Is Project Hail Mary so good it’s bad?
The film often feels frictionless, despite its extinction-level stakes
Project Hail Mary (2026) is the latest sci-fi studio blockbuster that prioritizes the in-person viewing experience. Its marketing has leaned heavily into that idea, emphasizing the film’s use of practical effects. The film was shot using zero green screens, real sets and even a rollout on 70mm IMAX film.
Project Hail Mary, an adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 novel, follows lone astronaut Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), who wakes up alone aboard a spaceship light-years away from Earth with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As his memory gradually returns through a series of fragmented flashbacks, he pieces together the truth: all the stars in the galaxy are dimming except for one, and he’s been sent to said star on a last-ditch Hail Mary mission to figure out how to save the Sun.
What initially begins as a survival story quickly shifts gears with the arrival of Rocky (James Ortiz), an alien rock creature. Rocky strikes an unlikely friendship with Ryland as they work together to save the Sun. Those familiar with The Martian (2015), also adapted from Weir’s writing, should have a good sense of this film’s brand of science-centric sci-fi, focused on problem-solving to save the day.
What differentiates Project Hail Mary is the dynamic between Rocky and Ryland, which is the beating heart of the film. In spite of the existential stakes of the story, Project Hail Mary largely unfolds as a buddy comedy. The pair navigates language and cultural barriers in a collaborative effort that becomes central to the film’s defiantly optimistic outlook. The film operates as pure crowd-pleasing escapism to a world where we can trust the protagonists to do what’s right, and everything will be okay in the end.
For a story built around extinction-level stakes, it often feels frictionless, so determined to charm the audience that it rarely allows those stakes to fully weigh on the film. I’m all for optimistic sci-fi, but there needs to be some adversity and challenge to overcome.
Like its titular mission, the question lingers: can one film, a cinematic Hail Mary, actually revive optimistic crowd-pleasing blockbusters that’ll bring audiences back to the theatre? That’s the bet directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are making.
Project Hail Mary offers something considerably warm, an unabashedly optimistic vision of the future. Whether that registers as moving or emotionally manipulative will depend on the viewer, but judging by the reaction in my theatre, it’s clearly connecting. For better or worse, this is a feel-good movie that wants to make you laugh, awe you with its spectacle and make you cry a little too.
It may not have fully resonated with me beyond surface-level enjoyment, but as a big-screen theatrical experience, it’s undeniably effective. My recommendation? Go see it in IMAX if you can.
