The 2015 Ridley Scott film starring Matt Damon as a stranded astronaut on Mars is The Martian.
The film adapts Andy Weir’s 2011 novel about NASA astronaut Mark Watney, who is presumed dead and accidentally left behind after a violent storm forces his crew to evacuate Mars. Watney must grow food, conserve supplies, repair equipment, and communicate with Earth while NASA engineers search for a rescue plan.
Drew Goddard wrote the screenplay, and Matt Damon plays Watney. The ensemble cast includes Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, and Kristen Wiig. Although the story is science fiction, its survival problems are grounded in real engineering and scientific concepts.
The Martian is sometimes confused with Gravity or Interstellar because all three feature major space-survival elements. Gravity is set largely in Earth orbit, while Interstellar focuses on interstellar travel and relativity. The Martian is specifically a Mars-rescue story and became one of Ridley Scott’s most commercially successful films.