Movie Substrate · Film

Solaris (2002)

★ 5.9 · 1,438 ratings on TMDB

How far will you go for a second chance?

Solaris poster★ 5.9

A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.

DirectorSteven Soderbergh
CastDonna Kimball, George Clooney, Jeremy Davies, John Cho, Michael Ensign, Morgan Rusler
GenresDrama, Mystery, Science Fiction
The emergence reading

In Solaris, consciousness is carried by aliens — a plane of “psychic ocean”. The story fights on E8 of the E0–E14 reality ladder, compressing memory, grief, identity, consciousness, alien.

↷ aliensUSmemorygriefidentityconsciousnessalien
⇄ Parameter shift — the dial this world turnsrigor: loose
E8memorymemories can be materialized into tangible, autonomous replicas by the planet Solaris (cognition · local)
Also inFilms about griefFilms about memoryConsciousness hiding in aliensFilms about identity
Explore Movie Substrate → Where to watch ↗ TMDB ↗ Rotten Tomatoes ↗ Ask about this film → Reading look wrong? → Copy link

Same rung, same subject

Films fighting at the same level of reality, about the same things.

Synecdoche, New York (2008)E8 · consciousness, identityWhen Marnie Was There (2014)E8 · grief, identityMirror (1975)E8 · consciousness, identityPersonal Shopper (2016)E8 · grief, identityI'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)E8 · consciousness, identityThe Little Prince (2015)E8 · identity, memory

Same subject, different rung

The same preoccupations examined at another scale — one mind versus a nation.

Frozen II (2019)E7/E9/E10 · rare rung · identity, memoryBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)E9/E12 · rare rung · grief, identityThe Animatrix (2003)E9/E12 · rare rung · consciousness, identityZ-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 (2022)E9/E10 · alien, identityMars Express (2023)E9/E10 · consciousness, identity

Also bends a rule of reality

Other films that change a standing rule of their world — ranked first by those bending it at the same rung.

Solaris (1972)alters at E8 · same rung · looseVanilla Sky (2001)alters at E8 · same rung · looseNeon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)alters at E8 · same rung · looseWifelike (2022)alters at E8 · same rung · looseI Still See You (2018)alters at E8 · same rung · looseAfter Yang (2022)alters at E8 · same rung · loose

Also hides consciousness here

Other films that move a human interior onto the same kind of thing.

Starman (1984)consciousness in aliens · alien-visitor romanceMen in Black II (2002)consciousness in aliens · secret alien surveillanceThe Host (2013)consciousness in aliens · alien‑occupied EarthDark City (1998)consciousness in aliens · memory‑tuned cityBlue Beetle (2023)consciousness in aliens · alien artifact heroicsSpaceman (2024)consciousness in aliens · cosmic isolation

Same subject, different mask

The same preoccupations carried by a different kind of thing — grief told through the dead, an animal, a machine.

The Others (2001)consciousness in the dead · grief, identityAll of Us Strangers (2023)consciousness in the dead · grief, identityMirrorMask (2005)consciousness in monsters · grief, identityNirvana (1997)consciousness in machines · consciousness, identityRobot Dreams (2023)consciousness in animals · grief, identityPenguin Highway (2018)consciousness carried elsewhere · grief, identity

Same people

Shared director or cast.

Ocean's Eleven (2001)dir. Steven SoderberghOcean's Twelve (2004)dir. Steven SoderberghOcean's Thirteen (2007)dir. Steven SoderberghIt's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)Jeremy DaviesSuicide Squad (2016)Viola DavisThe Truman Show (1998)Natascha McElhone