After a Martian storm in which he was presumed dead by his crew, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) must use his skills as a botanist to survive on Mars while NASA plans a rescue mission to get him back home on Earth.

The Martian is a welcome return to form for Ridley Scott. The director of the science fiction classics “Alien” and “Blade Runner”, this film manages to bring him out of the slump he was in. The best scenes in the movie are set on Mars, helping bring Earth’s neighbor right into your living room. These scenes remind me of how Scott was (and is) a visual revolutionary in the science fiction genre of filmmaking. The scenes taking place on Earth are not only shot well but also help the story progress forward.

This is Matt Damon’s best performance in years. He carries the scenes on Mars with his upbeat, can-do attitude. His character has a strong will to survive despite the odds constantly being against him. Out of all the movies that were released this year, “The Martian” may have the best supporting cast so far thanks to the likes of Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels and Chiwetel Ejiofor amongst others.

The film’s strongest point is its writing by “Cabin in the Woods” director Drew Goddard. Goddard amplifies both the sense of humor and his sense of humanity. While Goddard has his comedic chops, he also puts a great deal of emotional depth into his screenplay without it being melodramatic. This film displays his strongest writing to date, even surpassing that of the aforementioned “Cabin in the Woods”.

Overall, this movie is one of best pieces of hard science fiction in recently memory, even surpassing the accomplishments of films like “Gravity” and “Interstellar”.

SCORE: 5/5