Name: Project Hail Mary
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
Released: 2026-03-26
Rating: 7.2
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Liz Kingsman, Lionel Boyce

Set in the near future, a junior high school teacher turned astronaut wakes up from a coma with amnesia. He slowly recalls his mission to the Tau Ceti solar system, 12 light-years from Earth, to find a way to reverse a solar dimming event threatening humanity’s survival.

Project Hail Mary

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PROJECT HAIL MARY is adapted from the book of the same name by Andy Weir. The story is quite imaginative. Drew Goddard's screenplay is technical but is also peppered with humourous and emotional moments. The dialogues are conversational.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's direction is exemplary. We are living in times when we have seen enough grand-scale films. The director duo has taken care of this aspect and has executed the scenes in a novel and stylish manner. Hence, one can't help but get involved in the narrative. But more than the space and scale, what truly stands out is the bond shared by Grace with the alien named Rocky. It starts on an amusing note, but soon, it is sure to moisten the eyes of the viewers. Another feat of the film is that it's unexpected. One never knows where the film will go next.

On the flipside, the makers don’t dumb down and hence, the goings-on can get confusing for a section of the audience. The first half is a bit slow and there comes a point where some may wonder where the film is heading. Although the makers try their best to ensure the film reeks of originality, a few moments give a déjà vu of ET [1982], GRAVITY [2013], INTERSTELLAR [2024], THE MARTIAN [2015] and even KOI MIL GAYA [2003]! Lastly, despite the buzz, the film may struggle to secure adequate screens in India.
Project Hail Mary Movie Review Performances:
Ryan Gosling is the only actor in most parts of the film, yet it never feels that way as he handles the part flawlessly. He has delivered several memorable performances over the years, and his act in PROJECT HAIL MARY ranks among his best. Sandra Hüller is aptly cast and puts up a fine act. Lionel Boyce (Officer Carl) does well, although his character is a bit puzzling. Ken Leung (Yáo Li-Jie) and Milana Vayntrub (Olesya Ilyukhina) do well in small roles. Finally, James Ortiz and Priya Kansara deserve special mention for voicing Rocky and Mary (the computer system in the Hail Mary ship).

Project Hail Mary movie music and other technical aspects:
Daniel Pemberton's music goes well with the film as it is not conventionally cinematic.. Greig Fraser's cinematography adds to the novelty value. David Crossman and Glyn Dillon's costumes are realistic. Charles Wood's production design is out of this world and surely Oscar-nomination worthy. The VFX is minimal and enhances the impact. Chris Dickens and Joel Negron's editing could have been slicker.

Project Hail Mary Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, PROJECT HAIL MARY is a one-of-a-kind visual spectacle, elevated by its novel execution, humorous and emotional moments, and Ryan Gosling’s class act. However, its technically rich and cerebral narrative makes it more appealing to the intelligentsia and discerning viewers. Nevertheless, aided by the strong buzz, the film is expected to put up decent numbers despite the DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE wave and a possible shortage of adequate screens.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller approach Project Hail Mary with a clear understanding of what makes the source material distinctive, emphasising problem-solving as drama. Rather than relying on conventional action beats, the film builds tension through incremental discovery, making each scientific hurdle a narrative set-piece in its own right. Watching Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) work through problems, test hypotheses, fail, and recalibrate gives the film a rhythm that feels intellectually engaging without becoming alienating.
Ryan Gosling’s performance is central to this balance. He avoids portraying Grace as an infallible genius, instead leaning into uncertainty, fear, and gradual adaptation. This grounding makes the character more accessible, particularly as the film unfolds through fragmented memory and real-time discovery. The use of flashbacks is handled with clarity, gradually revealing both the global stakes and Grace’s personal reluctance, which adds moral texture to what could otherwise be a purely functional survival narrative.
Visually, the film favours coherence over spectacle. The scientific processes are depicted with emphasis on clarity, and even the more speculative elements are framed in a way that prioritises audience comprehension. This restraint allows the viewer to remain engaged with the logic of the situation. When the film does expand its visual scope, it does so with purpose, reinforcing scale and isolation rather than simply showcasing effects. Look out for tributes to sci-fi classics embedded in subtle nods and obvious references.
The emotional core of the film, however, lies in its most unexpected relationship. Without revealing specifics, the connection that develops is handled with surprising nuance and warmth. The filmmakers allow this dynamic to evolve gradually, using communication barriers and mutual problem-solving as a foundation for trust. This relationship ultimately elevates the film, shifting it from an exercise in scientific skill to a story about cooperation and empathy across profound differences.
That said, compared to the novel, certain scientific challenges are resolved more quickly than they might warrant, and a few emotional transitions feel compressed to maintain pacing. While this makes the film more accessible to a broader audience, it does come at the cost of some of the depth that defined the book’s appeal. Even so, the film succeeds in preserving the essence of its source to make it a celebration of curiosity, resilience, and the human capacity to connect in the most unlikely circumstances.

