Devin Lee

The Martian is a new film by Ridley Scott, the director of classics like Blade Runner and Alien. It tells the story of an astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars after he was presumed dead due to a massive storm. From the first trailer, everyone seemed optimistic about the movie. It boasted an impressive all-star cast led by one of the finest directors alive. In the end, it lived up to all expectations. Martian had powerful performances, stunning visuals and a gripping story. Scott was able to seamlessly transition from comedic to thrilling to heart-breaking to inspirational and back to comedic.

The most interesting aspect of the film, however, was not any of those. Rather, it had to do with how the story was told. The characters and situations were introduced so naturally you believed it was true. I caught myself considering the film’s accuracy on several occasions. It was refreshing that, for once, a big-budget Hollywood movie did not have a clear antagonist. The individuals involved were just trying to beat the odds and save someone’s life. The decision to cast Kristen Wiig was odd, but she never stood out to a point that it took away from the story. One minor flaw was Kate Mara’s character. A relationship she has is briefly mentioned but never explained. Her scene near the end was a random moment in a sequence of riveting excitement. Overall though, this is a film that will not leave you disappointed.