7 movies like Fly Me to the Moon to watch in 2025
Directed by Greg Berlanti and starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, Fly Me to the Moon, is a historical romantic comedy that revolves around a marketing specialist at NASA (Scarlett) and a launch director (Channing) who must coordinate and create a fake moon landing in case the Apollo 11 mission fails.
The movie is a satire on the Space Race age that pitted the US and the Soviet Union together to see who could land a man on the moon first. Viewers who enjoyed the era the movie was set in and would like to watch more movies about the Space Race and Apollo missions can check out some other movies that cover these themes.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
Apollo 13, Space Dogs, and others movie like Fly Me to the Moon
1) Hidden Figures - Amazon Prime Video
Starring Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, and Janelle Monáe, Hidden Figures, is a biographical space drama directed by Theodore Melfi. Based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, tells the real-life story of Katherine Goble, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson.
The three African-American mathematicians contributed heavily to NASA during the Space Race Age. The movie has important themes about racism and gender. Like Fly Me to the Moon, the movie is mostly light-hearted, set during the same era, and has discussions about gender as well.
2) The Martian - Amazon Prime Video
Revered director, Ridley Scott, helms this movie as Matt Damon stars as an astronaut who gets left behind on the red planet—Mars, after a mishap with a spaceship. The Martian is a sci-fi movie about survival as Damon’s character goes to extreme lengths to survive while awaiting rescue.
While the movie has a different premise and tone from Fly Me to the Moon, both films revolve around NASA’s efforts to handle an emergency and the amount of work the institution does to protect its name. The epic drama has stunning visuals.
3) Space Dogs - Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Inna Evlannikova and Svyatoslav Ushakov, Space Dogs, is a Russian animated adventure comedy that is based on the real-life dogs, Belka and Strelka. The movie is set during a period of the Space Race when the Soviet Union was sending dogs into outer space.
Even though Laika, the first dog, did not survive. Belka and Strelka were able to and the animated movie is told from the perspective of the two dogs. While it is an animated movie, it is a perfect watch after Fly Me to the Moon, as both movies are set in the same era and are light-hearted.
4) Moonwalkers - Amazon Prime Video
Starring Rupert Grint and Ron Perlman, Moonwalkers is a British crime comedy directed by Antoine Bardou-Jacquet. The film has a hilarious premise, where in the days leading up to the Apollo 11 landing, a CIA agent, Kidman, is tasked with asking Stanley Kubrick to film a fake moonwalk, in case the real event fails.
The CIA also tells the agent that he can murder Kubrick when his job is done, unknown to them that Kidman has PTSD and is extremely violent. The movie is extremely similar to Fly Me to the Moon, as both satires the Space Race and deal with a fake moon landing—having a similar premise.
5) Apollo 13 - Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and others, Apollo 13, is a more serious film than Fly Me to the Moon and deals with the real-life tragedy that struck NASA when another mission to the moon failed and put the lives of the astronauts in danger.
The movie is based on the book by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger and highlights the difficulty behind the Apollo missions and the immense preparations NASA had to undertake. Viewers who would like to know more about the Apollo missions after watching Fly Me to the Moon, can watch this grounded movie.
6) First Man - Netflix
Ryan Reynolds stars as the first man on the Moon—Neil Armstrong, in this Damien Chazelle directorial. First Man, is a fictionalized interpretation of how Armstrong must have felt after becoming a celebrity. The movie chronicles important moments of his life and Claire Foy plays Armstrong’s devoted wife.
The film deep dives into Armstrong’s familial background and the tragic death of his daughter that impacted him heavily. While Fly Me to the Moon, is a satire and comedy, this movie is a somber look at the life of the man behind the Apollo 11 mission.
7) Apollo 10 ½ - Netflix
Directed by Richard Linklater and based on his childhood fantasies, Apollo 10 1/2 is an animated movie featuring the voices of Glen Powell, Jack Black, and others. The movie is about a fourth grader, who gets the chance to participate in a secret NASA mission that will take him to the Moon and make him the first human.
This was done before the Apollo 11 mission because NASA ended up creating a small lunar module that could fit a child. The movie is a creative and light-hearted take on childhood fantasies and the Apollo 11 mission. While it is different from Fly Me to the Moon, both movies cover the same era.
Viewers are welcome to go through the list and choose a space-themed movie for their next binge-watch.
