If you're a fan of science fiction, you're probably a fan of films of a more philosophical nature. The kind of films that ask big questions but don't necessarily give you all the answers at the end. Like Christopher Nolan's Interstellar or Ridley Scott's Bladerunner.

Recently, a member of a popular film forum asked for recommendations for science fiction movies that engage your mind and your senses.

Here's our list of cerebral sci-fi films for fans of Interstellar.

1- Arrival (2016)

Denis Villeneuve's extraterrestrial existential drama revolves around Louise Banks, a linguistics professor enlisted by the military to communicate with mysterious alien visitors that have landed in locations around the world. As she attempts to decipher their language and intentions, Louise's encounters with the aliens lead to profound revelations that challenge her understanding of time, memory, and human perception.

2- Contact (1997)

Based on the novel by Carl Sagan, Robert Zemeckis's visually stunning exploration of human curiosity follows Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), who detects a mysterious signal from a distant star system containing a message from an alien civilization. As humanity grapples with this momentous discovery, Ellie becomes the center of a global effort to decipher the message and make first contact.

3- Dune (2021)

Denis Villeneuve's interstellar epic, based on the iconic novel by Frank Herbert, revolves around the fortunes of House Atreides. Put in charge of the desert world of Arrakis, the only source of the valuable spice used for space travel, its young heir, Paul (Timothée Chalamet), while navigating the treacherous politics and power struggles of Arrakis discovers that his destiny and that of the planet are intertwined.

4- Sunshine (2007)

This environmental thriller from Danny Boyle follows a group of astronauts on a mission to reignite the dying Sun using a massive nuclear bomb before all life on Earth is extinguished.

5- GATTACA (1997)

Andrew Niccol's genetic drama, set in a future society where gene editing has become the norm and designing your child is just part of becoming a parent, stars Ethan Hawke as a naturally born man, who is seen as inferior by society, assumes the identity of an astronaut to join the prestigious GATTACA space program.

6- Dark City (1998)

This mind-bending and visually stunning cult cyberpunk thriller directed by Alex Proyas follows John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), an amnesiac suspected of committing brutal murders in a perpetually dark city.

7- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick's visually stunning groundbreaking film about a doomed space mission to Jupiter and the sentient AI that dooms it explores ideas of human evolution, technology, and the mysteries of the cosmos.

8- Annihilation (2018)

Based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer, Alex Garland's existential horror tells the story of Lena—a biologist and former soldier who volunteers for a dangerous expedition to uncover the cause of The Shimmer. An otherworldly phenomenon that has engulfed part of the Southern United States that distorts the laws of nature, and mutated creatures run rampant.

9- Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Mamoru Oshii's quintessential cyberpunk masterpiece, based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg part of a special Government unit tasked with dealing with cybercrime and terrorism. Tasked with investigating a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master, Kusanagi begins questioning her identity and the nature of consciousness in a world where humans and machines are almost one and the same.

10- Silent Running (1972)

Set in a dystopian future where Earth's natural ecosystems are decimated and the last remaining forests and wildlife preserved in gigantic domed spaceships, Douglas Trumbull's ecological thriller stars Bruce Dern as Freeman Lowell, a botanist who cares for the remaining flora and fauna aboard one of the ships. When Ordered to destroy the forests in his care and return to Earth, Lowell refuses to protect the last vestiges of the natural world.

11- Ex Machina (2014)

Alex Garland's philosophical tale about the future of AI tells the story of Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer who wins a competition to spend a week at the estate of his reclusive boss, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac).

Upon arrival, Caleb learns he is there to participate in an experiment involving a robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander). As Caleb interacts with Ava, he is fascinated by her intelligence and humanity but begins questioning her true nature and the ethics of her creation.

12- The Fountain (2006)

This visually stunning and profoundly philosophical film by Darren Aronofsky tells three interconnected stories across thousands of years. The first story follows Tomas, a conquistador searching for the mythical Tree of Life.

The second revolves around Tommy Creo (Hugh Jackman), a neuroscientist desperate to find a cure for his wife, Izzi (Rachel Weisz), who is dying from cancer. The third, set in the distant future, is about a man named Tom traveling through space with the dying Tree of Life.

13- Cloud Atlas (2012)

This ambitious epic by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis, based on the novel by David Mitchell, weaves together six interconnected stories from the 19th century to the distant post-apocalyptic future. With an ensemble cast that includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Hugo Weaving, each playing multiple roles in a series of tales about characters whose actions and lives have far-reaching consequences that echo through the ages.

14- Moon (2009)

Duncan Jones's contemplative debut feature revolves around Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), a lone astronaut nearing the end of a three-year solo mining mission on the Moon. After making a startling discovery, Sam starts to question his identity and the true purpose of his mission.

15- Solaris (1972)

Based on the novel by Stanisław Lem, Tarkovsky's mesmerizing exploration of human emotion and the mind follows Kris Kelvin (, a psychologist, sent to a space station orbiting the sentient planet Solaris as its crew has begun experiencing haunting phenomena and visions of their innermost fears and regrets.

Soon Kelvin too starts to experience hallucinations, including the appearance of his deceased wife, Hari, as the line between reality and imagination blurs.

Source: (Reddit).