It has been a while since so many people have universally adored a piece of cinema. “The Martian” may be one of the best films of the year.

In an age in which films can get away with the most mundane caricatures and scripts, a work of art that supersedes the stereotype is a breath of fresh air.

Ridley Scott and Simon Kinberg return to show movie-going audiences how a movie is made, no matter the subject. “The Martian,” based on the book of the same title by Andy Weir, is a personal, existential study of what it is like to be completely disconnected from your home planet; man versus nature.

Scott and the film crew worked closely with NASA to ensure technical accuracy. Although “The Martian” is set in science fiction, it shows what humans are capable of today.

Matt Damon brought his best acting since 2010’s “True Grit,” going past the prejudice of being too recognizable for a fictional character. Enveloping himself as Mark Watney, he and a team of NASA astronauts land on Mars during a manned mission named Ares III. As they are setting up for schematics, an intense storm disrupts the mission, knocking Watney unconscious.

The remaining crew abandons the mission, leaving Watney presumably dead to the rest of NASA and Earth. The remainder of the film consists of Watney finding ways to survive on Mars by himself as NASA attempts to make contact with him to bring him home. There is incredible pressure on Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), director of the Ares project, and his team of scientists and astronauts as they figure out ways to accelerate the next mission to Mars: Ares IV.

Additionally, Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels), head of NASA, has his own conflict to deal with. When NASA finds out that Watney is still alive, there is a point where Sanders could have become a standard, corporate villain, but early on, he exposes his humanity a little.

It is a constant struggle for everyone and that is what keeps the slow moments from getting boring. Drew Goddard delivers an impressive script that maintains the balance between scientific detail and emotion. With a fast, action-packed opening sequence, detail upon detail of science and technical information is discussed, much like “Star Trek.”

To alleviate this, the environment and scope establish a never-ending canvas on which to paint the complicated dialogue. Scott knows when things might get too confusing and he resorts to explaining them through glorious visuals and story-telling movements.

Even in the slowest moments, combing engaging cinematography and getting the most out of the actors is the craft of a master like Scott. Damon, Daniels and Ejiofor are pushed to the brink of their skills, and the weight of their situations is felt extensively.

“The Martian” has a lot of effective humor to compliment Watney’s loneliness. Damon holds the individual moments together. There are certain scenes of him logging his experiences in the hope that somebody receives them. The logs are uncut in editing, demanding a stellar and compelling performance. Maintaining his sanity, Watney remains optimistic. It is the execution that makes “The Martian” an epic.

Audiences were quick to blame Simon Kinberg for the absolute disaster that was “Fantastic Four.” His reputation as a filmmaker bounced right back with “The Martian.” My faith in Kinberg’s production skills has been restored and expectations for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” have shot through the stratosphere.

One can go so far as to say that “The Martian” is worthy of a Best Picture nomination, a nomination for Damon, and at the very least a nomination for Daniels in his supporting role.

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