TL;DR – We Explore the Best Science Fiction Docking Scenes in Cinema

Best Docking Scenes in Cinema Introduction

I was talking with a friend today about certain building blocks of genres, which segued into Interstellar. Then the conversation naturally turned to the docking sequence, one of its most famous moments. This left me thinking that, unless you are going to do a Star Trek and beam around everywhere, one of the key points of tension that can be created in Science Fiction comes from that docking manoeuvre. It can be full of dread, of wonder, and of calamity. So, today I want to explore some of the best docking sequences in Cinema and Television.

Honourable Mentions:

Alien: Romulus: Docking with a death station.
Farscape: Deploy the Docking Web.
Gravity: Breaking into a Chinese Space Station
The Martian – Capturing a supply pod
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The USS Rio Grande docking on the Habitat Ring.
Star Trek: Nemesis – The USS Enterprise forcefully docking with the Scimitar.
Star Trek: Voyager – The USS Prometheus docks with itself.
Star Wars: A New Hope – That’s no Moon.
Sunshine: Icarus II docks with Icarus I.
Tron: Legacy – Train arrives at a secret ship.

2001: A Space Odyssey – Engage the Waltz

Of course, we can’t talk about docking sequences without discussing the grandaddy of science fiction: 2001: A Space Odyssey. For a film that soon will find the many dangers of space travel, the opening is filled with optimistic promise, which is capped off with the Blue Danube serenading you as the shuttle matches the rotation of Space Station Five. Not only is this a gorgeous sequence that visually still holds up today, there is a grounded feel to how this could very well be done in real life in the not-too-distant future. Also, I think it is fair to say that this foundation sequence’s fingerprints can be found throughout Science Fiction, and indeed, the rest of the examples today.

Star Trek: Beyond – Welcome to Yorktown Base

Now, I did make a bit of fun of Star Trek at the start; however, when you have had over 900 episodes of television and 14 movies, you are going to have a good selection of docking sequences to pull from. Today, I have picked the USS Enterprise arriving at Yorktown Base from Star Trek Beyond. A station so large, the whole ship can dock inside it by flying through the substructure under a river. It is equal parts bonkers and majestic. Michael Giacchino’s score doesn’t hurt the equation either. Occasionally, Star Trek takes big risks that don’t pay off; this was a wild stylistic choice, and it works so well.  

The Expanse – Boarding Thoth Station

Now, there is a complicated reason why the Assault on Thoth Station needed to happen in Season Two’s Doors & Corners. Even more so, why the boarding party was hidden in old shipping containers and docked at a location that was 100% not meant to be a docking location. However, while a speech from Drummer helped, it was a rough ride, and lunches did not stay on the inside. This docking sequence is here not because of the danger on the station, but the danger of getting inside, and most did not make it. Every projectile from the station could be your last. But then, even if you do make it, what is waiting for you inside.

Arrival – Taking the Leap

Okay, I will admit up front that this is probably the loosest definition of docking that we will be using in this list; however, I think you could understand why I have added it. In Arrival, 12 ships suddenly appear across the globe, including in Montana. To get to the ship, you need to take a roundabout route, including extensive hazmat suits and a scissor lift. ‘Docking’ in this case means exiting the scissor lift in just the right way so that you can shift yourself into the different gravity plane of the ship. It messes with your head in a way the musical score perfectly captures.

Independence Day – Not Going Quietly Into the Night

In Independence Day, aliens have destroyed much of the Earth, though we did take out Houston, Texas, all by ourselves. How are you going to save the day so the president’s speech is not in vain? Well, you commandeer the crashed Roswell ship, fly it back into space, and dock with the Mothership. It is a complete gamble, because at every point along the way, they could get spotted. You sit there waiting with bated breath, wondering if the ship will dock, or if someone will spot the giant nuclear missile strapped to the side of the ship.

Interstellar – The Gold Standard

If you are thinking of a docking sequence in cinema, this is the one that will come to you first, and for good reason. This has it all: danger, tension, technical precision, a countdown to disaster, flying debris, helpful automatons, so much spin, a determined Matthew McConaughey, a foolish Matt Damon, and what I think still holds up as Hans Zimmer’s best musical score. The line between success and ruin was so razor-thin, and you felt it for every moment, even though all you were watching was one small circle fit inside another. It captures all your attention; you are not just on the edge of your seat, you are hovering, being sucked towards the screen into their very frightful situation. When cinema is at its best, it makes you feel, and I felt every emotion throughout the mission.

Project Hail Mary – Time for Tango with Blip-A

If we started this list with the graceful grandaddy of 2001: A Space Odyssey, then it is only fair that we end it with the newest and almost the most chaotic docking sequence, the Blip-A from Project Hail Mary. Unlike some of the other entries, this was a case of two completely different worlds colliding. Add in a ship-sized centrifuge and unknown alien material technology, and you get first contact, with all the wonder and danger it can bring. It is one of those times that you feel pure joy with the ships docking, rather than the usual fear, though there is a whole lot of trepidation and a little screaming.

What started as a conversation about Interstellar quickly turned into a reminder that docking scenes are one of science fiction’s greatest tools. They can create wonder, tension, terror, or joy with little more than two vehicles trying to meet in the vastness of space. With that, we have what I think are the best docking sequences in cinema. Now, cinema is a large place, and I know that I must have missed some, including maybe your favourite. If that is the case, let me know which ones I missed in the comments below.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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