5 Best Movies About Jupiter (& Why You Should Watch Them)

Science fiction is among the most popular cinematic genres, and more often than not, the settings of such movies are somewhere in deep and faraway corners of the Universe that often require unimaginable technology to reach them. But what about our solar system neighborhood? Jupiter takes center stage in a handful of movies that bring the wonders of our solar system to life. These films offer more than just fun facts about the largest planet; they often tell stories that are fascinating for both casual viewers and space enthusiasts. This is why our list today will be a bit more specific as we bring you the five best movies about Jupiter and why you should definitely watch them. 

1. ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)

What it’s about: Directed by Stanley Kubrick, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ is an absolute classic. The film opens with a tribe of apes discovering a mysterious black monolith, which seems to trigger a leap in their intellectual development. They learn to use tools and weapons for the first time. In the distant future, Dr. Heywood Floyd travels to Clavius Base on the Moon to investigate a mysterious monolith discovered near the lunar crater. The monolith gives off a powerful radio signal. Eighteen months later, the spacecraft Discovery One, bound for Jupiter, carries astronauts Dr. Dave Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole, along with three scientists in suspended animation. 

Why you should watch it: Well, if you haven’t watched ‘A Space Odyssey’ already, you should really give it a try, considering that the movie is often cited as one of the greatest ever made. It’s not pure sci-fi. It’s really open to interpretation and has plenty of important messages that are applied well to current societal situations, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence. 

2. ‘Europa Report’ (2013)

What it’s about: Europa Report doesn’t directly take place on Jupiter; instead, it focuses on Jupiter’s Moon, Europa, and horrific things that were found there. Europa Ventures is a private company that funded a mission to explore Europa, an ice-covered moon whose watery depths may or may not contain life. Unfortunately, soon after embarking on the mission, astronauts are hit with a solar storm that partially cuts off their communication with Earth. One member of the crew dies, but the crew proceeds on. Once they reach the Moon, they will definitely find more than they bargained for, encased in ice and glowing blue. 

Why you should watch it: It would be far-fetched to claim that ‘Europa Report’ features more scientific accuracy than the rest of the similar movies in the genre (and there are plenty of them), but it’s worth giving a try since Europa is truly an interesting setting and the Moon is often discussed in the context of perhaps having vast oceans underneath its surface and perhaps harboring some extreme forms of life.

3. ‘The Wandering Earth’ (2019)

What it’s about: ‘The Wandering Earth’ is a Chinese movie, and it tells a story about a distant future in which Earth faces destruction as the red giant Sun expands and threatens to engulf all the neighboring planets. To counter this, the world government is formed, and massive Earth Engines are created to literally propel Earth out of the Solar System. Seventeen years later, Earth is still traveling toward its destination when it’s suddenly pulled into Jupiter’s orbit and finds itself on a collision course with the planet. 

Why you should watch it: Well, if anything, ‘The Wondering Earth’ really presents an extremely unique premise. We’ve seen all kinds of doomsday scenario problems and solutions, but we’ve never seen Earth Engines basically hauling Earth through space. The movie also has fantastic visuals, so that’s another plus. 

4. ‘Jupiter Ascending’ (2015)

What it’s about: From the creators of ‘The Matrix’ we got this interesting space opera, and while the movie itself doesn’t focus solely on the planet, the main villains in the movie are from Jupiter. The story focuses on Jupiter Jones, who is a descendant of powerful alien royalty that made Jupiter its home; she is unaware that her genetic makeup is the key to Universal control. Jupiter discovers that she shares the genetic identity of the Abrasax family, a powerful and ancient dynasty that controls planets across the cosmos. 

Why you should watch it: The movie was marketed as being a crossover between ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Star Wars’ but delivered something, let’s be polite and say interesting. If you’re a fan of overly complex plots and stunning visuals, then you should definitely give it a try if you haven’t already watched the movie. 

5. ‘Outland’ 1981

What it’s about: Federal Marshal William O’Niel is assigned to a challenging tour of duty at the titanium ore mining outpost Con-Am 27 on Jupiter’s Moon Io. The harsh conditions include low gravity, no breathable atmosphere, and cumbersome spacesuits. The situation becomes even worse when miners start hallucinating, and accidents start happening due to the effects of a strange alien drug whose smuggling operation William needs to stop before it takes more lives and his own. 

Why you should watch it: Well, it’s not often that you come across a movie that has both the elements of sci-fi and film noir atmosphere. ‘Outland’ has all of the Western cliches and tropes, including the lawless colony and smuggling, but it takes them into a completely new sci-fi setting somewhere on the edges of what we know about the Universe. There’s also a strong element of mystery in the movie, considering that, for the most part, viewers have no idea what’s going on, and deaths just keep on piling up. 

Have a movie to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!