Every Ridley Scott Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Ridley Scott's more recent triumph saw him returning to the sci-fi genre in a wholly unexpected way.

Adapting Andy Weir's bestselling novel for the big screen, Scott assembled an embarrassingly packed ensemble (Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean) to tell the story of astronaut and botanist Mark Watney (Damon), who finds himself stranded alone on Mars.

Once more, Scott's knack for filming beautiful scenery is working at full force with The Martian, creating sweeping, expansive shots of the lonely planet to emphasise Mark's isolation and the severity of his situation.

If that makes it sound overly depressing, the more dramatic themes of the film are juxtaposed with an easy, lighthearted approach that offers up a series of quotable jokes and lovable characters. Along the way, Damon gives his best performance in years as a man hilariously at ease with his predicament and willing to do anything to survive.