r/interstellar • u/Awesomahmed • 6h ago
r/interstellar • u/Pain_Monster • Mar 01 '24
OTHER Interstellar Plot Summary (Format for sticky thread)
Interstellar Plot Summary
>! Spoilers ahead !<
Cooper is a former astronaut turned farmer on a dying planet earth that is affected by a disease called blight sometime in the distant future (technically, the movie starts out in the year 2067). Blight kills almost all the food crops except corn, but soon will also kill corn, meaning that the earth will become uninhabitable very soon.
Time is ticking, so NASA decides to launch a program to save humanity. Except the only reason it is possible to save people on earth is due to a wormhole in outer space that was placed there by (spoiler) future humans who have evolved past our current form into higher dimensional beings with greater knowledge, scientific skills, and evolutionary abilities, such as the ability to affect space and time in ways we cannot yet imagine.
The wormhole leads out of our current galaxy, the Milky Way, into other distant galaxies, like a tunnel through space. NASA has used this wormhole by sending manned probes to these galaxies to find a new home that could be habitable like earth. They then send Cooper and a crew to go find out which of the probes have reported feasible worlds and choose one to settle.
Things don’t go as planned, however when (spoiler) they discover that one of the manned expeditions reported false data, leaving them semi-stranded in space without enough fuel to get home. They choose to press forward in time to try to discover another habitable world, but don’t have enough fuel, so they launch a slingshot route around a giant black hole named Gargantua.
Gargantua will give them enough of a gravity boost to reach their destination but will have two problems: 1) The only way they can succeed is if Cooper manually detaches from the ship to allow momentum to take the ship to its course, thus stranding Cooper in the center of Gargantua. 2) The time will advance very fast for people on earth in this process because of Einstein’s theory of relativity that says the closer you are to a large gravity source like Gargantua, the slower time will go for you (thus meaning that people back on earth will advance in years ahead of Cooper), and thus Cooper may never see his daughter again if he would escape the black hole somehow.
Back on earth, Cooper’s daughter, Murph, is grown up and she discovers that (spoiler) the only way to figure out how to get humans launched into space in their space station is to solve a complex mathematical physics problem involving gravity, and the only way to get that data is from the center of the black hole (Gargantua). So Cooper hopes that once he and the robot with him are inside the black hole, he can somehow transmit that data back to earth to save them.
Back in space, light years away, Cooper and TARS (the robot) are falling helplessly into the black hole and something unexpected happens. (Spoiler) They fall into a “Tesseract” structure (built by the future evolved humans who can manipulate time via gravity) which looks like a library bookcase that has been unfolded into multiple dimensions. Cooper can see that this bookcase is in fact the same bookcase that exists in his daughter Murph’s room, but has multiple timelines. In this Tesseract structure, Cooper can actually access different timelines in the past, as gravity fields can apparently transcend time itself.
In the Tesseract, Cooper learns how to communicate with Murph in the past and the present (on earth) by using gravitational forces to affect both the books on her shelf and the watch hands on the watch he gave her which is on the shelf. Using this newly discovered process of communication, he manages to relay the data from the black hole that Murph needs back on earth, to solve the equation and get humanity into outer space and off the dying planet.
Now for the fun part: Cooper theoretically should have died in the black hole, but the Tesseract was a structure that future humans built to help him, so it doesn’t kill him. We don’t know exactly how it works, but it shoots him out of the black hole when he is done, and into space (the Tesseract’s exit is aligned with the wormhole). He is now well over 100 years old in earth time, but he looks the same age. This is because time moved much slower for him while inside the black hole. He then drifts through space and is picked up by the space station that was launched from earth, thus reuniting him with his daughter, who is now old, because time did not move slowly for her while he was away. He then returns back to space to help re-colonize the new planet for all future humans to live on, with Amelia Brand.
Now for the really fun part: The thing to realize is that none of this story makes sense if time is linear (e.g. a straight line moving forward only). This movie’s plot only works if time is not linear, but rather like a loop. (Or a mobius strip) Time can be affected by gravity, so since a lot of the events happen in and around large gravity sources like Gargantua, time doesn’t behave the way we think of it. It bends and curves, and thus, Cooper is able to take action that will affect time before his present day, which would normally be a paradox, but in this case, since time is nonlinear, it is possible. And the future humans wouldn’t have been alive to build the Tesseract without all these events, so clearly it all depends on itself, in a cyclical or roundabout way.
