15 Best Movies To Watch After Contact (1997)
If you have finished watching the film Contact (1997) and are looking for other movies like it, here is a list of options to consider.
Frankenstein
After catching Lisa Frankenstein this weekend, check out some of these weird & wild spins on the legendary tale.
Now that we've all established that Frankenstein (or Fronkensteen, whichever you prefer) is in fact the name of the doctor, and his creation is just "the Creature," we can sit back and enjoy a revival in appreciation for Mary Shelley's landmark story that skillfully wove together body horror, science, and existentialism. Following the critically acclaimed Poor Things is Zelda Williams' 80s-set comedy Lisa Frankenstein, opening in theaters tomorrow, which acts as a nice appetizer before Guillermo del Toro's long-awaited adaptation on the story and Maggie Gyllenhaal's version of Bride of Frankenstein, both set for release next year.
While often overlooked in favor of the cooler, sexier Dracula, there's plenty of media dedicated to Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, starting with James Whale's unimpeachable 1931 adaptation and its even better sequel, 1935's Bride of Frankenstein. It's been lovingly parodied (Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein), given a family-friendly treatment (Tim Burton's Frankenweenie), turned into a musical (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), and even made into porn (more movies than you can possibly imagine). Here now are a list of some of the more notably unusual (and non-pornographic) takes on the story, offering gore, laughs, romance, or just general weirdness. Continue Reading →
Snow
SimilarA Christmas Carol (1938), Apocalypse Now (1979), Batman Returns (1992), Ben-Hur (1959), Billy Elliot (2000), Brazil (1985), Contact (1997), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Finding Forrester (2000), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016), Metropolis (1927), Sahara (2005), Scrooge (1951), Shooter (2007), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Talk to Her (2002), The Apartment (1960), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Holiday (2006), The Last Emperor (1987), The Party 2 (1982), The Tin Drum (1979), Wonder Boys (2000),
Watch afterAquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Interstellar (2014), Leave the World Behind (2023), Napoleon (2023),
Oppenheimer (2023) Poor Things (2023), Saltburn (2023),
J.A. Bayona directs a heartbreaking adaptation of a true-life tale of tragedy & miracles.
Though we joke about the smallest inconveniences rendering us helpless, in truth the human will to survive cannot be underestimated. When confronted with imminent death, we can and will resort to extreme means to escape it, sometimes in ways that might shock and horrify those who weren’t there. One such story was Aron Ralston, a hiker who was forced to break and cut his own arm off after he was trapped by a fallen boulder, as depicted in 2010’s 127 Hours. Another was a 1972 plane crash in the Andes mountains, after which the survivors, faced with subzero temperatures, no food, and no plant life or animals to be found, eventually resorted to cannibalism to avoid starvation.
The Andes plane crash story was adapted for film a number of times, including the trashy, exploitative Survive!, and 1993’s competently made but whitewashed Alive, in which Ethan Hawke was cast as a character named Nando Parrado. Now J.A. Bayona, whose 2012 film The Impossible was also a harrowing tale of survival, takes a turn with Society of the Snow, a gripping, heart-wrenching look at the emotional toll such an unthinkable event takes on those who somehow came out of it alive, if not exactly well. Continue Reading →
The Color Purple
SimilarA Christmas Carol (1938), Apocalypse Now (1979), Belle de Jour (1967), Ben-Hur (1959), Billy Elliot (2000),
Blade Runner (1982) Blood and Chocolate (2007), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Chicago (2002), Contact (1997), Contempt (1963), Crash (1996), Dances with Wolves (1990), Desert Hearts (1985), Enough (2002), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Gone Baby Gone (2007), I've Always Liked You (2016),
Jackie Brown (1997) Just Cause (1995), Lost in Translation (2003), Manhattan (1979), Metropolis (1927), Mystic River (2003), Oldboy (2003), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Solaris (1972), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Cider House Rules (1999), The Elementary Particles (2006), The Fisher King (1991), The Irishman (2019),
The Name of the Rose (1986) The Party (1980), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), The Tin Drum (1979), Titanic (1997), To Die For (1995), Volver (2006),
Watch afterAquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Poor Things (2023), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), The Whale (2022),
StarringColman Domingo,
Blitz Bazawule's adaptation of the Alice Walker classic (and the Broadway musical) is a more joyful, celebratory film than its predecessor.
