Review: Project Hail Mary “Heartfelt, and genuinely awe-inspiring”

End-of-the-world movies tend to wallow in doom and gloom, leaving audiences with a sense of dread and existential despair. Project Hail Mary, adapted from Andy Weir’s beloved novel, boldly defies that tradition, delivering a hopeful, charming, and utterly disarming buddy adventure set against the backdrop of a dying universe.

Ryan Gosling stars as Dr. Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher whose unconventional theories draw the attention of the world’s leaders as they scramble to prevent a catastrophe. The sun is dying, and without a solution, Earth will slowly freeze. Grace is recruited by the formidable Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), head of the Hail Mary Project, who believes his unconventional way of thinking may be humanity’s last hope.

Project Hail Mary unfolds across a non-linear timeline, a structure that can often feel gimmicky or needlessly complex, but here it feels not just effective, but essential. When Grace wakes aboard the Hail Mary, he’s disoriented, with no memory of how or why he ended up alone in space. The flashbacks that gradually piece together his mission aren’t just a stylistic choice; they mirror his own fragmented understanding of events. The result is a story in perfect balance, each scene ending on just enough of a revelation to pull you deeper into its layered, increasingly high-stakes mystery.

This may be the finest work of Ryan Gosling’s career. He brings a warmth and sincerity to Dr. Grace that makes him impossible not to root for, sustaining that charm throughout the film’s runtime without ever feeling forced. Much of that runtime is spent alongside Rocky, an alien he befriends and names, voiced by James Ortiz. Their unlikely friendship is the beating heart of the film, and what makes it so remarkable is that Rocky is a puppet — meaning Gosling spent the majority of his performance acting against thin air. To hold an audience’s attention for two and a half hours under those conditions is a genuine feat, and he does it effortlessly.

Project Hail Mary is a triumphant piece of filmmaking, entertaining, heartfelt, and genuinely awe-inspiring. Its world-building is stunning, feeling both visually gorgeous and completely tangible. The storytelling is endlessly compelling, and Gosling and Hüller bring remarkable depth to their roles. Audiences will fall hard for Rocky and the friendship at the story’s core. The one minor gripe: the film could have used a more sweeping, memorable score to match its emotional scale. But that’s a small complaint against something this special. Project Hail Mary is exactly the kind of film that reminds you why movies matter, a joyful, humane, and deeply moving space odyssey that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

Project Hail Mary is just AMAZE! AMAZE! AMAZE!