41 Years Later, Jeff Bridges' Underrated Sci-Fi Masterpiece Lands on a New Streaming Home

41 Years Later, Jeff Bridges' Underrated Sci-Fi Masterpiece Lands on a New Streaming Home Jeff-Bridges-StarmanImage via Columbia Pictures  By  Rahul Malhotra Published 2 minutes ago Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema. 

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him). Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

While Tron is broadly seen as Jeff Bridges' biggest cult hit in the sci-fi genre — the movie did, after all, inspire two sequels — the star delivered another only two years later. Like Tron, this film also flopped at the box office, but has only grown in popularity in the four decades since its release. The film in question, Starman, is now heading to a new streaming platform for a whole new generation to discover. Originally released in 1984, Starman marked a creative departure for legendary horror director John Carpenter, who described it, in no uncertain terms, as a romance movie. The only catch was that Starman featured an alien as its protagonist.

Played by Bridges, the alien shows up on Earth and adopts the appearance of a recently deceased man. He proceeds to strike a friendship, and then romance, with the man's widow, played by Raiders of the Lost Ark star Karen Allen. Produced on a reported budget of $24 million, Starman grossed only around $28 million at the box office. For context, Tron was considered a disappointment even though it grossed $50 million a couple of years earlier. But Starman has found its audience over the years; it's one of those movies that appeals to a broad demographic, considering how genre-fluid it is. In addition to fans of romance and science fiction, the film also made a lasting impact on audiences who appreciate classic film scores. Starman features a particularly memorable one, composed by Jack Nitzsche, who also did the music for The Exorcist and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

'Starman' Opened to Critical Acclaim

Starman received positive reviews upon release, and Bridges even earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The movie now holds an 83% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, "Starman initially begins as an offbeat sci-fi adventure, but transforms into a surprisingly sweet drama, courtesy of Jeff Bridges' disarming performance and John Carpenter's careful direction." Bridges most recently reprised his role as Kevin Flynn in the third installment of the Tron series, Tron: Ares, which has emerged as one of the biggest box office bombs of the year. Ares grossed less than $150 million globally against a reported budget of $220 million, effectively ending any possibility of the franchise continuing in its current form. You can watch Starman on Tubi beginning December 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Starman

Like Follow Followed PG Sci-Fi Romance Drama Fantasy Release Date December 14, 1984 Runtime 115 Minutes Director John Carpenter Writers Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon

Cast

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• Jeff Bridges
• Karen Allen

Starman is a romantic sci-fi film that follows an alien who crash-lands on Earth and assumes the form of a woman's deceased husband. As he navigates this unfamiliar world, he enlists the help of the grieving widow, Jenny, to reach a rendezvous point for his return home. 

Genres Sci-Fi, Romance, Drama, Fantasy Powered by Expand Collapse

• Movie News
• Starman
• Jeff Bridges

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