Screening Room newsletter.