Project Hail Mary Movie Review
Nathan Swank
March 17th, 2026
PROJECT HAIL MARY is pushing heavy on the advertisement as the best film of the year. Since it is only March, this is a fairly true statement. PROJECT HAIL MARY is a beautiful looking film with heartwarming and powerful social themes promoting kindness and helping others all with charismatic leading man Ryan Gosling in a career-defining role. The film works on so many levels and would be absolutely incredible if it weren’t for the fact that it’s 2 hours and 35 minutes long and could have easily trimmed off a large chunk of that.
Synopsis:
Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction…but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.
Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (LEGO MOVIE, 21 JUMP STREET) from a screenplay by Drew Goddard, based on the novel by Andy Weir who also wrote THE MARTIAN, PROJECT HAIL MARY clearly has some talent behind it. But why does it have to be so long? I’m sure I sound like some old man nay-saying a good movie but getting distracted by kids playing on my lawn. Seriously though, get off my lawn and edit your movie!
In all seriousness, PROJECT HAIL MARY is sweet, loving, and an all around feel good film with plenty of laughs and perhaps some tears. A lot of credit has to go to the design and creation of an alien called Rocky, which is nearly fully credited to Ryan Gosling’s sincere, lovable approach to every interaction. Not since Tom Hanks and Wilson in CAST AWAY has one character done so much heavy lifting in bringing a relationship to life. For the record, Hanks still wins since Wilson is not actually alive. Some of the science and flashbacks never achieve the intrigue level of say THE MARTIAN, but Gosling along with some of the visuals does enough to keep the film emotionally moving. However, the true success of PROJECT HAIL MARY is the way it conveys the important theme of loving thy neighbor, accepting all differences, and working together for a common good with the idea of choosing to sacrifice your life for the greater service of others no matter who they are. And for that, I thank you PROJECT HAIL MARY. And thank you Ryan Gosling for making it so easy to digest. But let’s just try to do it a little quicker next time.
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