Movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Name: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Released: 1968

10 films to watch after 2001: A Space Odyssey, ranked by how well they match its tone — not just its genre.

Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

1

Project Hail Mary (2026)

Fit 60%

Shares Science Fiction and Adventure with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction.
2

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Fit 59%

Shares Science Fiction and Adventure with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Astronaut Taylor crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted, his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist.
3

Solaris (2002)

Fit 59%

Shares Science Fiction and Mystery with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.
4

The Black Hole (1979)

Fit 59%

Shares Adventure and Science Fiction with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The explorer craft USS Palomino is returning to Earth after a fruitless 18-month search for extra-terrestrial life when the crew comes upon a supposedly lost ship, the USS Cygnus, hovering near a black hole. The ship is controlled by Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his monstrous robot companion, but the initial wonderment and awe the Palomino crew feel for the ship and its resistance to the power of the black hole turn to horror as they uncover Reinhardt's plans.
5

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Fit 58%

Shares Science Fiction and Adventure with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Starship C57D travels to planet Altair 4 in search of the crew of spaceship "Bellerophon," a scientific expedition that has been missing for twenty years. They find themselves unwelcome by the expedition's lone survivor and warned of destruction by an invisible force if they don't turn back immediately.
6

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

Fit 57%

Shares Science Fiction and Mystery with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In Los Angeles, a wealthy man, known as Mr. Fuller, discovers a shocking secret about the world he lives in. Fearing for his life, he leaves a desperate message for a friend of his in the most unexpected place.
7

The Creator (2023)

Fit 51%

Shares Science Fiction and Adventure with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and mankind itself.
8

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Fit 48%

Shares Science Fiction, Adventure and Mystery with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.
9

Cosmos (2019)

Fit 46%

Shares Science Fiction and Mystery with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Three astronomers accidentally intercept what they believe to be a signal from a distant alien civilization, but the truth is even more incredible than any of them could have imagined.
10

Finch (2021)

Fit 45%

Shares Science Fiction and Adventure with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a robot, built to protect the life of his dying creator's beloved dog, learns about life, love, friendship, and what it means to be human.