10 Reasons The Martian Is Ridley Scott's Comeback

7. Scott Trusts Audiences To Be Patient

Considering that The Martian cost $108 million to make, there must have been a degree of pressure on Scott to deliver a fun and exciting film despite the fact that, at its heart, this is about a guy stranded alone on Mars with no direct means of communication with anyone else. But Scott clearly trusts that the audience will get wrapped up in the fascinating Apollo 13-meets-Cast Away premise, because after Watney's accident, Scott follows his survival attempt on Mars for almost half an hour without any interruptions. Slightly helping the audience out is the fact that Watney periodically makes recordings to a video-log, which basically acts as voice-over narration, but in a way that makes sense within the story and doesn't seem overly forced. The methodical approach immerses the audience in the nitty-gritty of Watney's efforts to grow more food for himself, and it's fascinating to observe. To see a movie so expensive keen to linger on intimate moments is extremely refreshing, and it certainly seems like it helped bring out the best in both actor and director.