A new space race is born between NASA and the ESA when Charlie Brownsville, Hank Morrison, and Dr. Casey Cook compete against an artificially intelligent robot to find out what's up there on the red planet. 'Mars' follows these three astronauts on the first manned mission to our galactic neighbor. On the way they experience life threatening accidents, self doubts, obnoxious reporters, and the boredom of extended space travel.
Direction
Rotoscope animation gives space travel a hazy, nostalgic dreaminess.
Acting
Mark Duplass mumbling his way through cosmic stakes is oddly comforting.
Director
Geoff Marslett
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Geoff Marslett rotoscoped over 16mm footage of Texas landscapes to create Mars's rusty aesthetic on a shoestring budget.
Released in 2010 when indie mumblecore collided with sci-fi, this film predicted our current obsession with privatized space races and AI anxiety—just way more awkward about it.
US
