Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and based on the novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary follows Astronaut Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) who awakens on a spacecraft with no memory of himself or his mission, but he soon deduces he is the sole survivor of a crew sent to the Tau Ceti system to save Earth from an impending disaster. To do so, Grace must rely on his vast array of scientific knowledge, sheer ingenuity, and human will, but he learns he is not alone when he encounters an unexpected ally in the form of an alien named Rocky (James Ortiz).
I want to start off by fully admitting that I have never read the original novel that this film is based on by Andy Weir, but I am familiar with some of his other work, including The Martian, which I thought was a great novel that got adapted into a great film. This film caught my attention not only for the involvement of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller but also for the unique premise that seemed to set it apart from other sci-fi adventure stories I’ve seen over the years. So when I was given the opportunity to see it early in theaters I went for it, and I can honestly say this is not only one of the best films of this year so far but it is also one of the best sci-fi films I’ve seen in a long time that isn’t part of any major franchises.
Project Hail Mary is a masterful exploration of friendship and humanity set among the stars. It is a heartfelt, hilarious, and moving story that takes a very different approach to the sci-fi adventure genre, being a methodical character-driven narrative as opposed to being a generic action-packed thrill ride. I loved this film from start to end, and while I’m uncertain on how accurate it is to the source material I think everyone is going to love it regardless.
This film features a number of faces in its cast but it focuses majorly on a select few characters throughout the entire film with the most focus being put on the lead Dr. Ryland Grace, who is played masterfully by Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling has never failed to deliver incredible performances over the years and his performance as Ryland Grace is honestly another new favorite performance for me. He is able to deliver a great amount of hilarious humor but also manages to deliver an amazing amount of raw emotion and vulnerability as this character that really moved me in unexpected ways. He is socially awkward but he’s not an idiot. He is an intelligent scientist but still a relatable individual. There are many layers to Ryland that Ryan beautifully brings to life in his performance making for a truly compelling lead character.
Sandra Hüller plays a supporting role as the character Eva Stratt, Ryland’s superior and the head of the Hail Mary project, who I was at first worried was going to be some generic government character who’s sole purpose was to be the exposition tool to propel the plot along but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Sandra Hüller delivers her own beautiful performance full of raw emotion and humanity as a character who is bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders as she is trying to get Ryland to help with this world saving project. While she may not be a major focus in the film she ends up shining brightly in the moments she shares with Ryland whether they be humorous, emotional or even dramatic ones.
And then of course there is the alien that Ryland meets that he names Rocky, who comes in the second act of the film and makes the whole story infinitely better with his presence and the bond he forms with Ryland. Through amazing practical puppeteering and fun voice work by James Ortiz, Rocky is an instantly lovable alien that is extremely expressive even without a face. Just like Ryland, he is a very funny and smart character but it’s clear that he greatly struggles with loneliness after losing every one of his companions on his mission much like Ryland did on his.
The two come together to form a genuine and heartfelt connection born from shared loneliness, shared goals and a shared love for science that serves as the core of this story and it is absolutely magnificent. The bond between Ryland and Rocky highlights friendship, collaboration, and mutual understanding, proving that camaraderie can exist between completely different species, which can be seen as a highly relevant theme in today’s world. We have certainly seen plenty of human and alien pairings in films over the years but this one is guaranteed to be a new favorite for many people.
This film’s story is a slow burn narrative that is told out of chronological order and doesn’t take the traditional action driven route that most Sci-Fi adventure films these days tend to follow, especially with the unique turns this one takes. While there is a very high stakes mission that is present, the characters and themes are the main driving force of the story delivering hilarious humor and genuinely emotional heartfelt moments that make this film feel like a beautiful love letter to good sides humanity.
There was only one action scene in the entire film that was very thrilling and nail biting but I only felt investment in it after spending a lot of time with the characters first. There’s also a great theme regarding how memories can shape who we are that is told through the pre-mission flashbacks, as Ryland gradually remembers his past, discovering his own courage through the recovery of his past self that he never thought he would ever have. The writing of film’s story is honestly perfect as a whole but I will admit I did feel it did slightly drag in some places due to the pacing. While I do love slow burn films with great pay offs, which this film has plenty of, there were a number of times I felt some scenes and sequences could have been cut down just a little to make things run more smoothly. This is just a minor criticism though because overall I was so invested in the story I wasn’t too bothered by the pacing.
With this film taking place mostly in space a lot of technical elements were going to be involved, and thankfully all of it looks absolutely masterful. Every effect, practical and CGI, was clearly crafted to perfection especially for all of the sets, the puppeteering, the ships and the colorful cosmos that all look so beautiful through IMAX thanks largely in part to the cinematography created by the beloved Greig Fraser. His work in Rogue One and the Dune films have cemented him as a master of visual Sci-Fi in film and he continues to prove that with his gorgeous work in this film that fits wonderfully with Phil Lord & Christopher Miller’s unique directing style.
The sound editing for the space sequences is also extremely well done, knowing exactly when to switch from silence to noise at the right times allowing for both moments of awe and moments of occasional comedy. And of course this is the absolutely spectacular score by composer Daniel Pemberton, who many may know as the music magician of the Spiderverse films. Pemberton creates an audibly gorgeous score that matches with the emotions going on in every scene and dials up everything to make you feel more of an impact from those scenes in every way possible.
Having not read the novel I wasn’t certain if I was going love this film as much as others have who had read the novel but honestly I loved everything about this adaptation and it has easily become one of my new favorite Sci-Fi adventure films outside of existing franchises. Whether you are a fan of the book or not, I believe everyone is going to love this film when they see it and by they end they will be shouting “Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!” I’m going to give Project Hail Mary an A+ = 99.
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