Directed by Christopher Nolan, it has themes of life, isolation, love, sacrifice, and human’s capacity for evil. In the movie, a team of astronauts travel through a mysterious wormhole in search of a new planet to ensure the survival of humanity.

Last night I watched Interstellar with some church friends, and what an amazing movie it was even having seen it multiple times. The cinematography (100 hours per frame for the black hole), the emotional scenes (Matthew McConaughey’s best work), and the depth of the reality led to a breathtaking experience for everyone present, especially one who had never seen it before. This is one of those movies that only gets better over the years and after each re-watch, and as the world gets closer to the realities pictured in the film: the end of humanity due to disease, and the suppression of knowledge and innovation. But what was most memorable for me were the philosophical ideas explored in the film.

Brand: You know, out there, we face great odds – death – but…not evil.
Cooper: You don’t think nature can be evil?
Brand: No.  Formidable, frightening, but…no, not evil.  Is a lion evil because it rips a gazelle to shreds?
Cooper: Just what we take with us, then.

The example of evil was presented in the film was embodied by Dr. Mann. I don’t think it was a coincidence that his name is a play on “man,” and early on in the movie he was presented as the “bravest” and most “remarkable” person to be sent to foreshadow the shocking betrayal to come.

Dr. Mann: Don't judge me, Cooper. You were never tested like I was. Few men have been.

Dr. Mann: You never would have come here unless you believed you were going to save them. Evolution has yet to transcend that simple barrier. We can care deeply - selflessly - about those we know, but that empathy rarely extends beyond our line of sight.

Building upon Dr. Brand’s words about evil, there is no evil in all of space-time except what man brings with them in their hearts. In this case it was visualized in Dr. Mann’s actions. Considered the best of the best, he still gave into the temptation of loneliness, death, and failure at the end; this led to his almost single-minded determination to return to life and control, even at the cost of the lives of those who resuscitated him. Will may never know exactly how Cooper or anyone else would behave if “tested” as Dr. Mann was, but in the end there will be a moment of despair or surrender.

In this week’s sermon at CrossBridge, Pastor Jeff told the story of Israel’s first three kings. In every case, they were presented as the best of the best that mankind can offer: the most handsome, the most faithful, and the most wise. In every case they started well, but eventually failed in some way. King Saul gave into the fear of man. King David gave into sexual temptation. King Solomon gave into idolatry and loving lawless women. In many ways these kings parallel Dr. Mann, but more importantly they parallel the many heroes, celebrities, and respectable men/women of our day. As deplorable as Dr. Mann was in the film, do we think we are better than him? Do we think we are better than Saul? Or David or Solomon?

A side note, when I die and go meet God, He will probably take me into a tesseract and show me my entire life in 4D, and then point out the times where He would be like “...and this was where I was knocking off the books onto your head and telling you to stay you dumb***!”

TLDR: people are wicked due to their human nature/instinct, and the only man who is perfect and can save us is Jesus Christ. Interstellar got to about 75% of the way (or 90% if you interpret love as a supernatural force), but only the Gospel will go 100% of the way.