Fresh Insights into Ridley Scott's Sci-Fi Resurgence and The Martian's Enduring Legacy
By Published Apr 20, 2026, 1:31 PM EDT Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty.
However, one of his proudest achievements is editing a Leonardo DiCaprio freakout compilation that has over 150K views on . Adam also fancies himself an amateur film reviewer on his . follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
Ridley Scott's sci-fi film slingshots its way back onto the streaming charts.
The legendary director rose to fame with some of the most seminal sci-fi films of all time, Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982). Over three decades later, he returned to the for the prequel movie Prometheus (2012) and followed it up with the sequel Alien: Covenant (2017). However, another one of Scott's sci-fi movies has soared back onto the streaming charts.
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Over a decade after its original release, has made its way back onto the streaming charts. Directed by Ridley Scott, with a script written by Drew Goddard based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel, the 2015 sci-fi film follows an astronaut who, after being left behind on Mars, must use his resourcefulness to contact Earth and stay alive long enough for a rescue mission.
Now, 11 years later, The Martian is No. 14 on the Apple TV Store's top movies in the United States for today, April 20. It ranks below Avatar: Fire and Ash in first, Reminders of Him, The Housemaid, GOAT, Undertone, Send Help, Shelter, Marty Supreme, Greenland 2: Migration, Dracula (2026), Scream 7, and Cold Storage.
It ranks above The Dark Knight, Avatar, Jumanji: The Next Level, The Matrix, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Brothers Under Fire, Ocean's Eleven, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, and Blade Runner.
The Martian is also streaming on AMC+.
The alongside a star-studded cast that includes Oscar winner Jessica Chastain, Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Oscar nominee Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Emmy winner Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Emmy nominee Kate Mara (House of Cards), Oscar nominee Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), Mackenzie Davis, Benedict Wong, Emmy winner Donald Glover (Atlanta), and Emmy nominee Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso).
The sci-fi film received rave reviews, resulting in 91% Rotten Tomatoes scores, with critics calling it clever, exciting, and unexpectedly funny, and praising it for staying true to its bestselling source material while showcasing standout work from Matt Damon and Ridley Scott.
The movie made $630.6 million at the box office worldwide, becoming the and Ridley Scott's highest-grossing film to date. It was also listed among the top 10 movies of the year by several publications, and went on to receive seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Matt Damon, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Drew Goddard.
The Martian is seeing a resurgence on streaming due to the release of Project Hail Mary last month, a sci-fi film based on the 2026 source material by the same author, Andy Weir, also adapted to the screen by Drew Goddard. Since its release, Project Hail Mary has also received rave reviews from critics and audiences and has grossed $573 million to date, the third-highest-grossing film of 2026 so far.
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Sean Bean
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