The Martian
2015 · Directed by Ridley Scott
Original language: English
- science fiction
- drama
- adventure
The story
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated desert ochre and rust dominate the frame, with wide, empty Martian landscapes shot in sweeping aerial and handheld-steady takes that make the planet feel vast and indifferent. Interiors are the opposite: cool, clean, fluorescent-lit corridors at NASA and aboard the Hermes, and a warm, cluttered habitat where Mark Watney's makeshift greenhouse glows under work lights. The sound design is mostly quiet hum and wind, with a driving disco-and-synth score by Harry Gregson-Williams that bursts in during moments of triumph. The vibe is buoyant, wry and resourceful, a mix of tension and gallows humour that suits a weekend watch with friends or an upbeat evening when you want competence and problem-solving rather than dread. Pacing is brisk and episodic, cutting between Mars and Earth, with each small engineering victory landing as a little jolt of relief. Intensity is moderate: one violent storm sequence near the start, a few sharp moments of injury and peril, and some brief strong language, but no gore and no sexual content. It lands as adventurous and hopeful rather than harrowing. It is made for viewers who enjoy clever, hands-on problem-solving, a lone everyman with a sense of humour, and an ensemble that rallies across the planet.
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