Dark Star

Dark Star

Bombed Out in Space with a Spaced Out Bomb!

Directed by John Carpenter

Produced by Jack H. Harris Enterprises, University of Southern California

197483 min6.0 / 10

A deadpan sci-fi comedy that uses absurdist humor and a philosophizing bomb to explore existential questions amid the tedium and chaos of deep space.

A group of scientists are sent on a mission to destroy unstable planets. Twenty years into their mission, they have to battle their alien mascot as well as a "sensitive" and intelligent bombing device that starts to question the meaning of its existence.

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Is Dark Star one of a kind? Yes, very. More singular than 90% of films.

  • Does Dark Star end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 64% of films.

  • Is Dark Star scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 58% of films.

  • Is Dark Star violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Dark Star sad? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Dark Star easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

Written about

45/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity90

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise36

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love22

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like Dark Star, and what each one shares →

Like Dark Star

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Dark Star

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Dark Star, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Dark Star, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Dark Star, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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