It’s 2020, so the concept of parallel worlds is not news to all anymore. There have been countless articles, books, television series, and even research papers on this topic for over four decades now.
Not only is it an exciting topic to think about, but we are now able to visualize how parallel worlds could play out by watching movies. For sci-fi fans, movies offer the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in these fantasies. Here are five movies that touch on the subject of parallel worlds.
1. Dr. Strange
A terrible road accident that paralyzes a renowned neurosurgeon’s hands sends him on a journey of discovery about magic and alternate worlds. Dr. Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) sets out on a journey to Kamar Tarj, where he seeks to find a cure for his ailment. There he discovers a reality beyond imagination. He trains and masters mystical arts, and helps prevent an evil entity from merging Earth with a dark alternate dimension.
2. Another Earth
In Another Earth, a previously unnoticed planetary body is detected in our solar system. After its detection, observers on Earth realize that this planet looks exactly like Earth.
The movie follows a woman (played by Brit Marling) who finds herself in a complicated predicament precipitated by a car accident on the night of the duplicate Earth’s discovery. As Marling’s character navigates her complex situation, she ruminates over what life may be like on this duplicate Earth.
3. The Cloverfield Paradox
The Cloverfield Paradox is a Netflix-original film placed inside of the Cloverfield anthology film franchise. This particular installment takes place in 2028 as scientists attempt switching on a particle accelerator located aboard a space station. By activating this particle accelerator, humanity hopes to establish a new energy source.
Unfortunately, the successful activation of the particle accelerator causes the space station to disappear from Earth orbit and into unknown spatial territory. A series of strange and peculiar events lead to the characters realizing that they have entered a parallel universe due to the particle accelerator. They must find a way back to their original world and put an end to the chaos.
4. The Mist
The Mist is a science fiction thriller about an alien attack over a town in Maine after a botched military experiment opens an interdimensional rift and lets through harrowing creatures. These creatures come cloaked in a mysterious, dense mist.
A group of people becomes trapped in a supermarket, including a local Hollywood star called David Drayton (Thomas Jane), his son Billy, and a neighbor. These characters must undergo heroic acts of survival to outwit the terrifying beings this alternate dimension has wrought upon the citizens of Maine.
5. The One
Jet li plays the role of Gabriel Yulaw a former MVA agent who travels through alternate worlds to go and kill versions of himself in order to gain power and immortality. In this movie, there exist multiple universes that present alternate possibilities of similar existences here on Earth. Out there in distant universe are versions of us living different lives based on the consequences of their choices. It’s a stiff struggle for Gabe Yulaw to survive vicious attacks from a powerful being who means to end the entire universe for his own immortality.
These popular movies that utilize parallel worlds only scratch the surface of the content out there. Which of the movies mentioned here is your favorite? Is your favorite movie about parallel words not mentioned here? Let us know!
Also, be sure to check our list of the best sci-fi movies of 2020!