There’s a quiet defiance at the heart of Project Hail Mary. At a time when science fiction feels increasingly obsessed with collapse - of systems, of morality, of hope, this film chooses something far riskier: optimism.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and adapted from Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, Project Hail Mary walks a fine line between spectacle and sincerity. It is, on the surface, about a dying sun and humanity’s last gamble. But beneath that, it is about connection: who we trust, who we become in crisis, and what it means to not be alone at the end of everything.
At its centre is Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace, a man who wakes up in deep space with no memory and, gradually, no illusions about humanity either. Gosling plays Grace with a disarming awkwardness, leaning into vulnerability rather than heroism. His performance is deeply internal, equal parts humour, fear and reluctant courage, and it anchors the film even when the science threatens to overwhelm the emotion.
Visually, the film is immersive without being indulgent. Its visual style embraces both the vastness of space and the power of quietude. Space is not romanticised; it is observed. The camera lingers on confined interiors, sterile surfaces, and the vast, indifferent emptiness outside. There’s a deliberate avoidance of excess, no unnecessary visual noise, no exaggerated spectacle. This measured approach allows the isolation to sink in. You’re constantly aware of how precarious human existence is in a setting that offers no second chances.
Adapting Weir’s dense, problem-solving-heavy novel was always going to be a challenge. Screenwriter Drew Goddard smartly trims the excess without diluting the essence. The science remains accessible, even playful, folded into the narrative rather than interrupting it. Fans of the book may notice missing layers of technical detail, but what the film gains instead is emotional clarity. It understands that the story isn’t just about saving Earth, it’s about why that even matters.

And that “why” comes into sharp focus with Rocky.

Without veering into spoiler territory, the relationship between Grace and Rocky, an alien being who is, quite literally, rock-like, is the film’s most surprising triumph. Their camaraderie is built not on similarity, but on curiosity. On patience. On the slow, deliberate act of understanding someone fundamentally different from you.

In a cinematic landscape that seems to be betting solely on grand romances and tragic partnerships, this bond feels refreshingly pure. It is devoid of ego, politics, or power. - just two beings, trying to survive, choosing kindness when it would be easier not to. In many ways, it’s more intimate than any love story we’ve seen on screen in recent years. Because it is built on trust, not desire.
What makes this relationship even more compelling is what it reveals about Grace. As the film progresses, there’s a subtle but striking shift, he begins to find more comfort in this alien companionship than in memories of human interaction. It’s an unsettling idea, but also a deeply contemporary one. Because Project Hail Mary is, at its core, a reflection of our present.

While the central crisis of the dying sun is fictional, the behavioural patterns it reveals are not. When faced with extinction, systems begin to prioritise survival over ethics, and decisions become transactional, even if it costs human lives in trade. The narrative reflects a world already grappling with resource anxiety, fractured alliances and competing interests.
In that context, Grace’s emotional drift towards Rocky feels more like commentary than escapism. What does it say about humanity if solace is easier found outside of it? If empathy feels more accessible across species than across borders? And yet, the film never becomes cynical.

That’s its greatest strength. It suggests that cooperation, however fragile, is still possible. That connection, no matter how unlikely, can still save us. There are flaws. The film runs a little long, occasionally circling its emotional beats when it could move forward. There are moments where the sentimentality lingers just a touch too long. But these are minor detours in an otherwise affecting journey.
Because when Project Hail Mary works, and it often does, it reminds you why science fiction matters. Not for the scale, not for the spectacle, but for the questions it asks. Who are we, when everything is at stake? And who do we choose to stand beside? In answering that, the film finds something rare: not just wonder, but warmth.

Who doesn’t want to be friends with Ryan Gosling, the actor in whom warmth and humour seem to lie just under the surface? Why should an alien life form be immune?

And that’s both the strength and weakness of this film based on a book by the same name by author Andy Weir (also the writer of The Martian). What starts off as a scientific mission to save the Sun – and hence the Earth – from “astrophages” which are eating away at it, requiring the world to pool its resources together and send a spacecraft to a solar system more than 11.8 light years away – on what is a one-way, and hence suicidal, mission – is, at the heart of it, essentially a feel-good buddy movie.

Feel good you will, and good – as we hear – is not the enemy of the perfect. The film also imagines space as something genuinely beautiful, pure, raw and untouched, not an expanse of unknown terrors where things go very, very wrong, very, very quickly, that we have come to know.
However, Project Hail Mary’s insistence on being sunny side up, in the face of the darkness coming mankind’s way, dilutes the urgency that is fuelling this desperate mission.Grace (Gosling) is a science school teacher, much-liked evidently from the one class the film shows him holding. Once upon a time, he was the kind of promising molecular biologist who gets called to UNESCO conferences, but a harsh word too many against the established geniuses resulted in a backlash, forcing Grace out to the Cleveland school where he is now not-unhappily working.

