PROJECT HAIL MARY

Directors
Phil Lord
Chris Miller

Starring
Ryan Gosling
James Ortiz
Sandra Hüller

In the not too distant future, a lone astronaut wakes on a ship impossibly far from home, suffering from amnesia. The man in questions is Dr Ryland Grace [Gosling], and he is on a mission to travel to the only star that isn’t affected by something called the Petrova Line; a stream of microscopic dots that are essentially eating our sun. The mission is Earth’s last hope. Thankfully, Grace isn’t alone for long, as he makes contact with an alien engineer that he affectionately dubs Rocky [Ortiz]. Through flashbacks we learn more about Grace and his qualities, while the unlikely duo work together to save all life.

Throughout this movie, there is an enduring charm and optimistic sense of human exceptionalism that should be (but thankfully isn’t) obnoxious and grating. It takes the same uplifting position and focus on the power of human spirit that we saw in The Martian and doubles down on the importance of cooperation. It evokes truly 80s Spielbergian vibes and offers a heartwarming, thrilling, fun, escapist fantasy about working together to survive. All of which is helped with the bubbling sentiment of rising above your supposed station and locking into the great motivational sentiment of “finding someone to be brave for.”

In an age where cinema is struggling to attract audiences, there are a handful of movies that really benefit from a cinematic watch. This is undoubtedly one of them. A sheer spectacle piece, with visually playful direction and subtly beautiful cinematography. Which is a little odd as we’re used to a more grandiose presence from Greig Fraser but there’s a contained, straightforward beauty throughout. And, of course, a huge part of this movie not coming off like an unbearably tense horror film, is the joyous score from Daniel Pemberton. Sure, it feels like a bit of an amalgam of his other works, from delicate themes in Steve Jobs to the big thundering energy of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, but it all comes together to lift the film, rather than overtake or outshine it.

It’s quite difficult to discuss the nature of performances without spoiling certain developments or aspects of the movie. But there are essentially three core blocks. The first is Sandra Hüller as project leader Eva Stratt. In truth, very little is actually asked of Hüller, yet she injects a maturity and sobriety that her station and responsibility embody. Next we have Ryan Gosling. There are probably only a handful of minutes in this movie where you aren’t watching him perform in one way or another; and that is a lot to ask of any actor. It requires a stamina of charm that many struggle with, because eventually their persona starts to grate. Mercifully, Gosling is delightfully cast, and fits the bill with ease. However, it’s worth noting that this entire enterprise would fall apart without Rocky. This is a movie driven by an actor projecting his heart and soul through a puppet. Through a combination of practical puppetry, subtle CGI, and some carefully reserved line delivery, Ortiz is able to bring Rocky to life to produce a sincerely wonderful odd couple dynamic.

In a way, Project Hail Mary is Nolan’s Interstellar for your soul – rather than trying to over-intellectualise, it leans into the emotion and just keeps the dopamine coming. And subsequently, its simplicity actually ends up very rewarding. Admittedly, there are few surprises yet every development remains triumphantly enjoyable. Sure, you could absolutely tear it down for the pseudo-science nonsense, Grace’s impenetrable plot armour, that obstacles are ultimately mild inconveniences, that the film is agonisingly predictable and formulaic, or the endless quipping, not to mention the implications of supposedly every star in our known galaxy potentially dying. But honestly, none of that matters because the investment in the characters and their mission supersedes all sense of critical scrutiny. In other words, you want them to win. Logic be damned. This is an experience of the heart, not the head.

To close out this review, I’d like to highlight that movies aren’t released in a vacuum. They can be a reflection of our times, our fears, and our aspirations. Often they’re ahead of their time, sometimes they’re nostalgic for calmer days. But Project Hail Mary is a prime example of a feel-good film loaded with positivity and hope that we have been so lacking, and deserves to be a phenomenal success in truly grim times. Is that enough to elevate it from a 4/5 to a 5/5? Absolutely.

Release Date:
20 March 2026

The Scene To Look Out For:
**Spoilers**
As stated above, there is almost nothing in this movie that will surprise anyone with the slightest semblance of pattern recognition or critical analysis of plot design. But it doesn’t make those moments any less fulfilling. Case in point, Grace hides from Rocky that he is on a one-way trip. There simply isn’t enough fuel for him to return, so he has resigned himself to his fate. Finally learning this, Rocky offers Grace the fuel he needs to get back home. It’s obvious, it’s rudimentary, and it’s manipulative emotional writing. But it doesn’t matter because the execution delivers exactly what you want and need, at the perfect moment.

Notable Characters:
At the start of the movie, Grace awakes to find his two crew-mates are dead. It’s never really explained how, and in all honesty, it doesn’t matter. And with his amnesia, he can’t have an emotional moment because he simply doesn’t remember them. Granted, they’re on a suicide mission and they were prepared to meet their end, but it’s still a weirdly unceremonious role that the film glides over a few times. And, most notably, Grace never has to actually come to terms with any of it. Which is, a bit emotionally lazy. But then, in a two and a half hour movie, where would you cram it in?

Highlighted Quote:
“This is first contact with alien life outside of– Oh. It died.”

In A Few Words:
“An undeniably heartwarming, inspirational blockbuster.”

Total Score: 5/5

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