---
title: "2001: A Space Odyssey"
year: 1968
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey"
fi1m_id: "2001-a-space-odyssey"
imdb_id: "tt0062622"
tmdb_id: 62
wikidata_id: "Q103474"
fi1m_score: 92
critics_score: 82
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:41.048855+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 2h 29m · MPA G · Science Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

## Identity

2001: A Space Odyssey

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** 2001-a-space-odyssey
- **IMDb ID:** tt0062622
- **TMDB ID:** 62
- **Wikidata ID:** Q103474
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/62, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103474

**Fi1m score: 92** · Critics 82 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* The computer has better manners than the astronauts, which does surprisingly little to put us at ease

> Stanley Kubrick’s space voyage earns its slow pace through exact, unsettling filmmaking. The people can feel remote, but we would recommend it even to those who usually leave science fiction alone.

## Synopsis

*2001: A Space Odyssey* follows humanity from a prehistoric world of ape-men into an age of space exploration. Stanley Kubrick directs a screenplay written with Arthur C. Clarke, approaching questions about human origins and what might come next through encounters with machines and the unknown. William Sylvester plays Dr. Heywood Floyd, while Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood appear as Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole. Douglas Rain provides the voice of HAL 9000, a computer with a personality of its own. A long wordless opening and sequences set to classical music shape the journey.

## Review

Stanley Kubrick asks us to spend 149 minutes considering where human beings came from and what might follow them. *2001: A Space Odyssey*, written with Arthur C. Clarke, makes that sound like a reasonable use of an evening, and we think it is. It is an exceptional science-fiction film, patient enough to make looking at a machine an event and strange enough to make that event unsettling. Anyone expecting a brisk adventure will have to settle into a different pace.

The long, wordless prehistoric opening sets the terms: watch closely, and do not expect somebody to arrive and explain what matters. Kubrick gives the ape-men a weight in the story that a more hurried film might reserve for its named actors. There are moments when the length of this passage feels imposed, and we could have done with a little less insistence. Even so, starting here makes us carry thoughts about human origins into the space-travel sequences.

Geoffrey Unsworth’s cinematography gives the machines the attention usually spent on faces, making their shapes and movement worth studying. The use of miniatures and matte paintings helps: the machinery seems to occupy space, with weight and distance we can understand. Production designers Ernest Archer, Anthony Masters and Harry Lange make the technology look usable, which matters more than making it look impressive. We believe people could work with this equipment, and that belief gives the film room to become stranger.

Ray Lovejoy’s editing lets us follow movement through a shot and wait for it to finish. The classical music gives that waiting a rhythm; *The Blue Danube* is especially effective because its easy grace makes the machinery seem almost companionable. We were moved by the combination of measured motion and music, more than we expected to be by a film so interested in equipment. For a while, the pleasure of watching something travel through space is enough, without an urgent destination.

Douglas Rain’s HAL 9000 provides the sharpest sense of another mind at work. His voice has a composure that invites trust, yet the care with which he speaks also makes us listen for whatever might be wrong. Rain makes the computer’s personality absorbing without needing the usual visible signs of a performance. Keir Dullea’s Dr. David Bowman and Gary Lockwood’s Dr. Frank Poole are deliberately less inviting company, and the restraint works, though it leaves us knowing their professional manner better than we know them.

That distance is the substantial reservation. Kubrick and Clarke are so taken with humanity’s future that the individual humans can feel like an inconvenience, and the dialogue does little to bring them closer. Some stretches are absorbing chiefly for what there is to look at, which will not satisfy every appetite for drama. We would still defend the time the film takes: its pauses allow us to notice our own unease, instead of having each new question immediately answered by the next scene.

Science fiction can become a guided tour, with every invention explained before we have had a chance to wonder about it. Kubrick trusts us to look, listen and remain unsure, and the technical care earns that trust; the uncertainty never feels like a cover for careless filmmaking. There is no need to arrive with a theory, or to pretend that every minute is equally absorbing. Give it a large screen and an uninterrupted evening, and let the questions wait.

*Fi1m score 92, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to 2001: A Space Odyssey, with praise concentrated on Kubrick’s precision, the special effects and the depiction of space. The combination of images and classical music is another recurring strength, while HAL 9000 attracts particular attention for having a more engaging personality than the human characters. The reviews also value the film’s willingness to pose large questions about humanity’s origins and future without supplying easy answers.

The disagreements concern pace, emotional distance and how much meaning the images carry. Even enthusiastic reviews acknowledge that the film can be alienating or difficult to decipher, though many find that uncertainty rewarding. Variety admires the cinematography and effects but finds the drama lacking; The New York Times places the experience somewhere between hypnotic and boring. The spread is wide: technical admiration is common, but it does not always translate into involvement.

