Facing the dangers of space and unknown anomalies that seem to follow his ship, Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up with no recollection of who he is or was and where he is. Stars dim as an unknown substance feeds off their light. The sun of our solar system is dying quickly, and it’s all up to one man to find the cause, the cure and save the entire population from extinction.
This is the plot of Project Hail Mary, a film based on the novel written by Andy Weir published in 2021, interpreted into a sci-fi/survival thriller film, and follows science teacher turned astronaut Dr Ryland Grace. Grace is tasked with figuring out what the mysterious substance is eating the sun and to save earth as the protagonist finds an unlikely friend light years away from home.
The film stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller, Lionel Boyce, James Ortiz, and many more talented actors. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller note that during the script writing done by Drew Goddard, and production of Project Hail Mary. They wanted it to be a film that hit the audience to their core and drew out unsuspected emotions out of them.
Before the book was published in 2021, Ryan Gosling had already joined the project and was a big part of the film’s production. Notably, the producers used almost no green screen for the movie, instead relying on practical sets to create a more immersive environment. The visuals seen in the film were phenomenal, and the producers did an amazing job of making the novel come to life. Fans absolutely loved the film, knocking it out of the park in the first two weeks with a grossed $300.8 million worldwide in the first two weeks of its release in theatres!
James Ortiz who voiced Grace’s intergalactic friend Rocky, did an astonishing job with keeping the robotic voice and puppeting of the Eridian throughout the movie consistently and realistically. The relationship between the human and Eridian displayed felt real, showing their dependency on each other so far out in space, light years away from their homes. This film was a real tear jerker for fans of the book and new watchers, eliciting audible laughs, coos, and shrieks in theatres from young to older viewers. Having the audience on the edge of their seats and biting their nails during a particularly intense scene, coming back again for a second, or third viewing of the movie!
While some debated the accuracy of the unbalanced centrifuge and the characterization of Eva Stratt, fans say that they enjoyed the other 99% of the film and would definitely come back again, scoring a 95% on rotten tomatoes during its London premiere.
Overall, anyone could enjoy Project Hail Mary. Having gone back by myself twice, I strongly recommend seeing the movie. Personally, it’s a film I could watch over and over again for the rest of my life, and in my opinion, is by far one of the best movies coming out of 2026.
