20 Movies to Watch If You’re an Aquarius

Aquarius is often associated with originality, invention, big ideas, and an eye on the future. With that spirit in mind, here’s a collection of films that explore technology, society, independence, and visionary thinking in many forms. You’ll find stories about scientists and coders, rebels and dreamers, and people who question the rules of their worlds.

Each entry below includes straightforward details on plot, cast, and key creatives—so you can quickly decide what to cue up next. Titles span science fiction, drama, and animation, but all of them revolve around curiosity, progress, and the push to see beyond what already exists.

‘The Social Network’ (2010)

‘The Social Network’ follows Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg as he builds a fledgling social site into a global platform while navigating disputes with co-founder Eduardo Saverin and legal challenges from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narendra. The film traces coding sprints, campus dynamics, and depositions that detail the early business and personal conflicts behind the platform’s rapid growth.

Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, the film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, and Rooney Mara. It features cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth, editing by Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, and an original score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross that won multiple awards.

‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)

‘Blade Runner 2049’ centers on LAPD officer K, a replicant “blade runner” whose discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to search for former blade runner Rick Deckard. The story expands the world of bioengineered humans introduced in ‘Blade Runner’, exploring memory, identity, and the responsibilities of creators and creations.

Denis Villeneuve directs, with performances by Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto. The film’s visuals were shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins, the score is by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, and editing is by Joe Walker, with production by Alcon Entertainment and distribution by major studios worldwide.

‘Her’ (2013)

‘Her’ follows Theodore Twombly, a professional letter-writer who begins a relationship with an advanced operating system that names itself Samantha. The narrative tracks how a human–AI connection develops across voice interactions, shared experiences, and changing expectations in a technology-saturated city.

Written and directed by Spike Jonze, the film stars Joaquin Phoenix, with Scarlett Johansson voicing Samantha, alongside Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde. It features cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema, production by Annapurna Pictures, music contributions from Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett, and an Academy Award-winning original screenplay.

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

‘The Matrix’ follows Neo, a hacker who learns that the reality he knows is a simulated construct controlled by machines. Guided by Morpheus and Trinity, he joins a resistance to confront sentient programs, agents, and the rules of the simulated world.

Written and directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, the film stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving. Bill Pope served as cinematographer, Zach Staenberg edited, and Don Davis composed the score, with effects teams developing the production’s signature bullet-time sequences across international locations and stages.

‘Arrival’ (2016)

‘Arrival’ follows linguist Louise Banks as she is recruited by the U.S. military to decipher the language of extraterrestrial visitors whose vessels appear at multiple sites around the globe. Working with physicist Ian Donnelly and military personnel, she develops a method to communicate and uncover the visitors’ purpose.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and adapted by Eric Heisserer from Ted Chiang’s ‘Story of Your Life’, the film stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. Bradford Young handled cinematography, Joe Walker edited, and Jóhann Jóhannsson composed the score, with production by companies including FilmNation and 21 Laps and distribution by a major studio.

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ follows Joel and Clementine as they undergo a medical procedure to erase memories of their relationship. As technicians comb through Joel’s mind, memories surface out of order, tracing their connection from first meeting to breakup.

Michel Gondry directs from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet leading a cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson. The production features cinematography by Ellen Kuras, editing by Valdís Óskarsdóttir, and a score by Jon Brion, with Focus Features among the companies involved.

‘Donnie Darko’ (2001)

‘Donnie Darko’ follows a teenager in suburban Virginia who experiences visions of a figure in a rabbit suit that warns of a coming catastrophe. The story blends high school life with time-loop theories, questions of fate, and the aftermath of a strange jet-engine incident.

Written and directed by Richard Kelly, the film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, and Patrick Swayze. Michael Andrews composed the score, the production involved Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films, and the soundtrack features period songs, with distribution through specialty labels before later re-releases.

‘Inception’ (2010)

‘Inception’ follows a team that enters layered dreamscapes to plant an idea in a target’s mind as part of a corporate assignment. The narrative moves through distinguishable dream levels with synchronized timelines and environments shaped by an architect’s designs.

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, and Cillian Murphy. Wally Pfister served as cinematographer, Hans Zimmer composed the score, Lee Smith edited, and large-scale practical effects were combined with digital work by international VFX houses.

‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

‘Ex Machina’ centers on Caleb, a programmer invited to the remote home of tech CEO Nathan to administer a Turing-style evaluation to Ava, a humanoid AI. Over a series of sessions, shifting alliances and power dynamics emerge among the three as motives become clearer.

Written and directed by Alex Garland, the film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, and Sonoya Mizuno. Rob Hardy handled cinematography, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow composed the score, and editor Mark Day assembled the final cut, with production and distribution involving companies including DNA Films and A24.

‘The Truman Show’ (1998)

‘The Truman Show’ follows Truman Burbank, an insurance salesman whose everyday life is secretly broadcast as a reality program produced by a global media corporation. Unaware that friends and family are performers, he begins to notice inconsistencies that point to the truth.

Directed by Peter Weir from a screenplay by Andrew Niccol, the film stars Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris, and Natascha McElhone. Peter Biziou served as cinematographer, Burkhard Dallwitz composed the score with additional music by Philip Glass, and Paramount Pictures handled distribution after production by several U.S. partners.

