So Starfield is about to become your personality, right? The Bethesda game is now finally available to enjoy, thrusting you into the exploration group known as Constellation on their journey across the Settled Systems. There’s a lot to explore in the sci-fi RPG phenomenon (with the Starfield planets numbering over 1000), but what should you do when you want a break from playing? Well, we’ve got you covered with all of the TV shows and films to watch next to feed your Starfield obsession.
Below, you’ll find all of the 12DOVE team’s picks on series and movies that are similar to Starfield. We’ve covered a big range here as well, including some that were inspirations for the developers, like Interstellar, as well as others that give us that same realistic sci-fi vibe, including Firefly and The Expanse. That’s not even mentioning the classics we have in there too, including Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Read on for our top picks of what to watch that’s like Starfield.
Firefly
Where to watch: Disney Plus
One of the most popular comparisons to Starfield has been Firefly, the beloved short-running show from the early 2000s. Led by Nathan Fillon and Gina Torres, the series is set 500 years in the future after a universal civil war. It follows a renegade crew who run a small transport spaceship as they travel to unknown parts of the galaxy. Firefly plays heavily into that crew-led vibe of Starfield that you’ll be craving.
Interstellar
Where to watch: NOW/MAX
Todd Howard recently confirmed that Interstellar was a huge influence for them when creating Starfield. Christopher Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi follows an ex-NASA pilot called Joseph Cooper who’s tasked to pilot a spaceship to find a new planet that humans could live on after the Earth has become uninhabitable. You’ll see a lot of connective tissue between the two in its handling of the vast and epic scale of space.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Where to watch: Buy on Prime Video
There’s never a bad time to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick’s seminal sci-fi, but it feels a particularly apt time to revisit it if you’re loving Starfield. The 1968 movie tells the story of the Discovery One and its revolutionary supercomputer who are sent out to unravel the mystery of a monolith on the lunar surface. It seems there may even be some more direct inspiration there too as Starfield features a side quest involving a rogue AI – could this be indirectly referencing Kubrick's sci-fi classic?
The Expanse
Where to watch: Prime Video
The Expanse is a perfect companion piece to Starfield if you love your realistic sci-fi. The hit show (which developed a cult following over its six seasons) imagined what it might really be like to explore the far reaches of space. With 62 episodes to catch up on too, it should help feed your space fix for a while.
Blade Runner
Where to watch: Buy on Prime Video
Plenty of Starfield fans have already been making comparisons to Blade Runner (Neon seems like it's taken straight out of the movie), so why not use it as an excuse to revisit the 1982 classic? Ridley Scott’s neo-noir sci-fi takes place in a dystopian Los Angeles that was at the time far in the future, but is actually November 2019 (feel old yet?). Widely regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, it should be high up on your watch list.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Where to watch: Disney Plus
We couldn’t not mention the franchise with the most iconic space operas at its heart when speaking about Starfield. However, our pick of what should be on your radar is Solo: A Star Wars Story. Not only does it feature way less of the fantastical elements of sci-fi, but one Bethesda dev even called Starfield a "Han Solo simulator". Speaking at E3 back in 2021, Bethesda managing director Ashely Cheng told The Washington Post: "For me, Starfield is the Han Solo simulator. Get in a ship, explore the galaxy, do fun stuff." Sounds perfect to us.
Moon
Where to watch: MAX
Duncan Jones’ low-key sci-fi movie Moon is a beautiful exploration of the psychological side of space travel. Astronaut Sam Bell (played wonderfully by Sam Rockwell) experiences a personal crisis towards the end of his solo mission to the far side of the Moon. Definitely one to add to your watchlist if you're interested in artificial intelligence, realistic sci-fi, and character-driven stories.
Ad Astra
Where to watch: Netflix
Ad Astra should be your next go-to if what you’re after is hyper-realistic space travel. The Brad Pitt-led sci-fi movie from 2019 is set in the late 21st century and follows an astronaut who heads into space to find his late father. Part psychological drama and part sci-fi adventure, the movie directed by James Gray tackles everything from what near-future space travel might really be like to whether intelligent alien life is out there.
OG Battlestar Galactica
Where to watch: Buy on Prime Video
Another of the sci-fi inspirations that Howard says they drew on for Starfield is Battlestar Galactica (H/T The New York Times). That franchise kicked off with the original series which ran from 1978 until 1979, and that’s where we’d suggest you start too. A cult classic, the story is set in a distant part of the universe where a collection of humans are living amid an ongoing war with the Cylons, a cybernetic race.
Check out our picks of the best sci-fi movies of all time too for more inspiration. If you want more on Starfield, check out our Starfield guide and our Starfield review.
