“Project Hail Mary” is practically miraculous in how deftly it balances intergalactic stakes and an intimate, character-focused emotional core. Directors Phil Lord ’97 and Chris Miller ’97, best known for their comedies and animated films like “21 Jump Street” and “The Lego Movie,” turn out to be the perfect fit for a blockbuster sci-fi story that treats wonder, comedy and sentiment with equal conviction.
The film, based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, opens as Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) awakens on an interstellar journey aboard the Hail Mary spacecraft. Grace’s mission is complicated, however, by two notable snags. First, his two other crew members have died during their induced hibernation for the yearslong journey. Second, Grace has no idea who he is or what he is doing in outer space, suffering from retrograde amnesia as a result of his prolonged coma.
Through a series of flashbacks, Grace gradually recalls the mission of his expedition. Scientists on Earth discovered an alien microorganism dubbed ‘astrophage’ that feeds on stars, resulting in a dimming of the sun that will cause complete environmental collapse on the planet through global cooling. Grace, a middle-school science teacher and former molecular biologist shunned for his fringe theories about extraterrestrial life, is recruited by an international research team to try and stop the spread of astrophage and avert catastrophe.
To give away any more detail about how Grace ends up on the ship or what he encounters in space would spoil some of the film’s best reveals, but suffice it to say that there is far more going on than this setup suggests, and much of the film’s fun comes from sharing in its protagonist’s process of discovery. The amnesia-flashback structure cleverly allows Grace and the audience to learn about key exposition and some surprising twists together, allowing us to feel even more invested in his journey and emotionally tethered to his perspective.
Gosling delivers an excellent lead performance as an unlikely hero who is charismatic, smart and determined, but also terrified and unsure of himself. Even as his memory returns, Grace struggles under the crushing weight of his mission and the realization that he is unlikely to ever return home. Since Grace is the lone character for much of the film, Gosling is tasked with communicating levity, despair and hope through audio transmissions back to Earth, expressive body language and the halting, think-out-loud problem solving of a man forced to confront each new crisis on his own. He also demonstrates an almost silent film-era knack for physical comedy in Grace’s attempts to regain the use of his legs, navigate an unfamiliar spaceship and adapt to zero gravity.
Technically, “Project Hail Mary” is a dazzling achievement. There is a persistent sense of realism and tangibility in its production, with large practical sets and convincing stuntwork. It is always clear that the Hail Mary itself is a real physical place, making every corner of the ship and every spacewalk outside it feel all the more immediate, tactile and exciting. This quality effectively gives the film’s scientific ideas a physical presence. Whether Grace is navigating the ship, working with instruments and samples or later confronting unfamiliar technology and biology, the movie makes each problem feel like something that must actually be handled, studied and solved. This mode of conflict is a welcome change from the more common action-oriented strain of sci-fi, where victory comes down to punching harder or firing the bigger laser.
The film’s color palette is also refreshingly vibrant and warm, especially for one set in the depths of space. Cinematographer Greig Fraser, known for shooting “Dune” and “The Batman,” uses a diverse array of oranges, greens and reds that suits the material’s lighthearted tone and helps distinguish “Project Hail Mary” visually from the more solemn hues of “Gravity” and “Interstellar.” Especially stunning are the moments when Grace switches to an infrared frequency and the astrophage becomes visible in luminous bursts of red and white.
Back on Earth, “Project Hail Mary” is strikingly optimistic in its view of humanity. Like “The Martian,” the film is content to celebrate international cooperation, scientific expertise and human ingenuity, favoring an earnest, apolitical faith in collective problem-solving over the thornier questions about human nature that science fiction often raises. That optimism may strike some viewers as naive in our current climate, but the film never aspires to be a politically skeptical or critical work.
In keeping with this theme of cooperation, the film’s main focus shifts to an unlikely friendship between Grace and a fellow scientist. This central dynamic, which is impossible to discuss in depth without spoilers, is brilliantly executed and effortlessly charming. The buddy dynamic gives rise to many memorable comedic moments, but also to some genuinely poignant scenes of bravery, sacrifice and self-discovery.
“Project Hail Mary” suffers a minor case of multiple-ending syndrome, where a natural stopping point seems to have been reached before yet another problem prolongs the adventure. The film’s epic sweep definitely warrants its lengthy runtime of nearly two hours and forty minutes, but the pacing in the second half is perhaps not as punchy as it could be. The final act stacks several climactic beats on top of one another, giving the impression that the story has reached its endpoint more than once. Still, even if that stretch is somewhat unwieldy, it remains emotionally satisfying and consistently fun.
Even if it’s a little too cute and not tight enough to call an out-and-out masterpiece, “Project Hail Mary” is a thoroughly entertaining, uncommonly smart and eminently recommendable piece of pop art that’s sure to connect with a wide range of audiences. It’s the kind of four-quadrant picture that your family member or coworker who rarely makes it to the theater will love, which is all the more special given it is simply a book adaptation rather than a sequel, remake or superhero film.
