It’s so awesome to see Ridley Scott still at the top of his game. After the misfire of The Counselor (which I didn’t love but did like) and the mixed reaction to Prometheus (which I did love but totally understand there are problems with that film), The Martian is one of his best in years. What’s even more incredible is how close the story stays to the excellent book (my favorite read the year it was released) by Andy Weir. All the important story beats are kept intact and there’s a surprising bit of emotion injected into this film (which is rare for Ridley Scott in recent years).
First of all, the production values are impeccable. I couldn’t tell where the CG began and the live action ended. The orange-soaked Martian vistas were breathtaking as well. Second, the acting was top notch. Matt Damon kills it as the lovable Mark Watney. The rest of the cast, although with fewer minutes of screen time, makes no less of an impact. It’s incredible to me that we all know how the story is going to end and yet there’s great tension and emotion as we experience the ordeal through the character. One of the best hard science fiction films in years and flat out, one of the best films of the year. Highly recommended.