arloGet the appMovies like Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
2017 · Movie · PG-13 · your starting pointIf Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the itch, these scratch it — some louder, some quieter. Free ones first.
Movies like Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, ranked
2. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Luc Besson's maximalist approach to alien world-building returns in this Starfleet adventure where a captain defies Federation protocol to protect an endangered civilization, prioritizing compassion over bureaucratic authority.
3. Stargate: Atlantis (2004)
Stargate: Atlantis mirrors the sprawling sci-fi worldbuilding and colorful alien politics of Alpha station, as both follow teams navigating mysterious megacities while uncovering threats hidden within their ornate, interconnected architecture.
4. Dominion: The Last Star Warrior (2015)
Luc Besson's maximalist visual worldbuilding extends here through elaborate practical and digital effects that construct an immersive alien landscape, prioritizing dazzling production design and cosmic scope over conventional narrative pacing.
5. Citadel (2023)
Luc Besson's kinetic direction carries through both films as globe-trotting operatives navigate elaborate, visually dense worlds while racing to prevent catastrophic threats through a blend of high-stakes action and mysterious world-building.
6. I Come in Peace (1990)
An extraterrestrial threat forces an unlikely partnership between mismatched operatives to uncover a cosmic mystery, blending Luc Besson's signature neon-soaked visuals with hard-boiled buddy-cop dynamics across a gritty sci-fi landscape.
7. Independence Day (1996)
Luc Besson's maximalist approach to alien world-building and massive set-piece spectacle creates the same sense of wonder and visual excess that defines his earlier sci-fi epic.
8. Serenity (2005)
Serenity's sprawling intergalactic universe and operatic scope of cosmic threat match Valerian's universe-spanning ambition, while both films pit ragtag protagonists against shadowy forces threatening interstellar peace.
Tell me what kind of night it is — I'll pick the one for you.