Project Hail Mary 2026 Review

Project Hail Mary is one of those rare films that reminds you why people love cinema in the first place. It is exciting, heartfelt, funny, visually spectacular, and emotionally powerful all at the same time. I walked out of the cinema genuinely stunned by how well this film works. Everything about it lands exactly the way it should. From the storytelling to the acting to the visual effects, it feels like a film firing on all cylinders. I genuinely have no notes. This movie is incredible and easily earns a perfect score from me. It is a 10 out of 10 and already feels like a serious contender for one of the best films of the decade.

The film is based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel and is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the same creative minds behind films like The Lego Movie and the Spider Verse projects. The story follows Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, a middle school science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship with absolutely no memory of who he is or how he got there. As the film progresses his memories slowly return, revealing that he is part of a desperate mission to save Earth.

The planet is facing extinction after a mysterious organism begins draining energy from the sun, slowly dimming it and threatening life on Earth. Scientists discover the phenomenon is spreading across the galaxy, except for one distant star system that appears unaffected. Humanity launches a last ditch mission to investigate the anomaly and find a way to stop the catastrophe. Grace eventually realises he is the only surviving member of that mission, leaving him as humanity’s final chance to figure out how to save the world.

Ryan Gosling absolutely nails this role. Grace is not a traditional hero. He is awkward, anxious, sometimes selfish, and constantly overwhelmed by the situation he finds himself in. That vulnerability is exactly what makes him so compelling to watch. Gosling balances humour, panic, intelligence, and determination perfectly. The film spends long stretches with Grace alone in space solving scientific problems and trying to survive, and Gosling carries those scenes effortlessly.

One thing I did not expect was how funny the movie would be. The humour comes naturally through Grace’s reactions to the insane circumstances he keeps finding himself in. Gosling’s comedic timing is excellent, and the film uses that humour to keep the story engaging even during the more technical scientific moments.

But the true heart of Project Hail Mary comes from a relationship that develops partway through the film. Grace encounters an alien life form named Rocky, voiced and physically performed through puppetry by James Ortiz. Rocky is a strange rock like alien with a completely different biology and way of communicating, and yet somehow the film manages to make the audience connect with him emotionally.

What starts as a cautious encounter slowly evolves into one of the most charming friendships in modern science fiction. Grace and Rocky are both on similar missions to save their respective worlds, and they gradually learn to communicate and collaborate. Watching the two characters figure out how to understand each other is both hilarious and deeply moving.

It is genuinely incredible that the filmmakers manage to make the audience feel emotionally attached to a character that is not even human. Rocky could easily have felt like a gimmick or a novelty, but instead he becomes the emotional core of the story. Their friendship is funny, awkward, and incredibly sincere. At times it almost plays like a buddy comedy set in space, but it never loses the emotional weight of what they are trying to accomplish.

There is something incredibly powerful about seeing two completely different species work together to solve a problem that neither could fix alone. It reinforces the film’s core themes of cooperation, curiosity, and the idea that intelligence and empathy can overcome enormous challenges.

While the film is largely carried by Gosling, the supporting cast adds important layers to the story through flashbacks that explain how the mission came together. Sandra Hüller plays Eva Stratt, the ruthless but determined leader of the Hail Mary project. Her character is driven by one goal, saving humanity at any cost, and Hüller delivers a performance that perfectly captures that relentless determination. The astronaut crew members are played by actors including Ken Leung and Milana Vayntrub, who appear in Grace’s memories as the mission planning unfolds. Lionel Boyce also appears as part of the project team helping prepare the mission on Earth. Even though many of these characters are only present in flashbacks, they help build the stakes of the story and show just how desperate the situation for humanity really is.

Visually the film is absolutely stunning. The cinematography by Greig Fraser captures both the loneliness of space and the sheer scale of the universe. Shots of the spacecraft drifting through the darkness are breathtaking, and the interior of the ship feels believable and functional rather than overly stylised.

The visual effects are world class. Space environments, alien biology, and complex scientific phenomena all look incredibly convincing. The film uses a combination of digital effects and practical puppetry to bring Rocky to life, which gives the character a surprising sense of physical presence. Instead of feeling like a purely digital creation, Rocky feels like a real character sharing the screen with Gosling. The production design is also incredibly detailed. The spacecraft feels like a real scientific vessel rather than a generic science fiction set. Every panel, tool, and piece of equipment looks like it has been carefully designed with real scientific logic behind it.

The pacing of the film is excellent. Despite spending a large portion of the runtime with a single character in space, the movie never feels slow. Each new discovery, experiment, and challenge pushes the story forward while revealing more about Grace and the mission.

What makes Project Hail Mary truly special is its sense of optimism. In an era where many science fiction stories lean heavily into dystopian themes, this film embraces curiosity, collaboration, and hope. It celebrates science, intelligence, and the idea that cooperation across cultures and even species can lead to extraordinary solutions.

By the time the film reaches its final act it becomes clear that this is something special. The emotional payoff lands beautifully and the story concludes in a way that feels both satisfying and deeply moving.

Project Hail Mary is everything great science fiction should be. It is smart, funny, visually spectacular, and emotionally powerful. It tells a story about survival, friendship, and the importance of working together to solve problems that seem impossible. I genuinely have zero notes for this film.

It is one of the most enjoyable cinema experiences I have had in years, and without question one of the best films of the decade so far. That’s why I rate this film a 10/10. It’s a masterpiece.