Directed by Ridley Scott, The Martian is a breathtaking film. It features Matt Damon as the main character where he portrays astronaut Mark Watney.  In this sci-fi fantasy, which is set on Mars, the human race has developed the technology to explore the red planet.

During a manned mission to Mars, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself alone on the hostile planet. With only few supplies, he must draw upon his intelligence, botanical knowledge and faith to subsist and find a way to establish contact with Earth to tell the world he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring Watney home, while his crewmates under the orders of commander Melissa Lewis “Jessica Chastain” plot an almost impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world come together to pray for Watney’s safe return.

The film is very entertaining leading the audience through an emotional journey. Usually movies in this genre can be quite generic but The Martian is a very fresh take. It was at times both bleak and intense, and yet somehow still managed to provide comedic relief. The acting was superb and a lot of the scenes of the sparse terrain of Mars really helped the audience empathise with the main character’s loneliness.

Marc Esfarayeni and Lluís Verdaguer