A crowd-pleasing survival adventure that turns hard science into suspense and optimism. It’s smart, funny, and unusually buoyant for a stranded-in-space story, with a strong sense of momentum and problem-solving.
The Martian
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Science Fiction · Drama
Wed · 2h 21m
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig
Overview
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.
Director
Ridley Scott
Cast
Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig
Curator Review
Verdict
A crowd-pleasing survival adventure that turns hard science into suspense and optimism. It’s smart, funny, and unusually buoyant for a stranded-in-space story, with a strong sense of momentum and problem-solving.
Best for
viewers who like survival stories built around ingenuity
fans of optimistic sci-fi with humor
people who enjoy procedural problem-solving and mission teamwork
audiences looking for an accessible, big-studio space adventure
Skip if
you want bleak, introspective, or minimalist sci-fi
you dislike science-heavy dialogue and technical problem-solving
you prefer character studies over plot-driven survival narratives
Overview
The Martian is one of the rare blockbusters that makes competence thrilling. It treats engineering, improvisation, and logistics like action beats, and the result is a movie that feels both grounded and propulsive. The stranded-on-Mars premise is simple, but the film keeps finding new ways to turn each setback into a fresh burst of suspense or humor.
Worth noting
What gives it its appeal is the tone: it’s anxious but never despairing, and it trusts wit as much as heroism. The film’s best stretches balance isolation with a larger ensemble effort back on Earth, so the story never becomes repetitive even when the setting is mostly one planet and one problem.
Bottom line
It’s not a deeply mysterious or emotionally raw sci-fi film, and some viewers may find its polished, procedural approach a little too neat. But as an audience-friendly survival story with real momentum, it’s exceptionally effective and easy to recommend.
Top Letterboxd reviews
adambolt (4★) · 8939 likes
when your friends make a new group chat without you
MenOnFilm (3.5★) · 5122 likes
This was the most Tom Hanksless Tom Hanks movie I've ever seen.
özzy (3.5★) · 4078 likes
matt damon: *eats a boiled potato* me: now that;s cinema
kayla (4★) · 3257 likes
“Wouldn’t it just be so cool to be smart?????” - my sister
adambolt (3.5★) · 2562 likes
"ay bro you left me on mars" "k brb"
Themes
survival, isolation, ingenuity, human resilience, space exploration, teamwork, science and problem-solving, hope against odds
Topics
science fiction, survival thriller, space adventure, procedural drama, optimistic tone, stranded protagonist, hard science, ensemble teamwork, humor, 2010s