“Project Hail Mary” A Visually Stunning, Must See Film
- Matt Palmer
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
“Project Hail Mary” is a science fiction novel by American writer Andy Weir “(“The Martian”) published on May 4, 2021. The novel received generally positive reviews and was a finalist for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel. As of March 2026, the novel has been featured in the New York Times best-seller list for 40 weeks in a row.
Now, the highly acclaimed Andy Weir novel makes its way to the big screen and is already on my favorites list of the year!
Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is and how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out.
He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction … but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.
Like I already stated, “Project Hail Mary” is already one of my favorite films of the year! The incredible film adaptation of the Andy Weir novel delivers a great performance from Ryan Gosling, some of the best visual effects I have recently seen in a film and a truly heartfelt story.
Before I get into more thoughts of the film, I really have to give a big shout out to the incredible visual effects. Believe it or not, this film was done with the use of ZERO green screens and the filmmakers used practical effects and an LED 360 degree digital wall for the space scenes. With how the visuals look, it really reminded me of the films from the 70s and 80s that took place in space and everyone involved really pulled it off!
The alien character, Rocky, was brought to life via a physical puppet, which creates a believable presence on screen. The cinematography effectively captures the awe of space travel and hard science, which is a mix of “Interstellar” and nostalgic 70s/80s sci-fi aesthetics in a way. Also the combination of the intricate detailed set design, lighting and the amazing cinematography creates a fully realized world that made the intense, lonely and wondrous aspects of the story so believable.
The film effectively uses flashbacks to keep the overall story moving and helps break the tension of some of the space mission scenes. The effective use of the flashbacks actually creates a deeply emotional and sometimes thrilling narrative structure that also mirrors Grace’s recovering memory. In these flashbacks, we see how the mission came to be and some of the people on the ground that are involved with this mission.
The heartwarming and unexpected friendship between Ryland Grace and Rocky (the alien) is honestly the most memorable aspect of this film. The genuine, emotional connection that develops between the two provides the story its emotional core, especially since the two have something in common - protecting their own worlds from this unknown micro-organism.
Their interactions together, filled with some witty banter and technical problem-solving, almost feels like a buddy comedy of sorts as it provides both humor and warmth to the plot. Rocky is also one of the best parts of the film as this alien character ends up becoming more of a charming, intelligent and crucial partner rather than the typical sidekick.
“Project Hail Mary” is a highly praised, emotionally resonant space epic that brilliantly combines hard science with a heartfelt “bromance” between Grace and Rocky. The film can also be seen as an “intergalactic home run” that focuses on finding joy and hope in science and companionship, making it a standout entry in modern science fiction.
Cast: Ryan Gosling (Ryland Grace); Sandra Huller (Eva Stratt); James Ortiz (Rocky); Lionel Boyce (Carl); Milana Vayntrub (Olesya Ilyukhina); Ken Leung (Yao); Mia Soteriou (Dr. Browne); Maya Eva Hosein (Rekha)
Writer/director: Drew Goddard (writer) (ABCs High Potential; Bad Times at the El Royale; The Martian; World War Z; The Cabin in the Woods); Andy Weir (based on the novel by); directing duo (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (directors) (22 Jump Street; 21 Jump Street; The Lego Movie; producers of the Spider-Verse movies)
MPA: Rated PG-13 for some thematic material and suggestive references (runtime 156 minutes)
Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook for any trivia bits of the movies that I check out and any upcoming review line-ups that I have planned coming up!
The scene where Eva Stratt sings karaoke was not in the original script. Ryan Gosling overheard Sandra Hüller singing between takes and asked her to perform for the movie just 48 hours before filming that scene. Hüller agreed and selected "Sign of the Times" as her song.
One of the credits for "Rejected Rocky Voice" is Ray Porter, the narrator of the English language version of the Project Hail Mary audio book.
Ryan Gosling was the only choice for Grace and was signed on after the book rights were bought in 2021.
Andy Weir sold the book's film rights to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in early 2020 for $3 million.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are attached to direct another Andy Weir film adaptation, Artemis, and an original movie written by Weir.
Rocky's computerized voice is provided by his lead puppeteer, James Ortiz.
Ryan Gosling's character jokingly taps on glass to a mimicking alien, and hums along the famous synth keyboard tones heard in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
Became the first ever film to premiere in the stratosphere. A bespoke IMAX display was sent into space that played footage from the film.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's first live action film as directors since 22 Jump Street (2014), and their first live action directorial venture together since their firing from Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
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