The Black Hole
A space-exploration crew investigates a derelict vessel beside a black hole and becomes trapped in a battle against its ominous commander and lethal machinery.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- ominous
- suspenseful
- eerie
- classic science fiction night
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an ambitious but uneven science fiction adventure whose striking effects and eerie atmosphere outweigh its thin storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Palomino, Cygnus, robots, and black-hole environment emphasize elaborate practical and optical effects with a distinctly period futuristic design.
The Palomino discovers the derelict Cygnus near the event horizon and gradually uncovers the sinister circumstances surrounding Reinhardt and the ship.
Dr. Hans Reinhardt holds the visiting crew captive and seeks to use them to pursue his goal of entering the black hole.
The black hole functions as the central mystery and an apparently inescapable gravitational threat to both crews.
Films like The Black Hole, and why
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
shared space exploration adventure, haunted-ship atmosphere, and family-oriented science fiction spectacle
Journey to the Center of the Earth
shared retro-futurist production design, perilous extraterrestrial voyage, and accessible science fiction adventure
Silent Running
shared isolated spacecraft setting, ominous artificial intelligence, and suspenseful space survival
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
shared cosmic mystery, dangerous scientific discovery, and visually ambitious late-1970s science fiction
Movie Details
- Director
- Gary Nelson
- Release Date
- 1979-12-19
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (572)
Cast
- Maximilian Schell
- Anthony Perkins
- Robert Forster
- Joseph Bottoms
- Yvette Mimieux
- Ernest Borgnine
- Tom McLoughlin
- Roddy McDowall
- Slim Pickens
- Gary Nelson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Black Hole about?
- A space-exploration crew investigates a derelict vessel beside a black hole and becomes trapped in a battle against its ominous commander and lethal machinery.
- What is The Black Hole like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Black Hole as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Black Hole violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Black Hole as mild.
- What did critics think of The Black Hole?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an ambitious but uneven science fiction adventure whose striking effects and eerie atmosphere outweigh its thin storytelling.
- Which films are like The Black Hole?
- Films with a similar feel include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Silent Running, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- How long is The Black Hole?
- The Black Hole runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Black Hole?
- In United States, The Black Hole streams on Disney Plus.
