March 31, 2026
FILM: PROJECT HAIL MARY
DIRECTED BY: PHIL LORD, CHRISTOPHER MILLER
WRITTEN BY: DREW GODDARD
STARRING: RYAN GOSLING, SANDRA HULLER, JAMES ORTIZ
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
After two weekends in release Project Hail Mary is already Amazon MGM’s highest grossing film ever. It’s made over $300 million at the global box office. That’s pretty impressive and it says a lot about what audiences want to see these days: quality, ORIGINAL material, with great special effects, and a likeable lead actor. That’s not asking for too much, is it?...
I read Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary several years ago. So, when I heard that the film adaptation was being made I was excited about it even though, with my aging memory, I had forgotten most of the details of the book. In a nutshell, the story follows Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, a science teacher forced into a space mission which has as its goal to save Earth from a mysterious substance that is killing the sun. The film begins with Grace waking up years after he entered space only to find he is the sole crew member left to complete the mission. He ends up meeting an alien, which Grace calls Rocky because of his rock-like appearance, that has no face and is on its own ship attempting the same goal. This isn’t a war between aliens and humans though, rather it is a warm bond between fellow beings in the universe that work together to save the galaxy.
Andy Weir, by the way, is the same author who wrote The Martian which became a big hit starring Matt Damon back in 2015. I was less enthused about that film than I am about Project Hail Mary. The new film works partially because it may be even more accessible than The Martian. Part of this has to do with Ryan Gosling. His charm and charisma carry the film from start to finish. There’s nothing to not like about how he portrays Grace as it brings out all of his best qualities. His connection and rapport with the alien is one for the ages. They become friends and, through a computer, are able to speak to each other in an understandable way. Their bond forms the soul of the film and strengthens the conceit of doing something for the greater good of the universe over personal gain.
Before meeting the alien, Grace is in a state of confusion trying to figure out just what he needs to do now that the rest of the crew is gone. Shots are appropriately claustrophobic inside the ship where Gosling as Grace flails about clumsily and awkwardly (Grace was a teacher and not, as he says, an astronaut.) He may be the least likely man in space that we’ve seen on screen in decades. He’s as disoriented there as we are watching him, which adds to the relatability of his character. From my own perspective, the layout of the ship is rather confusing and difficult to figure out but that clearly is the intent of its onscreen design.
When Grace meets Rocky (voiced and puppeteered by an excellent James Ortiz) the film becomes something of a buddy comedy. As they learn to speak to each other, the music references John Williams’s classic score from Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with its friendly and familiar musical motif. The connection between the characters allows for an ample amount of wit and humor making the film something significantly more entertaining than a dark science fiction tale. We grow as fond of Rocky as Grace does.
The narrative also flashes back to events which led to Grace being chosen for his role on the ship. Heading up the mission is Eva Stratt, played by Oscar nominated (Anatomy of a Fall) Sandra Huller who adds depth to a character that could have been one note. Eva knows what Grace offers and even has empathy for how this mission will affect him. She’s not cold-hearted but understands what’s at stake for the galaxy if the journey doesn’t happen.
The film is spectacular to look at too. The visual effects and production design are impressive, beautiful, and imaginative. Yet they never overpower the narrative which has much larger thematic ideas in mind. Expect these elements as well as the editing, to be recognized at next year’s Oscars.
I’m also impressed with the excellent music score by Daniel Pemberton which is fluid and diverse, offering sounds from across the globe (and universe?) It is also whimsical at times while effectively supporting the film’s more dramatic scenes.
There’s no question that Project Hail Mary is a crowd-pleasing film, some may even say to a fault (a friend of mine suggested it may be TOO PG 13.) But then, this kind of experience is why many people see films in the first place. One might leave with a lump in their throat as if they’ve just seen E.T. or The Wizard of Oz. There’s even talk of a sequel. I’m already in line for it.
Project Hail Mary is currently playing in wide theatrical release.
