Project Hail Mary (2026)
Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Premise: Based on the book by Andy Weir. A microorganism is killing the sun. A scientist (Ryan Gosling) is sent into deep space to find a solution. Far from Earth, he encounters an extraterrestrial (voice of James Ortiz) on a similar mission.
What Works: Project Hail Mary is based on the novel by Andy Weir who also wrote The Martian which was adapted into the 2015 film. Project Hail Mary has a similar pitch and style as The Martian and it is similarly appealing. This is a science fiction adventure in which humanity’s survival rests on the competence of an unwitting scientist named Grace. It’s a familiar science fiction concept seen in Armageddon, Interstellar, and Sunshine. Project Hail Mary is distinguished by its humor and humanity. The film has a Spielbergian sensibility. It’s upbeat and hopeful but in a way that is earnest instead of hokey. Project Hail Mary runs 146 minutes but it speeds along. The plot consists of a series of tasks that must be overcome alternating with flashbacks to the mission prep. The nonlinear narrative structure softens the exposition and enhances the characterization. It’s revealed that Grace was an underachiever and not disposed to heroism. In his travels, Grace encounters an alien he names Rocky and the two of them must work together to complete their missions and save their people. The characterization of Rocky is impressive. He’s not humanoid. Rocky doesn’t even have a face and his body is spider-like but the filmmakers create a full and empathetic character. Ryan Gosling is the only human actor on screen for much of the movie but he commits to the material and the emotional connection between Rocky and Grace is totally convincing and involving. Also impressive is Sandra Hüller as the project director. This is a beautifully made film. Project Hail Mary has images of astronomical beauty and the score by Daniel Pemberton underlines the awe of space exploration and the emotional beats of the interpersonal story.
What Doesn’t: Throughout Project Hail Mary, Grace encounters complicated problems that would take a lot of time to solve but in every case he finds a quick solution. Grace awakens to find that the other astronauts have died. Grace was not trained to operate the spacecraft but he just figures it out. When Grace encounters Rocky he devises a ridiculously simplistic translator to turn the alien’s clicks and whistles into English. Later on, Grace must intercept Rocky’s spacecraft and somehow Grace knows where to find him. Science fiction stories are often built on implausible conceits but these leaps in logic and credibility are inconsistent with the rest of the film. Fortunately, Project Hail Mary moves along so fast and is so emotionally engaging that the filmmakers mostly overcome these inconsistencies.
Bottom Line: Project Hail Mary is a superb piece of sci-fi entertainment. Aspects of the storytelling may be implausible but the film succeeds emotionally without feeling cloying or manipulative. The movie leaves the viewer with a sense of humanity and wonder.
Episode: #1093 (April 5, 2026)