After NASA cancelled some important programs beginning in early February 2010, many movies tried to light the fire of becoming an astronaut. No films instill quite the feeling that The Martian does. In fact, The Martian doesn’t stop at astronaut; the viewer is left wanting to be on the entire team of NASA.

A team of astronauts, known as Hermes, on Mars are forced to leave their mission when an intense storm hits. In the rush of the evacuation, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left behind. After treating his wounds from flying debris, he comes to  realizes that he will need to survive four years until the next mission can rescue him, but he only has 400 sols (Martian days) of supplies. To increase his food, he decides that he will need to grow crops on a planet where nothing grow; luckily, Watney is a biologist.

Rather than have the story line be limited to a single isolated character, The Martian adds a team on Earth trying to rescue Watney by attempting to send supplies and figure out communications. Teddy Sander (Jeff Daniels), the head of NASA who keeps the realistic view; Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig), the NASA PR director along with Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean), the Hermes Flight Director, who both provide the emotional look of everything; and Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the Director of the Mars Mission, add clarity in all situations. Together, they make a functional and charming group to watch.

Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s book ‘The Martian’ is constantly captivating from each problem that is proposed by Watney to each scenic shot of Mars for each sol. The dialog written by Drew Goddard flows perfectly with the story. There is nothing that makes a viewer feel too ignorant to understand because the science is explained with perfectly timed conversation and comedy. For example, Rich Purnell (Donald Glover), a supporting scientist of NASA, purposes a plan to get Watney home. In a simplified demonstration, he uses Sander, the head of NASA, as Earth; he uses Montrose as Mars; and he uses a stapler as a ship. The endearing nature yet serious ideas make every second of The Martian intriguing.

The Martian is a perfect blend of a movie for nerdy people and people who want to be entertained. The movie keeps its viewers straining from blinking because they want to take every second in. Although it may have come out too early to be nominated for any award, it deserves them all.