Films often use vast, empty spaces to make characters feel alone and small. One standout example is the 2019 film Ad Astra, where the endless blackness of space highlights a man’s deep isolation on his journey across the solar system.https://philipmetzger.com/movies-like-annihilation-to-watch-next/
In Ad Astra, Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, an astronaut sent to find his father, who vanished years ago near Neptune. The mission takes him from Earth to the moon, then Mars, and out into the cold void beyond. Directors like James Gray fill the screen with huge shots of stars, planets, and empty spacecraft corridors. These wide views show Roy as just a tiny figure against the infinite universe. There are no crowds or cities, only silence broken by his own voice recordings or radio static. This setup drives home his loneliness, as he wrestles with memories of his family and the weight of being truly alone.https://philipmetzger.com/movies-like-annihilation-to-watch-next/
Space works so well here because it strips away all distractions. Roy has no one to talk to for months. His father chose this isolation over family, leaving Roy to question his own life choices. The film mixes realistic space travel with quiet emotional moments, like Roy staring out at the stars, wondering if anyone hears him. Critics note how this mirrors real astronaut experiences, where distance from home breeds doubt and longing.https://philipmetzger.com/movies-like-annihilation-to-watch-next/
Other films touch on similar ideas. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the long, quiet trips through space leave astronauts cut off from Earth, emphasizing their fragile place in the cosmos.https://collider.com/most-poetic-sci-fi-movies-all-time-ranked/ Sunshine sends a crew to a dying sun, where isolation turns tense and strange amid failing systems.https://philipmetzger.com/movies-like-annihilation-to-watch-next/ Stalker uses a vast, eerie Zone on Earth to mirror inner emptiness, much like space does in Ad Astra.https://collider.com/most-poetic-sci-fi-movies-all-time-ranked/ But Ad Astra stands out for its personal focus on father-son bonds lost in the stars.
Films like these remind us that space is not just a backdrop. It becomes a character itself, pushing people to face what they carry inside.
Sources
https://philipmetzger.com/movies-like-annihilation-to-watch-next/
https://thebloodybuddy.com/default.aspx/textbook-solutions/ynRIh6/ACinemaOfLoneliness.pdf
https://collider.com/most-poetic-sci-fi-movies-all-time-ranked/
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/inclusive-mental-health/mental-health-lessons-from-wicked-what-we-can-learn-from-this-blockbuster-hit/
https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/ai/smiles-and-kisses-you-review-documentary-bryan-carberry-chris-ai-chatbot-sex-doll-relationship
https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/loneliness-llms-and-la-her-in-2025/
