Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Last Days on Mars’

Written by Scott Edwards 

​Trying to find a new type of life form is something that people have been trying to do since the beginning of science. Not ever believing that we are all alone on this planet, much less another one, the hunt is always strong for the scientific community. Being able to prove that there might be more to our brief history in the universe can make or break a scientist’s career, but no matter the obstacles, they will never give up.

It is the last day of a six month mission to Mars and the crew is at each other’s throats. Wanting to be relieved sooner than later and return home safely is the only thing on their minds, with the exception of crew member Kim, who believes the time they’ve spent on Mars is not long enough. While putting up with delays in her research on the red planet, Kim is still working vigorously to prove that there has been life on the dead planet. But as time keeps ticking away, she is forced to abandon her studies and prepare for the voyage home.  

As the months have passed on Mars, everything in their main living quarters has been breaking more frequently. As Vincent is the only handy man that is able to fix anything, the group has learned to depend on his know how to keep them alive during their expedition, but he is battling a problem that runs deeper than what the planet can throw at him. Blaming himself for the loss of a crew member while traveling to Mars, Vincent is having a hard time dealing with confined areas, along with any darkness that falls around him. Trying to keep himself sane for the sake of the crew, he has hidden this, but his memories are coming back to haunt him much more frequently.  

One scientist is bound and determined to get back to his site as one of his sensors has gone off line. Being given permission to fix it before the impending trip back home, he finds strange readings from a sample just pulled up from under the surface, but before being able to relay the information, a cavern opens underneath his feet, pulling him into the core of the planet. As the rescue attempt comes up empty since his body could not be located under the crust of the old planet, a new discovery has been made, mold growing on rocks underneath the surface. As life has finally been discovered on the planet, the group is happy, but missing two of their own makes it difficult to celebrate. That is until the missing crew members come back to the station on foot, and reveal that they are infected by something that wants to keep the planet's secret hidden.

An intriguing theory on life from other worlds, as many scientists have theorized that alien life could be no more than a virus. Without really knowing what an alien looks like, it seems like this would be the next great alternative, since it would be easier to survive underneath a frozen surface as a mold than being a smaller creature with an oddly shaped head. And introducing an infection that could kill the host, but not allow them to die is another way to keep its secrets safe, since it takes control of all of the motor function of its victims. Being trapped on a distant planet is one thing but having something coming after you that you do not know how to kill is something completely different. Stay Scared.

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