In ‘Project Hail Mary,’ saving the galaxy requires a hopeful, nerdy Ryan Gosling

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“Project Hail Mary” is a feel-good science fiction story that’s incredibly satisfying, like a classic comfort food. The story follows Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher, who wakes up with no memory on a spaceship and learns he’s Earth’s last hope. He jokingly laments his lack of skills, saying, “I can’t even moonwalk!”

Grace has no idea who this man is, and at first, he can barely speak. His voice is weak and scratchy after years in cryosleep, and when he tries to ask “Where am I?” it comes out as unintelligible sounds. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, known for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” then guided Gosling through intense physical acting. He starts by clumsily emerging from a futuristic sleeping pod, slowly progressing from helpless movements to fully standing, walking, and talking. At one point in this transformation, he briefly resembles a groggy, unwell Kurt Cobain.

Grace has hazy memories of the disaster on Earth. Tiny, dark particles called astrophage are consuming the energy of all the stars, including our sun, and will trigger a new ice age in about 30 years. To try and save humanity, a determined German commander, Eva (Sandra Hüller), sends a three-person international team on a one-way trip to the Tau Ceti system – the only place showing resistance to this cosmic plague. Their goal is to learn how Tau Ceti is surviving and send that information back to Earth. Unfortunately, Yáo (Ken Leung) and Olesya (Milana Vayntrub), the most experienced astronauts on the mission, died unexpectedly soon after launch.

Ryan Gosling’s character is smart, witty, inquisitive, and down-to-earth – much like Matt Damon’s role in “The Martian.” Both characters are a refreshing change from typical action heroes, and they have a lot in common. Both stories were adapted by Drew Goddard from novels by Andy Weir, and it shows that audiences enjoy science-focused adventures – especially when a popular actor brings a bit of a ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’ vibe to the role.

Similar to “The Martian,” “Project Hail Mary” is exciting because it avoids typical sci-fi tropes like lasers and dramatic medical emergencies. The story is designed to make readers feel clever, even if they don’t fully grasp the scientific details – you mainly just need to follow along with the main character’s progress and see if he’s doing well.

The ship’s AI, Mary (voiced by Priya Kansara), was intentionally designed to be quite simple. She mostly bothers Grace about shaving his beard and making video logs. As author Andy Weir pointed out in his book (also titled Project Hail Mary), she’s nothing like the sophisticated HAL 9000. Grace quickly discovers Mary isn’t much help – she’s about as useful as Siri – and ends up doing calculations by hand with a whiteboard marker.

Grace isn’t a particularly brilliant scientist. He’s just one of 347 biologists Eva tasked with figuring out this problem, and he’s confused about finding himself in this situation. The story has two main puzzles – why Tau Ceti is safe, and why Grace isn’t – and these are revealed through flashbacks that initially hold your attention. However, the connection between these puzzles feels weak, relying on us accepting that Grace, who is presented as a perfect person, has a believable flaw, which is difficult to do.

Ryan Gosling is captivating as the sole human character for a significant portion of the story. Eventually, his character, Grace, befriends Rocky, an alien who’s a five-legged, spider-like rock creature. Despite huge differences in biology and language – Rocky communicates through whale sounds and stomping – the two become friends. Rocky, brought to life by puppeteer James Ortiz, has a surprisingly funny personality – think a mix of a mineral and the comedic character Borat.

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“Project Hail Mary” is just as much about the connection between Grace and Rocky as it is about the science they use to try and save their worlds. They enjoy learning about each other’s cultures, even when Rocky, the alien, is a bit demanding or irritating – like when he complains about the smell of Grace’s spaceship. The book playfully points out that Rocky smells like cat urine, but the movie version leaves out that detail.

The movie relies heavily on making everything and everyone instantly appealing. Each character has a cute habit or a quirky piece of clothing – Grace, for example, wears both a nerdy science-themed shirt and a cat graphic tee. Even the serious character, Eva, has endearing habits like being addicted to coffee and surprisingly good at karaoke. There are moments between Eva and Grace that hint at a possible, but ultimately missing, romantic connection.

Thankfully, the story keeps a light and friendly tone. I dislike how many movies limit large-scale rescue missions to focus only on saving the hero’s loved one – that feels like favoritism, not compassion. “Project Hail Mary” does things differently, immediately connecting you to the story when Grace gives a speech honoring colleagues he doesn’t even remember. He’s thoughtfully examined their possessions to speak about them personally, and his genuine emotion is touching. It’s clear then that while Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” influenced the technology in the film, Lord and Miller aim to inspire kindness and a better humanity.

The story feels drawn out, partly because it has several possible conclusions. However, the directors deserve praise for consistently including realistic, everyday moments – they treat life with respect and don’t take it for granted. Instead of grand pronouncements about the world, they connect with viewers through small, relatable scenes, such as when Grace, still on Earth, goes to a hardware store with her guard (Lionel Boyce) and they playfully expense candy to the government.

Daniel Pemberton’s music perfectly matches the film’s adventurous spirit, playfully jumping between different musical styles. For example, a serious, church-like chant unexpectedly turns into a tango when the characters’ spaceships connect. While the score is unusually diverse, it’s a welcome change from typical science fiction soundtracks that simply try to sound epic. The film’s visuals are equally impressive, showcasing the breathtaking beauty of the Tau Ceti system with stunning displays of purple light.

“Project Hail Mary” is a fun, lighthearted story that avoids creating intense drama. It’s a feel-good novel that doesn’t take big risks with tension. While much science fiction explores how human problems like social inequality and environmental damage follow us into space, this book focuses on the challenges faced by a lone astronaut. The story cleverly highlights that when you’re on your own, your only battle is with the situation itself, not with interpersonal conflicts.

Despite knowing he’s facing certain death, Grace discovers a surprising lack of sadness within himself. This is ultimately what makes the movie so uplifting. A large-scale film like this understands that, even when we feel worn down by the world, we still want to support a hero who is kind, understanding, and compassionate – someone who leads with empathy rather than just strength.

I really hope that’s right. If not, Grace represents humanity far better than we probably deserve.

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2026-03-18 13:31