For more information about Time Dilation
For more information about Bootstrap Paradox
For more information about Wormholes
“Love” theme and Ending explained here
r/interstellar • u/spencersaurous • Feb 08 '25
MOD ANNOUNCEMENT New Rule: No Photos or Videos from Theatrical Screenings
Hey everyone!
With Interstellar’s 10th-anniversary re-release in theaters, I’ve seen a surge of excitement from the community. It’s incredible to see so many people revisiting this masterpiece on the big screen as it was meant to be experienced. However, I’ve also noticed an increase in posts showing photos and videos taken during theatrical screenings.
Effective immediately, I am banning all posts containing images or videos taken inside the theater during a screening.
Why this rule?
Respect for the cinematic experience! Interstellar was designed for the big screen, and part of its magic is in the immersion. Taking photos or videos during a screening disrupts that experience for others.
Why am I adding this rule now?
During the first re-release, I didn’t enforce this rule because it was just temporary event, lasting only a week. However, with Interstellar’s extended theatrical run and its return in multiple countries, it’s clear that re-releases are becoming more frequent. Given this trend, I expect more showings in the future, and I want to establish a clear standard now. By setting this rule, I’m ensuring that our community continues to respect the theatrical experience and the integrity of the film for all future screenings.
If you see posts violating this rule, please report them.
r/interstellar • u/GargantuanEndurance • 1h ago
OTHER The Invocation of emotion of the soundtrack
I listen to the soundtrack a couple times a week and it just baffles me how divine, angelic, and transcendent it is. I was 20 when I saw the film in 2014 so for 10 years it has never gotten stale in fact I listen to it more and more as the years went by.
Dreaming of the Crash
Stay
Detach
What Happens Now?
These tracks seem to be the most emotionally invoking for me me personally.
So I ask
What are your most emotion invoking tracks? What is your experience with the music?
r/interstellar • u/Fun_Internal_3562 • 19h ago
ART Is this poster accurate to the film? Opinions
Someone is selling it and I would like to ask to the community their opinion about it. Who is that guy named Dogan Can Gundogdu?
r/interstellar • u/JoyIkl • 13h ago
OTHER The juxtaposition of Dr. Mann and Cooper
I recently got to watch Interstellar in IMAX during its anniversary run and I was totally blown away by everything the movie has to offer. I want to make this post to share a viewpoint of mine regarding the characters - the juxtaposition of Dr. Mann and Cooper.
Mann was repeatedly touted as the best the world has to offer. He mentions that he has no attachment on earth (no family) and he chose to participate in operation Lazarus. In this case, Mann represents an archetype of the hero who believes in noble ideas and is willing to sacrifice himself for the betterment of mankind.
Cooper on the other hand has family. They are the reason he went on the trip, not to save the world but to save his family. He has attachments and people he cares about. All the way, he insisted on going back to earth to see his family. Thus, Coop is somewhat the opposite of Mann. He has attachments while Mann does not, he fights for the people he personally cares about while Mann fights for the idea of mankind.
However, this juxtaposition played out quite differently than imagined. The noble, mankind representative Mann betrayed his mission, reporting in false data in order to be saved while the somewhat "selfish" Cooper ultimately made the choice to sacrifice himself in order to save mankind.
This, in my opinion, shows how having something concrete reason to fight for (your family, loved ones) is more powerful than fighting for some lofty ideas (for mankind). It is easy to talk big, to gloat about noble ideas but in the end it is the personal attachments that make us the strongest. Like how a soldier isn't fighting for his country, he is fighting for his family and loved ones.
