Movie Review – ‘Project Hail Mary’ is an early Oscar contender. Statement.

It’s been over a decade since author Andy Weir’s novel The Martian was adapted into the smash hit starring Matt Damon. Now comes an adaptation of Weir’s most recent novel — another space adventure — Project Hail Mary.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher who, at first glance, feels like an unlikely candidate to save humanity. But Grace isn’t just grading papers — he holds a doctorate in molecular biology. Despite being pushed out of the scientific community for his belief that life can exist without water, he’s pulled back in by a desperate government led by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller). The problem? As his students so eloquently put it, “space dots are eating the sun.” The reality is far more complex but the stakes are simple: solve it or Earth faces another ice age and potentially extinction.

The film opens with Grace awakening from an induced coma alongside his deceased crew mates, pilot Yao Li-Jie (Ken Leung) and engineer Olesya Ilyukhina (Milana Vayntrub). He doesn’t know where he is, why he’s there, or how long he’s been gone. What follows is a clever unraveling of both memory and mission, as directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller weave in flashbacks that gradually fill in the gaps and explain how a teacher ended up 11.9 light years away from Earth.

Soon, though, Grace discovers that he has company. Petrified initially at the arrival of another being, the educator musters the courage to meet the alien and, over time, begins to form a close bond with his new companion whom he names Rocky. Despite looking “like a giant rock”, the alien is somehow full of expression, bringing everything from laughter to heartache. Rocky, like Grace, is trying to save his planet, and the two must work together to play the hero.

Disappointingly, trailers for the film ruin the big surprise from the book, but as Weir explained to Den of Geek, “Well, books and movies are different media, and they’re different methods of storytelling, and they’re very much different methods of marketing and publicity. There is just absolutely no way that we would have been able to keep the first contact aspect of this a secret. I mean, there’s already been millions of people who have read the book. Nobody’s going to walk into that theater not knowing about Rocky, even if we’d hidden it from the previews.”

Just as Sam had Frodo and Thelma had Louise, Grace has Rocky — and it’s a friendship like none other. Despite the two not being able to speak the same language (well, Rocky can understand Grace), the teacher is able to build a strong enough shared vocabulary for the two to communicate. As much as Project Hail Mary is about two beings trying to save their worlds, it is equally about the unbreakable bond they form in doing so.

Co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller return to directing live-action after writing and producing mostly animated films over the last dozen years. Project Hail Mary boasts their largest budgeted film — a rumored $200 million — but being entrusted with an epic like this one is easily understood when you look at the twosome’s $4+ billion box office which includes producer roles on the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. In fact, it is that experience that sets them up for success here. Lord and Miller’s ability to infuse Rocky with such life despite not being able to speak speaks volumes (literally) to their talent and what they’ve learned from their time with animation. Half puppet, led by James Ortiz, who also voices the adorable alien, and half animation from Framestore, audiences will leave wishing they had a Rocky in their life.

Gosling may be forever branded Ken after his Oscar-nominated turn as the anatomy-less boyfriend in Barbie, but don’t forget he also boasts nominations for his role as a teacher in the critically acclaimed bomb Half Nelson and his role as a musician in the hit film La La Land. This man can ACT (yes, with a capital A C T). Owning the screen for nearly the entire film and sharing it with only a rock formation for much of it, Gosling delivers the performance of his career. Like Damon for his role in The Martian, don’t be surprised when Gosling’s name is announced during awards season.

Hüller, who burst onto the scene in 2023’s Anatomy of a Fall (a film I highly recommend if you haven’t caught it yet), proves she’s a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. As the no-nonsense, deeply logical leader of the mission, she exudes confidence in the face of nearly certain death. A late-film moment set to Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” brings goosebumps—and for this critic, tears. Hüller isn’t slowing down and can next be seen in the film Digger alongside an up-and-coming actor named Tom Cruise.

The most memorable films in history are made up of far more than a strong script, stellar acting, and powerful direction. Films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. endure because of how they make you feel and this one understands that. Composer Daniel Pemberton delivers a stunning, emotional score that swells, soars, and lingers long after the credits roll.

As for moments, Lord and Miller capture one of the most beautiful scenes ever put on screen. I won’t spoil it here, but it occurs as Rocky and Grace reach Tau Ceti e, a star that may be the key to their mission. The visuals, the music, and Gosling combined — it’s breathtaking. Truly.

It’s still early in the year, but Sinners proved that great films don’t need to be released only at the end of the calendar year. Buy your ticket today (preferably in IMAX) and thank me tomorrow.