[3] Johny Brayson of Bustle said "The Martian soundtrack reflects Watney's struggle, and by the time you leave the theater, you'll have heard enough '70s hits to last a lifetime.
"[6] Megan Garner of The Atlantic wrote "the music of The Martian becomes a metaphor not just for an exploratory approach to the cosmos—space, the final frontier and all that—but for a colonial one".
[7] Matt Zoeller Seitz, in his review for RogerEbert.com felt that the musical choices "make Mark's predicament seem like an elevated version of a tedious but necessary task, like tiling a roof or repainting a garage.
[9] After providing additional music for Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), Scott asked Gregson-Williams to read the script of The Martian, confirming his involvement.
[5] Music critic Jonathan Broxton wrote "Although The Martian might not have the crowd-pleasing overt heroism of something like an Apollo 13, and may disappoint listeners looking for that sort of score, I personally think Harry Gregson-Williams interpreted Ridley Scott’s vision perfectly.
The electronic ideas capture its scientific backbone in terms of the film’s celebration of intellect and ingenuity, and pays homage to its classic sci-fi outlook.