50 Movies Like The Martian (2015) You Need to Watch Next
Updated August 2026
View The Martian details →Ridley Scott's 2015 survival adventure strands astronaut Mark Watney on Mars after a storm leaves his crew convinced he is dead. What follows is a problem-solving drama, part science, part sheer stubbornness, as one man rations meager supplies and improvises a way to tell Earth he is still breathing. Blending adventure, drama and science-fiction, it favors ingenuity over spectacle, turning botany, chemistry and math into genuine suspense. The tone stays surprisingly wry given the isolation, which keeps the long odds bearable. It suits viewers who like their space stories grounded and character-driven, rewarding patience and curiosity rather than pure action, and anyone who enjoys watching a smart mind work.
If you loved The Martian (2015) by Ridley Scott, here are 50 movies that share its content DNA. iRankMovies measures real similarity using cosine similarity across eight weighted dimensions — genre (50%), tone (12%), pace (10%), structure (8%), era (7%), theme (6%), audience (4%) and narrative perspective (3%) — not just the rating. The closest matches according to our analysis are The Empire Strikes Back, Okja, Dune: Part Two. Every title is ranked by how closely it matches and backed by the iRank Score, a composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb across 12,000+ analysed titles.
The Best Movies Similar to The Martian
Selected for their real similarity in content, these are the movies that share the most with The Martian in terms of theme, narrative tone, and cinematic style. Every recommendation goes beyond genre — we evaluate the type of conflict, pacing, dramatic context, and the experience they create for viewers.
The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Irvin Kershner
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture L
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Okja
2017 · Bong Joon Ho
A young girl named Mija risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.
In common: Adventure · Drama · Science Fiction
Dune: Part Two
2024 · Denis Villeneuve
Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
The Great Flood
2025 · Kim Byung-woo
When a raging flood traps a researcher and her young son, a call to a crucial mission puts their escape — and the future of humanity — on the line.
In common: Adventure · Drama · Science Fiction
Armageddon
1998 · Michael Bay
When an asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, NASA honcho Dan Truman determines the only way to stop it is to drill into its surface and detonate a nuclear bomb. This leads him to renowned driller
In common: Science Fiction · Adventure
Finch
2021 · Miguel Sapochnik
On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a robot, built to protect the life of his dying creator's beloved dog, learns about life, love, friendship, and what it means to be human.
In common: Adventure · Drama · Science Fiction
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
2017 · Rian Johnson
Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968 · Stanley Kubrick
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2015 · J.J. Abrams
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999 · George Lucas
Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019 · J.J. Abrams
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005 · George Lucas
When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker must choose a side.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002 · George Lucas
Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi investigate a mysterious plot into the heart of the Separatist movement and the beginning
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Solo: A Star Wars Story
2018 · Ron Howard
Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Star Trek Beyond
2016 · Justin Lin
The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
1979 · Robert Wise
When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Guardians of the Galaxy
2014 · James Gunn
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Gravity
2013 · Alfonso Cuarón
Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.
In common: Drama · Science Fiction
Stargate
1994 · Roland Emmerich
An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
2023 · Zack Snyder
When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for survival.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
2024 · Zack Snyder
The rebels gear up for battle against the ruthless forces of the Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge — and legends are made.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Zathura: A Space Adventure
2005 · Jon Favreau
After their father is called into work, two young boys, Walter and Danny, are left in the care of their teenage sister, Lisa, and told they must stay inside. Walter and Danny, who anticipate a boring
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Ender's Game
2013 · Gavin Hood
Based on the classic novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game is the story of the Earth's most gifted children training to defend their homeplanet in the space wars of the future.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
The Fountain
2006 · Darren Aronofsky
Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world.
In common: Adventure · Drama
Spaceman
2024 · Johan Renck
Six months into a solo mission, a lonely astronaut confronts the cracks in his marriage with help from a mysterious creature he discovers on his ship.
In common: Adventure · Drama · Science Fiction
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1986 · Leonard Nimoy
When a huge alien probe enters the galaxy and begins to vaporize Earth's oceans, Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in order to bring back whales and save the planet.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
The Space Between Us
2017 · Peter Chelsom
A young man raised by scientists on Mars returns to Earth to find his father.
In common: Adventure · Drama
Project Hail Mary
2026 · Phil Lord
Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the rid
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Interstellar
2014 · Christopher Nolan
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
In common: Adventure · Drama · Science Fiction
Star Wars
1977 · George Lucas
Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Dune
2021 · Denis Villeneuve
Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Jurassic World
2015 · Colin Trevorrow
Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Jurassic Park
1993 · Steven Spielberg
A wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening day, he invites a team of experts and his two eager grandchildren to experien
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
The Man from Earth
2007 · Richard Schenkman
A departing professor gathers his closest colleagues for an intimate farewell, but the night takes an unexpected turn when he shares a stunning secret about his past. As the conversation unfolds, skep
In common: Drama · Science Fiction
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
2005 · Robert Rodriguez
Everyone always knew that Max had a wild imagination, but no one believed that his wildest creations -- a boy raised by watchful great white sharks and a girl with the force of a volcano -- were real.
In common: Adventure · Science Fiction
Alpha
2018 · Albert Hughes
In the prehistoric past, Keda, a young and inexperienced hunter, struggles to return home after being separated from his tribe when bison hunting goes awry. On his way back he will find an unexpected
In common: Adventure · Drama
Bridge to Terabithia
2007 · Gábor Csupó
Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that s
In common: Adventure · Drama
Life of Pi
2012 · Ang Lee
The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper's son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sets them adrift in the Pacific Ocean.
In common: Adventure · Drama
Apollo 13
1995 · Ron Howard
The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of
In common: Drama
The Call of the Wild
2020 · Chris Sanders
Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Yukon during the Gold Rus
In common: Adventure · Drama
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
2018 · Andy Serkis
A human child raised by wolves, must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins.
In common: Adventure · Drama
Everest
2015 · Baltasar Kormákur
Inspired by the incredible events surrounding a treacherous attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, "Everest" documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions chal
In common: Adventure · Drama
Seven Years in Tibet
1997 · Jean-Jacques Annaud
Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer journeys to the Himalayas without his family to head an expedition in 1939. But when World War II breaks out, the arrogant Harrer falls into Allied forces' hands a
In common: Adventure · Drama
Return to the Blue Lagoon
1991 · William A. Graham
In this sequel to the 1980 classic, two children are stranded on a beautiful island in the South Pacific. With no adults to guide them, the two make a simple life together and eventually become tanned
In common: Adventure · Drama
Alive
1993 · Frank Marshall
The amazing true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's plane that crashed in the middle of the Andes mountains, and their immense will to survive and pull through alive, forced to do anything and everythi
In common: Adventure · Drama
A Dog's Journey
2019 · Gail Mancuso
A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets.
In common: Adventure · Drama
Arthur the King
2024 · Simon Cellan Jones
Over the course of ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. As the team is pushed to their oute
In common: Adventure · Drama
The Lost City of Z
2017 · James Gray
A true-life drama in the 1920s, centering on British explorer Col. Percy Fawcett, who discovered evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization in the Amazon and disappeared whilst searching
In common: Adventure · Drama
The Way Back
2010 · Peter Weir
A small band of multicultural convicts stages a daring escape from a WWII-era Siberian gulag, and embarks on a treacherous journey across five countries in a desperate race for freedom and survival.
In common: Adventure · Drama
The Physician
2013 · Philipp Stölzl
England, 1021: Born in a miserable mining town, Robert Cole swears to become a physician and vanquish disease and death. His harsh path of many years, a quest for knowledge besieged by countless chall
In common: Adventure · Drama
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