When I think of science fiction, I always think of spaceships and aliens. I grew up reading science fiction so I love the traditional elements. This film has all of those elements but it has something more, it is full of hope, hope for the future and hope that we can work together to achieve that future. If you watch one film this year, I hope you will watch Project Hail Mary. Not only is it some of Ryan Gosling’s finest acting but it is a film about friendship and cooperation in the most unusual of places and I think it can teach us a thing or two.
Project Hail Mary is a science fiction adventure movie produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Drew Goddard based on a 2021 novel by Andy Weir. In the movie, scientist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up from an induced coma in outer space with no memory of how he got there or even who he is, the sole survivor of three. As he eventually comes to learn, through flashes of memory and through exploration, he is in the Tau Ceti system in an attempt to save Earth’s sun from star eaters called astrophage. A government agent, Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller), approached Grace, then a teacher and former molecular biologist to assist. The space ship used astrophage as fuel for the trip but it is a one way trip with no way for Grace to get back. As he is getting his bearings, he is confronted with an alien ship made of solid xenonite from 40 Eridani with an alien being he names Rocky (James Ortiz) inside. Grace constructs a translation program and the pair find a way to work together to save each other’s worlds. The film also stars Lionel Boyce as security guard Carl, Ken Leung as Yáo Li-Jie, a crewmember of the Hail Mary and Milana Vayntrub as Olesya Ilyukhina, another crewmember.
This film is a highlight of hope and cooperation. Many science fiction films illustrate the dangers of alien life and how dangerous outer space can be but this one flips the script on those ideas. It is still dangerous as Grace doesn’t have astronaut training but with the help of Rocky and his knowledge, the pair find a way to work together to overcome the obstacles they face. Along the way, Grace learns about sacrifice and bravery. What is truly wondrous about this film is the unusual and endearing friendship between Grace and Rocky in dangerous and difficult circumstances. And yet the pair still come together to do what they must for the good of their people.
One of the unusual features of the film is the way Grace has to recover his memories piece by piece. He starts out alone, the other two astronauts dead and through flashbacks, he slowly learns why he is there and what his mission is. It is only toward the end of the film that we discover why he in particular was sent up in the ship. His knowledge of molecular biology and his willingness to be curious about Rocky is why he is able to forge a bond with something truly different from himself. That same ability allows him to understand the astrophage and to come up with a plan to defeat the creatures killing Earth’s sun. The story of Grace and how he handles both Rocky and space is thrilling and compelling.
The performance by Ryan Gosling is one of his finest to date. Even though a majority of the film is him by himself or acting with Rocky, he still manages to infuse his performance with a wonderful range of emotion, giving us a powerful performance. He is phenomenal. The other performers are excellent, especially James Ortiz as the voice of Rocky. Sandra Huller as Eva is emotional and her character is driven by survival, by empathy and a willingness to tackle the hard truths of what Earth needs to do to survive. The other performers add depth and skill to the film. 
This is a brilliant film with realistic portrayal of the science needed for a ship designed for a long trip. It incorporates science like centrifuge to simulate gravity, a design I’m familiar with from other books. The difficulties and the solutions involved are all believable. Even though the film is long, I found myself thoroughly engaged the entire time and enjoying the friendship between this unlikely pair. Ryan Gosling and Rocky captivate your attention and I was left with a sense of hope that if we cooperate, Earth can find a way out of the issues that it faces today.
If you like films full of hope, science fiction adventure that is believable but has solutions for difficult times, this film is for you. Bonus is Ryan Gosling simply shines as Grace in this movie. He delivers an emotional performance with humorous moments and a character that faces hard decisions. Rocky is delightful and James Ortiz gives us a great vocal performance. This movie is a must see.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
Leave a Reply