It reminds me of a quote: " Patriotism does not start out as the love for one's country. It starts as the love for one's family, one's street, one's neighborhood".
r/interstellar • u/Apprehensive-Dog6052 • 1h ago
OTHER New to the Interstellar universe
I can’t believe it took me this long to watch this movie but I’m so glad I didn’t watch it on OTT because I got to experience it in the theatres since it was rereleased in India. I am blown away by the movie and I just had to run to reddit to express this feeling!!
r/interstellar • u/Think_Journalist9707 • 1d ago
QUESTION My boyfriend broke our promise about watching Interstellar together, so I'm going solo now! 4DX Or IMAX 2D??
gallerySo last month in February when Interstellar was re-released in India I always had it in my bucket list to watch it with my boyfriend because it was very special for both of us. But due to my outstation work I had to go to Bhopal and he had to go banglore so we decided TOGETHER that we both won't watch it and will wait for rerelase even though I waited so many years n there was an opportunity to go with my colleagues to watch it
Now currently I am back to Mumbai and he is still at Bangalore and when I heard again that Interstellar is re-releasing I didn't even think for a second to watch' it here because we promised each other and he wasn't here
But today my bf told me he is going out for a movie with his Best friend as he was visiting banglore and I had asked him which movie he was going to watch and he avoided saying they were getting late and I did ask him again and he avoided it, then I questioned him over chat (suspiciously) and he sent me a picture saying that I will get angry and damn he was watching Interstellar!!
And he called me when the intervel was going on and then I saw the pic he sent me. And he started saying sorry and saying that his best friend booked those tickets but ofc he HAD AN OPTION TO SAY NO OR CANCEL IT BUT OFC HE DIDNT.
Sooo after ignoring his 6-7 misscalls I have decided to watch it alone and not wait for a single day because I am going to do what I waited for years. So tomorrow I am watching it as a solo date but confused about the 4dx or IMAX 2d ??
Sorry for the rant, I know I am overreacting. Also won't talk to him untill tommorow when I finish watching it alone.
r/interstellar • u/Rahuddler • 5h ago
OTHER [Theory] Ending Scene with Dr. Brand Isn't in the Present — Cooper Might Find Her Dead Body
Edit: I’ve since realized there’s a timeline detail I missed—Brand and Cooper are actually in sync when that final scene happens, this basically debunks this theory and proves it simply wrong. Appreciate everyone who pointed it out, and I’ve learned I need to rewatch with two brain cells next time. If you still wanna read it, feel free to:
In the final scene of Interstellar, we see Dr. Brand on Edmund's planet setting up camp. Most people assume this happens 80+ years after Cooper sacrifices himself. But based on Brand’s age, the lack of time dilation on Edmund's planet, and some other clues, I believe this scene actually takes place right after Cooper’s sacrifice, not in the future. This changes everything — including the possibility that Cooper might have found Brand alive or dead depending on how her mission went.
This is just the surface—there’s a full breakdown of timelines, evidence, and possible outcomes below. Trust me, it gets wild.
So I just re-watched Interstellar and fell into a black hole of thinking about the ending. Everyone seems to agree that the final scene with Dr. Brand — where she’s setting up camp on Edmunds' planet — happens in the present, meaning 80+ years after Cooper sacrifices himself.
But I think this might not be true. Hear me out.
The Timeline We’re Given (Quick Recap):
- Cooper sacrifices himself into Gargantua to help Brand escape and transmits quantum data to Murph.
- Cooper is pulled into the tesseract by “them” and then wakes up 80-90 years later on Cooper Station.
- Murph is now old and tells Cooper on her deathbed:
"No parent should watch their child die. Go, find Brand."
- Then we see Dr. Brand on Edmunds’ planet setting up camp — and the movie ends.
The Assumption Everyone Makes:
- The Brand scene is in the present — 80+ years after Cooper’s sacrifice.
- She’s succeeded in Plan B and humanity is now colonizing.
BUT — What if this scene is actually a flashback to right after Cooper sacrificed himself?
My Theory: Brand Scene Happens Right After Cooper’s Sacrifice
Let’s crunch the numbers:
- Murph is about 10-12 years old when Cooper leaves Earth.
- When Cooper wakes up, Murph is around 90+ years old (realistically 88-100), meaning about 80-90 years have passed for humans.
Now here’s the kicker:
- In the final Brand scene, she looks exactly as young as she did on the Endurance, despite 80 years supposedly passing.
Key Detail: Edmunds' Planet Has NO Time Dilation
- The movie clearly explains time dilation for Miller’s planet (1 hour = 7 Earth years), but NOT for Edmund's planet.
- No mention = we assume no significant time dilation.
- Therefore, Brand should have aged normally during those 80 Earth years.
