MOVIE REVIEW: “Project Hail Mary”: An Untimely Fantasy

There’s something about Project Hail Mary that makes it feel better suited for a different time. Based on the novel by Andy Weir, the same novelist who also wrote the book for Ridley Scott’s 2015 hit The Martian was based on, there are many similarities between both films. It’s a science fiction movie where the science is made fun and comprehensible for the average viewer, maintaining a tone that’s light-hearted, feel-good, and inspiring. With directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and a screenplay by Drew Goddard, the film is really in good hands. With Ryan Gosling as the lead, there is simply no reason for this film to fail.

And for the most part, it doesn’t. Project Hail Mary’ tells the story of Dr. Ryland Grace (Gosling), who wakes up on a spaceship en route to the star Tau Ceti. He initially doesn’t remember who he is nor why he is the only crew member on the ship to survive. As his memories start to return, we discover that a cosmic event has brought an alien organism – dubbed “Astrophage” – through space, which has begun to “eat the sun.” Dr. Grace is part of a global team of scientists who try to understand Astrophage and how to stop it before it destroys all life on Earth. Only one star doesn’t seem to be affected by Astrophage and that’s the star Tau Ceti. On his way to complete his mission – investigate Tau Ceti and why it isn’t being consumed by the cosmic microorganism, Grace discovers another alien species also trying to investigate Tau Ceti. Despite the language barrier, the two figure out how to communicate, and Grace and “Rocky” join forces to save both their planets.

The film is a lengthy 156 minutes, with the first forty minutes detailing the specifics of the mission and how Grace – a disgraced molecular biologist, who is teaching in middle school – becomes part of the space mission. There, he interacts with the project commander, Eva Stratt (a magnificent Sandra Huller), as he tries to understand the science to get them into space.

Then the following act focuses on how Grace and Rocky (voiced and lead puppeteer James Ortiz) establish first contact and form their bond. Finally, the last forty minutes or so bring the mission to its conclusion. It’s a very loaded film, but the pacing is extremely quick and a lot of things are happening that it never feels boring.

The film bombards you with nostalgia as they play very familiar songs, mostly from the ’90s and early 2000s (though I did catch a few older songs as well), while finding heart and humor in the interactions between Gosling’s Grace and Rocky. Their shared need to save their planets has turned two very, very different personalities into great friends. It’s so refreshing, though, to see a world so quick to cooperate; even the idea that the whole world stopped fighting each other to gather their resources and talents to form this project, which they called Hail Mary. For some reason, I find it easier to believe in an alien such as Rocky exists but I am having such a hard time believing in a world coming together to stop ourselves from becoming extinct.

This is where I feel the film seems to be lost in time. It has fantastic visual effects, creating gorgeous cosmic and interplanetary imagery for Grace and Rocky to inhabit. The action sequences on the spaceship are deeply engaging, and Daniel Pemberton’s score lends a grand, epic scale to the proceedings trying to make it feel as big as it is. In all honesty, every individual part of this film works so beautifully. It is an enjoyable film; I even found myself gasping and holding back tears during two sections because of how well the story unfolds and allows us to really invest in its characters. Gosling is at his most charming, considering the scene partner he spends most time with is an alien puppet and, in flashbacks, the cold and guarded Eva Stratt. Yet, there’s a kindness and hope to the film that feels so tone deaf in a world currently in the throes of World War III.

It doesn’t help that, later on in the film, we discover some very unsavory truths that really begs the question: is the human race really worth saving? Perhaps the film’s ending is Lord and Miller’s way of injecting a bit of cynicism and commentary into the proceedings. By all respects, Project Hail Mary is a really good film. I just wished it had been released earlier, before this global mess we currently find ourselves in. The timing undermines the film’s good intentions. I laughed, I was moved, and I held back tears, but it was the moment I left the cinema, that the film started to feel empty. Instead of being hopeful and inspiring, the film ended up feeling like an escapist fantasy.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Is Project Hail Mary the hopeful escape we need right now, or is it just too far-fetched for 2026? Catch it while it’s still on the big screen and let us know: are you team “Science” or team “Cynicism”?