The expedition of the planet “Mann.” Photo credit: Allstar/Legendary Pictures.

Christopher Nolan is one of today’s most regarded directors. He’s credited for films such as “The Dark Knight” (2008), “Inception” (2010), and “Dunkirk” (2017). In his portfolio, there is one film that stands out. Critics call it his best work, and viewers leave the theater shocked. “Interstellar” (2014) tells the story of a universe where humanity has destroyed itself and rebuilt on what’s left of Earth: a dust bowl-like farmland, where dirt and dust cause constant struggle. Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is called to action when NASA discovers a wormhole that could potentially lead to a new planet for humanity. “Interstellar” is by far Nolan’s most developed and well-written film, with one critic at The New York Times saying, “It may be enough to say that ‘Interstellar’ is a terrifically entertaining science-fiction movie.”

In a post-ecocide world, Cooper is a retired NASA-pilot who lives on a farm, like most Americans do at this time. He and his family are desperately growing crops in hopes of saving the land from eroding. He lives with his two children, Murph (Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain) and Tom (Timothee Chalamet, Casey Affleck). After Cooper is called back to NASA, he is assigned to pilot the latest expedition in search of a new planet. His team consists of Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), Rommily (David Gyasi), and Doyle (Wes Bentley). He must leave his family and his farm behind and travel through a wormhole with his team in hopes of finding a habitable planet. McConaughey truly brings the character to life with his trademark witty Southern charm. His love for his family is so clearly his motivation for getting back home, and you can really see how his longing for getting home affects him throughout the film. Back on Earth, Chastain’s performance as Murph is heartbreaking and intriguing. Murph makes it her life’s purpose to see her father again, but it seems like that possibility is getting farther and farther away. All of the performances are worth noting as the casting is brilliant and the acting is spectacular.

Nolan is world-renowned for is his incredible talent for world-building. The environment and imagery of “Interstellar” is like none other. From the quaint cornfields to the endless fifth dimension, Nolan presents clear and creative visuals throughout. It is a bit overwhelming to see a movie present so many complex aspects and in such an original way. It’s impressive, but it makes it a little hard to keep track of the story and the characters, at least on first watch. On the second watch, the viewer can really see all the effort that went not only into the effects and visuals, but also the characters’ emotions, motivations, and inner conflicts. Lastly, the score is striking. Hans Zimmer perfectly captures the mysterious and celestial nature of the film.

The message of Interstellar is in the eye of the beholder, but a recurring theme is having to make sacrifices in the form of difficult decisions. Members of the team must leave behind what they love in order to save the human race, which is a hard slap from reality in Cooper’s case: He must leave behind Murph. As the movie moves forward and sacrifices are made, the crew  members also learn more about themselves. And in the end, we realize that the thing that seems most distant to us, most unknown, is actually the thing that is most familiar.