A team of astronauts, immersed in their arduous work, receive an alert, warning them of an impending storm. Knowing of the imminent danger, they must hastily collect their belongings, and leave the planet immediately. The captain prudently rushes to give the order, in hopes to protect his crew. As they all suit up in preparation to leave the lab, the captain opens the door, realizing the true gravity of their situation, when they are knocked down by the intense winds. The dust was so heavy that they could barely see anything, but they persevered on towards the rocket. Suddenly, one of the astronauts is hit with debris, and sent far into the deep unknown of the storm. The team strives to find him, to no avail, and subsequently continue on, due to their certainty of his death. However, after the storm passes, Mark’s body lay still beside the debris that hit him. Once he suddenly awakens, realizing his unfathomable situation, it strikes him that he is alive, however, stranded in the cold and desolate Martian sand.

The Martian is a realistic science-fiction movie, released on October 2nd, 2015, and directed by Ridley Scott. The protagonist, Mark Watney, is played by Matt Damon and the captain of the team of Astronauts, Mellisa Lewis, is played by Jessica Chastain. The Martian tells the unfortunate, yet inspiring story of astronaut Mark Watney, who is left abandoned on Mars, and forced to find a way to sustain himself and find a way back home.

Mark Watney, the botanist, Melissa Lewis, the captain, Rick Martinez, the pilot, Alex Vogel, Chris Beck, and Beth Johnson are all a part of the Ares III to explore Mars and return samples back to the Earth. However, as they are undergoing their mission, a severe dust storm passes, subsequently forcing them to evacuate. As they evacuate, though, Mark Watney is hit by debris and lost in the storm. The team must leave him on the planet, forcing Mark to find a way to extend his food supply and communicate with Nasa back home. 

The most engaging part of the movie was on Sol. 119 of Mark’s journey. Before this scene, Mark had managed to grow a surplus of food using his potato farm, allowing him to thrive on the planet, and live relatively well. However, on this day, the depressurization of the lab had malfunctioned due to a hole that was created, which had exposed it to the vacuum and extreme cold of mars. The lab then explodes, piercing Mark’s suit, causing his oxygen to deplete at a swift rate. This moment instills an extreme sense of anxiety in him, as he hurriedly tapes the hole in his visor. At least, he succeeds in sealing up his suit, but sees the true damage of this incident. He notices his ruined labs, the death of all his plants, and the utter destruction all around him. You can see the evident feeling of defeat in his eyes as he examines the devastation right in front of his eyes. 

Overall, this is a truly captivating film with momentous scenes, entailing copious lovable and unique characters, that shape the story and add to its remarkable plot. One thing that this movie is excellent at was the camera work of each scene, especially on Mars. It really encapsulated how vast, and barren the land of Mars was, and how alone, and isolated Mark felt, as he was stranded on this stark planet, allowing the viewer to better sympathize with Mark and his situation. Additionally, another aspect that added to the brilliancy of this film, is the sublime acting of the cast. Each actor was able to create a well-developed character that the audience could truly connect to. The actors in The Martian were able to take us through each character’s mind, and provide depth in each persona. They formulated characters with complex and strikingly unforgettable personalities who allowed us to see the storyline unfold from a variety of perspectives, thus leading to an impressive and intriguing advancement of the plot.