Ryan Gosling shines, the story is incredibly, Rocky is an instant favorite, and it’s gorgeous all around. Project Hail Mary is every bit as impressive as you’d hoped.
Project Hail Mary
Directed By: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Written By: Drew Goddard
Starring: Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Sandra Hüller
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Over the past couple days—and likely the foreseeable future—you’re probably going to hear a number of hyperbolic statements regarding Project Hail Mary. And the truth is, they’re all going to be fairly accurate.
The film, based on the novel by Andy Weir (The Martian), is an incredible experience and it feels hard to describe it as anything else. It’s something you have to feel for yourself; the kind of story that goes beyond its medium and settles into you on a deeper level. Mostly because it’s handled so expertly on just about all levels. Let’s dive into it a bit!
If you’ve seen the trailers, then you already know the basics of the story (and I won’t be doing any spoilers beyond what those have shown). Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes aboard a spaceship with no real memory of how he got there. Alone, all he knows is he’s on a mission lightyears away from home to save the planet Earth.
Thanks to the arrival of a space-based microorganism, Astrophage, the Sun is dimming at an alarming rate. Working alongside a global team of scientists and government leaders, run by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), Grace becomes an expert on the problems they face. With only one star system, Tau Ceti, seemingly immune to the Astrophage’s dimming effects, the “Hail Mary” spacecraft is launched in order to find out why…hopefully with enough time to fix things before Earth begins to die.
In no uncertain terms, the end of the world is nigh. Shortly after arriving near Tau Ceti, Grace encounters an alien craft piloted by a lone alien astronaut, Rocky. Rocky’s planet is facing the same extinction event. Together, the two must navigate language barriers and engineering issues in order to save their worlds.
It seems like a crazy premise written out like this, and yet the story manages to bring all of these elements together into something truly special. Somehow, despite giving us multiple alien species and putting the focus on world-ending catastrophe, Project Hail Mary still manages to capture that scientifically grounded feel that Andy Weir’s writing is so well-known for.
Unlike The Martian adaptation (which ruled as well), this film does a better job of balancing the heavy science with the story/action. So if you’re worried the story might lose you in all the specifics, you have nothing to fear. That’s not to say it’s dumbing anything down, it merely does a better job of establishing points and letting audiences connect the dots in their minds if they choose to do so beyond simply enjoying the story.
Much of this is due to the character interactions between Grace and Rocky. Specifically, Gosling’s natural charm and charisma do much to sell the story and emotional elements. From his befuddled, confused awakening in the opening scene till the credits roll, Gosling’s performance is the crucial anchor to the whole story.
More than selling the tension/stakes, giving audiences a relatable perspective, and even beyond his ability to make us believe he’s best friends with a rock-spider-alien, the best thing about Grace/Gosling is the sense of hope he brings to the table. Even in these dire circumstances, the tear-jerking moments, he makes you feel like anything’s possible.
Of course, his performance is bolstered by the incredible alien Rocky. Voiced by James Ortiz, who leads a team of five puppeteers to bring the creature to life, it’s almost impossible to not fall in love with Rocky. Despite having no face, the crew behind him manage to infuse the alien with a sense of life and personality that plays off Gosling’s Grace excellently. There’s never a time when you feel like you’re watching a puppet. Truly, it feels like he’s a real entity.
On just about every level of production (story, acting, visuals), Project Hail Mary is firing on all cylinders. It’s themes, however, are what will end up sticking with you long after the credits roll. Perhaps the greatest thing about Project Hail Mary‘s story came from the realization it’s not about survival…but life. Living. Even when facing down the end of the world(s), or knowingly sacrificing yourself to give others a chance, there is still joy and awe to be found in life.
My favorite scene in the film (again, no real spoilers here) is when Grace is on the outside of the ship in order to take samples of the Astrophage as it comes off the planet. There’s a moment when they hit the infrared light in order to see it floating by and it creates this beautiful aurora of light. In awe, Grace begins rejoicing in it or “having a moment” as he tells Rocky.
It’s beautiful. Visually, it makes for a stunning moment on the big screen, but in terms of story and themes, it touched me deeply (one of the—many—scenes that choked me up). Even though the Astrophage is dangerous, and killing their planets, Grace still finds the beauty in the dazzling display of life it creates around him. This idea that life, all life, is worth celebrating and a joyful experience is so poignant.
It’s central to the core themes of the story in general. Throughout the film, we see how deeply Grace cares for the living. Whether it’s excitedly “making a baby with Carl” or empathizing with Rocky, or even refusing to accept the idea that any life is more important than others. This is what Hail Mary is really about: finding a way to live and survive in coexistence rather than through destructive means.
It’s a lofty ideal, but exactly the kind of hope-filled science fiction we need right now. It’s easy to do dystopian sci-fi, or tension-filled catastrophe flicks, but combining those elements with a message of hope is another thing all together. Project Hail Mary manages to deliver that despite some of the big surprises and incredibly tense set pieces.
