People think Mars-based space movie The Martian is real

The Martian is a movie about a botanist stranded when his crew accidentally leave him behind on Mars. Sadly, some people think it's real.

The Ridley Scott-helmed blockbuster starring Matt Damon hit cinemas last week and has received rave reviews and overwhelming praise.

It has a 93 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics raving about its special effects, Scott's "wide open" direction and Damon's performance as astronaut Mark Watney.

Matt Damon stars in The Martian, which is a movie and not based on a true story.

The Philadelphia Weekly called it a "celebration of science, selflessness and good old-fashioned smarts".

• Read TimeOut's four-star review of The Martian

While the film follows the crew of a manned spaceship on a mission to Mars, in real life, no one has ever visited the red planet.

That hasn't stopped many of the film's viewers thinking the movie might be real.

"Is this a true story?" - The woman next to me said to her date at The Martian last night.

— Mike Burns (@pizzanachos69) October 4, 2015

Sitting in the theater watching The Martian and some girl behind me asks if this is a true story...😂😂😂😑😑😑

— ✌❤🐺 (@GnastyGnate) October 6, 2015

@HaydenPicker cute.

— Ariana Grande’s Face Mask (@Jianthesaint) October 8, 2015

The Martian is a really good film. Really human, real and believable. Definitely go and see it.

— CAL ROSCOW (@calroscow) October 3, 2015

For the record, The Martian is a definitely made up story based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel of the same name.

- nzherald.co.nz