54 Years Ago, the Best Sci-Fi Drama Was Made – And It Still Holds This Title With 92% on RT

In 1972, Andrei Tarkovsky released Solaris, an adaptation of Stanisław Lem's sci-fi novel of the same name. 54 years later, it remains one of the greatest sci-fi movies in the history of cinema.

Impressed by Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tarkovsky decided to take a different approach. Rather than presenting a cold, museum-like view of future technological achievements, he shifted the focus to humanity.

What Is 'Solaris' About?

Scientist Kris Kelvin arrives at a space station that is studying the mysterious planet Solaris. The inhabitants are exhausted and unresponsive.

The crew, tasked with unraveling the planet's mysteries, suffers a collective mental breakdown, and Kelvin is sent to investigate. Soon, however, inexplicable things begin to happen to him.

His deceased wife, Hari, visits him – ten years ago, she committed suicide following a domestic dispute.

'Solaris' Was a Kind of Answer to Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'

Four years after the release of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Andrei Tarkovsky made his own sci-fi film, which was equally visceral, monstrous, and profound. Many called Solaris Tarkovsky's answer to A Space Odyssey, and the parallels between the two movies are undeniable.

Without Kubrick's film, Tarkovsky's work likely would never have been created; after all, before 2001: A Space Odyssey, few took science fiction seriously.

However, it's ironic that Tarkovsky himself disliked Kubrick's work, describing it as completely unnatural, as if the action took place in a museum showcasing technological achievements.

He viewed Solaris as an "anti-Odyssey" because its focus is on human moral issues, not technology.

'Solaris' Is a Philosophical Work That Was Ahead of Its Time

Tarkovsky made a movie about humanity's encounter with an alien civilization. Conceptually, however, his Solaris was closer to Dostoevsky's prose than to Stanisław Lem's original book, as the author himself repeatedly stated.

Don't expect the director to deliver the typical genre plot twists. Instead, Tarkovsky offers viewers 166 minutes of languid, subconsciously penetrating rhythms. The film becomes a silent prayer for deliverance from the emptiness that always follows loss.

Set in the future on a spaceship far from Earth, Solaris feels as if it's happening right here, right now throughout its three hours.

Tarkovsky imbues the movie with the unbearable weight of passing time and the deafening pain of loneliness in the boundless space of our life.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Solaris'?

• Solaris has 92% from critics and 89% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.9/10.

• On Letterboxd, Solaris scored 4.2/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Solaris'?

Solaris is available to stream on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel.