Project Hail Mary is likely to be one of the best movies of 2026, but Hollywood producers are probably too dim to repeat the success anytime soon. Drew Goddard wrote the screenplay, which is an adaptation of Any Weir’s novel. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller share the directing duties quite effectively.
Ryan Gosling is in the lead role as science teacher Ryland Grace, who is recruited by a task force to determine why the Earth’s sun is dying. He learns of a one-way trip to space to determine what agent is killing their sun and why another star seems resistant to the phenomenon. Grace has woken up from an induced coma and finds that his two fellow travelers have died, and he is not alone. Not for too long because an extraterrestrial being who is later named Rocky has the same problem on his home planet, and the two sole survivors have to figure out how to communicate and work together to find the answers they need to stop the end of two worlds.
The film does bring to mind some of the other science fiction classics such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and other more cerebral types of cinematic experiences. It is a little slower and more ponderous than I would prefer, but it’s still worth the time.
Gosling did a great job as Dr. Ryland Grace.
Other cast members include Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt, Grace’s liaison and handler. James Ortiz voices the alien ally known as Rocky. Ken Leung and Lionel Boyce are also included. Everyone was cast quite well in their roles. I found Hüller’s performance to also be quite compelling. She is trying to keep her desperation under a tight rein, and it is played beautifully.
The film does follow the novel quite closely. It is a slow movie sometimes, but so is the book.
I don’t expect for Hollywood to suddenly become more consistent about releasing quality entertainment anytime soon, but Project Hail Mary is worth the price of admission
Reviews, Musings, and Other Things... 