This March 2025 sci-fi film is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, adapted by Drew Goddard from Andy Weir’s hard science book of the same name (i.e. Project Hail Mary).
It stars Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller and covers topics such as deep space loneliness, existentialism, extinction events, and cute pet rocks. It’s lots of fun! Just don’t expect it to take itself too seriously.
Space and Singing in Project Hail Mary
Right, the plot is about Ryland Grace (Gosling) who wakes up from an induced coma deep in space on a spaceship. Once he starts getting his bearings, he realises he’s lightyears from Earth, very much alone, and is on a mission to save the universe.
The story then jumps between the past and present, explaining how Grace ended up where he is.
It turns out he was a former molecular biologist turned school teacher, one who was targeted by government agent Eva Stratt (Hüller). She explains to him a microorganism called astrophage is wreaking havoc across the cosmos and it’s up to him to find a solution.
The narrative takes its time explaining how Grace becomes a reluctant hero, but most of the film is about Gosling up there in space alone. He’s got a lot of natural charisma and has done this sort of role before in the excellent First Man (2018).
But to help lift the bleakness of the concept (Grace is on a suicide mission to save humanity), there arrives the peculiar alien being Rocky from the constellation 40 Eridani. The monster pilots its own ship and the two communicate and begin bonding.
Rocky (an on-set puppet, voiced by James Ortiz) is a breaking point for some viewers.
One of The Guardian’s film critics, notorious contrarian Peter Bradshaw, gave the film 3/5. That appears mainly due to this Rocky character, who Bradshaw considers “silly”. For us, this is a 12A blockbuster film aimed at quite a wide audience and Rocky is a cute thing with comedic relief from the more weighty existential themes. As in, for the younger viewers to giggle at.
In other words, we didn’t have a problem with Rocky as we’re not miserable like that.
But, yes, as Rocky is there a lot of them time it means this isn’t an Interstellar type profundity experience. As with Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s The Martian (2015), Project Hail Mary is more of an upbeat feelgood film.
One that’s been welcomed by cinemagoers during this difficult political times. Word of mouth has done the rounds and given Project Hail Mary a wider lease of life than perhaps the studio expected.
It also has clear references to the likes of E.T., Interstellar, and Weir’s The Martian. Not quite as original as it may first seem, then, but that’s besides the point for us. This one is a lot of fun.
Everything looks stunning (one of the most impressive space films we’ve ever seen), backed by a great soundtrack by English composer Daniel Pemberton.
And the main theme has all the cinematic oomph you’d hope for.
The first hour of the film was the best for us, as it explores Grace’s predicament, before cutting back to Earth and seeing how he helped solve scientific mysteries.
Sandra Hüller’s character is present throughout this, but we felt her character is more a way to get her into a blockbuster film. As in, flagging up to more casual filmgoers this is Sandra Hüller, get familiar with her, we’re going to be getting her into more big movies like this.
Which is fine, as we’re big fans of hers. There’s even a nod to her karaoke scene from Toni Erdmann (2016), which plays out minus the humour. But ends the same way as in Erdmann, with Sandra’s character abruptly clearing off.
We can only assume the directors did that as a homage, but it’s fun all the same. This scene has been much-discussed since the film launched, but currently isn’t OFFICIALLY available online. No doubt the below clip will be removed by YouTube soon, so worth a look whilst you can. She can sing!
There’s also a great reveal about how her character, Eva, got Ryland “I’m not an astronaut!” Grace to get on the ship and leave Earth. A surprisingly morally bleak revelation, but one that still caves in to a happy-go-lucky, upbeat ending.
Yes, then, Project Hail Mary isn’t perfect. But it is excellent at its peaks and a lot of fun.
It may not offer the hardcore science stuff some cinema buffs were after, but, FRANKLY, with everything going on in the world this thing delivers a feelgood factor that’s badly needed. No wonder so many people are enjoying it.
The Production of Project Hail Mary
The film had a $200 million budget and is notable for its use of practical effects over CGI. It launched only in cinemas from 20th March 2026 and has been a hit since, currently on global box office returns of $322 million (as of 1st April 2026).
The film was shot across June to October 2024 at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England. That was for all the spaceship/space stuff. External shots were all in the UK, with locations such as Durdle Door in Dorset and the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in Cambridge.
Ryan Gosling has recently noted, amongst the debate of lower cinema attendance, that if Hollywood focuses on making films people want to see, more will attend the cinema.
We do agree to some extent, but Hollywood is creating great films all the time. Many are just lost amongst the many more stale, generic big blockbuster fare. We had the frantic One Battle After Another last year and it was a box office disappointment. It can be hit and miss sometimes, but Hollywood’s obsession with superhero films over the last 16 years is a big contributor. That’s massive franchise fatigue, it was milked way too far.
The success of Project Hail Mary will hopefully encourage more risk taking from Hollywood execs. Back some fresh ideas, there are plenty of them out there.
But there are, ultimately, a lot more entertainment forms for people to immerse themselves in these days. Plus, the convenience of streaming films on the likes of Netflix. But it can’t compare to those huge IMAX screens projecting this thing out there, so if a great amount of varied films are there then that’ll help.
Project Hail Mary was filmed for IMAX. The result? It’s a hell of a visual spectacle and looks phenomenal on those huge IMAX screens. Since the film launched, IMAX has been boasting on social media about how great it all looks.
Anyway, for many cinemagoers Gosling’s co-star may be unfamiliar.
Sandra Hüller is a private person and isn’t on social media or anything like that. This is her first big Hollywood type film and it’s been unusual seeing her doing the whole Hollywood media circus stuff.
We get the impression this is Hollywood setting her up to be in more productions, as up until this point of her career Hüller has been in smaller, independent films.
But it’s Anatomy of a Fall and the genius in Zone of Interest (both from 2023) that seem to have put her on the Hollywood map. Expect to see her in more stuff!
