When it comes to crafting a thrilling, endearing and compelling space adventure, trust the writing combination of Drew Goddard and Andy Weir to strike gold. Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace, a science teacher sent on an interstellar mission to uncover the key to saving Earth’s sun… encountering an unlikely ally along the way.
So much of this film came as a complete surprise to me; not only in terms of the narrative but also in its tone. It’s a grand, science-heavy space adventure that’s ripe with emotional character arcs and harbours a lot more comedy than anticipated. While it’s described as a sci-fi epic, it’s also accurately referred to as a buddy comedy, which is where the presence of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller is at its most valuable. They’ve executed this project with a very clear, balanced tone in mind and accurately nailed it across every single facet of the film. It boasts a flawless balance of heart, humour and smarts; a tone not typically seen within space odysseys of this scale. Its ability to be endearing, silly and seriously intelligent all at the same time is astonishing, and it also maintains that tone consistently for over 2.5 hours.
My enjoyment of this film comes from many places, but predominantly stems from the tone and overall energy of the film. It had me laughing, deep in the feels and on the edge of my seat at various moments through all three acts. It knows exactly when to leverage each emotion; having fun when needed and reining it in during key thrill-seeking sequences. For all of these reasons it’s an absolute blast that had me entirely hooked and enthralled in every single moment. It’s a space adventure that’s exceptionally well-paced too; I spent the entire 2.5-hour runtime hoping that it would never end thanks to how much fun I was having following the narrative’s central characters. Also at no point is the length a burden; it utilises every minute to either push the story forward, develop characters or provide good laughs. It’s never slow nor frantic, moving through its main beats with an appropriate sense of urgency.
Going into this movie having not seen a single trailer and knowing nothing about the story had me skeptical of Ryan Gosling’s casting as he doesn’t really scream “astronaut” to me. However having now seen the film, I’m convinced Gosling is the perfect casting for this narrative and character. He flawlessly embodies the tone I outlined above; effectively enhancing every comedic beat and tugging on those heart strings with his charm and wit. He’s so good in fact that I’d hazard to say the movie wouldn’t be remotely as impactful without him. His energy, much like the film’s, is infectious and I was immediately in his corner within a couple of minutes of being introduced.
Gosling isn’t the only star; he shares the spotlight with an alien who constantly and consistently steals the show, capturing the heart of the film and ironically bringing the humanity. The chemistry these two share bleeds through every single scene. Every moment in which we see them interact is a joy to watch, leading to a plethora of memorable scenes and quotable lines. As much as this is a film about solving an interstellar space problem, the aforementioned relationship is the element that takes centre stage and had me the most enthralled. Gosling and his alien friend, voiced by James Ortiz, had me in tears and hysterics as they embarked on their adventure.
One element that can’t be overlooked is how much of a visual spectacle this film is. The grand shots of deep space, otherworldly planets and space phenomena are utterly breathtaking. There’s a spectacular sense of scope, scale and beauty when showing off the interstellar locations, but honestly what’s sometimes even more impressive are the interior shots. The use of practical sets really grounds the film, even when dealing with environments not of our planet. A number of shots set inside our spaceship are arguably some of the most beautiful.
As much as this is a comedic work of art, there’s a science-focused element to the story that’s easy to consume and beautifully captivating. It doesn’t mull over hard-to-follow concepts and scientific lingo, but also doesn’t treat its audience like idiots. It’s a nice middle ground that adds authenticity and complexity to the film while not detracting from the sense of fun. There’s also the use of flashbacks to show the leadup to Ryland Grace embarking on this trip, and I’d say they use the perfect number of flashbacks. Every included flashback is there for a reason, adding context or enhancing the emotional impact of scenes to follow. There’s also not so many that it impacts the pace of the narrative, which I love.
In the end, Project Hail Mary turned from a film I had no expectations for into what will be one of the best of the year. It’s a space odyssey that’s as comedic as it is intense and emotional as it is dramatic; combining all of these themes to craft a wonderfully unique tone. The relationship at the centre of the film is mesmerising, hilarious and beautiful; exhibiting spectacular character development and showcasing how strong writing can turn the most unlikely of pairings into a duo that complement each other. Excelling in its writing, directing and cinematography, with a fantastic Ryan Gosling performance, this is one of the must-see films of 2026.
9.3/10
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