Dark Star (1974): cast, story & where to watch
1974 · Film · ★ 6
Released in 1974, Dark Star is a comedy and science fiction film directed by John Carpenter, running about 83 minutes. “Bombed Out in Space with a Spaced Out Bomb!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. A low-budget, sci-fi satire that focuses on a group of scientists whose mission is to destroy unstable planets. 20 years into their mission, they have to battle their alien mascot, that resembles a beach ball, as well as a "sensitive" and intelligent bombing device that starts to question the meaning of its existence.
Who’s in it. Dark Star stars Brian Narelle as Lt. Doolittle, Cal Kuniholm as Boiler, Dan O'Bannon as Sgt. Pinback alias Bill Fruge and Dre Pahich as Talby, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Dark Star has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Cultpix and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Dark Star page.
If you liked it. Fans of Dark Star tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Dark Star (1974)?
- In US, Dark Star is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV and Cultpix, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Dark Star worth watching?
- Dark Star holds an audience score of 6.0 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy and science fiction. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Dark Star?
- Dark Star stars Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich and Adam Beckenbaugh.
- When was Dark Star released?
- Dark Star was released in 1974, with a runtime of about 83 minutes.