‘Project Hail Mary’ Movie Review – Is It Worth Watching?

Project Hail Mary is a deep space odyssey, a visually striking film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors who brought us Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Lego Movie. A feast for the eyes, there’s rarely a frame that lacks visual splendour, capturing a kaleidoscopic and heartfelt story that is both a voyage of discovery and a do-or-die mission.

The filmmakers have adapted Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, which charts the misadventures of Ryland Grace, a school teacher whose paper on a niche scientific study finds him becoming the foremost expert on a project to circumvent Earth’s demise. These kinds of deep space mission films often involve defying some kind of world-ending possibility or investigating signs of new life – and in Project Hail Mary, both are true.

The film features a smart juxtaposition of two timelines. We start in the future, where Grace wakes up aboard a vessel hurtling through space to its destination, trying to recalibrate after spending years in a coma. As soon as he finds his “land legs”, we revert back to the events that put him in this precarious space in time. Feeding us bits of information adds to the mystery and suspense of it all, as Earth’s last hope attempts to save the universe.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, echoing his performance as Neil Armstrong in First Man. Unassuming and charming, he has an easy-going and likeable disposition that creates the heartbeat for Project Hail Mary. This is useful considering his pivotal role finds him often on his own on the vessel much like Gravity. A reluctant hero and would-be slacker, his lack of self-esteem and constant sense of doubt undermines all ego in his selfless quest, as we come to learn of the circumstances surrounding his inclusion on this critical mission. A sense of enlightenment adds nuance to his great sacrifice. He plays opposite Sandra Hüller, who again delivers another fine performance, demonstrating the lofty ambitions of this unexpectedly playful and imaginative cinematic treat.

In much the same way as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Grace befriends a lifeform that serves as his counterpoint, enabling him to speak to something rather than the void, forging an unlikely alliance and wondrous friendship through creativity and trust. The bond is what spurs the rescue mission and establishes a deep emotional connection. A bit of a loner on Earth, compelled to step up and risk it all, there’s something ironic about his travelling light-years to discover real friendship.

While Project Hail Mary is a visual masterpiece for many reasons – which deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible to get the full magnitude of its glory – it does have some flaws. Having the audiovisual wonder, fine performances, an enchanting deep space story, and a film that taps into universal themes goes a long way to making this an entertaining and awe-inspiring journey.

Yet, there are creases when it comes to the plot, which make it seem as though this over two-and-a-half-hour film may have been cut down from three hours. In terms of plot, we do not get a clear understanding of just how gifted or skilled Grace is, hovering between the realm of school teacher and astronaut. While he seems completely out of his depth, somehow he manages to ratchet up his skill set, and there’s not that much to explain how or why this happened or what happened to his crew.

“Houston, I’d tell you we have a problem if you could hear me.”

The film has a brilliant sense of humour, offering a lightness amid the darkness of circumstance that’s refreshing for a film in this genre. The same playful undertone of The Martian comes through, and this childlike innocence keeps the door wide open for audiences of all ages, tempered by the dread of a coming disaster of apocalyptic proportions.

Grace’s interactions with the alien are also fresh in terms of the representation of this lifeform, yet do become somewhat problematic if you really had to put it under a microscope. He’s able to cobble together a good understanding of the lifeform’s language, interpreted through speech recognition and transcribed into English, yet the mechanics of this leave some question marks when you wonder how the alien lifeform’s able to make sense of his words without any similar technology at play. In terms of film magic, one just has to allow this to wash over them, but it does seem like a curious consideration which isn’t fully explained. Tapping into this emotional bond – a kind you would experience with a pet – also diminishes the lifeform’s culture and significance somewhat.

While the brilliance of being able to create a character out of almost nothing is something to marvel at, it’s helped along by the “man’s best friend” dynamic, however intricate the detail and alien intelligence may be. A soulful soundtrack underpins the optimism and colour of this mesmerising film. While there are moments of peril that escalate the tension and suspense, it’s countered by the blissful moments of pure friendship and humility, underplaying the magnitude to zoom into something quite fragile and intimate as the first contact is reduced to a one-on-one interaction with far-reaching consequences.

While Project Hail Mary is a Hail Mary pass in its own way, the net result is a gravity-defying spectacle that cements Ryan Gosling as one of the generation’s greats and reaffirms the visionary and eclectic brilliance of filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who continue to set the standard when it comes to films of striking visuals and great heart. It checks most of the boxes, making it easy to power over the sketchy plot points and focus on the pure wonder and wish-fulfilment of it all.

The bottom line: Mesmerising