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Science Fiction movies aren’t relegated to the realm of space, but some of the very best that the genre has to offer make use of life beyond our little blue planet.”Interstellar” has been hailed as Christopher Nolan’s emotional masterpiece in a filmography full of great movies, particularly in the realm of sci-fi. “The Martian” is one of the best works in director Ridley Scott’s impressive career, particularly in his later years. But we’re here to talk about another must-watch within the genre.
And we’re not going to recommend a “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” movie. We’re not going to talk about something glaringly obvious, particularly for fans of movies like “Interstellar” or “The Martian,” which are very optimistic works of sci-fi. For that reason, we’re not going to prop up “Project Hail Mary,” which features an outstanding Ryan Gosling in one of the best sci-fi movies in recent memory, if not ever. No, we’re going to talk about a much darker, far more overlooked gem from the 2000s. Specifically, Danny Boyle’s “Sunshine.”
Released in 2007, the movie takes place in the not-too-distant future as Earth’s dying sun spells the end for humanity. A crew of eight people ventures into space with a device that could revive the star in a desperate effort to save the planet. However, several incidents coincide with the reception of a distress beacon from a long-lost spaceship, throwing the crew and the mission into a tailspin.
The cast is absolutely stacked, so much so that “Sunshine” may have even predicted this decade’s Oscar winners. It includes Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”), Chris Evans (“Avengers: Endgame”), Benedict Wong (“The Martian”), Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Rose Byrne (“Bridesmaids”), Cliff Curtis (“Avatar: The Way of Water”), and Mark Strong (“1917”).
Sunshine is an unpredictable, genre-bending thriller in space
More than just a collection of great actors before they broke big, “Sunshine” offers a truly unique take on the well-trodden “let’s save the planet” sci-fi sub-genre. The sheer caliber of actors that fill out this ensemble benefits the movie greatly, but it’s writer Alex Garland’s spin on the tale, in concert with Danny Boyle’s direction, that makes it sing.
Boyle and Garland collaborated previously on “28 Days Later,” one of the best zombie movies of all time, not to mention most inventive. So it shouldn’t be surprising that they also put an outstanding, inventive spin on this genre. Garland even called in a favor from NASA for the science in “Sunshine,” which helps lend it an air of authenticity despite the premise’s outlandish nature.
While I won’t get into spoilers for those who haven’t seen it, this movie takes a pretty bold, wild turn at a certain point. It goes from being a movie about saving the planet to something else entirely. It winds up being a straight-up horror movie in space. It would pair very well as a double feature with “Event Horizon,” another one of the best space horror movies of all time. That says a lot.
It’s not an optimistic bit of commentary on the human spirit’s perseverance in the face of impossible odds. It’s the other side of the coin. What happens when humanity gets in the way of something that requires less emotion? What happens when feelings interfere with cold, calculated, heartless business that needs doing? Humans are inherently flawed, even when the task at hand is bigger than any single small group. This movie asks big questions. The way it answers them is mesmerizing and mortifying.
Sunshine flew under the radar but deserves better now
One of the biggest reasons why “Sunshine” is a must-watch is that it simply didn’t get the attention it deserved at the time of its release. Quite a few people have caught up with it in the years since it first dropped somewhat unceremoniously in theaters, but it deserved better then. It still deserves better now.
“Sunshine” had release date troubles, as it was delayed multiple times en route to release. Fox Searchlight finally decided to release it in the U.K. in April 2007. It unfortunately arrived in the U.S. in July 2007, failing to ever crack the top ten at the box office. It just sort of came and went. It made just shy of $35 million worldwide against a $40 million budget, with the vast majority of that coming outside of North America.
Had things gone another way, “Sunshine” would have become a cinematic trilogy. I’m not here to argue we needed the sequels, nor am I here to do a post-mortem on Searchlight’s flawed release strategy. What I’m saying is that this is the sort of movie that still hasn’t found a fraction of its potential audience.
This is the kind of movie that a lot of people can and will discover, then say to themselves, “How the hell did I not see this sooner?” It wasn’t an easy sell at the time, but it arguably plays better now than it did back then. Especially because Boyle went on to direct Oscar winners like “Slumdog Millionaire,” and because the cast ascended to Hollywood’s A-list. More than just a great sci-fi movie, it also exists as a time capsule of sorts for the next generation of talent in Hollywood.
You can grab “Sunshine” on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon.
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