The Martian: 10 Reasons Why It's Better Than Interstellar

1. Jessica Chastain

There are many mysteries through the Academy voters heritage which will forever remain unearthed, but certainly one of the largest, most gleaming misjudgments in recent years was Jessica Chastain losing out on a Best Leading Actress award for her emphatic work in Kathyrn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty. That being said, the wounds have been licked and we move on. Since exploding onto the scene a number of years ago, the fiery redhead has proven herself to be one of the greatest actresses in our modern sphere of filmmaking; supportive and progressive across all genres and platforms, she'll excel in a tiny independent feature equally as in a commanding $200 million blockbuster. The Nolan brothers' bogged screenplay truly affected the quality Chastain brought to Interstellar. She is still good in the movie, but feels endlessly redundant and static despite being one of the film's foundations. The beauty and brilliance of her craft is speaking volumes with subtleties; something Interstellar very much isn't. Whilst The Martian is too a flamboyant, silver screen-swallowing adventure, it is jigsawed together with finite character detailing, and Chastain rightly gets the very best pieces. Following the dreadful storm which leaves Watney stranded (all in the trailer), we get a quick close-up of Captain Lewis as she leans over to the shuttle chair beside her - now sadly vacant. Scott quietly lingers on her eyes and captures a poignant exhale as she engages the departure. That few seconds of celluloid pack more tenderness and heart that the wealth of her performance in Nolan's film; a tale in which she has been neglected and potentially left for dead on a starving planet, forced to fend for herself and age without her father. Sorry, that is quite frankly ridiculous. Drew Goddard's sublime screenplay for The Martian builds Lewis as a complex creation; she is badass, but also distinctly vulnerable and unsure of her command over the crew. She is also complicated and compelling - all the theme elements Chastain absolutely excels with. She'll be back on our screens later this month in Guillermo del Toro's eagerly-awaited Crimson Peak. Did you love The Martian? Share your appreciation below in the comments thread.