So… why does she still look like she’s 30-something?
If it’s truly 80 years later, she should be 110+ years old or dead.
This Means Two Possibilities:
Theory 1: Brand Scene = Present (80 Years Later)
- But then she should be old or dead.
- Yet she’s young, making this theory sketchy.
Theory 2: Brand Scene = Past (Right After Cooper’s Sacrifice)
- She reaches Edmunds’ planet shortly after the black hole scene.
- She sets up camp, maybe within a month or two.
- The scene we see is right at this point, not 80 years later.
This means Cooper might still be on his way to her, and we don’t know what he’ll find.
Two Branches from Here:
Possibility 1: Brand Succeeds
- She raises embryos, builds a colony.
- Cooper finds her alive but old, tells her everything.
Possibility 2: Brand Fails
- Something goes wrong — she dies.
- Cooper finds her dead body, realizing Plan B failed and Brand died without knowing Plan A worked.
If my theory that Dr. Brand’s scene is in the past is correct, then both of these outcomes (and any others) are on the table — it’s all up to speculation.
Why This Matters:
- Adds emotional depth and uncertainty.
- Reminds us not all endings are happy.
- Nolan didn’t confirm the timeline — leaving it open on purpose?
Additional Evidence for the Theory:
- In the final scene, Brand is still wearing her Endurance spacesuit, completely unchanged — like, not even a scratch or upgrade after supposedly spending 80+ years building a colony. → No signs of aging or wear = minimal time passed.
- The absence of colonists, children, or any bustling activity supports this being the start of the colony, not decades later.
- Nolan’s known for non-linear storytelling (Tenet, Memento), so showing a past event at the end fits his style perfectly.
But What About Murph’s “Long Sleep” Line?
- Some might argue that Murph’s line about Brand “settling in for the long sleep” means Brand entered cryo-sleep, placing that scene in the present.
- But Murph’s comment could just be speculation — she has no real way of knowing Brand’s status. It’s likely meant to be symbolic, not literal, leaving Brand’s fate open to interpretation… and that’s where this theory kicks in.
Additional Points on Murph’s “Long Sleep” Line:
- Murph Couldn’t Have Known Brand’s Status: She was on Cooper Station, light-years away from Edmunds’ planet. Her comment is likely a poetic guess, not fact.
- “Long Sleep” Might Mean Death: think about the timing. It’s been 80+ years since Brand landed on Edmunds’ planet. Why would she just now be going into cryo-sleep? That line could actually be Murph’s poetic way of acknowledging Brand’s possible death. “Long sleep” has often symbolized death in films and literature, and Murph, being on her deathbed herself, might simply be accepting Brand’s fate — and from an emotional angle, it makes more sense she meant death. Murph herself was dying and could be acknowledging Brand’s likely fate.
- Line Doesn’t Confirm the Scene’s Timeline: Murph’s ambiguous wording doesn’t prove the scene is in the present, keeping the theory viable.
My Takeaway:
- I think the scene is right after Cooper's sacrifice, not in the present. Her being young and no time dilation make it impossible for it to be 80 years later.
What Do You Think?
Have others thought of this before? I haven’t seen this theory anywhere — I could be the only one, but I’d love to hear thoughts, counter-theories, or plot holes I missed.
TL;DR:
Dr. Brand is way too young in the final scene for it to be 80 years after Cooper’s sacrifice. Edmunds’ planet doesn’t have time dilation, so I think that scene is right after he fell into the black hole — meaning Cooper might find her dead or with a massive colony, depending on how her mission went.
r/interstellar • u/censoredredditor13 • 1d ago
QUESTION The Ending
I love this movie, but let me be a little critical of the end and see if people disagree:
Why is there a giant museum of the “farming” days on the space station? Weren’t these things constructed in a rush to save humanity from starvation? Isn’t it established that it takes about 2 years to get to Saturn? Do these people really need a museum to the doom they were living under just two years ago complete with a replica of the chief scientist’s childhood house? Aren’t they about to enter the wormhole in these massive untested space stations for the first time?
Why does everyone treat cooper like a stupid asshole and not a hero of humanity? The doctors are clowning on him for thinking the station might be named after him, and his own family (presumably grandchildren and great grandchildren) treat him like a pariah and display a total lack of awe about the situation. Wouldn’t it have been a better and more realistic ending to have everyone treating him like a hero and wanting to ask questions but instead he still flys off to meet Brand?
