2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 science-fiction film traces humanity’s relationship with intelligence across an immense span of time. A mysterious monolith appears among early hominids, then re-emerges after humans have established a presence on the Moon. Its signal points toward Jupiter, where astronauts Dave Bowman and Frank Poole travel aboard Discovery One with the highly capable HAL 9000 computer controlling the mission. When HAL’s behavior becomes unreliable, the voyage turns into a conflict between human judgment and machine logic. Kubrick and co-writer Arthur C. Clarke tell the story with long visual passages, carefully composed movement, classical music and minimal explanation, inviting viewers to interpret the monolith and the film’s final transformation. Rather than presenting technology as simply heroic or threatening, the film links tools, violence, exploration and evolution.

Where to watch (checked October 7, 2026): Official U.S. Movies Anywhere and Apple TV listings direct viewers to digital-retailer access. Catalogs and pricing vary by country, so verify local availability.

Key facts

• Stanley Kubrick directed and produced the 1968 MGM film.
• Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke wrote the screenplay.
• Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood star, and Douglas Rain voices HAL 9000.
• The film won the Academy Award for Special Visual Effects and entered the U.S. National Film Registry in 1991.

Official source: Movies Anywhere.