No one can hear you scream in space, or apparently on the planet Mars – The Martian following Mark Watney, a botanist come astronaut, in his remarkable days of survival on a planet teeming with against-the-odds situations. Because, well, Mars isn’t exactly a big city with plumbed in water and grocery stores overstocked with food. Matt Damon, who plays Mark, does a fantastic job in carrying a large part of the film on his shoulders, and if you were in doubts of his acting (thanks to Team America) then don’t be. This film will have you spellbound by his emotions, his fragility and strength shown in equal measures.
The story begins with Mark working with the Ares III crew in investigating the geology of Mars, but only a short way into their study they’re forced to leave as a huge storm threatens to destroy their base and most importantly their only source of escape – the space shuttle. In their dash to survival, disaster strikes and Mark is separated from the rest of the crew. Believing him dead, the crew’s Commander (Jessica Chastain) makes the tough decision of leaving, hoping that in future expeditions they may be able to rescue Mark Watney’s well-preserved corpse…….if they can find it.
But here’s the thing – Mark is alive, and wakes only to find himself hurt, alone and with not enough provisions to see him through to whenever the next set of astronauts arrive. Having no other choice, Mark sets out to prove that Mars can be made viable for human life, with his very survival depending on it.
Now you may be thinking why doesn’t his crew go back and get him? Ermm, because they’re heartless? No, it’s because the same storm that left Mark alone, also took out the base’s communications. No one therefore knows he’s alive, except that is for Mark, and in this the journey of his mental fluctuations begins; moving from hopelessness (as catastrophes come upon him), or madness (with poor mental stimulus, aka the cheesy disco music), to an over-excitement in thinking up the most ludicrous ideas that threaten to bring him crashing down, or by luck and ingenuity might, might, just work. Despite this Mark’s pretty optimistic; if he wasn’t it wouldn’t be the entertaining, thrilling and somewhat fun film it is.
Keeping you constantly intrigued and motivated are Mark’s crazy-ass experiments, all the while waiting for the outside world to realise they’ve made a mistake in announcing his death, or at least prematurely, for even with all Mark’s triumphs he might not survive long enough without their help. Lonely, Mark starts keeping a video diary, using it both as a way to relieve his tension and isolation, whilst also being his last will and testament (I mean he is alone on an inhospitable planet). Its recordings either a work of science for future generations to reflect upon; as they behold Mark’s slow and justifiable descent into madness, or his rise to become the first colonist and King of Mars. Whichever the outcome, the insertion of these video diaries into the film’s narrative provides a break in the routine of a one-man act, and gives a sense of a conversation occurring between Mark and whoever watches the diaries – in this case us.
Later, the story effortlessly switches between Mark’s personal narrative (as he chronicles his daily life) to the workings of NASA and its various offshoots (that spend a lot of time in disagreement). Eventually The Martian returns to the perspective and viewpoints of the original crew since they made that fateful decision to leave. In revealing the result of Mark’s abandonment in three sections; on Mark, NASA and later the crew, the film never fails to entertain as you wait to see the anticipated reactions.
Surprisingly The Martian is hilarious, and though it could easily fall into the mundane it never loses the gripping attentiveness it demands. His survival feels like your own.
Director: Ridley Scott
Other notable works:
- Raised by Wolves 2020-2022
- The Last Duel 2021
- The Good Fight 2017-2022
- The Terror 2018-2019
- Taboo 2017
- Blade Runner 2049 2017
- The Man in the High Castle 2015-2019
- The Good Wife 2009-2016
- Life in a Day 2011
- American Gangster 2007
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 2007
- Matchstick Men 2003
- The Gathering Storm 2002
- Black Hawn Down 2001
- Gladiator 2000
- Thelma & Louise 1991
- Blade Runner 1982
- Alien 1979
- The Duellists 1977
Writer: Drew Goddard
Other notable works:
- Bad Times at the El Royale 2018
- The Good Place 2016-2020
- Daredevil 2015-2018
- The Cabin in the Woods 2011
- Lost 2004-2010
- Alias 2001-2006
- Angel 1999-2004
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1997-2003
Based on the book The Martian by Andy Weir.