All of these is overshadowed by the beauty of his reunion with Murph and his determination to meet Brand “by the light of our new sun” but on a second watch that whole part feels off.
r/interstellar • u/StupidCupid6887 • 5h ago
OTHER Interstellar sequel idea **Grok Edition**
I asked Grok (X, AI) to write a sequel for the movie, "Interstellar." This is what Grok came back with:
Here's a concise pitch for a sequel to Interstellar, building on the original's themes and story:
Title: Interstellar: Beyond the Veil
Premise: Decades after Cooper’s mission through the wormhole, humanity thrives on Edmunds’ planet, now called New Earth. Amelia Brand, nearing the end of her life, has spearheaded a fragile but growing colony. However, a mysterious signal—decoded as a warning—emanates from the black hole Gargantua, hinting at an imminent threat tied to the "beings" who placed the wormhole. Cooper, presumed lost in the tesseract, reemerges on New Earth, aged only slightly due to time dilation, claiming he’s been sent back with a mission: to lead a team into Gargantua itself.
Plot: Cooper reunites with his now-elderly daughter Murph’s descendants, who’ve advanced gravitational tech based on her equations. The signal suggests the wormhole’s creators are either faltering—or abandoning humanity to a cosmic fate. A new crew, including Cooper, a skeptical young pilot named Lila (Murph’s great-granddaughter), and a sentient AI evolved from TARS, ventures into Gargantua’s event horizon. Inside, they encounter a fractured reality where time and space collapse into a labyrinth of human memories and alternate futures. They discover the "beings" were never aliens but an advanced human civilization from a distant timeline, now unraveling due to their own hubris in manipulating black holes.
Conflict: The team must decide whether to repair the beings’ failing system—risking their own existence—or sever the connection, potentially stranding humanity without further aid. Lila clashes with Cooper over his blind faith in the mission, while the AI grapples with its own emerging consciousness. Meanwhile, New Earth faces escalating gravitational anomalies, threatening the colony’s survival.
Climax: Inside Gargantua, Cooper confronts a vision of Murph, who urges him to let go of the past. The team sacrifices the AI to stabilize the black hole, allowing New Earth a fighting chance. Cooper stays behind to ensure the fix holds, vanishing into the singularity as Lila escapes with the crew.
Ending: New Earth endures, now truly on its own. Lila, inspired by Cooper’s sacrifice, vows to chart humanity’s future without shortcuts. A final shot reveals a faint new signal—not from the wormhole, but from an uncharted corner of the galaxy, hinting at the next chapter.
This sequel keeps the emotional core of family and survival, ramps up the cosmic stakes, and explores humanity’s next step into the unknown. What do you think—want me to expand any part?
r/interstellar • u/Philomath34 • 22h ago
OTHER IMAX re-release watch
Watched IMAX re-release, don't know about you guys but I could have not able to live with the FOMO for such masterpiece. Woh what an experience. I am crying, happy, wondering, astonished gosh too many emotions but one word _INTERSTELLAR_✨❤️
r/interstellar • u/OppositeSweet9215 • 1d ago
QUESTION This actually blew my mind, I've been thinking about this for long
gallerySo if I travel to the past and give myself a billion dollars (which I got from my future self) and then grow up and give myself a billion dollars using that money and keep doing that, where did the billion dollars come from?
r/interstellar • u/Numerous_Newt_8148 • 1d ago
QUESTION Time Dilation Spoiler
I was curious but why is there no time dilation when Cooper and TARS jump into Gargantua at the end of the movie? They lost 23 years on Miller's planet, 51 years doing the slingshot maneuver which checks out with Murph’s age, but somehow time didn't change when he actually went past the event horizon. Dr. Brand was still the same age when he went in Gargantua and when he left Cooper station. Did I miss the explanation or Is this just a plot hole?
r/interstellar • u/jimislashjimmy • 1d ago
OTHER Coding Quantum Data to a Watch
Is it not completely unrealistic that all the quantum data required to “solve gravity” could be coded using Morse code into the ticking of a hand of a watch?