## Straight answers

**Is 2001: A Space Odyssey worth watching?**

*2001: A Space Odyssey* is worth watching for anyone prepared to sit still for 149 minutes and look closely, and we scored it 92. The people can feel remote and the wordless prehistoric opening runs longer than it needs to, but Kubrick's exact, unsettling filmmaking earns the slow pace. We would recommend it even to viewers who usually avoid science fiction.

**How long is 2001: A Space Odyssey, and what is it rated?**

*2001: A Space Odyssey* runs 2h 29m and is rated G by the MPA in the US. It is a science fiction and mystery film.

**Where can I watch 2001: A Space Odyssey in the US?**

*2001: A Space Odyssey* is streaming on HBO Max, Hulu and The Roku Channel in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does 2001: A Space Odyssey compare to Moon?**

*2001: A Space Odyssey* is the larger and stranger film, asking where humanity came from and what follows it, while [*Moon*](https://film.one/film/moon) stays close to one lonely worker and his machine companion. Kubrick's is the greater achievement, though it keeps its humans at a distance; Duncan Jones's film is warmer and more intimate, held together by Sam Rockwell. Watch *Moon* if you want a person to care about, *2001* if you want to be unsettled.

**What should I watch after 2001: A Space Odyssey?**

After *2001: A Space Odyssey*, try [*Solaris*](https://film.one/film/solaris-1972) (1972, Fi1m 87): A patient space journey with more room for memory, guilt and human attachment. Then [*Moon*](https://film.one/film/moon) (2009, Fi1m 83): For the loneliness of space work and the unease of machine companionship.

### Reviews we read (17)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): The film fails on the human level but succeeds magnificently on a cosmic scale. Kubrick's machines and special effects are flawless, and the final sequence suggests man will outgrow his machines and be transfigured. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/2001-a-space-odyssey-1968)
- **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (5/5): The critic calls it a flawless, sublime sci-fi opus and Time Out’s best movie ever. It singles out the film’s absolute precision, groundbreaking effects, and the sympathetic performance of HAL 9000 for praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/2001-a-space-odyssey-review)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (90/100, inferred): The film is awesome, influential, mind-blowing, cool, obsessional and pretentious all at once; it defies easy genre classification and remains fascinating as both great cinema and gobbledygook. Its groundbreaking effects, iconic imagery, musical motifs and provocative ideas make it an unforgettable experience that provokes endless debate. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/2001-space-odyssey-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Rob Humanick (90/100, inferred): The film explores humanity’s timeless questions of origin and destiny through its epic journey from ape-men to space pioneers. It singles out the psychedelic Star Gate sequence and the marriage of visuals with classical music as preeminent cinematic accomplishments that evoke awe and meditation. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/2001-a-space-odyssey/)
- **The AV Club**, Mike D'Angelo (90/100, inferred): The review focuses on the iconic HAL pod bay doors scene, praising Kubrick's clinical precision, sound design, and the film's awe-inspiring exploration of the infinite despite its anti-human tone. It notes the film's enduring impact and irrationality. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/2001-a-space-odyssey-1798221357)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, John Mahoney (90/100, inferred): The film is a majestic visual experience unlike any seen before, true to its scientific predictions while provoking philosophical and metaphysical questions. It singles out the meticulous technical accuracy, special effects, and the fascinating, flawed personality of HAL 9000 as highlights, predicting it will be one of MGM’s all-time hits. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/2001-a-space-odyssey-1968-747494/)
- **The New Yorker**, Penelope Gilliatt (90/100, inferred): The critic thinks it is some sort of great film and an unforgettable endeavor, praising its technical and imaginative achievements, poetic sci-fi qualities, and how it explores dehumanization. Singles out the handling of the computer HAL and the metaphysical elements for their impact. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1968/04/13/after-man)
- **Evening Standard**, Derek Malcolm (85/100, inferred): The piece recommends the masterpiece for its marvellous sequences and visuals that changed concepts of space, noting it is a blast to watch though sometimes hard to decipher completely. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/derek-malcolm-recommends-2001-a-space-odyssey-9890782.html)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (5/4/4): Kubrick’s seminal sci-fi towers like a monolith with top marks for craftsmanship and awe-inspiring imagery. It remains ineffably alienating and slightly off on revisits despite its majesty. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/2001-a-space-odyssey)
- **Radio Times**, Sue Heal (80/100, inferred): This seminal sci-fi is an interesting, innovative product of the 1960s whose memorable images and haunting combination of music and visuals continue to intrigue and perplex; it is a must-see for its philosophical take on humanity’s origins and destiny. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-i5vzj5/2001-a-space-odyssey/)
- **Total Film** (80/100, inferred): The review highlights the film's landmark status in cinema history as sci-fi came of age, praising its visuals, effects, mystical subtext, and status as the ultimate trip. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/2001-a-space-odyssey-review/)
- **Variety**, Robert B. Frederick (50/100, inferred): The critic finds it a major achievement in cinematography and special effects but lacking in dramatic appeal and not a cinematic landmark, comparing it unfavorably to previous sci-fi films in humanity and imagination. Praises the special effects and technical work. [Read](https://variety.com/1968/film/reviews/2001-a-space-odyssey-1200421723/)
- **The New York Times**, Renata Adler (40/100, inferred): The film is a very complicated, languid movie absorbed in its own problems of color, space and science-fiction detail, somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1968/04/04/archives/the-screen-2001-is-up-up-and-awaykubricks-odyssey-in-space-begins.html)
- **Sight and Sound**: The review hails the film as the most ambitious and generally successful science-fiction film ever made. It singles out Kubrick’s astonishing special effects and gadgetry for particular praise while noting minor faults like a prolonged prehistoric episode. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/2001-space-odyssey-reviewed-1968)
- **The Guardian**: The film is beautiful to look at with plausible special effects and striking images, but ultimately fails as little more than a series of gorgeous images without coherent construction or depth. It ends as an interstellar shaggy dog story whose speculation and ambiguity do not succeed on a visceral level. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/03/2001-a-space-odyssey-review-stanley-kubrick-1968)
- **Digital Spy**, Simon Reynolds (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it the greatest sci-fi movie ever made and a pioneering space epic that every subsequent film in the genre owes a debt to. They single out its visually stunning depiction of space using matte paintings and miniatures, along with the breathtaking Star Gate sequence, as key to its cinematic power despite a glacial pace. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/re-viewed/a610805/re-viewed-2001-a-space-odyssey-stanley-kubricks-sci-fi-masterpiece/)
- **Eye for Film**, Nicola Osborne: The critic praises the film as a true classic that remains fresh and dazzlingly beautiful. They single out the long wordless opening sequence and its choreography to classical music (especially the Blue Danube Waltz) as one of the most beautiful on film. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/2001-a-space-odyssey-film-review-by-nicola-osborne)

