Contact vs Interstellar.

Rating: 9/10 (16 March 2016)

Deep space exploration, theology versus science, extraterrestrial contact, a central father-daughter relationship: there are a lots of similarities between Christopher Nolan's recent hit Interstellar and Robert Zemeckis' Contact; hell they even share the same star in Matthew McConaughey. There is, however, one massive difference between the two films: Contact is a genuinely great film, while Interstellar is merely entertaining in a 'did they really just do that?' kind of way (I often wonder if Nolan was having a laugh at the audience's expense).
Obviously, Interstellar boasts state-of-the-art CGI, meaning that it trumps the rather dated looking Contact in terms of jaw-dropping visuals, but with an intelligent script based on the work of Carl Sagan, a terrific central performance from Jodie Foster, and a superb supporting cast that includes James Woods, Jake Busey, Tom Skerritt and John Hurt, Zemeckis' film is the clear winner. Thought provoking and life affirming, Contact leaves the viewer with a genuine sense of awe and wonder; Interstellar, on the other hand, leaves one impressed with the current state of special effects, but pondering more than a few awkward questions regarding the plot (that tidal wave gets me every time, and don't even get me started on the intergalactic bookshelf).
8.5 out of 10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb.