The Martian
2015 · Ridley Scott · 142 min · Sci-Fi / Drama
The Martian is a crowd-pleaser in the best sense. Matt Damon is magnetic as a stranded astronaut who refuses to give up, and Ridley Scott directs with a confidence and lightness of touch that he hadn't shown in years. The humor works, the science is engaging, and the ensemble cast makes every subplot worth following. It doesn't dig as deep into isolation and despair as the premise could allow, and the final act pushes credibility further than it needs to. But as a celebration of human problem-solving and stubborn optimism, it's one of the most satisfying sci-fi films of its decade.