The Color Purple has taken on a musicality ever since Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones adapted Alice Walker’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel for the screen. When the first film was released in 1985, Spielberg already referred to it as a “musical.” In a behind-the-scenes interview about the film's musicality included in Warner Bros’ sumptuous new 4K release, Walker, Spielberg, and Jones conduct us through the “diverse places” that music appears in the original film. There are rail work songs, African dance, juke joint blues, and revival gospel; all tonally matched together in a near seamless “immersion” of sound.
In an age where nearly every popular and cult film gets a Broadway adaptation, The Color Purple is a particular no-brainer. Celie’s journey of self-discovery through systematic abuses and struggles at the turn of the twentieth century lends itself to the kind of emotional bigness a musical requires. With music by the legendary Brenda Russell and the late queer songwriting icon Allee Willis, The Color Purple: The Musical also showcases a diverse range of musical styles and modes, especially those well suited for the stage, like swing and Greek chorus. Continue Reading →
The Zone of Interest
SimilarAli: Fear Eats the Soul (1974), Almost Famous (2000), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Apocalypse Now (1979), Apollo 13 (1995), Belle de Jour (1967), Ben-Hur (1959),
Blade Runner (1982) Blood and Chocolate (2007),
Boys Don't Cry (1999) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Contact (1997), Contempt (1963), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Cruel Intentions (1999), Dances with Wolves (1990), Desert Hearts (1985), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), East of Eden (1955), Enough (2002), Finding Forrester (2000), Forrest Gump (1994), Gandhi (1982), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016), I've Always Liked You (2016),
Jackie Brown (1997) Just Cause (1995), La Haine (1995), Metropolis (1927), Oldboy (2003), Raging Bull (1980), Random Harvest (1942),
Rebecca (1940) Shall We Dance? (2004), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Elementary Particles (2006), The Elephant Man (1980), The Good German (2006), The Last Emperor (1987),
The Name of the Rose (1986) The Outsiders (1983), The Pianist (2002), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), The Straight Story (1999), The Tin Drum (1979), To Die For (1995), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Wonder Boys (2000),
Watch afterAmerican Fiction (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Dune: Part Two (2024), Joker (2019), Napoleon (2023),
Oppenheimer (2023) Poor Things (2023),
StudioA24, Film4 Productions,
Jonathan Glazer's first feature in 10 years is a near-unclassifiable work of patience and intentional distance from its historical horrors.
What am I to say here? What can I say?
I feel as if I’m to say nothing at all. My mind has gone and I feel sick, and while that’s due to the film in question, another degree of it comes from a deeper truth. I feel wrong in my reaction to it; it can’t help but feel inadequate. The Zone of Interest has leveled me like few things ever have, but that’s not the point. That’s not its point. Continue Reading →
Poor Things
Similar2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 28 Days Later (2002), 28 Weeks Later (2007), 9 Songs (2004), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Aladdin (1992), Aliens (1986), Amélie (2001), Annie Hall (1977), Armageddon (1998),
Bend It Like Beckham (2002) Blade Runner (1982) Buffalo Soldiers (2002), Contact (1997), Contempt (1963), Cruel Intentions (1999), Desert Hearts (1985), Dirty Dancing (1987), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Forrest Gump (1994), M*A*S*H (1970), Manhattan (1979), Mars Attacks! (1996), Mary Poppins (1964), Match Point (2005), Metropolis (1927), Mystic River (2003), Once Upon a Time in America (1984),
Rebecca (1940) Shrek the Third (2007), Stalker (1979), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Elementary Particles (2006), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), The Holiday (2006), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Party (1980), The Science of Sleep (2006), True Romance (1993), Vertigo (1958), War of the Worlds (2005), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Wild at Heart (1990), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971),
Watch afterAnatomy of a Fall (2023), Dune: Part Two (2024), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Saltburn (2023), Society of the Snow (2023), The Killer (2023),
StarringWillem Dafoe,
StudioFilm4 Productions, Searchlight Pictures, TSG Entertainment,
Yorgos Lanthimos directs a sumptuous adult fairy tale featuring Emma Stone at her very best.
