The first manned mission to Mars ends in disaster. During the descent, the landing craft crashes, leaving five of the six crew members stranded on the surface. While they have a pressurised place to stay inside the craft - complete with air, food and water - they quickly realise that the craft is irreparable. They are millions of miles from home with supplies that will eventually run out.
Back on Earth, Ground Control delivers the devastating news - a rescue mission will take over two years to arrive. Based on their current life-support readings, the crew calculates they only have enough oxygen and food for two people to survive until help reaches them. Consequently, the film becomes a claustrophobic 'lifeboat' scenario. If they all sit and wait, everyone will die in just over a year. If three of them sacrifice themselves for the sake of their colleagues, at least two will survive until the rescue ship arrives. That is, until they realise there is an air leak!
After intense ethical debates and emotional breakdowns, they decide on a course of action - and there really is no other choice. The only question is: who will be the two to stay? The film explores the cold decision-making regarding the survival of the few over the death of the many, and the inherent value of human life. But that’s not all; two-thirds of the way in, there is a twist that makes for an imaginative and interesting finale (which I won’t spoil here)!
The film is largely about the dilemma and struggle surrounding that decision. It focuses on the interaction between the survivors - how brave, annoyed, angry or desperate they become, or how calm and pragmatic they can remain when faced with such choices. It asks the viewer, 'What would you do?' and takes its sweet time waiting for a reply. It is slow-paced, yet deliberately so, presumably to convey the tedium and dread of the situation. 'Thought-provoking' is clearly the goal here.
It is evidently a low-budget film, with most of the action set inside the crashed craft. The rest consists of special effects depicting the Martian landscape and the surrounding space. Some of the effects are a bit ropey - reminiscent of a 1970s Dr Who or 1960s Star Trek episode - but generally, it isn’t too bad (perhaps I’m being a little harsh). There is a red colour cast over most of the cinematography, as you might expect for 'The Red Planet', which is quite easy on the eyes.
The acting is decent across the board, though I doubt any awards were handed out. It was lovely to see Maria de Medeiros again. I don't think I've seen her since she played Fabienne, the adorable 'pot-bellied' girlfriend of Butch the boxer (Bruce Willis), in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994). That is no doubt my fault, as she has never stopped working, appearing in dozens of films since! Anyway, this is a tidy little story and a well-executed idea. Despite its Spanish roots, the film is entirely in English, and the 1-hour-39-minute runtime feels just about right.
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