Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller reveal the 4 best sci-fi movies they've seen — and one is a John Carpenter film you've never heard of

Exclusive: 'It was a big source of inspiration for Alien — and for us'

14 Mar 2026, 13:00 · TechRadar

News By Tom Power published 14 March 2026

Ryan Gosling stars in the first film that Lord and Miller have directed since 2014 (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

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Project Hail Mary (PHM) will be the latest addition to the ever-expanding sci-fi film library when it takes flight in theaters later this month.

Its book namesake notwithstanding, the number of movies that the Ryan Gosling-starring vehicle could've been inspired by, then, is — for lack of a better word — astronomical.

While that's a question I could've put to directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller in our exclusive chat prior to the release of one of 2026's most exciting new movies, I chose to ask them something else: in their esteemed view, what do they consider to be the Mount Rushmore of sci-fi movies? Here's what they chose.

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Trailer - YouTube

Watch On

Where to stream: HBO Max (US), ITVX (UK), and HBO Max and Binge (Australia)
Runtime: 139 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% (critics); 88% (audience)

"You have to put 2001: A Space Odyssey in there," Miller said after dwelling on it for a few seconds.

He's not wrong, either. Stanley Kubrick's seminal sci-fi epic has influenced countless other works, be they films, TV shows, books, or video games. It's also been parodied to the hilt, too, with The Simpsons, Futurama, South Park, WALL-E, and even Warner Bros. in the first trailer for the studio's 2024 megahit Barbie, taking a satirical stab at the genre-defining flick.

It polarized critics upon initial release, but 2001 has not only left a lasting legacy in science fiction as a whole, but also impacted our entire culture, particularly from a technological standpoint. In an age where artificial intelligence impacts every industry and is causing some concern, 2001's examination of the dangers of A.I. through its primary antagonist HAL-9000 has never felt more prescient than it does today.

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