Movies Like The Martian

Frequently asked about The Martian

Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.

• What is the biggest error in the movie The Martian?▾

  The most cited scientific error is the opening Martian dust storm, which strands Watney; in reality, Mars's atmosphere is so thin (about 1% of Earth's) that even 100+ mph winds would feel like a gentle breeze and could not topple equipment or an ascent vehicle. Author Andy Weir has acknowledged this inaccuracy and said he kept it because the plot needed a catalyst to leave Watney behind.

• Is The Martian hit or flop?▾

  The Martian was a major hit, grossing over $630 million worldwide against a production budget of roughly $108 million. It became one of the highest-grossing films of 2015 and earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

• Is The Martian based on a true story?▾

  No, The Martian is not based on a true story. It is adapted from the 2011 science fiction novel of the same name by Andy Weir, which is a fictional story grounded in real scientific principles.

• Why is Martian rated PG-13?▾

  The Martian is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity. The language includes scattered profanity from Watney's video logs, and the injury content refers to a scene where he treats an abdominal wound.

• Why was Mark Watney left behind on Mars?▾

  During a severe dust storm that threatened to destroy their MAV and strand the entire crew, Commander Lewis ordered an emergency evacuation. Watney was struck by a flying antenna dish and his bio-monitor suit was damaged, giving a false flatline reading. Believing him dead and unable to search in the storm without losing everyone, Lewis made the call to launch without him.

• How did Watney manage to grow food on Mars?▾

  Watney, a botanist, used the Hab's controlled environment to cultivate potatoes — specifically using the vacuum-sealed food packs left behind that included raw potatoes meant for a Thanksgiving meal. He fertilized the Martian regolith with the crew's collected fecal waste to introduce the nitrogen and organic matter needed for plant growth, then carefully managed moisture using a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce water.

• How did NASA figure out Watney was still alive?▾

  A satellite imaging analyst at NASA noticed subtle changes in the Mars surface around the Ares 3 HAB — specifically the movement of the rover and repositioned solar panels — weeks after the mission was declared lost. This observation prompted NASA to reexamine imagery, confirming Watney had survived and was actively moving around the site.

• Why did Watney travel to the Pathfinder rover, and how did they communicate?▾

  Watney drove hundreds of kilometers to retrieve the 1997 Pathfinder lander because it contained a camera and a rotating platform that NASA could control remotely. Since Watney had no radio, they communicated through a painstaking system: NASA would point the camera at hexadecimal charts, Watney would point a dial to letters and numbers, spelling out messages one character at a time until a proper ASCII communication channel was established.

• What was the 'Rich Purnell maneuver' and why was it controversial?▾

  The Rich Purnell maneuver was an orbital mechanics solution devised by an astrodynamicist at NASA that had the Hermes crew slingshot around Earth for a gravity assist, then fly back to Mars for a direct intercept — effectively extending the mission by 533 days without the crew's initial consent. It was controversial because mission director Teddy Sanders had already dispatched an unmanned supply probe and considered the maneuver too risky; Flight Director Mitch Henderson leaked the plan to the crew anyway, allowing them to vote to execute it themselves.