Here’s the thing about Yorgos Lanthimos: you’re either on board with him, or you’re not. Even in The Favourite, arguably his most accessible film, there’s a sort of joyful grotesqueness to it, leaving the audience laughing and wincing simultaneously. His latest offering, Poor Things, is his most visually dazzling film yet, with moments of stunning beauty and bittersweet insight, but still isn’t afraid to test the audience’s sensibilities. It’s a film about what it means to be alive, every little disgusting aspect of it.
Based on Alasdair Gray’s novel of the same name, Poor Things opens in dreary black and white London, where eccentric scientist Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) is overseeing an experiment that’s both miraculous and horrifying. Baxter, whose face looks like it was carved into several pieces and then put back together the wrong way, has brought a woman back to life after she committed suicide. The woman, whom he’s renamed Bella (Emma Stone, with a magnificent pair of eyebrows), initially has the mind of a toddler, but she’s learning and maturing at an astonishing rate. Bella refers to Godwin as “God,” and so far knows no one and nothing else but him and their home together. Continue Reading →
Killers of the Flower Moon
SimilarA Christmas Carol (1938), A History of Violence (2005), Almost Famous (2000), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Apocalypse Now (1979), Apollo 13 (1995), Belle de Jour (1967), Ben-Hur (1959),
Blade Runner (1982) Blood and Chocolate (2007), Blue Velvet (1986), Brubaker (1980), Bugsy Malone (1976), Caché (2005), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Chicago (2002), Code of Silence (1985), Con Air (1997), Contact (1997), Contempt (1963), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Cruel Intentions (1999), Dances with Wolves (1990), Don't Bother to Knock (1952), Donnie Brasco (1997), Enough (2002), Fargo (1996), Forrest Gump (1994), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Gandhi (1982), Gone Baby Gone (2007), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016), I've Always Liked You (2016), Just Cause (1995), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), La Haine (1995), Léon: The Professional (1994), Manhattan (1979), Memento (2000), Metropolis (1927), Mississippi Burning (1988), Oldboy (2003), Predator (1987),
Primal Fear (1996) Random Harvest (1942), Rope (1948), Saw IV (2007), Schindler's List (1993), Shall We Dance? (2004), Sissi (1955), Solaris (1972), Strange Days (1995), Taxi Driver (1976), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Cider House Rules (1999), The Devil's Rejects (2005), The Elementary Particles (2006), The Elephant Man (1980), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), The Irishman (2019), The Road (2009), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), The Straight Story (1999), The Tin Drum (1979), Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), Titanic (1997), To Die For (1995), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993),
Watch afterAmerican Fiction (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), Leave the World Behind (2023), Napoleon (2023),
Oppenheimer (2023) Saw X (2023), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), The Killer (2023), Wonka (2023),
StudioApple Studios,
To talk about The Killer is to strip away pretense. Well, one can try. Cold it may be, but David Fincher's latest is an incredibly open film. The houses are made of glass; the windows are ceiling-high; the voiceovers from the title character (Michael Fassbender) give infallible insight into his worldview. The film is his worldview, simple in its machinations and complex in its philosophy. In most other circumstances, this would unfold over time. And it does here, at least to an extent. Continue Reading →
A Haunting in Venice
Similar2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 28 Weeks Later (2007), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Armageddon (1998), Basic Instinct (1992), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987),
Blade Runner (1982) Blue Velvet (1986), Buffalo Soldiers (2002), Caché (2005), Carrie (1976), Contact (1997), Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Don't Bother to Knock (1952), Dr. No (1962), Freedom Writers (2007), From Russia with Love (1963), Ghost (1990), Goldfinger (1964),
Jackie Brown (1997) Just Cause (1995), Klute (1971), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Memento (2000), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969),
Primal Fear (1996) Rebecca (1940) Rosemary's Baby (1968), Sahara (2005), Saw (2004), Secret Window (2004),
