Project Hail Mary Movie Review

Lord and Miller Knock it out of the park with hopeful sci fi epic.

Science teacher Ryland Grace 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. Lord and Miller with this film level up with this beautiful uplifting space opera that knows how flawed, selfish, and terrible humanity can be but also believe we can be more and like our main hero who is reluctant thinking he doesn’t have it in him discovered that he can step up to the plate to save humanity.

Lord and Millers direction in this film is incredible starting with how they direct the space scenes they feel hand crafted, tangible with a reach out and touch it feeling that immerse you in the film like when Ryland played by Ryan Gosling is trying to stop his ship from falling apart is thrilling in how it is staged, the way it progresses telling a mini story of its own. There is a sense of wonder for the unknown of space from Lord and Miller you can tell they like so many movie lovers love the same space movies any of us did like while also making it their own along with their ability to make us love a motion capture character like rocky who not for a second do I not think he isn’t real. The pacing of the film is incredible the movie 2 hours and 36 minutes which in the wrong hands could be a slog with all the science they have to explain never does it is fascinating as well as entertaining to watch which is a testament to Lord and Millers talent and brilliant choices in shot selection, editing techniques they make with the editor, and having great actors to deliver this dialogue.

Ryan Gosling is the prefect lead for this film he brings a likeability, an everyman quality that makes you connect to him along with real dramatic chops to keep locked in when most of the film he is either acting alone or with a puppet or some in a mocap suit which is difficult to pull off for example when he first meets Rocky the comedy in that is genius on Goslings part we have seen this in movies like barbie and the nice guys Gosling has zero fear in making himself look ridiculous and the bond he forms with Rocky is amazing you believe the friendship that forms so when he goes back to save him instead of going home you believe it. Sandra Huller as Eva is great, she brings a no-nonsense approach combined with a sensitivity underneath the touch exterior a great scene she gets to show that is when she sings for the crew before they leave there is beautiful melancholy to her in that moment that gives the characters a real sense of community with one another.

Final thoughts on Project Hail Mary is I love this movie so far it is my favorite film of the year so far which again proves a lesson I wish the studios would learn is if you give talented filmmakers the money they need get out of their way and give them the support they need we would get so many more movies of this quality way more often instead of a few times a year at the big budget studio level. I’m going to give this film the first 5 out of 5 for me this year.