The Martian is a science-fiction drama set in the near future. During a mission to Mars, a fierce storm forces the crew of the Ares III to leave the planet quickly. Astronaut Mark Watney gets hit by debris and is left behind because his team thinks he died. Watney survives the storm and finds himself completely alone on a cold, dead planet with very few supplies. He must use his smarts as a botanist and engineer to grow food, make water, and contact Earth. Back on Earth, NASA directors and international scientists work together to create a plan to bring him home. The movie has a very positive and exciting tone that focuses on hard work, science, and human survival. Every character is shown as highly skilled and professional, working toward a single noble goal. The story focuses deeply on math, physics, and human cooperation to solve impossible problems.
Community feedback
Was our 16% Woke rating accurate?
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Martian.
Woke representation / casting
The movie features a highly diverse cast of scientists and astronauts at NASA and on the crew. These roles are presented naturally as highly skilled, competent professionals in a near-future setting. The diversity is entirely incidental and setting-appropriate.
25%
Woke political dialogue
There is no progressive, activist, or woke political dialogue in the film.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
The narrative focuses entirely on human survival, science, and global cooperation. It does not contain any identity-driven themes.
0%
Western institutional / cultural critique
NASA and other global scientific bodies are shown in an extremely positive and heroic light. The film does not critique traditional values or Western institutions.
0%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. The character changes from the book, such as casting Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vincent Kapoor, were due to scheduling conflicts and are not woke or ideological.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There was no anti-woke or conservative backlash against this film.
0%
Creator track record context
The main creative team of Ridley Scott, Andy Weir, and Drew Goddard has a very low woke score and a track record of focusing on traditional storytelling.
14%
Production
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