Project Hail Mary review
The optimistic space film “Project Hail Mary” received high marks from both critics and general viewers, with a 95% rating from Rotten Tomatoes and a 4.3 average from Letterboxd, placing it at 128 on the site’s Top 500 Films list since its showcase on March 20, 2026.
The film also saw immediate commercial success. It pulled in over $80 million on opening weekend and $300 million through the first two weeks, already making it the highest grossing film of the year. Its success was especially surprising given the lack of an existing franchise, with its opening becoming the biggest ever for a non-sequel film.
One of the key drivers for the success of the movie was the book. The movie was adapted from an Andy Weir novel of the same name. The book reached the top spot on the New York Times’ Audio Best Sellers list and received over 1.5 million ratings on Goodreads, surpassing The Martian as Weir’s most popular book.
For Ryan Gosling, this film represented a long road to release. Gosling, who plays main character Ryland Grace, was the first major actor to sign onto the film. He joined the production in March 2020 after receiving an early manuscript of the book prior to its release in May 2021, and was a driving force behind the film.
The movie follows sarcastic biologist Ryland Grace on a quest to save the world. When an alien microbe threatens to destroy the sun, Grace ventures 12 light years away to the Tau Ceti solar system to search for a solution. Once he arrives, he meets Rocky (James Ortiz), an alien on a similar mission. They forge a strong bond and search for the cure amidst a series of crises.
Grace loses his memories during the trip, and a second plot forms through a series of flashbacks, including his recruitment into a global effort by the intensely efficient Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) and work in studying the microbes and creating a plan to protect the sun.
One initial concern with the adaptation from the book was keeping the storyline together. The book’s signature twist is having two simultaneous storylines, which can be challenging to incorporate into a movie. However, this film not only included this element, but made it easy to understand and follow. This addition makes the film run more smoothly and adds weight to the climax as two emotional moments converge.
The film portrays environment in innovative ways. From animating Rocky with a puppet rather than CGI to using practical effects for many of the biggest shots, traditional filmmaking methods gave the movie an honest feel that many sci-fi movies lack. The addition of Daniel Pemberton’s unique soundtrack only adds to this feeling. On top of the environment, the acting excels. Gosling, who features in nearly every scene of the 2.5 hour movie, maintains a convincing and funny personality throughout.
On the whole, this movie ties together a strong adaptation with iconic acting and effects to create an epic and genuine experience. Project Hail Mary managed to appeal to critics, general viewers and book readers alike, a rare achievement. This is a movie that anyone can enjoy, and is bound to enter the halls of science fiction greatness.
