The Martian

Author: Ridley Scott

Mark Watney is an astronaut. Oh yeah, he also got left behind on Mars. That's the basic premise for The Martian starring Matt Damon, but really, it's about space-farming, as Watney is forced to grow his supply of food to survive on Mars while he tries to figure out how to get himself rescued. He doesn't just sit back, but he's constantly working his way through every possible scheme, and at times seems like a Mars-bound Job, as Murphy's Law hits and hard! Films where you've got one guy as the focus of nearly all the action can be hard to pull off. Tom Hanks almost managed in Castaway, but Damon plays Watney with all the intelligence, and charming sarcasm, he can muster, and he holds the interest of the audience the entire time. As with the string of hard science fiction films of the second decade of the twenty-first century, the science is there, and it's fascinating, and there's just enough adventure and comedy to pepper up the stew! Why it's on the list: One of the most interesting films of the last decade, and great performance from Damon.