With a review rating of 4.5/5, The Martian, starring Matt Damon, is a science fiction thriller that explores the psychological impacts on an individual stranded on Mars. Damon fits the role perfectly as he takes the audience through the experience. The film highlights the ingenuity of an astronaut trying to survive and hopefully be rescued with the limited resources he is left with.
Damon plays the role of Mark Watney, who is instantly in a predicament when a severe dust storm hits him and his NASA crew. Watney becomes lost and unconscious after a piece of debris hits him while his crew members are forced to evacuate the planet.
After he is presumed dead by NASA, Watney uses chemistry, botany, and engineering knowledge to not only survive in the Martian environment but also to establish communication with NASA in hopes for his return to Earth. Through his struggle for survival, Watney constantly faces one problem after another, struggling with demoralization, a key aspect of his survival.
An issue with the film is the lack of scientific application. For viewers who simply like the action and emotions of a film, the movie is great. However, for those who would like to see a more analytical perspective of Watney’s struggles on Mars, the movie would be less appetizing. There seems to be a breeze over many of the scientific procedures performed. The few processes were explained poorly and spanned only a couple of minutes.
Despite this issue, a particular aspect of The Martian that any audience may look forward to is the graphics of the Martian environment. From the atmosphere to the terrain of Mars, detailed graphic design made it feel as if the audience were also struggling with Watney.
Additionally, the mental instability that arises within a human being kept in isolation is portrayed by Damon phenomenally. Through having frequent psychotic bursts of frustration and dry humor, Damon heightens the psychological impact affecting his character, Watney. The film has a social relevance by showing the inherent good in people. While Watney’s crew members were four months in on their trip back to Earth, they were updated of Watney’s survival. The moral conflict between going home or going back to save Watney was the pivotal moment in the film.
Commander Lewis, played by Jessica Chastain, makes the call to go back and save Watney. However, more problems arose when fuel and resources were low. Chastain plays the role of commander flawlessly as she executes life and death decisions to save Watney.
All in all, The Martian is a nonstop thriller that makes a part of you urge Watney to simply keep striving and surviving until he is saved. At the end of the movie there are many twists and turns that will make you squirm in your seat, anxious for the frames to go faster as to find out what happens to Watney. Does he survive? Or is he still subject to the relentless torture Mars has in store for him? You simply have to watch it to find out!