Shaft (2000) Shooter (2007), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), Solaris (1972), Stand by Me (1986), Star Trek: Generations (1994), The Godfather (1972), The Green Mile (1999), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974),
The Name of the Rose (1986) The Outsiders (1983), The Shining (1980), The Usual Suspects (1995), Vertigo (1958), War of the Worlds (2005), Wild at Heart (1990), You Only Live Twice (1967),
Watch afterFive Nights at Freddy's (2023), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023),
Oppenheimer (2023) Saw X (2023), Thanksgiving (2023), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), The Killer (2023), The Marvels (2023),
Studio20th Century Studios,
The first two entries in director/actor Kenneth Branagh’s foray into Agatha Christie adaptation lost the magic of the English writer’s mysteries. With his third attempt, A Haunting in Venice, Branagh decides to make considerable changes to the story. Using the bones of Christie’s Hallowe’en Party, writer Michael Green changes the setting from a small town in the English countryside to a palazzo in Venice. Branagh emphasizes the gothic elements of Christie’s story, leaning on the horror of the location, the manic nature of the children’s Halloween party, and the gruesome moments before and after an unexpected death. Continue Reading →
Love at First Sight
Similar2046 (2004), A Christmas Carol (1938), A Real Young Girl (1976), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Apocalypse Now (1979), Ben-Hur (1959),
Blade Runner (1982) Contact (1997), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Cruel Intentions (1999), Dances with Wolves (1990), Desert Hearts (1985), East of Eden (1955), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Finding Forrester (2000), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Gone Baby Gone (2007), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016), I've Always Liked You (2016),
Jackie Brown (1997) Manhattan (1979), Metropolis (1927), Mystic River (2003), Once Upon a Time in America (1984),
Primal Fear (1996) Random Harvest (1942),
Rebecca (1940) Rosemary's Baby (1968), Sahara (2005), Schindler's List (1993), Shooter (2007), Sissi (1955), Solaris (1972), Stalker (1979), Stand by Me (1986), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Cider House Rules (1999), The Green Mile (1999), The Handmaid's Tale (1990),
The Name of the Rose (1986) The Outsiders (1983), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Road (2009), The Silent Partner (1978), The Tin Drum (1979), To Die For (1995), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Wild at Heart (1990),
Watch afterBarbie (2023) Blue Beetle (2023), Elemental (2023), The Equalizer 3 (2023),
StarringJameela Jamil,
As an avid consumer of romance—be it in book, film, or television format—you learn to level expectations when a beloved story is adapted. That’s particularly the case amongst the recent spate of mid-to-low budget adaptations across the gamut of streaming services. Usually, the best-case scenario is they’re mildly enjoyable but ultimately forgettable. For example, there’s Prime Video’s recent adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, and Royal Blue. More often than not, they’re absolutely dreadful. The less said about Netflix’s take on Austen’s Persuasion, the better. What is true, though, is that they’re very seldom genuinely good. Continue Reading →
A Million Miles Away
SimilarA Christmas Carol (1938), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Apocalypse Now (1979), As It Is in Heaven (2004), Ben-Hur (1959),
Blade Runner (1982) Blood and Chocolate (2007),
Boys Don't Cry (1999) Brubaker (1980), Contact (1997), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Donnie Brasco (1997), East of Eden (1955), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Erin Brockovich (2000), Finding Forrester (2000), Forrest Gump (1994), Gridiron Gang (2006), I've Always Liked You (2016),
Jackie Brown (1997) Just Cause (1995), Manhattan (1979), Metropolis (1927), Monster (2003),
Primal Fear (1996) Rebecca (1940) Schindler's List (1993), Stand by Me (1986), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Elementary Particles (2006), The Green Mile (1999), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), The Irishman (2019), The Last Emperor (1987),
The Name of the Rose (1986) The Outsiders (1983), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Road (2009), The Silent Partner (1978), The Straight Story (1999), The Tin Drum (1979), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Wonder Boys (2000),