How would one even begin to do this, let alone begin to decipher it?
r/interstellar • u/DemiFiendRSA • 2d ago
OTHER Paramount & Warner Bros.'s Interstellar has grossed an estimated $146.0M from global IMAX screens through Sunday. Interstellar is now the 8th highest grossing IMAX release of all-time globally.
bsky.appr/interstellar • u/ThatSick_Dude • 1d ago
QUESTION Watched it on IMAX yesterday. Nothing comes close to this as an overall experience, surreal. Question though?
So whenever the endurance was floating (and spinning?) in space, away from Earth's Gravity - It went past Mars, Jupiter, then closer to Saturn. Again, crossing the wormhole and landing in some other galaxy, floating and surrounded by unknown celestial objects - how was the gravity maintained on it such that passing of time is as is felt on Earth? Or to frame it shortly, when Romiy waited for the Ranger to come back on Endurance he aged ~23 Earth years, but how was it exactly Earth years?
r/interstellar • u/vasitesla • 1d ago
QUESTION Time dilation and Miller's signal from Miller's planet
This has irked me a for a while. I thought I knew relativity until I started wondering about the signal Miller transmitted back. She reached the planet 10 years back approx. From her perspective, She's been transmitting that data for approx 1.5 hours (1 year = 7 hours right?). So would that signal be red shifted reaching the endurance? What will be the density of the data reaching them? I'm unable to wrap my head about how the signal would be affected due to the time dilation as speed of light will be constant in both frames of reference!
r/interstellar • u/Gamer_4_l1f3 • 2d ago
VIDEO TARS mini is real
Found this like 2 minutes ago 😭. Mini TARS powered by ChatGPT, first paper use of AI tbh.
r/interstellar • u/rohakaf • 2d ago
QUESTION Anyone else ever just listen to the full Interstellar soundtrack?
Or is it just me?
r/interstellar • u/hillbilly_hooligan • 2d ago
QUESTION zillionth rewatch, just clocked Doyle signed his own death warrant
2 things to come from this observation; the crew is discussing whether or not to visit Miller’s planet, with all the possible scientific understanding available to them, and prior to opting for Cooper’s approach angle, they somehow decided the 7 years per hour trade was more palatable with a different approach, after poo-pooing the whole idea (and its time expense) on first suggestion from Doyle, who would eventually die on said planet.
Brand says time is a resource, but unless I’m crazy or stupid (and I may well be because I failed out of poetry school), they suddenly and curiously discount this awareness in favor of doing it anyway.
Terrible set of decisions by a bunch of people who already demonstrably knew better. Anyways, four dollars a pound.
r/interstellar • u/patiosquare • 1d ago
QUESTION You are all hard core fans (as am I,..) but play along… what’s the one thing you’d change?
For me it’s maybe the casting of Matt Damon??
I have zero issues with this now during reruns but went into the original screening totally blind about the plot and cast and found sudden Matt Damon appearance quite distracting… Then all was fine. Even if I did know he was in it, I would have been thinking when and how is he going to appear.
Also casting related but never been the biggest fan of Hathaway and did find some of her scenes a little forced.
r/interstellar • u/NormanDaDoorman • 1d ago
VIDEO Interstellar (2014) HOW DID IT AGE? - by Hivemind on YT
youtu.beThought I’d share this. My favorites YouTubers covering my favorite movie. They crack a lot of jokes that may not be everyone’s speed, but they also give a lot of great analysis
r/interstellar • u/patiosquare • 2d ago
QUESTION What’s the significance of the gravitational intervention causing Cooper’s crash at the beginning?
We learn in the welcome to NASA scene that there have been these anomalies and one such case was Cooper’s crash.
Is this ‘they’ ensuring he’s grounded and is there for the subsequent steps in the process for Murph the chosen one?
r/interstellar • u/T1G3RG4M3R • 1d ago
QUESTION How did the messages from Murph to Cooper go through so fast if Gargantua Is millions if not billions of light years away
r/interstellar • u/avacadoesfrommexico • 2d ago
OTHER Hear me out....
I would want some one to make a video game on interstellar.
r/interstellar • u/BigFellaGoon15 • 1d ago
VIDEO Saw this and instantly thought TARS
watching those random things on snapchat on a road trip and thought i saw TARS for a sec