Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have built a reputation for tackling projects that, on paper, sound like terrible ideas. Yet, from directing animated hits like The Lego Movie to producing the Spider-Verse franchise, they have proven time and again that “big swings” are worth the risk. Their latest feature, Project Hail Mary, mirrors this philosophy; by depicting a global effort to save the planet, the film reinforces that their penchant for bold storytelling remains as vital as ever.
Based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir, the film centers on Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), who awakens from a coma on a spacecraft. Initially erratic and amnesiac, Grace discovers that two members of his crew have died, leaving him as the sole survivor light years away in a distant star system. Trying to understand his current whereabouts, Grace receives flashes of his past, revealing that he is actually a junior high school teacher who is part of a task force assigned by the world’s governments to solve the grand problem that is the sun is dying, which will cause a catastrophic ice age.
The source material expands on the concept of Weir’s 2011 novel The Martian, which sees one man trying to survive on an alien planet, so it makes sense to bring in screenwriter Drew Goddard, who has now successfully brought two of Weir’s books to the big screen. Staying true to the non-linear structure of the novel, we have our protagonist who seems out of his depth, whether it is his current situation where he is suddenly the lone survivor that ultimately has to save the world, or the past where his failed paper that made him an infamous former molecular biologist is what got him involved in the Project.
Much like The Martian, the film places a heavy emphasis on characters vocally championing the wonders of science. Watching brilliant people solve impossible problems is an absolute joy, fueling the (perhaps naive) hope that global governments might actually set aside their differences to save the world. While the movie shines brightest during Grace’s isolation, there is a distinct “feel-good” energy to the scenes on Earth—particularly those featuring Sandra Hüller, who dominates every frame as Eva Stratt, the indomitable head of the project. This lack of cynicism regarding human unity is further elevated by Daniel Pemberton’s multicultural score, which perfectly mirrors the film’s global spirit.
The film makes the smart decision to remove the book’s voiceover, allowing Ryan Gosling to fully lean into his physical acting. The true appeal of Ryland Grace lies in how he employs wit, not just intellect, to de-escalate a crisis—a trait Gosling nails with pitch-perfect comic timing. While the marketing has already revealed the book’s major twist, the discovery of a second ship remains a highlight. Piloted by a five-legged, rock-like alien whom Grace dubs “Rocky,” the pair develops an unlikely friendship reminiscent of a classic Amblin film. It is this buddy dynamic between Grace and Rocky (voiced and puppeteered by James Ortiz) that ultimately serves as the film’s emotional core.
We were so close to finally getting a Star Wars movie directed by Lord and Miller (they were originally tapped for 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story), but with Project Hail Mary, they still got to make their space odyssey – albeit one that features a high school teacher and a rock-like alien. Due to the intimacy of the central relationship and the claustrophobia of being stranded in a spaceship, the directors, along with Dune cinematographer Greig Fraser, take full advantage of the IMAX cameras that embrace the forever emptiness of space whilst using a range of different lighting techniques to deliver awe-inspiring if trippy visuals, as evident in the film’s one big action sequence.
Project Hail Mary is a crowd-pleaser that captures the spirit of Andy Weir’s source material, proving that Lord and Miller are two of the most exciting directors working today.
