When it was revealed in late 2013 that filmmaker Christopher Nolan had stuck an IMAX camera into the nose of a Learjet to film select scenes for his new film Interstellar, anticipation for the acclaimed directors’ latest work stepped to the next level.

Nolan has written and directed some of the most entertaining and best reviewed films of the past decade, including Inception, The Prestige, and the massively popular Dark Knight Trilogy.

Nolan’s new film is Interstellar, an engaging show that is part space-exploration-epic and part father-daughter bonding story.  Utilizing innovative technology and complicated set pieces, the writer/directors’ latest trip to the silver screen is truly stellar.

Interstellar is set in the near future, far enough away to allow for culture changes but close enough for the audience to identify with the characters. Matthew McConaughey (fresh off an Academy Award for last year’s Dallas Buyers Club) stars as the laid-back Cooper, an ex-NASA pilot who now operates the family farm in the American mid-west.

Early in the story, Cooper is disgusted to learn from his young daughter that the moon landing is being taught as a fake in public schools. “The moon landing was a genius piece of propaganda, trying to get the Russians to expend their recourses on rockets,” justifies the school principal when Cooper confronts him.

Following a trail of astronomical clues, Cooper and his extremely intelligent young daughter Murphy find the remnants of NASA; they’re secret, they’re high-tech, and most importantly, they’re aware that the Earth is losing all of its capabilities to support human life.

NASA discovered that a mysterious black hole had appeared near Saturn, so they sent pilots through to see if any of the 12 planets on the other side could act as a refuge for the human race once the Earth is no longer suitable.

Only 3 out of 12 pilots have sent pings back. Therefore, there are only three possible planets to explore.

The four explorers going on the search have only trained in a simulator. NASA’s final exploration vessel is about to lift off without a tenured pilot. The man in charge, Dr. Brand (played by Michael Cain, a frequent Nolan collaborator), asks Cooper to leave his family behind in this last attempt to save the human race.

“Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant to die here.” Says Cooper as he agrees to the mission.

The rest of Interstellar’s 169 minute run time paints a beautiful canvas of stars and worlds unknown, as we follow Cooper and Murphy through their respective stories in space and on earth.

Interstellar is written and directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Matthew  McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Michael Cain, Bill Irwin, Casey Affleck, and Matt Damon.