The Martian – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Martian

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2015

87%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Stranded astronaut sciences the hell out of Mars—smart, funny, and shockingly educational survival thriller.

8/10

91%

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The Martian

movie

PG-13, 2015

87%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Stranded astronaut sciences the hell out of Mars—smart, funny, and shockingly educational survival thriller.

91%

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8/10

91%

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Screenwise Verdict

The Martian is that rare beast: a hard sci-fi film that's genuinely fun, funny, and educational without being preachy. Watney's MacGyver-meets-botany approach to survival is inspiring, and the film treats science like the superpower it is.

The PG-13 language and intense peril mean this isn't for younger kids, but for tweens and teens (especially STEM-curious ones), it's gold. The humor keeps the heavy themes from dragging, and Ridley Scott's pacing means 140 minutes fly by.

It's also just... watchable. In 2025, a 2015 film still holds up beautifully—no dated CGI, no cringe dialogue, no slog. If your kid is into space, science, or just good storytelling, this is a no-brainer. And honestly? Adults will enjoy it just as much.

Age Fit

Best for 11+ who can handle intense survival peril, some language, and themes of isolation without getting too anxious. Teens and adults will appreciate the humor, science, and pacing—this isn't a kids' movie, but it's a great family watch for older kids interested in space or STEM.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Models resourcefulness, problem-solving under pressure, and teamwork across NASA. Mark Watney stays optimistic and uses humor to cope with isolation rather than descending into despair. The crew's loyalty and the global effort to rescue him show cooperation at scale. A few F-bombs and brief despair moments keep it from perfect, but the emotional core is healthy and hopeful.

Imaginative

Hard sci-fi grounded in real physics and botany—Watney grows potatoes using Martian soil, human waste, and chemistry. The film invites curiosity about space exploration, orbital mechanics, and survival engineering. It's not fantasy; it's imaginative problem-solving with actual science, which is rarer and more inspiring than most space movies.

Safe

PG-13 for language (several F-words, though used for comedic effect in dire situations, not gratuitous), brief injury (impalement during the storm, some blood but not graphic), and tension. No sex, nudity, or gore. The peril is real—isolation, potential starvation, life-threatening accidents—but handled maturely without jump scares or nightmare fuel. Younger kids might find the loneliness unsettling, but there's no content that would shock or traumatize.

Enriching

A masterclass in STEM problem-solving, resilience, and the scientific method. Kids see botany, chemistry, physics, and engineering applied to real survival problems. It celebrates intelligence, persistence, and international cooperation. The humor and humanity keep it from being a dry lecture. Ridley Scott's pacing makes 140 minutes fly by, and the 91% RT score reflects its broad appeal.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Real science drives the plot: botany, chemistry, physics applied to survival problems in ways kids can actually understand and get excited about
Matt Damon's Watney is witty and resilient without being a superhero—he makes mistakes, panics briefly, then gets back to work, modeling healthy coping
Shows massive international cooperation and teamwork at NASA, celebrating intelligence and persistence over action-hero tropes
Ridley Scott keeps 140 minutes moving—it's genuinely entertaining, not a slog, with humor that lands for teens and adults alike
The 91% RT score and 8.0 IMDb rating reflect broad appeal; this is one of the rare hard sci-fi films that works as mainstream entertainment

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What to Watch For

PG-13 language: several F-bombs, mostly used for comedic effect when things go wrong ("I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this"), but present enough that younger kids will catch them
Intense survival peril and isolation—Watney is alone for months, faces starvation, and has a few close calls with injury and equipment failure that might unsettle anxious kids
Brief injury scene: impalement during the opening storm, some blood but not graphic or lingering
Themes of potential death and despair are real, though handled maturely; younger viewers might find the loneliness heavy

Conversation Starters

"What would you do first if you were stranded on Mars? What's the most important thing to figure out?"
"Watney uses humor and video logs to cope with being alone—how do you think talking to a camera (even if no one's listening yet) might help someone in a tough situation?"
"The whole world worked together to try to save one person. Do you think that would really happen, or is that just a movie thing?"
"Which of Watney's science solutions was the coolest? Could you actually grow potatoes in Martian soil like that?"
"If you were on the crew that left him behind, how would you feel when you found out he was alive?"

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