FILM: PROJECT HAIL MARY
DIRECTED BY: PHIL LORD, CHRISTOPHER MILLER
WRITTEN BY: DREW GODDARD
STARRING: RYAN GOSLING, SANDRA HULLER, JAMES ORTIZ
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
After two weekends in release Project Hail Mary is already Amazon MGM’s highest grossing film ever. It’s made over $300 million at the global box office. That’s pretty impressive and it says a lot about what audiences want to see these days: quality, ORIGINAL material, with great special effects, and a likeable lead actor. That’s not asking for too much, is it?...
I read Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary several years ago. So, when I heard that the film adaptation was being made I was excited about it even though, with my aging memory, I had forgotten most of the details of the book. In a nutshell, the story follows Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, a science teacher forced into a space mission which has as its goal to save Earth from a mysterious substance that is killing the sun. The film begins with Grace waking up years after he entered space only to find he is the sole crew member left to complete the mission. He ends up meeting an alien, which Grace calls Rocky because of his rock-like appearance, that has no face and is on its own ship attempting the same goal. This isn’t a war between aliens and humans though, rather it is a warm bond between fellow beings in the universe that work together to save the galaxy.
Andy Weir, by the way, is the same author who wrote The Martian which became a big hit starring Matt Damon back in 2015. I was less enthused about that film than I am about Project Hail Mary. The new film works partially because it may be even more accessible than The Martian. Part of this has to do with Ryan Gosling. His charm and charisma carry the film from start to finish. There’s nothing to not like about how he portrays Grace as it brings out all of his best qualities. His connection and rapport with the alien is one for the ages. They become friends and, through a computer, are able to speak to each other in an understandable way. Their bond forms the soul of the film and strengthens the conceit of doing something for the greater good of the universe over personal gain.
Before meeting the alien, Grace is in a state of confusion trying to figure out just what he needs to do now that the rest of the crew is gone. Shots are appropriately claustrophobic inside the ship where Gosling as Grace flails about clumsily and awkwardly (Grace was a teacher and not, as he says, an astronaut.) He may be the least likely man in space that we’ve seen on screen in decades. He’s as disoriented there as we are watching him, which adds to the relatability of his character. From my own perspective, the layout of the ship is rather confusing and difficult to figure out but that clearly is the intent of its onscreen design.
When Grace meets Rocky (voiced and puppeteered by an excellent James Ortiz) the film becomes something of a buddy comedy. As they learn to speak to each other, the music references John Williams’s classic score from Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with its friendly and familiar musical motif. The connection between the characters allows for an ample amount of wit and humor making the film something significantly more entertaining than a dark science fiction tale. We grow as fond of Rocky as Grace does.
The narrative also flashes back to events which led to Grace being chosen for his role on the ship. Heading up the mission is Eva Stratt, played by Oscar nominated (Anatomy of a Fall) Sandra Huller who adds depth to a character that could have been one note. Eva knows what Grace offers and even has empathy for how this mission will affect him. She’s not cold-hearted but understands what’s at stake for the galaxy if the journey doesn’t happen.
The film is spectacular to look at too. The visual effects and production design are impressive, beautiful, and imaginative. Yet they never overpower the narrative which has much larger thematic ideas in mind. Expect these elements as well as the editing, to be recognized at next year’s Oscars.
I’m also impressed with the excellent music score by Daniel Pemberton which is fluid and diverse, offering sounds from across the globe (and universe?) It is also whimsical at times while effectively supporting the film’s more dramatic scenes.
There’s no question that Project Hail Mary is a crowd-pleasing film, some may even say to a fault (a friend of mine suggested it may be TOO PG 13.) But then, this kind of experience is why many people see films in the first place. One might leave with a lump in their throat as if they’ve just seen E.T. or The Wizard of Oz. There’s even talk of a sequel. I’m already in line for it.
Project Hail Mary is currently playing in wide theatrical release.