Danny Boyle’s Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Sunshine’ Is Streaming on Hulu

Almost 20 years ago, Danny Boyle made a hard sci-fi thriller that not many people saw. However, Sunshine is a spectacular film that deserves as much praise as Boyle’s other more prominent films, like Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Years Later. Fortunately, it’s never too late to catch up, and Sunshine is one of several titles which will be added to Hulu’s library next month. Starting July 1, Hulu subscribers will be able to stream the film starring Cillian Murphy. Other titles also set to land on Hulu include Prometheus, Wrath of Man, The Day After Tomorrow, and Ford v Ferrari.

Sunshine is one of various films written by Alex Garland for Boyle. It features a star-studded cast that includes Murphy alongside Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, Chris Evans, Troy Garity, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, Cliff Curtis and Mark Strong, among others. However, its prominent cast could not save the film from being a box office bomb.

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The 2000s featured sci-fi films that, despite offering intellectual depth, unique narratives, and philosophical exploration, fell into obscurity.

This sci-fi gem tells the story of a group of astronauts on a trip to outer space aboard the Icarus II. The mission concerns humankind’s intention to reignite the sun and stop the Earth from freezing. Icarus I failed to complete the mission, but the second group shows potential. That is, until they receive a distress call from the first ship, and decide to recover the nuclear bomb from the failed attempt to give their mission a better chance at success. Per the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis of the film:

In the not-too-distant future, Earth’s dying sun spells the end for humanity. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet, a crew of eight men and women venture into space with a device that could revive the star. However, an accident, a grave mistake and a distress beacon from a long-lost spaceship throw the crew and its desperate mission into a tailspin.

‘Sunshine’ Is a Star-Studded and Misunderstood Sci-Fi Masterpiece

Still from Sunshine. — Fox Searchlight Pictures

Sunshine was not an easy film to make. Its $40 million production budget was massive, and 20th Century Fox hesitated to finance the film. Still, Boyle’s frequent producing collaborator Andrew Macdonald managed to get the financing needed to pursue the project. The production process was ambitious, and perhaps too much for Boyle. The director promised himself he would never return to the sci-fi genre as the experience was too exhausting for him.

Sunshine bombed at the box office. It only grossed over $34 million in its limited theatrical release, which had already gone through changes to the original schedule. Fortunately, the reception from critics was entirely the opposite. The film was praised, and it even had a presence on the award circuit that year. Today, it sits at 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, and holds a Certified Fresh label. The audience score is slightly lower, at 73%.

Boyle’s sci-fi thriller has a bold tonal shift in the final act that perhaps audiences were not entirely happy with. In retrospect, it resonates as a powerful sci-fi epic backed by a diverse ensemble cast (that includes Academy Award winners) working under the leadership of a great storyteller and his trustworthy screenwriter. It is one of the best science fiction movies of the 2000s.

Source: Hulu