Project Hail Mary – Movie Review (4/5)

PROJECT HAIL MARY is a 2026 Sci-Fi Adventure about saving the planet. A truly epic adventure about friendship and science with Ryan Gosling at his most charming and endearing. Don’t think the 157-minute runtime means this is slow-burn, because it definitely isn’t. Read our full Project Hail Mary movie review here!

PROJECT HAIL MARY is nothing short of an Epic Sci-Fi Adventure starring Ryan Gosling. It begins in the future on board a spaceship, where we follow Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), but we will ultimately learn how he ended up there. After all, he isn’t an astronaut, he’s a science teacher at a middle school.

The first part of this sci-fi movie is all about setting the stage for what will ultimately be a movie about friendship and hope. It’s a very moving and heartfelt movie, but also an extreme thrill ride that should get your pulse going and keep you on the edge of your seat. The runtime is 157 minutes, and this isn’t too long. Not at all.

Continue reading our Project Hail Mary movie review below. Find it in theaters from March 20, 2026.

Give it your best shot

On the surface, Project Hail Mary may sound like something you’ve seen before; The very future of all life on Earth is threatened, and we (human beings) need to find an answer. Unlike some other movies, this isn’t a man-made problem, nor is it some inanimate object threatening to crash into the planet.

No, it’s actually much worse; Something is slowly killing our sun, which means life on Earth will soon change. Food will become scarce, and any weather-related issues we face now will soon become much worse.

So, while we may not be the cause of this current apocalypse, we must find and be the solution.

As a result, the world’s greatest minds collaborate, and astronauts will ultimately be sent on a mission to seek answers. Whether they succeed or not, life on this planet will continue in the meantime, but it will get much worse. This isn’t a quick fix, but we still need to stop the sun-killers from winning.

And yes, I am purposely refraining from stating any details. I loved letting the story unfold, so I suggest allowing the movie the same courtesy by avoiding spoilers.

Ryan Gosling is perfectly cast

In the absolute lead role as the science teacher, Ryland Grace, we have Ryan Gosling, and he is perfectly cast in this movie. He is charming and endearing, has no need to be a hero, but will be brave when someone needs him. At the beginning of Project Hail Mary, he wakes up on a spaceship with no memory.

He doesn’t even know who he is himself, so we get to know him as he slowly remembers details and realizes what his mission is.

What makes everything come together is a friendship with someone very unexpected. And he will need all the help he can get if he is to save Earth from extinction. The friendship Dr. Grace finds is with an extra-terrestrial, who will (somewhat indirectly) be voiced by James Ortiz, who was also perfect.

Also in the cast in key roles are Sandra Hüller (The Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall) as Eva Stratt, who is in charge of Project Hail Mary, and Lionel Boyce (The Bear, Shell) as Carl, who ends up helping Ryland Grace with much of his work on Earth before the mission begins. Plus, we have Milana Vayntrub (Werewolves Within) and Ken Leung (Old) as two astronauts handpicked for the mission.

Pay attention to the details

Fans of various iconic sci-fi movies will have a lot of references (almost Easter Egg-style in some cases) to look out for. These include both Alien and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (and yes, this movie has a lovely Spielberg vibe).

Obviously, the solitude of this one person on a spaceship also made me think of Moon (2009) and Spaceman, though those are very different in tone and style.

Overall, just pay attention to the details. I am certain I’ll catch much more than I did when I watch it again. And yes, I will definitely watch it again. Not least to hear Sandra Hüller sing Harry Styles again. A surprising, but very efficient, and extremely moving moment in the movie.

Watch Project Hail Mary in theaters

This new epic sci-fi adventure about the survival of the universe comes from the Academy Award® winning filmmakers Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. They won the 2019 Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. These are the two directors of Project Hail Mary, which you should have no problem recognizing. Especially, the heart they bring to both movies.

Project Hail Mary is based on Andy Weir’s New York Times best-selling novel, which I have not read, but watching this movie made me want to. This, in itself, is always a good sign that the story is strong on its own. The screenplay is by Drew Goddard, who previously wrote the screenplay for The Martian (2015). And yes, that screenplay was also based on a novel by Andy Weir.

Drew Goddard even got an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay for that one, so they are quite the winning combination!

Genre fans will also recognize the name Drew Goddard as the writer of the iconic found-footage horror sci-fi that launched a franchise: Cloverfield (2008) and the amazing 2011 horror niche hybrid The Cabin in the Woods, which he also directed. Also, I have to mention that he co-wrote the 2013 World War Z screenplay.

If you love sci-fi movies about overcoming terrible odds, making sacrifices, and being brave for those around you, then Project Hail Mary is an absolute must-watch.

Project Hail Mary is out exclusively in Theaters (and filmed for IMAX) from March 20, 2026.

Details

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Screenplay by: Drew Goddard
Based on the novel by: Andy Weir
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Priya Kansara