Top Films Set On Mars

Doom - 2005

 This just had to be included. Doom, the movie, is based on a video game of the same name. The movie is more reminiscent of Doom 3, as opposed to the original duo. In the movie, a research station has gone quiet and a group of special forces marines (Rapid Response Tactical Squad) are despatched to the planet to see what is going on.

Starring Dwayne Johnson and Karl Urban, Doom is non-stop, over the top action.

The Martian – 2015

Matt Damon shows again why is one of the most versatile actors in the solar system, with this Mars-based outing. Damon's character, US astronaut Mark Watney, is left behind on Mars by his crewmates after they mistakenly believe him to have been killed in a dust storm.



Stranded and alone, Watney must figure out a way to survive until he can be rescued.

Ghosts of Mars – 2001

So bad it's good. We've all heard of that old chestnut at some point, haven't we? Some movies make it into the hallowed Cult Classic genre, even if they are kinda bad (but good), John Carpenter’s Ghost’s of Mars is one such movie. 

Starring Jason Statham and Ice-Cube, Ghosts of Mars is a surprising ‘must watch’.

Mission to Mars - 2000

Mission to Mars would have had a very hard time not being a good film considering it was directed by one Brian De Palma (Scarface, Carrie). A tale of a Mars mission gone wrong, it has a wealth of stars including Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, Jerry O'Connell.

An intriguing, and slightly creepy, offering.

Total Recall - 1990

Plagued by recurring dreams involving Mars, Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) visits a virtual holiday ‘travel’ company where they sell memory implants. After something goes wrong with his secret agent memory implant, Quaid finds himself pitted against evil Mars administrator, Cohaagen.

Or is it all just a false memory?

John Carter - 2012

A civil war veteran, John Carter, is ordered to rejoin the military in 1868. After his refusal, he is arrested, and then promptly escapes. Seeking refuge from his pursuers, he hides in a cave where he meets a person with a mysterious medallion. Upon touching it, he is transported to a strange place (Mars) that is inhabited by 12-foot people.



Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter.

The Last Days on Mars - 2013

Liev Schreiber stars as a crew member on a mission to Mars. On the last day, he believes he has made a historic discovery – fossilised evidence of life on the red planet. Determined to collect further samples, disaster strikes the excavation continues.



Falling into a crevice, crewmates try to recover him only to discover that the fossilised bacteria is not as docile as it appeared.

Red Planet - 2000

It’s the near future and Earth is dying – a new colony on Mars could well be mankind’s last chance. A team of astronauts make the first manned mission to the barren planet. With damaged equipment, the crew find themselves depending on each other more than ever, even as they begin to doubt each other, themselves and existence itself.



Starring Val Kilmer.

Mars Needs Moms - 2011

With a less than conventional approach to raising children (on Mars, female babies are raised by robots while males are dumped in a junkyard), Martians notice Milo, while researching Earth. Realising that his mum raises children better than they do, they abduct her so they can use her brain to train their robots.



Animated adventure starring Seth Green.

Stranded - 2001

Another first manned mission Mars. This time around sees the mission Captain killed after a crash landing, leaving 5 crew members. Shortages of food and electricity (needed to recycle water and oxygen) means that just two of the five remaining crew will survive the two years it will take for help to reach them from Earth.



The last hours of the 3 to leave are recorded. Stars Vincent Gallo.