The latest film by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, “Project Hail Mary” releases this weekend starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who gets assigned to a space mission in an effort to save the Earth’s sun from wiping out all of humanity. Along the way, Grace meets an alien, who he names Rocky.
By the Book
As read by the UNR Book Bee’s club last month, “Project Hail Mary” is a very well known book in the reading community, making this a highly anticipated film for many book lovers. Book-to-movie adaptations have been hit or miss recently, and with the original book being close to 500 pages and having an audiobook that is upward of 16 hours, the biggest question was how directors are going to fit all that information into a two-and-a-half-hour movie.
However, the fans have nothing to worry about because this is probably the most accurate adaptation since “The Hunger Games.” As expected, some plot points had to be cut or shortened, but the way in which they are done will leave fans of the book feeling content with the movie’s changes.
Although some of the science is cut short and the internal monologue is almost entirely erased, most of that was to be expected. The base lines of the plot and story are kept the same, allowing anyone who has read the book to relive a story they love in a new light.
The Good
This movie has been receiving nothing but glowing reviews for the past several weeks. It will likely be one of the top movies of the year, presumably making it to the Oscars with ease. The movie is captivating and engaging because of the direction, humor, heart, performances, story and technical aspects that are top-notch.
This film is a classic crowd-pleaser blockbuster that audiences are going to love. Locally, it was shown at the Galaxy Legends IMAX theater, and is truly worthy of the IMAX screen.
The reason the movie is able to work so well is due, in part, to the fantastic source material from Andy Weir’s book and his last book-to-screen adaptation “The Martian.” Weir has shown that he can write great sci-fi novels that translate equally well into captivating experiences film audiences enjoy.
This movie is going to draw a few comparisons to “The Martian” for obvious reasons; Both films are fantastic at telling a story that’s easy for the audience to digest, however, “Project Hail Mary” is different from “The Martian” because it’s more of a crowd-pleaser type of film whereas its predecessor has a more intense plot line.
In this movie, Grace is given the choice to go into space on a one-way trip to save Earth. This is a central concept that’s easy for the audience to immerse themselves in and decide what they would do if they were in his shoes. This key aspect is what makes for a great film and overall cinematic experience.
This film also works well because Gosling is fantastic in the lead role; although, that shouldn’t come as a surprise to most viewers, because when has he not been great?
This is the type of performance where the film lives and breathes on the shoulders of the main actor, and Gosling pulls through. A ‘jack of all trades’, Gosling portrays a character with so many emotions who is almost living two different lives; he’s the smart, nerdy scientist on Earth that audiences will see as an outcast in the science field and a confident hero when he’s in space. He also stays true to himself, which becomes increasingly difficult with the relapsing amnesia he experiences as the film goes on.
While having the movie star charisma that Gosling is known for, his performance in “Project Hail Mary” is going to be remembered as one of his best performances to date; it just might win him an Oscar. Gosling also has great chemistry with Rocky, his alien companion in this movie. The film is built around these two characters and their unique dynamic.
The other thing to talk about here is Lord and Miller as the film’s directors. There’s one sequence in the film that’s both tense and thrilling, revolving around retrieving space particles, that makes the directors Oscar-worthy based on that scene alone; the sequence in particular will put audiences on the edge of their seat as feelings of danger and suspense linger in the air. This movie is successful in adding conflict on top of conflict to the situation. The mix of editing and camera placement also assists in creating this incredible sequence that viewers won’t stop thinking about.
The film constantly includes these fantastic sequences that will evoke big emotions from viewers. Whatever the emotion portrayed, both the big, flashy sequences and the more intimate character scenes are what make this film shine. It shows how great directors such as these can create vastly different sequences that are still equally effective.
This movie’s cinematographer is Greig Fraser, who shot “Dune”, “The Batman” and many other great films. He’s a top cinematographer in today’s industry and every movie he shoots looks incredible. This film is no exception: it’s gorgeous and will be easy to compare to many other blockbusters. The shots in space are incredible and look like they just might have actually gone into space to shoot them.
The use of color throughout the film helps to constantly fill the screen with poster-worthy shots. The environments they explore are filled with shades of green and pink, and even the shots that show Gosling in the space craft with buttons being lit up around him looks incredible. Making the smaller sequences just as memorable as the action ones is what will pull audiences back into the theaters.
The film has a nice sharp sense of humor throughout it, with a couple of solid jokes in the first couple of minutes alone. The film’s humor continues until the credits roll, and so much of the humor comes from Gosling’s charm and charisma. Once Rocky joins the film, it brings in a new type of humor between these two creatures trying to communicate despite a barrier between them, both physically and verbally. In the middle of the film, there is a sequence where Grace and Rocky are trying to figure out Rocky’s voice that will definitely leave audiences laughing out loud.
The Bad
The only thing audiences might find discouraging is that the ending goes on for a bit too long. There’re multiple scenes towards the end that viewers will think is the end, but it just keeps going. This was one complaint readers also had from the book, so it is no surprise the film’s ending would elicit the same response. Every scene was intentional, but the way it was structured could’ve been handled differently. Nothing should’ve (or could’ve) been cut, but just like with the book, there could have been changes here and there to the ending.
Final Thoughts: Overall, “Project Hail Mary” is a fantastic film that’s going to be one of 2026’s best. Everything from Gosling’s performance, to the story, to the direction and cinematography made for an immersive experience. This film is 100% deserving to be seen on an IMAX screen or whatever the biggest screen near you is.
The Score: 9.4/10 (A)
