The Martian

The Martian 2015

Storyline: 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. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return.
At the landing site of the shuttle Ares III, Acidalia Planitia, Mars, at a time in the near future, the crew of the Hermes — including Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon), IT guru Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), pilot Rick Martinez (Michael Peña), flight surgeon Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan), and navigator and chemist Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie) — are gathering samples before re-entering their living facility, the HAB.

The crew learns that a storm is approaching. The storm’s intensity and high winds lead Commander Lewis to order a mission abort. Watney argues for waiting it out and brings up the rear as the crew heads toward the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle), the ship that will take them back to the orbiting Hermes, in their suits. Heavy winds and sand gusts surround them. A satellite dish breaks off and strikes Watney, knocking him out of sight of the rest of the crew. Lewis tries to guide the others to find Watney, but visibility is very poor and the storm is way too strong for them. They head back into the MAV without Watney and lift off. The pilot, Martinez, is barely able to keep the rocket from tipping over.
Back on Earth about one year later, Watney begins Day 1 as an instructor to aspiring astronauts. He tells them of his struggle on Mars, confirming that he did in fact grow food using his own shit. He tells them that if things should go south for them, they can either accept their fate or start solving problems, because that’s how you survive — by overcoming one problem after another.

During the closing credits, we see the characters years later as they watch the launch of Ares V, in which Martinez is the commander. Kapoor, Montrose, Park, and Sanders watch from NASA along with Guo Ming & Zhu Tau. Henderson is retired and golfing with his son. Lewis watches at home with her husband, while Vogel is at home with his family. Beck and Johanssen have gotten married and watch from the hospital with their new baby.

Rating: 8.0/10
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Drew Goddard (screenplay), Andy Weir (book)
Stars: Kate Mara, Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig
Runtime: 130 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Released: 02 Oct 2015