## Details

- **Director:** Stanley Kubrick
- **Director:** Stanley Kubrick
- **Screenplay:** Arthur C. Clarke, Stanley Kubrick
- **Cinematography:** Geoffrey Unsworth
- **Editor:** Ray Lovejoy
- **Production design:** Anthony Masters, Ernest Archer, Harry Lange
- **Producer:** Victor Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick
- **Cast:** Keir Dullea as Dr. David Bowman; Gary Lockwood as Dr. Frank Poole; William Sylvester as Dr. Heywood Floyd; Douglas Rain as HAL 9000 (voice); Daniel Richter as Moonwatcher; Leonard Rossiter as Dr. Andrei Smyslov; Margaret Tyzack as Elena; Robert Beatty as Dr. Ralph Halvorsen
- **Runtime:** 2h 29m
- **Certificate (MPA):** G
- **Release (the US):** 10 April 1968
- **Genres:** Science Fiction, Mystery, Adventure
- **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1969)
- **Budget:** $12 million
- **Box office:** $72 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR2r-A9H3Kg

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming, uhd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, EC, FR, GB, IE, JP, MX, PA, PE, PT, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1969: Best Director (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Visual Effects (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 1969: Best Film (nominated); Best Sound (won)
- David di Donatello for best foreign production 1969: David di Donatello for best foreign production (won)
- Hugo Awards 1969: Best Dramatic Presentation (won)
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director 1969: Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director (won)
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film 1969: Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film (won)
- United Nations Awards 1969: United Nations Awards (nominated)
- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film 1968: Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Solaris* (1972), Fi1m 87: A patient space journey with more room for memory, guilt and human attachment. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/solaris-1972.md)
- *La Jetée* (1962): Science fiction built from spare images, with time made frighteningly personal.
- *Moon* (2009), Fi1m 83: For the loneliness of space work and the unease of machine companionship. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/moon.md)
- *After Yang* (2021): A quieter encounter with artificial life, attentive to ordinary grief and affection.
- *Aniara* (2018): Space travel becomes a bleak test of what people need to keep living.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey