When I read Project Hail Mary back in 2021, no one knew anything about it. There was no Wikipedia plot summary. No YouTube breakdowns. No spoilers at all. It was just me, the book, and my imagination. Author Andy Weir proceeded to take me on an intense, surprising, original ride through time and space. I loved the book for all the impossible problems the characters had to overcome, the even more impossible solutions they came up with, and the reveal I never saw coming. That Project Hail Mary isn’t just about a man in space trying to save the world; he’s got some help from an alien, too.
I mention all this because now it’s 2026, the film version of Project Hail Mary is coming out, and I had a much different experience watching it than most people will who see it on March 20. I not only knew what it was about; I knew how it unfolded, how it ended, and so much more. And yet, even knowing basically every single thing that was going to happen in it, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller and the cast and crew they’ve assembled made sure that didn’t matter. The ride was just as intense, surprising, and original.
All of which is to say, if you’re in the vast majority that hasn’t read Project Hail Mary and doesn’t know all the story specifics, the movie is going to be even better for you. So take everything you read in the rest of this review, dip it in gold, and prepare yourselves. As much as I adored the movie, someone coming to it fresh is going to love it that much more.
Project Hail Mary begins with Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling. He’s a man who wakes up with amnesia on a spaceship light-years away from Earth. Who is he? Where is he? Why is he there? The film answers those questions by jumping between the present on the spaceship and flashbacks to Grace’s life on Earth. We learn he’s a middle school teacher who is recruited by a woman named Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) to help solve a very, very big problem. Something is eating away at the sun, and, if they don’t fix it, life on Earth will cease to exist.
The stakes of Project Hail Mary couldn’t be higher. And yet, it’s all up to this one guy. It seems to be an almost insurmountable task until Grace is joined on the mission by an alien he nicknames Rocky. Rocky is a spider-shaped rock creature (which is much less scary than it sounds) whose planet is experiencing the same issue. And so, the human and the rock alien team up to save their respective worlds.
One of the best choices the screenplay by Drew Goddard makes is keeping the structure of Weir’s book. By cutting back and forth between Grace’s time on the ship and how exactly he got there, you’re almost watching two movies at once. In space, you’re fascinated and curious about how Grace and Rocky will not just communicate but also work together. At the same time, it’s unclear why Grace is in space in the first place and what happened on Earth to get him there. The stories are complementary but also equally captivating on their own.
Weaved through both stories are problems and roadblocks that continually increase the drama and tension, all of which are handled with as much reality as possible. For example, modern technology can’t send a human as deep into space as Grace is. So, the film has to come up with a fake, yet logical, explanation. It’s interesting but, at times, maybe a little too dense. To counteract that, seemingly every scene in Project Hail Mary is infused with a metric ton of humor. Gosling gives one of the performances of his career as the seemingly happy-go-lucky Grace, who, as we slowly learn more about him, has serious doubts and fears. He combats these emotions by being wildly funny and quippy. The instinct slowly rubs off on Rocky too, and soon, any time they’re on screen together, you’re laughing along more than not.
That relationship is one of Project Hail Mary‘s minor miracles. The fact that we believe for a second a human and a rock spider could be friends is achieved, in part, thanks to a seamless blend of on-screen puppetry and digital effects. Rocky comes to life with all the splendor of Baby Groot, Baby Yoda, E.T., or any number of adorable alien creatures. The difference is, this one is a genius scientist who is as curious about humans as we are about him. All of that is brought to life by James Ortiz, a famous puppeteer who provides not just the movement but also a voice to Rocky, and it’s a performance you’ll not soon forget.
Much of the relationship is also bolstered by the flat-out fantastic chemistry between Ortiz and Gosling. Their banter, whether played for humor or heart, helps put them on the list of all-time cinematic partnerships. We fall for each of them individually, but together they’re even better, and once things really get cooking between them, the film really starts pulling at the heartstrings too.
So it’s got laughs, it’s got stakes, it’s got emotions, it’s got it all. And all of it is viewed through stunning visuals on every level. From the gorgeous spaceship sets to the neon-infused space vistas to Rocky’s impossible-to-describe spaceship, anytime Project Hail Mary is in space, it’s beautiful. When it’s on Earth, it’s a little less beautiful, but that would make sense. Especially since it matches the mood of a group of side characters (which includes Ken Leung and Milana Vayntrub) who are also trying to save the world along with Grace and Stratt.
As we’re taken on this two-handed sci-fi adventure to save the world, Project Hail Mary also leaves us with lots to think about after. There are powerful messages about perseverance, about friendship, and about teamwork. There’s also plenty in there about the potential of government, the importance of the environment, and education, too. But none of that ever takes away from the propulsive story at hand. It just makes it more entertaining and more impactful long after you leave the theater.
There really isn’t much about Project Hail Mary that doesn’t work. One small thing, however, is that it feels long. The film clocks in at around 2 hours and 40 minutes, which is really obvious near the end when things go a little Return of the King on us. But if you’re enjoying the film as much as you’re supposed to, you also realize it had to do that because so much happens and needs to be resolved. Yes, it’s long, but ultimately it’s more rewarding for it, even if it’s not quite seamless.
Beyond that, though? No major notes. Project Hail Mary is pure joy. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, hugely moving, wildly exciting, and absolutely beautiful. We think it’ll go down not just as one of the best films of the year but maybe even, in time, as a potential sci-fi classic.
And that’s if you already know what the story is and how it ends. Surely, it’s even better if you don’t.
Project Hail Mary opens March 20
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Source: Gizmodo