Watch afterBarbie (2023) Blue Beetle (2023), Elemental (2023), Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023),
StudioMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
A Million Miles Away is one of those movies that live in the meaty part of the decent curve. Far too sturdy and well-made to be called bad. Too rote and predictable to really call good. It tells the true story of José Hernández (Michael Pena), an unquestionably inspiring man who did an impossibly difficult thing under impossibly difficult circumstances. Continue Reading →
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
SimilarBen-Hur (1959), Contact (1997), Cruel Intentions (1999), East of Eden (1955), Finding Forrester (2000), Forrest Gump (1994), I've Always Liked You (2016),
Jackie Brown (1997) La Haine (1995), Manhattan (1979), Maria Full of Grace (2004), Random Harvest (1942),
Rebecca (1940) Schindler's List (1993), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Irishman (2019),
The Name of the Rose (1986) The Silent Partner (1978), The Tin Drum (1979),
Watch afterDune: Part Two (2024), Napoleon (2023), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Thanksgiving (2023),
In cinema, water is a site of birth, rebirth, and drastic transformations. In movies ranging from Sansho the Bailiff to Moonlight to Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, characters walk into vast bodies of liquid one person and exit another (if, that is, they resurface). It tracks, then, that the romantic drama Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe kicks off its central relationship at a community pool. A conversation between the film’s titular leads, set against the blue, kicks off a life-changing connection. Continue Reading →
Meg 2: The Trench
Ever since James Cameron boldly wrote “S” after ALIEN on a chalkboard and then changed it to a dollar sign, the quickest way to sequel-ize your killer extraterrestrial/reptile/mammal/whatever has been to add more of it. You scored a hit with people fighting one giant mosquito? Great, here’s a sequel with six of them. Continue Reading →
Landscape with Invisible Hand
Similar2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 9 Songs (2004), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Annie Hall (1977), Apocalypse Now (1979),
Blade Runner (1982) Boys Don't Cry (1999) Contact (1997), East of Eden (1955), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991),
Jackie Brown (1997) Manhattan (1979), Mars Attacks! (1996), Mary Poppins (1964), Metropolis (1927), Predator (1987), Random Harvest (1942), Solaris (1972), Stalker (1979), The Elementary Particles (2006),
The Name of the Rose (1986) The Outsiders (1983), The Science of Sleep (2006), The Silent Partner (1978), The Thirteenth Floor (1999), To Die For (1995), War of the Worlds (2005),
Watch afterBarbie (2023) Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023), Shortcomings (2023), The Equalizer 3 (2023),
StudioMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Cory Finley is obsessed with money. His characters have nice things or want them. They live in beautiful houses or enviously plot to get them. Even in the year 2036, with aliens living on (or, more precisely, about two miles above) planet Earth, people still fret over money and try to make scads of it. That’s the state of things in his latest, Landscape with Invisible Hand. It’s a title with the same bespoke aestheticism as the stuffed ocelots and oversized chess pieces his characters own. It feels seemingly designed to scare off less curious viewers. While the film has an awful lot of plot, the undergirding is the same. As in his 2017 debut Thoroughbreds, his follow-up Bad Education, and even his episodes of the abysmal miniseries WeCrashed, the drama comes from the idea of what money does to the soul. Continue Reading →
A Field in England
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movies being covered here wouldn't exist. Continue Reading →
Fear Street: 1666
The final installment in the Fear Street trilogy takes things back. Way back. While the first two entries were set in the 1990s and 1970s, Fear Street Part 3: 1666, as the title implies, shifts the backdrop to 1666. Going this far backward allows the audience to discover the true story of Sarah Fier (Elizabeth Scopel), a local woman who was reportedly a witch and still curses the town of Shadyside. However, as you’d expect if you’ve seen anything ranging from ParaNorman to The VVitch, this origin yarn reveals that Fier was a much more complicated figure who was doomed due to society’s innate desire to punish women perceived as “different.” Continue Reading →