“Project Hail Mary” Film Review/Opinion

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨3.5

Based on the novel, this film adaptation is a high-budget production that will likely perform well, especially given the level of anticipation surrounding it. I certainly appreciated the impressive visual effects and overall filmmaking, which is absolutely stunning.

While the film is visually impressive and features strong performances, the story did not fully land for me. That said, this is more down to personal taste than any real issue with the production itself, and I suspect many viewers will enjoy it far more than I did.

The film tells the story of a teacher, Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling), who awakens as the sole survivor of a space mission tasked with saving humanity from a mysterious sun-dimming phenomenon. The story begins with Grace waking aboard the spacecraft, with backstory revealing how he came to be there.

Project Hail Mary is a 2026 American sci-fi adventure film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. It stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a lone teacher who wakes up aboard a spaceship tasked with saving Earth. Based on Andy Weir’s novel, the story centres on an interstellar mission, a mysterious sun-killing substance and an unexpected alien friendship. The film premieres on 20 March 2026 and is already shaping up to be a highly anticipated blockbuster.

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It is a somewhat unusual tale that, while intelligent in its storytelling, also contains some more far-fetched elements. The depiction of the alien encounter, named Rocky, is perhaps one area that may work better on paper than on screen. The alien itself somewhat resembles a baby version of The Thing from Fantastic Four. That said, portraying such a character visually was always going to be a challenge, and the filmmakers clearly made an effort to present it in a way that fits the tone of the film. Much of the story then develops around the unlikely friendship between Grace and the alien, Rocky and their attempts to communicate.

I was able to catch an early preview this week ahead of the film’s general release on 20 March. Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller (who plays Eva Stratton, the head of the government project seen in the backstory) both deliver excellent performances. At over two and a half hours, the film is certainly on the longer side. Some sections could perhaps have benefited from slightly tighter pacing, and for me the most engaging part of the film was actually the backstory.

The theatre was fairly full at the showing I attended and it will no doubt appeal to many viewers. While the film did not fully land for me, that is more down to personal taste than any real issue with the production itself. I suspect many viewers will appreciate it more than I did, as it is undeniably an impressive and creatively ambitious film.

Film Rating

Music

3 out of 5 (mainly instrumental)

Story/plot

4 out of 5

Acting/Performances

5 out of 5

Overall

3.5 out of 5

Certification: 12A
Running time: 156 minutes
Screening type: 2D