Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Project Hail Mary is a brilliantly kaleidoscopic experience unlike anything else in recent years. It’s not only a worthy adaptation of Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, but it might even be better, providing the kind of medium that feels finely suited for a story like this. Since Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, we haven’t had a space-centric film that isn’t Star Wars or Dune deliver this much gravitas in its simplicity. In other words, it’s everything you want a sci-fi blockbuster to be.
Movies like Project Hail Mary aren’t always my cup of tea because I prefer the idea of established life in space (think: The Expanse), rather than a human being on a mission, but my claustrophobia wasn’t at all activated during, so I’m personally taking that as a win because I would’ve hated to miss out on the shimmering IMAX experience I had. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it’s the movie that makes it a worthwhile, wildly unforgettable journey.
Ryan Gosling is always exceptional, and there hasn’t been a movie of his that isn’t seamless to appreciate, but the full range of emotions he conveys in Project Hail Mary is unlike anything we’ve seen him in. Equal parts funny and delightfully warm, everything about the role of Dr. Ryland Grace feels tailor-made for him as an actor. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else filling his shoes, and there are a number of charming actors just like Gosling in the industry. And while the heart that Gosling conveys isn’t revolutionary or excessively unique, it’s lovely and inimitable in a manner that effectively grounds the movie.
Factoring all of this in, the end result is the exact type of movie we need when the state of the world is as dire as it is, providing the necessary hope to believe that maybe we aren’t as doomed as we think. That despite the circumstances, people will make the necessary choices to protect this world from all the ways we’ve simultaneously mucked it up. (Feels like it’d be a crime not to take this opportunity and scream: STOP USING AI. YOU’RE DESTROYING OUR PLANET.) In addition, the hope that the film conveys in its relatively straightforward message makes science accessible and easy to understand, even for those who might not have the best memory of all that we once learned in school.
And, of course, a space film wouldn’t be as endearing without some sort of alien creature for us to latch onto, so everything that we get with Rocky comes to life exquisitely on the screen. It adds the wholesome levity needed to grapple with the unknown, even if we know what’s coming based on the source material. In non-franchise films like this, bonds between opposites like Grace and Rocky typically wouldn’t feel as believable, yet this is again where Gosling’s expertise as an actor lies because he ensures that we feel everything his character does.
He supplies us with all the emotions necessary to understand just what’s at risk, and why he grows to make different choices than the ones that were made for him back on Earth. Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, James Ortiz, and the whole cast also deliver fantastic performances in the brief moments we spend with them (save for Ortiz’s voice acting), making their characters incredibly memorable.
Ultimately, it’s not every sci-fi blockbuster that’s suitable for all distinct members of an audience, but Project Hail Mary is undoubtedly special in that regard. As critics, we say this often, but it’s especially true here: it’s a movie made to be seen on the big screen, with remarkable performances and noteworthy special effects that soar to new heights. You’ve never seen a film set in space that’s this beautiful. I’m calling it kaleidoscopic for a reason because most of us remember what it was like to look through a kaleidoscopic for the first time and experience the bursts of shapes and colors. To momentarily believe in magic and something bigger than ourselves. To be in complete awe over what humanity is capable of creating and how brightness can be healing.
The profoundly honest themes that all our planets are worth saving and friendships are to be cherished aren’t rare, but in a year like 2026, it’s the type of simple reassurance that sticks the landing beautifully. It’s exactly what we need, and as an indescribably visual treat, the movie gorgeously evokes an unparalleled feeling of hope.
Project Hail Mary is now playing in theaters.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Amazon MGM Studios