Week 0 - Film Review

The Martian

"The Martian", directed by Ridley Scott (based on the novel by Andy Weir, 2011), is a Sci-Fi/Action film starring Matt Damon, an astronaut surviving on a desolate planet, alongside Jessica Chastain and Donald Glover. It was released to cinema in 2015 and follows the story of a biologist astronaut, Mark Watney, left behind after a raging space storm on the planet Mars, whose team pronounce him dead and set out to return him home. However, a scientific phenomenon by the protagonist allows his survival for 560 days whilst his team have to decide whether to risk their lives and save him or listen to NASA, who advise them to head home due to the risk of more deaths and not enough fuel. As an audience member, tension rises as the life changing question is asked and a decision is made by the space crew, enforcing the crucial journey that they must face. 

In my opinion, this film contains a good mix of ideas about a person, Mark Watney in this case, staying humane in extreme circumstances whilst not being on earth. Scott has also used real science facts about space and the survival of humans whilst also giving a twisted reality of life in space, which is thought to be impossible. I also enjoyed the film as it contains elements of other genres, such as comedy (using his own waste as fertiliser), action, and adventure, allowing all types of audience to engage with the film as well as increasing interest due to this variation.

In conclusion I would recommend this film as it appeals to a variety of audiences, keeping them entertained and catering to a larger group. On top of this, I believe that it is a high quality film, in terms of well-known actors and incredible graphics that depict a realistic idea of the planet Mars which would again engage the audience.