There are movies, and then there are experiences. Project Hail Mary, based on the 2021 novel of the same name, falls in the latter category. Directed by duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and starring Ryan Gosling, this is a film that aims to bring back that old school, hopeful sense of escapism. While not perfect, the film at the very least succeeds at that, and is sure to bring plenty of moviegoers back to the theater for an unforgettable adventure.
Project Hail Mary tells the story of a man named Ryland Grace who wakes up from a coma on a spacecraft. At first, he is unsure of where he’s at and how he got there, but the memories eventually start coming back. He’s a middle school science teacher and former molecular biologist who was recruited by the government to study a microorganism known as Astrophage, which is responsible for the Sun’s dimming. If not stopped, the Sun’s dimming will result in a catastrophic global cooling of the Earth within thirty years. Grace also learns that he is the sole survivor of a three-person crew on board, light years away from Earth. The mission, known as Project Hail Mary, is basically a suicide mission: there’s only enough fuel for a one-way trip to Tau Ceti, the only undimmed nearby star. The spacecraft carries probes to send the crew’s findings back to Earth. However, as Grace approaches Tau Ceti, he comes into contact with a rock-like alien whom he names “Rocky.” Not alone anymore, Grace and Rocky work together to save the solar system.
First things first, it is pretty obvious that this film was made with a ton of love and respect for the source material. Everything from the cinematography, editing, costumes and special effects is top notch. All of this combined really pulls the viewer into the world and provides a complete sense of escapism. And it does so with an honest, hopeful tone that harkens back to the old school days of sci-fi adventures such as E.T. Even though the film’s plot is bleak to an extent, I left the theater feeling hopeful and even interested in reading the novel. When a film is made with love, care, and respect for the craft, you can feel it.
The main star of the show is, of course, Ryan Gosling. I always thought Gosling was an underrated actor. His work lately, however, probably doesn’t qualify him as underrated anymore. He gives yet another solid performance here, which is important considering he’s practically in every scene. There aren’t many other characters in this film, so it demanded a solid lead performance, and Gosling delivered as usual.
My only real complaint with the movie is that the pacing felt off at times. I think it slowed down too much at certain points, and towards the end it seemed like it didn’t know when to end. There were multiple times when I thought the film was coming to a conclusion, only for it to go on for longer. Maybe that’s how the book actually is, so perhaps this is due to the limitations faced when doing a book-to-film adaptation, as certain things don’t always translate well from page to screen. Even so, the filmmakers probably could’ve trimmed about 10-15 minutes off its 156-minute runtime, and it likely would’ve resulted in better pacing.
Ryan Gosling recently said something that stuck out to me. When visiting a screening of Project Hail Mary, he said to the audience “It’s not your job to keep theaters open. It’s our job to make things that make it worth you coming out.” I saw that quote before my screening of the film, and after watching it, it rings even more true. It isn’t a coincidence that Project Hail Mary is doing well both critically and financially. It’s because it’s made by people who cared enough to make it worth coming to see. At the end of the day, that’s all we can really ask for.
Rating: 4/5
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