‘Interstellar’ (2014)

‘Interstellar’ follows a former pilot who joins a mission through a wormhole in search of habitable worlds as Earth faces ecological collapse. The plot interweaves space travel with a family story on the ground, using relativity and time dilation as narrative elements.

Christopher Nolan directs, with Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy, and Michael Caine leading the cast. Hoyte van Hoytema handled cinematography, Hans Zimmer composed the score, and visual effects were supervised by Paul Franklin at DNEG, with physicist Kip Thorne serving as scientific consultant and producer.

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ follows Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa as they flee a desert citadel with a group of women pursued by war parties. The chase structure unfolds across customized vehicles, sandstorm set pieces, and practical stunt work.

George Miller directs, with Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley among the cast. Margaret Sixel edited, John Seale served as cinematographer, and Junkie XL composed the score, with production by Kennedy Miller Mitchell and extensive location work in Namibia and Australia.

‘Snowpiercer’ (2013)

‘Snowpiercer’ is set on a perpetually moving train carrying the last remnants of humanity after a climate disaster. The plot follows passengers in the tail section mounting a push toward the front, encountering distinct carriages that reflect social divisions.

Directed by Bong Joon-ho and co-written with Kelly Masterson, the film stars Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, and Jamie Bell. It is adapted from the French graphic novel ‘Le Transperceneige’, with cinematography by Hong Kyung-pyo and a score by Marco Beltrami, produced across Korean and international partners.

‘Black Panther’ (2018)

‘Black Panther’ follows T’Challa as he returns to Wakanda to assume the throne and faces a challenger with his own claim and agenda. The story introduces the nation’s technology, leadership structures, and neighboring alliances within a broader superhero continuum.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Angela Bassett, with Martin Freeman and Forest Whitaker. Rachel Morrison served as cinematographer, Ludwig Göransson composed the score, Ruth E. Carter designed costumes, and Hannah Beachler led production design for Marvel Studios.

‘The Imitation Game’ (2014)

‘The Imitation Game’ dramatizes the wartime work of mathematician Alan Turing and colleagues at Bletchley Park as they develop techniques and machinery to decrypt Enigma-encoded communications. It depicts team collaboration, secrecy, and the pressure of intelligence deadlines.

Directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Graham Moore from Andrew Hodges’s biography, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, and Rory Kinnear. Alexandre Desplat composed the score, Óscar Faura handled cinematography, and production was led by Black Bear Pictures with distribution through a major U.S. label.

‘Akira’ (1988)

‘Akira’ is set in Neo-Tokyo and follows biker friends Kaneda and Tetsuo after a military encounter triggers latent psychic abilities. The plot moves through secret research projects, urban unrest, and large-scale psychic events tied to a past experiment.

Directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo based on his manga, the animated film features voice performances by Mitsuo Iwata and Nozomu Sasaki in the original Japanese. The production was mounted by Tokyo Movie Shinsha with distribution by Toho, and the score was composed and performed by Geinoh Yamashirogumi under Shoji Yamashiro.

‘Ghost in the Shell’ (1995)

‘Ghost in the Shell’ follows Public Security Section 9 operative Major Motoko Kusanagi as she investigates a hacker known as the Puppet Master. The case involves cybernetic bodies, networked consciousness, and jurisdictional disputes between agencies.

Directed by Mamoru Oshii and adapted from Masamune Shirow’s manga, the film stars Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ōtsuka, and Iemasa Kayumi in the Japanese voice cast. Production I.G handled animation, Kenji Kawai composed the score, and the film was released internationally through various distributors with restored editions in later years.

‘Gattaca’ (1997)

‘Gattaca’ depicts a near-future society where genetic screening influences career paths, and Vincent Freeman assumes another identity to join a space program. The story follows training regimens, security checks, and an internal investigation that threatens to expose him.

Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the film stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, and Loren Dean. Slawomir Idziak served as cinematographer, Michael Nyman composed the score, and production involved Jersey Films with distribution by a major studio.

‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)

‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ traces human development from prehistoric encounters to a deep-space mission to Jupiter, where astronauts confront the HAL 9000 computer. The film is structured in distinct chapters, including the discovery of a monolith and a later expedition sequence.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick and developed with Arthur C. Clarke, the film stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood. Geoffrey Unsworth handled cinematography, Douglas Trumbull worked on special photographic effects with a team of supervisors, and the soundtrack features classical compositions alongside original elements, with MGM overseeing production and release.

‘Contact’ (1997)

‘Contact’ follows scientist Ellie Arroway as she analyzes radio signals and deciphers a transmission believed to originate from extraterrestrial intelligence. The plot covers multinational coordination, engineering of a transport device, and debates among scientific and governmental bodies.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and adapted from Carl Sagan’s novel, the film stars Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, Tom Skerritt, and Angela Bassett. Alan Silvestri composed the score, Don Burgess served as cinematographer, and production included work at real observatories such as Arecibo and the Very Large Array, with distribution by a major studio.

Share your own Aquarius-flavored picks in the comments so everyone can compare watchlists!