One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For Gosling.
Heading into 2026, there was quite a lot riding on the success of Project Hail Mary, which while not an original film, sparked a level of interest as if it was. Those tired of mining franchises to death noted that Project Hail Mary, at the very least would feel fresh, being an adaptation of the novel by Andy weir. The last time we adapted an Andy Weir novel, things went rather well for The Martian, which became a fixture in its awards season, and grossed a respectable amount at the box office.
Amazon/MGM knew they had something special with Project Hail Mary and ran a campaign that targeted as many interviews as star Ryan Gosling was willing to do, and early screenings for critics and influencers, who nearly unanimously agreed this film is excellent. I’m not swimming against that stream either, the film is excellent, probably my favorite of the year. I liked this so much, it would have made my top 10 of 2025, so I’m positive this will be in the top for 2026. I don’t know how 2026 could shape up to be so much better than 2025 to have ten more films that are greater than this.
From the powerhouse duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the duo that revived 21 Jump Street, gave life to The LEGO Movie, and have overseen the Spiderverse. Project Hail Mary feels like a cocky nod to Disney, who dropped Lord and miller from solo: A Star Wars Story, and we all know how that film turned out. It might have been a good thing for their career, however, based on their consistency, it might have saved the film. Lord and Miller prove here that they are incredibly capable at balancing humor with science fiction, deftly directing intense action sequences, and emotional gut punches. This is the best thing they’ve directed so far, and I’m already a fan of their work.
Project Hail Mary introduces us with no context to a man in space (Ryan Gosling), who doesn’t remember who he is, or why he’s there. That could be a problem, since he’s Earth’s last hope. the others on his ship are dead, and his ship is headed somewhere. He just needs to remember where.
As the film is told out of sequence, constantly revisiting flashbacks, we learn Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher, who inadvertently is pulled into an end of the world scenario as a theory he had is realized, and he may be the only one who can figure it out and save humanity. In this timeline, there’s a virus called astral Phage, which is eating the sun. Not just our sun, but apparently every sun near us, as it can travel great distances. In a short time, our sun will die, and the world will end, unless Grace can science the shit out of this. He needs to fly to the only solar system unaffected, and figure out why it is impervious to Astral phage.
That’s the Hail Mary, watching Grace figure out all this with the ground team (including Oscar nominee Sandra Hueller), and then seeing him alone in space, with only his brain, should he get his memories back. Further complicating things is that he’s not alone. Another advanced alien civilization has done basically the same thing, choosing to send one of their own to do the same thing. Just as Grace is getting his bearings, he is introduced to intelligent life. After inventing a way for them to communicate, the lifeform becomes Rocky, and we learn more about his people, as Grace’s science has given him a voice (he could have chosen Meryl Streep’s voice).
So, Grace and Rocky team up, despite knowing little about each other, hoping the results they find can save both their worlds. but a perilous journey lies ahead, and one or both may not make it home. Will friendship and loyalty be tested?
Thank God Rocky is a practical effect, utilizing real world tools to pus something in front of Gosling other than a tennis ball, or a man in a motion capture suit. The bond between Grace and Rocky is unbreakable, and so representational of the best of us. In what seems like the worst of times, project Hail Mary sends a good old fashioned hero into space, someone who has morals, is uncompromising, empathetic, educated, and wildly capable. Rocky, by contrast, feels like a challenge to everyone who has believed humans only react emotionally toward aliens with eyes, or that resemble humans. Rocky doesn’t resemble a human at all, and has no traditional sight.No big expressive ET eyes to ogle.
Daniel Pemberton’s score is delicious, adding necessary gravitas. The sound design perfectly captures the feeling of space, and how sound travels. Gosling has a bonafide hit on his hands, reinforcing his star power, and his multi-faceted ability to be disarmingly charming, dramatic, and funny at the same time. he breezes through this as if it was written just for him.
The audio description by Deluxe, narrated by William Michael Redman is exceptional, crafting each moment perfectly. From the moment we get a confused Grace, trying to assess how he knew, or how well he knew the others on board, to the depiction of Rocky, and some incredible and tense sequences where we aren’t sure if any or either of them will survive. Redman did an excellent job here, and the script is fantastic.
Project Hail Mary feels like the ante this is of its title, instead of being a gamble, it plays like the best, most epic, populist title of the year. it is so brashly accessible, it is anything but a Hail Mary. Unforgettable from start to finish.
Fresh: 9/10