20 Best Sci-Fi Films Of The 21st Century

Ridley Scott could teach many, many a director about how to pace one's films. The Martian involves little to no action, it is an exceptionally quiet and methodical film, yet it is endlessly entertaining.

Of course, this is mostly down to Matt Damon, who gives quite possibly the single best performance of his already impressive career. Damon's character, Mark Watney, experiences what is possibly the single most terrifying experience imaginable. There are no aliens or monsters on this version of Mars, all there is is isolation, loneliness and the prospect that perhaps you've been abandoned and left to die.

There is no way that we can begin to imagine how that would affect a human being, but Damon gives us probably the most accurate depiction of it. From frustration to depression to outright fury. Most importantly though, we see Watney mostly reacting to situations with sarcastic humour, much the way he'd deal with any other stressful situation, and this really helps flesh out the character. Plus Watney's journal entries provide a lot of information to the viewer without ever feeling like clunky exposition - which is a tightrope and one that Scott deftly walks.

What makes The Martian truly special though - and this is something clarified by Watney near the end - is that it may be the first film to acknowledge that luck plays no part in missions such as this. It's hard work and knowing what you're doing. That...and it might be the first no-death space movie. Good job, guys.