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The Martian

The Martian

Bring him home.

2015144 minPG-13Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Director
Ridley Scott
Starring
Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Martian?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Martian streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Martian?

The Martian earns 14 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

Show 6 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Martian worth watching?

The Martian's Midcredits score is the 98th percentile of all films, from 3M ratings across 6 sources. 91% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

98th percentile

Better received than 98% of films

98th percentile among Adventure98th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

79 /100

95th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Adventure95th percentile among 2010s

Critics 80 · Audience 79

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

91% liked it

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 2010s
91% rated it 7–109% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 91%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 13 wins / 85 noms overall

  • WonGolden Globes· Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
  • WonGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

99th percentile

3M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 6% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$108M
Opening weekend$54M
Domestic gross$228M
Worldwide gross$631M

Returned 5.8× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film balances educational science exposition with lighthearted humor and spectacular visuals, even if they disagree on whether that makes it engaging or emotionally hollow.

Fans praised

  • scientifically grounded and accessible problem-solving
  • Matt Damon's charismatic, optimistic performance
  • stunning visuals and realistic Martian landscape

Detractors panned

  • protagonist never seems truly in danger or emotionally affected
  • glosses over psychological toll of isolation
  • convenient, improbable plot resolutions

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive88

stunning, realistic vistas of Mars

ActingDivisive85

Matt Damon carries the film; supportive cast solid but underused

Effects and spectacleDivisive85

flawless, convincing visual effects; restrained spectacle

PacingDivisive70

brisk for its 144-min runtime; drags in Earth-side sequences

DialogueDivisive70

snarky, accessible, occasionally cringe-worthy

Plot and storyDivisive65

predictable survival structure; lacks sustained tension

CharactersDivisive55

thin character development; Watney remains flatly optimistic

TensionDivisive45

problems solved too quickly; no real sense of peril

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is The Martian like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
TenseHopefulThrilling
Heaviest: throughout
Register
WarmAdventurous · 11% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film balances life-or-death stakes with a bright, optimistic outlook, treating the science as fun and the characters with warmth.
The rideThe film sustains a high-stakes survival tension that is periodically punctuated by moments of hope and triumph, keeping the emotional weight distributed across the entire runtime.
StructureConventional linear narrative, following Watney's ordeal on Mars and the parallel rescue efforts on Earth.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's triumphant rescue and celebration of ingenuity leaves you uplifted and optimistic.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% (this title) · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Survival ordeal: Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).

4% of films fit this archetype

with Quest underneath

Why this archetypeStranded astronaut Mark Watney must survive on Mars using science and ingenuity while NASA and his crew race to rescue him.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Survival
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is fundamentally about human survival against overwhelming odds, powered by scientific ingenuity and international collaboration.
StanceThe film celebrates human resilience, ingenuity, and collaborative problem-solving as ennobling and inspiring.

The world

Near futureOuter spaceInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Harry Gregson-Williams
SettingMars surface and orbiting spacecraft in 2035
MusicThe score blends sweeping orchestral themes with subtle electronic textures, underscoring the vastness of space while maintaining a grounded, human emotional core.

Content guide

Is The Martian okay for kids?

PG-13

The Martian is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity” (MPAA). As of October 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (38/100), sexual content at mild (23/100), language at moderate (54/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (23/100) and frightening material at moderate (42/100). Overall it is heavier than 36% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 43 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Argentina+13
  • Belgium12
  • BGC
  • CLTE
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceK
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary12
  • ID13+
  • IndiaUA
  • IS12
  • IsraelAll
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • MOB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway9
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • PRPG-13
  • RO15
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporePG13
  • SK12
  • South Africa10-12PG
  • Spain7
  • Sweden11
  • Taiwan6+
  • THG
  • Türkiye13A
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 25% of all filmsHeavier than 36% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 37%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 36%
Profanity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 77%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 22%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 45%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 77% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Martian have?

MovieCove's classifier found 2 depicted content warnings in The Martian, all withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Martian?

Cast

6 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Matt Damon won the Globe for this film.

Matt Damon
as Mark Watney
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or MusicalTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jessica Chastain
as Melissa Lewis
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kristen Wiig
as Annie Montrose
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jeff Daniels
as Teddy Sanders
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Michael Peña
as Rick Martinez
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Sean Bean
as Mitch Henderson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Kate Mara
as Beth Johanssen
Sebastian Stan
as Chris Beck
Aksel Hennie
as Alex Vogel
Chiwetel Ejiofor
as Vincent Kapoor
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Martian?

Movies like The Martian include Project Hail Mary (2026), Prometheus (2012) and The Moon (2023). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in the near future, and most are stories about astronauts.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its world: outer space. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Martian?

149 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: space exploration. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.