Matt Damon’s Oscar-Nominated Sci-Fi Masterpiece Dominates Streaming Competition

Having recently delivered an acclaimed supporting performance in the Best Picture-winning biographical thriller Oppenheimer, Matt Damon is set to return to his above-the-title roots with next year’s The Odyssey, his latest collaboration with director Christopher Nolan. The Odyssey will, in all likelihood, emerge as Damon’s biggest hit as a leading star. But, to do that, it would need to overtake his 2015 hit The Martian. The crowd-pleasing science-fiction survival thriller, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Andy Weir, has remained a fan-favorite on home video in the decade following its release. Now, having recently debuted in a handful of European territories on HBO Max, the movie saw yet another spike in viewership.

According to FlixPatrol, The Martian was among the top 10 most-watched titles on the global HBO Max charts recently. It jostled for eyeballs against Zach Cregger‘s Weapons, which broke out earlier this year, and films such as James Gunn‘s Superman and the recent I Know What You Did Last Summerreboot. Released a decade ago, The Martian followed a stranded NASA astronaut who learns to survive on Mars using nothing but his wits, as his colleagues put together a rescue mission. Produced on a reported budget of around $100 million, the movie made more than $600 million globally — this is more than each of the four Jason Bourne movies that Damon has headlined.

The Martian was also a critical hit, earning some of the best reviews of both Damon and director Ridley Scott‘s careers. It now sits at a “certified fresh” 91% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.” The Martian received acclaim for its scientific accuracy, and went on to earn seven nominations at the Academy Awards, including in the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor categories.

A Spiritual Follow-Up Is Set for Release Next Year

Next summer, a spiritual follow-up titled Project Hail Mary will be released in theaters. Based on Weir’s follow-up novel, the movie is being directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, marking their return to direction in over a decade. Their last feature film was 22 Jump Street, which was released in 2014. Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling, and will be released in theaters on March 20, 2026. You can watch The Martian at home, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.