However, a story about the end of the world needs attention, and the script, which he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan, reflects that through the bond between pilot Joseph Cooper and his daughter Murphy Cooper.

It is a relationship that is inspired by lived experience, as Nolan revealed at the time, saying: “I have a daughter who is the same age as the character (Murph). In my brother’s draft, it was a son. I made it a daughter because Flora was about that age when I was doing it.

“As my children grew up, I had the desire to hold on to the past. You become quite melancholy because of how fast it goes. All parents talk about it, all parents experience it. So Interstellar came from a very personal place.”

At the beginning of the narrative, the Nolans quickly and cheaply introduce them as friends as much as relatives, and Coop treats Murph like a sidekick by talking about science when she thinks there’s a ghost on her bookshelf and allowing her to change the subject while they . He’s driving his truck.

For his part, Murph prepares dinner for him and hides in said truck when Coop embarks on a research mission, which annoys him but also makes him proud. And to be honest, I could have watched an entire movie of this father-daughter team investigating supernatural occurrences.

Unfortunately that is not the case, and they share a tearful farewell as he heads into space; one that becomes unbearable when Murph realizes that Coop has no idea when he will return home, so he refuses to say a proper goodbye.

Warner Bros.

Coop heading to space

However, that’s nothing compared to the sequence that unfolds just over an hour into the proceedings. Due to a mission mishap, Coop loses 23 years, 4 months and 8 days, resulting in him receiving two decades of video messages from his son.

Coop plays them at the beginning, and through a heartbreaking performance by Matthew McConaughey, we see the emotion etched on his face as the father watches his son grow old and learns that he fell in love, had a son, and then lost him.

Finally, an adult Murph appears, calls him a son of a bitch, and suggests that now, when they’re both the same age, would be a good time for him to return.

Warner Bros.

Matthew McConaughey collapses in Interstellar

Tears are now streaming down Coop’s cheeks as he realizes the error of his ways, and if they don’t cascade down yours, I suggest you You are the one who is cold and emotionless.

Admittedly, the film falls at the final hurdle, where Coop reunites with the elderly Murph in the year 2156, and the pair share an inexplicably brief “hello, how are you?” before embarking on a new adventure.

But the bond they shared is what brought him home, across time and space, and thanks to a shelf full of books. While what comes before is what ultimately counts, Christopher Nolan tells a rich, emotionally charged story about the connection between daughter and father, and how the power of that love can save the world.

For the 10th anniversary, Interstellar will be re-released in select US cities for one week starting December 6, with Full details available here. While for more information on Christopher Nolan, check out all of our Oppenheimer coverage, everything we know about Christopher Nolan’s next filmfurther Why do you finally want to make a horror movie?.