2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick took science fiction cinema in a grandly intelligent new direction with this epic story of man’s quest for knowledge.

Kubrick’s epic sci-fi chronicling humanity’s progress from its primitive beginnings through to some kind of rebirth is also a fable about power, curiosity and control. Dazzling to look at, it’s especially memorable for its ultra-realistic depiction of silvery hardware sailing slowly and elegantly through the silent (albeit Strauss-accompanied) vastness of space.

Ranked 6th in the 2022 Sight and Sound Great Films of All Time poll