‘Project Hail Mary’ Review: Ryan Gosling Space Epic Is an Instant Sci-Fi Classic

Hail Mary Project is the last Andy Weir attached to go to the big screen. The film, based on Weir’s 2022 novel of the same name, was written by Drew Goddard (Daredevil, The Martian) and directed by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseby Phil Lord and Chris Miller and is scheduled to hit theaters on March 20. Ryan Gosling plays a school teacher who finds himself thrust into an impossible scenario. He has flown into space to repair a mysterious anomaly that threatens the future of Earth’s existence.

If the idea that humanity’s destiny lies in the hands of an ill-equipped underdog who must travel to space to accomplish the impossible sounds familiar, it should. You’ve seen a similar story unfold in a handful of science fiction filmssuch as Armageddon, Deep Impact and Moonfall.

It’s a cinematic trope that I’m sick of. Yet, to my great joy, the Hail Mary Project achieves this.

Before continuing, please note: there are Major story spoilers below.

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The Hail Mary Project is a set of moving parts that, if poorly balanced, could easily plunge into the cheesy space adventure arena where the above examples reside. However, everything works, and brilliantly. And the success of this high-stakes, hilarious and heartfelt story rests largely on Ryan Gosling’s performance as science teacher Ryland Grace.

Most of the work Gosling does in this film is self-contained, reminiscent of Matt Damon in The Martian and Sam Rockwell in Moon. Gosling carries the Hail Mary project for the simple reason that he flies mostly solo throughout the film. This can be a daunting affair for an actor, given the limitations of the setting and lack of a reliable scene partner, but Gosling doesn’t falter as Grace.

It is in his solitude that the emotional foundation of the film lies. Aside from the fact that there’s an impending disaster involving a star-eating amoeba, it’s the terribly goofy nature of Gosling’s Grace that makes the Hail Mary project entirely plausible. Yet is this the case? Don’t ask me. It’s not important.

Through flashbacks, we get a number of necessary back stories about why Grace is alone in the spaceship, her qualifications as a molecular biologist, and the lonely nature of her existence outside of her job teaching high school students.

I should probably mention that Project Hail Mary is also a film about first contact. This was written as a major twist in the book and was a point revealed in the trailer, which upset many readers. That said, knowing that there would be an alien in the film did not diminish my viewing experience in any way. In fact, it accentuated it.

All you have to do is a quick internet search to see reviews comparing the film to ET the Extra-Terrestrial. These comparisons are not false. The Hail Mary Project is fueled by an Amblin type of wonder that drives the story forward.

It is important to note that the relational component that flourishes in the space is the catalyst that pushes Grace to evolve from an eccentric outsider to a focused hero.

It takes a while to get to the alien encounter and the friendship story that follows, and, in an effort to keep at least part of this aspect of the story a surprise, I’ll just say that it takes real talent to infuse a seemingly inanimate object with humanistic emotions and empathy.

On a related note: The Hail Mary Project managed to make me cry on a rock.

Gosling may do the heavy lifting in this film, but a cast of supporting characters come into play in the backstory clips, which add color and context to the story. Sandra Hüller’s Eva Stratt, the solemn scientist who enlists Grace in the top-secret project, is the perfect foil to Gosling’s sloppy jokes.

Lionel Boyce from The Bear is also a delight. He gives Grace a sort of buddy to bond with in the government sequences. Let’s not forget James Ortiz, the puppeteer and voice of the aforementioned alien, who is absolutely Grace’s best alien friend.

I’ve talked a lot about character and performance, which is necessary for this review, given how high the emotional stakes are here. These two elements make the galactic adventure and potential global disaster well-deserved details of the story. Considering this is a film set in space, I haven’t even mentioned the outstanding visual effects.

On this side, Project Hail Mary presents spectacular sequences. I saw the film on a gigantic IMAX screen, which may be why I found the scenes set outside the ship so fascinating. Gosling doesn’t jump ship too often, but when his character goes on a spacewalk or attempts to collect the star-eating creatures I mentioned earlier, the movie appears on a whole new level.

When it comes to space adventures involving otherworldly creatures, the danger usually seems palpable and menacing. Project Hail Mary doesn’t lean that way, which is an exciting genre shift. Yes, this is a high-stakes science fiction story, but it goes against the grain by keeping the magic and wonder of science at the forefront.

Above all, the Hail Mary Project is about the power of love and friendship – and I don’t know about you, but I think that’s something we need a lot more of right now.