arloGet the appMovies like The Martian
2015 · Movie · PG-13 · your starting pointIf The Martian is the itch, these scratch it — some louder, some quieter. Free ones first.
Movies like The Martian, ranked
1. Ghosts of Mars (2001)
MacGyver-style problem-solving and dark humor punctuate both films' visions of survival against Mars's unforgiving environment, where resourcefulness becomes the difference between life and death.
2. War of the Worlds (2019)
Stranded on an alien world with minimal resources, the protagonist must outwit an overwhelming force through scientific problem-solving and sheer determination to survive impossible circumstances.
3. Astronaut the Last Push (2012)
Stranded on an alien world with failing equipment and Earth as your only lifeline, you'll find the same blend of scientific problem-solving and psychological resilience that defines survival against impossible odds.
4. Life (2017)
MacGruber's ingenuity against an intelligent extraterrestrial threat mirrors the resourcefulness required when isolation meets the unknown in the vast emptiness of space.
5. Gravity (2013)
Ryan Gosling's engineer must MacGyver her way through catastrophic orbital failure with the same resourceful problem-solving and stunning space cinematography that made stranded survival feel both terrifying and oddly hopeful.
6. Project Hail Mary (2026)
A lone problem-solver must MacGyver his way through impossible odds aboard an isolated spacecraft, combining scientific expertise with resourceful improvisation to save humanity from extinction.
7. Mars Attacks! (1996)
Matt Damon's resourceful problem-solving against impossible odds gets a darkly comedic twist in this Tim Burton film, where survival depends on quick thinking amid extraterrestrial chaos instead of solitary ingenuity.
Tell me what kind of night it is — I'll pick the one for you.