During a freak storm on the surface of Mars, the ARES III crew is forced to abandon their manned mission and quickly evacuate. During the evacuation, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is hit by debris and presumed dead by the crew. Only he was not killed during the storm and was left alone on the barren planet with limited supplies and resources. Meanwhile NASA, only 144 million miles away, works to bring him home alive.

The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner), was released to theaters on Oct. 2. The movie received an 8.4/10 from IMdB and 93 percent from Rotten Tomatoes, and seems generally well-liked making $54,308,575 opening weekend.The movie’s runtime is 144 minutes, and although this may seem lengthy, every minute plays an essential role in developing the story.

NASA was heavily involved with depicting the science and technology of this movie to keep it scientifically accurate and to promote space exploration. Notable members of NASA who were involved include James L. Green (Director of Planetary Science Division at NASA) and Dave Lavery (Program Executive for Solar System Exploration). NASA answered countless questions to keep the movie as scientifically accurate as possible. NASA was also involved with Interstellar but put more time in this movie as it is closer to our time period and state of science.

The Martian, based on the novel by Andy Weir, didn’t stray too far from the book from what I’ve heard. Originally the movie was going to be directed by Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods, World War Z, Cloverfield), who adapted the novel into a screenplay but was taken over by Scott. The casting done was very well done in that the actors all portrayed their characters with their individual personalities and struggles. Damon did a great job portraying Mark Watney incorporating his comedic personality and inner struggles.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, even if they aren’t a science fiction fan. This movie is a great story about a man defying the odds and surviving on Mars, and has a nice balance of suspense and comedy.