From The Dark Knight to Memento to Inception, filmmaking veteran Christopher Nolan has truly made a mark on the film industry after breaking box office records and winning awards for his work. His latest will do nothing to change his reputation in a negative way. Interstellar was one of the best movies of the year and possibly the decade (at least). Christopher Nolan’s science fiction epic was absolutely beautiful, and if it doesn’t get Academy Award buzz, the Academy is making a huge mistake.

Interstellar takes place in the near future and tells the story of farmer and father Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) who is invited into space by NASA to go farther than the human race ever has. Mankind is nearing extinction on desolate Earth and people are desperate to find a habitable substitute. However, Cooper must leave behind his fifteen-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter, unsure of when, or if, he will return home to them. NASA’s exploration crew (including Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Wes Bentley and David Gyasi) push the limits as they face outer space and the many struggles that accompany interstellar travel.

The Nolan brothers, Christopher and Jonathan, have created a powerful film together, making advancements in writing in the sci-fi genre that were next to impossible to even imagine, much less expect. The two blend surprisingly emotional moments with the science that goes into realistic travel in space with ease, one not overpowering the other. It’s one thing to have a cinematically appealing film, but to also have one with a fantastic script is something to truly revel in. The script is admittedly pretty lengthy, but excusably so because it takes a lot of dialogue and background information to make this story as realistic and comprehensible as possible. All that discussion, impressively enough, does not get bogged down in semantics about the science involved, and balances it out with equally comprehensible raw human emotion. It’s surprisingly moving and haunting.

There is a possibility that McConaughey just might be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor after this performance. The entire cast was absolutely incredible, each individual bringing something fresh and lovely to the film that no other performer could. Standout performances include Anne Hathaway as the wise, stoic Dr. Amelia Brand and- oddly enough- MacKenzie Foy as ten-year-old Murph, Cooper’s daughter (played later by the equally adept Jessica Chastain). Not a single actor detracted from the film, and each did well with what they were given to work with.

One of the absolute best aspects of this film was without a doubt Hans Zimmer’s score. It is his best work since 2010’s Inception. This film would not have had the same impact without such perfect music to support each emotional, harrowing, and even calm moment.

Interstellar hopefully is going to have quite the influence on the science fiction genre as a whole. Every science fiction film for at least the next decade should strive to emulate Interstellar. Films simply don’t get any better than this.