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Neil deGrasse Tyson Breaks Down Sci-Fi Movies

GQ | September 8, 2026



Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson rewatches 16 sci-fi movies and reveals just how accurate Hollywood’s take on the cosmos and beyond really is. From Christopher Nolan’s beloved _Interstellar_ (hat tip to Prof. Kip Thorne) to the 2026 box office hit _Project Hail Mary,_ the StarTalk host breaks down scenes from the most popular sci-fi movies.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s _Take Me to Your Leader_ is now available wherever books are sold and _Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe_ is available for pre-order.

Watch more from GQ | The Breakdown: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0hKMB1-xkc8bPJ_N9BoGNnPBOFG1ZSZf&si=JbPebbDNlaS34CJy

#NeildeGrasseTyson #Space #ProjectHailMary

00:00 – Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks down sci-fi films
00:26 – The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
04:15 – The Martian (2015)
08:37 – Interstellar (2014)
12:13 – Back to the Future (1985)
16:14 – X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
18:15 – Deep Impact (1998)
22:48 – Men in Black (1997)
26:59 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
29:47 – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
33:39 – Alien (1979)
35:48 – Jurassic World (2015)
38:38 – Star Trek (2009)
40:42 – Project Hail Mary (2026)
43:05 – Independence Day (1996)
46:16 – The Avengers (2012)
48:28 – Tenet (2020)

*Credits:*
Director: Jeremy Clowney
Director of Photography: Alex Sablow
Editor: Louville Moore
Talent: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Senior Producer: Michael Beckert
Creative Producer: Camille Ramos
Line Producer: Jen Santos
Production Manager: Evie Roop
Talent Booker: Jenna Caldwell
Camera Operator: Chloe Ramos
Gaffer: David Djaco
Sound Mixer: Tyson Dai
Production Assistant: Jayden Bier
Post Production Supervisor: Jess Dunn
Post Production Coordinator: Stella Shortino
Supervising Editor: Rob Lombardi
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
Executive Producer: Cara Marceante
Director, Creative: Nick Collett
Director, Programming: Jeremy Clowney

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Comments

This post currently has 44 comments.

  1. @phatcap45

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    This dude seems to just love the sound of his own voice. Watched another video where he does this and he loved bringing up movies he was involved with in any way. Seems a bit self absorbed

  2. @redvro

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    i was only just re-watching X-Men Apocalypse yesterday no wayyy! i find it funny how he didn't mention how being moved at that speed would vaporised them all anyway lol.

  3. @danwhitesall3521

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    My problem with Star Trek of beaming falling people at terminal velocity is, they are still moving at terminal velocity when they appear 1 foot above the teleport pad. There by they should still be hitting it at terminal velocity, not as if they just tripped.

  4. @OG-ProfessorFarnsworth

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    I'm a little disappointed about the X-men scene. I was hoping to hear about the amount of energy necessary to move that fast and the Newtonian physics of it all!
    Equal and opposite reactions. If he's moving at or close to the speed of sound he's basically a very large bullet himself. What would the consequences of that be!
    He certainly couldn't just grab another person and run off with them. Not if he wants to save them!!

  5. @lanarkorras4411

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    30:07 I mean.. it's "A long time ago", so… 🙂 Also, Jedi can deflect projections – and then do much more than a person with a gun. Not arguing against Neil! Love him. But i think Star Wars actually does have its in-universe lore down – at least to this particular degree.

  6. @nicorodo7161

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    I had a very pleasant vision during the video that put a smile on my face for at least 10 minutes: I saw Neil spining on ice with very chort dress on… I precise that I have the pretty same chape as Neil myself. 😉

  7. @MatteoB-gx1bo

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    Lightsabers aren't probably obsolete because they fit the Jedi's abilities with the force and their training. It's also capable of deflecting blaster shots, negating the advantages of rifles. One could wonder why few species and factions use solid slug guns…

  8. @msmoozesful

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    my peoblem with Interstellar is 2….1: the scale : when a tiney-weeny ship is in the almost exact proximity of a black hole of that size the entire "horizon" in the front of you becomes more than 180 degrees ,meaning you can barely see any spherical object ,let alone the fact that the "stuff" in the accretion disk's scale is off as well in comparison to the spaceship ,…2nd: the accretion disk is spinning at the speed of light (theoretically) close to the event horizon, yet the space ship is falling straight at a constant rate towards the inside of the black hole ….but the visuals are awesome and that matters most to the film makers for creating emotions, physics are secondary…..btw I dont understand why nobody noticed this , or missed this

  9. @sawlay043

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    I hate that backlight is flashing up my eye the whole time. I mean, I know it's there for the look but come on, at least dim that thing down with some masks in the color grading a little bit!

  10. @Imaculata

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    Neil, point of criticism regarding Back to the Future. It looks to me like the reason the Delorean needs to travel at 88 miles an hour, is because it creates a wormhole to travel through time. The wormhole appears very briefly (you can see it forming in front of the car during the film), as it would take immense power to form one for only a second. So in order for the time machine to arrive on the other side in one piece, it would need to achieve a specific minimum speed to pass through it before it closes again. Otherwise it would be cut in half. That is just my interpretation. It is very possible that the film makers did not think this far ahead.

  11. @TheDrumhead4

    September 8, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    Wouldnt an intelligent life form need "opposable thumbs" in order to build computers and rockets. I get that once they do that and millions of years pass and they evolve they might shed some features but, shed it all? Lol

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