Lost in Space

Lost in Space has built a real following in the US on Kanopy among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 1,340 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. William Hurt's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Kanopy.

Lost in Space is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry Lost in Space through its more ambitious moments. The prospects for continuing life on Earth in the year 2058 are grim. So the Robinsons are launched into space to colonize Alpha Prime, the only other inhabitable planet in the galaxy. But when a stowaway sabotages the mission, the Robinsons find themselves hurtling through uncharted space. The human element stays intact thanks to William Hurt and Matt LeBlanc, who anchor every scene. Lost in Space came out in 1998. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Lost in Space is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. William Hurt grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.