Solaris

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Solaris

PG

Released Mar 20, 1972

2h 49m

Sci-Fi

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

A psychologist is sent to a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the mental problems of cosmonauts on the station. He soon discovers that the water on the planet is a type of brain which brings out repressed memories and obsessions.

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Critics Consensus

Solaris is a haunting, meditative film that uses sci-fi to raise complex questions about humanity and existence.

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Mark Olsen

Los Angeles Times

The film has a hypnotic pull, drawing the viewer deeper and deeper into its enigmatic adventure by crafting a world all its own.

May 18, 2017

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Clayton Dillard

Slant Magazine

Andrei Tarkovsky's pacing is less moved by narrative detail than thematic and metaphorical suggestion.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 6, 2017

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Tarkovsky's speculative visions enfold the mysteries of death and rebirth, the lost paradise of childhood, the power of art to define identity, the menace of science as destructive vanity ...

Jun 16, 2014

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JD Duran

InSession Film

The film's pacing will be a drudge for some audiences and perhaps Tarkovsky could have trimmed back a bit but the patience he demands has purpose. The imagery, details and spiritual beauty of this film will have a big payoff...

Rated: A

Aug 1, 2024

Full Review

Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Tarkovsky, in this moment, and throughout the runtime, forces us to face the fact that we are so focused on our great triumphs, that we forget the people we have lost and where our focus should be.

Rated: A-

Feb 28, 2024

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…as philosophical as sci-fi gets, Solaris is a meditation, deeply rewarding on a spiritual level…

Rated: 5/5

Aug 31, 2023

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Esra Y

If you let him, Tarkovsky's Solaris will take you to an intergalactical journey which makes you reconsider and question so much about humanity, existence and complexity of psychology.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/10/25

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Abdirahman B

I have too many questions after watching this rushian movie. These scientific and psychological concepts are completely new to me but I love it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

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Virgo V

Solaris (Solyaris) is a 1972 Soviet psychological science fiction film based on Stanisław Lem's 1961 novel of the same title. The film was co-written and directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and stars Donatas Banionis and Natalya Bondarchuk. The electronic music score was performed by Eduard Artemyev and features a composition by J.S. Bach as its main theme. The plot centers on a space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris, where a scientific mission has stalled because the skeleton crew of three scientists have fallen into emotional crises. Psychologist Kris Kelvin (Banionis) travels to the station to evaluate the situation, only to encounter the same mysterious phenomena as the others. Solaris won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d'Or. It received critical acclaim and is often cited as one of the greatest science fiction films in the history of cinema. The film was Tarkovsky's attempt to bring greater emotional depth to science fiction films. He viewed most Western works in the genre, including the recently released 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), as shallow due to their focus on technological invention. Some of the ideas Tarkovsky expresses in this film are further developed in his film Stalker (1979).

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/04/25

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Sam N

I expected Soviet 2001: A Space Odyssey but got a therapy session with a sentient ocean instead.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/04/24

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Audience Member

Far too artsy for me. Couldn't find the motivation to keep paying attention to this one.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

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Der I

Really interesting philosophical questions (what is real, how to deal with your own thoughts), but in a very slow manner. You have to be prepared for nearly three hours of no action.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/06/24

Full Review

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Andrei Tarkovsky

Director

Natalya Bondarchuk

Khari

Donatas Banionis

Kris Kelvin

Jüri Järvet

Dr. Snaut

Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy

Berton

Nikolay Grinko

Kelvin's father

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Synopsis

A psychologist is sent to a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the mental problems of cosmonauts on the station. He soon discovers that the water on the planet is a type of brain which brings out repressed memories and obsessions.

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Producer: Viacheslav Tarasov
Screenwriter: Fridrikh Gorenshteyn, Stanislaw Lem, Andrei Tarkovsky
Distributor: Image Entertainment Inc., Criterion Collection, Fox Lorber
Production Co: Unit Four
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
Original Language: Russian
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 20, 1972, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 12, 2017
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 21, 2009
Runtime: 2h 49m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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