There are, presumably, two hard science fiction films coming out this year that are competing for my affections. One, Gravity, we've seen some from already. The other, Europa Report, from Sebastian Cordero, we've only caught a glimpse of until now.
Starring District 9 and A-Team star Sharlto Copley, the film is an examination of a current-level science mission to Europa, a moon of Jupiter which all real world research thus far pretty much concludes probably has a massive liquid ocean under a thick ice surface (better still, that pockets within the kilometres thick ice sheet might have isolated liquid lakes). The water, plus the heat from tectonic stress from the near by gas giant, and the moon's only internal core, make Europa the best possible candidate for the existence of life elsewhere within our own solar system. There are very real scientists for whom Europa is a primary concern, and NASA has begun planning future missions to study it more closely. Europa Report posits an eventual manned mission to the ice world, and of course, everything goes wrong, because doesn't it always.
Until the possible ET's appear, the film looks phenomenal The line between the created images, and the real footage generated during the Apollo missions and modern space voyages is non existent. I hesitate slightly when the bugs or whatever appear, because I'd like to see a film tackle just a straight edge hard science fiction space story without the standard sci-fi tropes kicking in, and I'd like to see a alien film where first contact wasn't presented as a bad thing (even if the aliens don't mean malicious intent, I'd like to see them not kill humans for a change). I will however, be giving Europa Report one hell of a chance to impress me.
But really, don't wake up Cthulhu.