Dark Star
A bored deep-space crew, a rambunctious beach-ball alien, and an existential bomb turn planetary demolition into anarchic cosmic satire.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- deadpan
- surreal
- cult movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics generally regard it as an inventive cult science-fiction satire whose human eccentricity and resourceful effects outweigh its uneven comic consistency.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The crew spends decades mechanically destroying planets, treating an epic mission as exhausting routine work.
The film deliberately invokes grand space-mission imagery while replacing solemn heroism with eccentricity, boredom, and slapstick.
The crew's alien mascot resembles a beach ball and repeatedly complicates their already dysfunctional mission.
Bomb number 20 questions the meaning of its existence while still being expected to carry out planetary destruction.
Films like Dark Star, and why
2001: A Space Odyssey
Shares low-budget science fiction satire, deadpan absurdity, and a critique of space-opera conventions.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Shares anarchic humor, eccentric spacecraft crews, and irreverent genre parody.
Alien
Shares workplace-like boredom, dysfunctional spacefarers, and comic treatment of dangerous alien technology.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Shares cult science fiction comedy, surreal low-budget invention, and playful skepticism toward technological progress.
Movie Details
- Director
- John Carpenter
- Release Date
- 1974-03-30
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (681)
Cast
- Brian Narelle
- Cal Kuniholm
- Dan O'Bannon
- Dre Pahich
- Adam Beckenbaugh
- Nick Castle
- Joe Saunders
- Cookie Knapp
- Alan Sheretz
- John Carpenter
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Cultpix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Bloodstream
- 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 Dark Star about?
- A bored deep-space crew, a rambunctious beach-ball alien, and an existential bomb turn planetary demolition into anarchic cosmic satire.
- What is Dark Star like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dark Star as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Dark Star violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dark Star as mild.
- What did critics think of Dark Star?
- Critics generally regard it as an inventive cult science-fiction satire whose human eccentricity and resourceful effects outweigh its uneven comic consistency.
- Which films are like Dark Star?
- Films with a similar feel include 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Alien, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
- How long is Dark Star?
- Dark Star runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dark Star?
- In United States, Dark Star streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Cultpix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Bloodstream.
