Contact (1997)
Take a journey to the heart of the universe.
A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 11 July 1997 |
| Genre | Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery |
| Director | Robert Zemeckis |
| Starring | Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey and James Woods |
| Runtime | 150 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.9/10 · Metacritic 62/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 69% · TMDB users 7.5/10 |
| Budget | $90 million |
| Box office | $171 million worldwide |
Where to watch Contact
We could not find Contact on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Contact on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Contact in 7 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Max $15.99 AUD |
| Belgium | Max €10.99 |
| France | Max €10.99 |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, Hulu, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Monaco | Max |
| Portugal | Prime Video €4.99 |
| South Korea | Watcha |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Robert Zemeckis directs a 150-minute drama where science meets theology. Jodie Foster plays a radio astronomer who picks up a signal from space. The film trades in the tension between what is true and what people want to believe. It moves at a deliberate pace, letting the weight of the discovery settle before the next twist lands. You will notice the silence as much as the dialogue. It is a long ride to the heart of the universe, but the destination earns the trip.
What the critics said
The reviews landed in a comfortable middle, which is usually where big blockbusters hide their flaws. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 69% Tomatometer score as of January 2026. Metacritic sits at 62, a range they label generally favorable. Roger Ebert called it the smartest story about extraterrestrial intelligence since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He saw it as a necessary antidote to the emptiness of Independence Day. Not everyone agreed with the magic. Rita Kempley found the premise preachy, a debate between sanctity and science that left her unimpressed. The consensus suggests a film that engages the brain but neglects the heart, a trade-off that still feels fair.
How it did with audiences
$90 million in. $101 million in the United States, $171 million worldwide. That is a solid return, the kind that keeps the lights on and the next sci-fi epic funded. TMDB users give it a 7.5, a steady score for a film that asks you to trust a math equation over your own eyes. It did what it set out to do, which is more than most blockbusters can claim.
What came next for the cast
Foster had just survived the silence, then moved into panic rooms and inside men. McConaughey traded small-town confusion for interstellar travel and Wall Street wolves. Hurt stepped out of the Alien franchise only to fall into Hogwarts. Woods went from epic crime to horror parodies. The credits list these shifts, but they do not say Contact caused them. Sometimes a role is just a door that happens to be open.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Contact.
Read more: Arrival
Sources
- Contact on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q270215 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Contact (1997 American film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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