
The Martian
8.0
91%
80
7.7
A stranded astronaut turns Mars into a laboratory of survival while Earth mobilizes an audacious multinational rescue.
Ember's analysis
- MoodBright
- EnergyIntense
- PacingBrisk
- IntensityStrong
- ComplexityEasy to follow
- ViolenceMild
More about the film
Overview
A lone astronaut battles the odds on a desolate planet, showcasing human resilience and ingenuity.
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an entertaining, visually polished, humanistic survival adventure elevated by Matt Damon's performance and its inventive scientific problem-solving.
What sets it apart
- Mark Watney uses botany, chemistry, mathematics, and improvised engineering to extend his supplies and seek rescue.
- Watney's Mars struggle is interwoven with NASA personnel and his crewmates developing competing rescue plans.
- Ridley Scott combines sweeping Mars landscapes, spacecraft operations, and orbital rescue sequences with an emphasis on human cooperation.
- Watney responds to isolation and life-threatening setbacks with dry humor, persistence, and methodical problem-solving.
Films like The Martian, and why
- Apollo 13shared space survival tension, engineering problem-solving, and grounded human resilience
- Gravityshared isolation, scientific ingenuity, and visually immersive survival drama in space
- Interstellarshared survival narrative, large-scale space spectacle, and cooperation across Earth and orbit
- Contactshared procedural rescue mission, ensemble teamwork, and optimistic humanism
Movie Details
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Release Date
- 2015-09-30
- Runtime
- 141 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (22039)
Common questions
- What is The Martian about?
- A stranded astronaut turns Mars into a laboratory of survival while Earth mobilizes an audacious multinational rescue.
- What is The Martian like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Martian as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Martian violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Martian as mild.
- What did critics think of The Martian?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an entertaining, visually polished, humanistic survival adventure elevated by Matt Damon's performance and its inventive scientific problem-solving.
- Which films are like The Martian?
- Films with a similar feel include Apollo 13, Gravity, Interstellar, and Contact.
- How long is The Martian?
- The Martian runs 141 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Martian?
- In United States, The Martian streams on fuboTV, YouTube TV.
Cast
- Ridley ScottDirector
- Matt DamonMark Watney
- Jessica ChastainMelissa Lewis
- Kristen WiigAnnie Montrose
- Jeff DanielsTheodore "Teddy" Sanders
- Michael PeñaRick Martinez
- Sean BeanMitch Henderson
- Kate MaraBeth Johanssen
- Sebastian StanChris Beck
- Aksel HennieAlex Vogel
- Chiwetel EjioforVincent Kapoor





