One afternoon, just when he has finished explaining to an over-inquisitive student, seemingly of Indian origin, what the ‘Petrova Line’ is, in walks Eva (Hüller), the head of the Petrova Line Task Force. The said-same line involves a beam connecting Venus and Sun, via which organisms called astrophages have been arriving and eating up our star. Eva seeks out Grace for his biological skills and out-of-the-box thinking, and he requires some persuasion, but not much.
There is some genuinely funny banter involving secret agents and Grace as he and Eva work towards cracking what they can do to save the Sun. The plan boils down to sending a spaceship fired by 2 million kilogrammes of astrophagus to a solar system whose sun seems to be the only star immune to being eaten.

Directors Lord and Miller, who have cut their teeth making films such as The Lego Movie and the two Spider-man: Spiderverse, do surprisingly well in keeping the science light as well as lucid. The astrophages don’t run away with Project Hail Mary, and neither does all the waking-from-induced-coma confusion, the finding-your-feet (literally) in zero gravity, and the learning-how-to-pilot a spaceship by yourself stuff.

That breezily accomplished, the film introduces Rocky, from a planet far, far away. How Grace and Rocky meet and literally tango in their spaceships is a work of art, playing out against a dark sea of stars. The human ship is all metal and hull and chutes and screws. Rocky’s ship is like rays of light strung together in a golden weave.

Rocky had a 20-plus crew at one point, which is now down to only him. He is as alone, and as eager, to save the sun of his own solar system. That is the start of a beautiful friendship between him and Grace, and it surprisingly involves a lot more tears than you expect a Hollywood male star to shed.
If there are frontiers to be conquered and worlds to be saved, these two buddies, who also find a way to converse, will now do it together. Rocky, voiced by Ortiz, is a quick study, and a delight when he moves into Grace’s ship as a very nosey roommate.

In all this otherworldly scheme of things, the gravity is entirely on the side of Eva, and Hüller plays her role, requiring blood, sweat, tears and life of her recruits, with brilliant equanimity. Her patient and understanding leader can transform double quick into detached commander; though her task is made easier by the fact that those signing up for this mission to certain death are so cheerfully stoic that it rings patently fake.

A song Hüller breaks into on one of the last nights on Earth for the astronauts – Harry Styles’s Sign of The Times – is a performance rippling with all the contrasting emotions going through Eva.

Hüller is also clear evidence of the power of the unsaid word. Particularly contrasted with the banter Grace and Rocky determinedly keep up; Grace can’t help a few jokes even when paying eulogy to his dead crew members.
Gosling is a great enough actor to ensure that most of these jokes land, as well as to make us tear up at the possibility of him and Rocky parting.

Which brings us to what essentially drives mankind’s space lust: to prove that we are not alone. As Hüller says when Grace asks her if she believes in God: “It beats the alternative.”


First things first: If you're a fan of Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary isn't just an easy yes... it's unmissable!

Gosling delivers one of his most charming performances yet, which says a lot considering his popular roles in crowd-pleasers like The Notebook, The Nice Guys, La La Land, and Barbie.

Remember when Meryl Streep lovingly said at the 2017 Golden Globes that Ryan Gosling is 'Canadian, like all the nicest people?'

Yeah, that easygoing charm totally shows in his latest role as a nerdy scientist.

He stars as Dr Ryland Grace, a former biologist-turned-middle school teacher. Project Hail Mary opens with him waking up alone on a spaceship, far from Earth, with no memory of how he got there or what his mission is.

We slowly piece things together along with him through flashbacks.
What's Project Hail Mary About?
Earth is facing a major crisis. A mysterious organism called Astrophage is draining energy from the sun, putting all life at risk. Unlike Don't Look Up, where leaders fail to act responsibly, this story shows countries working together to solve the problem.

A determined government agent Eva Stratt (played by the quietly commanding Sandra Huller) brings scientists from around the world to find answers under 'Project Hail Mary'.

A risky space mission becomes humanity's only hope, and Grace becomes an unlikely part of it.

Based on the novel by Andy Weir, whose earlier work became the film The Martian directed by Ridley Scott, this film mixes science, humour, and survival in space. It also brings to mind Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, especially with its theme of saving a dying planet through space travel.

Even though the story uses familiar ideas and tropes, Project Hail Mary stays engaging thanks to its refreshing humour and a strong emotional core.

The film takes a surprising turn when Grace meets an intelligent, rock-like alien that he nicknames Rocky. Rocky’s planet is also in danger, and he is on a similar mission. Their teamwork and growing friendship become the emotional heart of the film.

Movies often show aliens as dangerous, hostile entities. There are some exceptions like Steven Spielberg's ET the Extra-Terrestrial, which prompted an inspiration back home with Koi Mil Gaya. Project Hail Mary builds on that idea, telling a friendship story between two very different beings.

Directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller balance big scientific ideas with human emotion, and mostly succeed. At its core, Project Hail Mary is a deeply human story wrapped in a science fiction setting.

Despite the serious 'end of the world' theme, the film often feels light and hopeful. And much like The Martian, it finds humour in unexpected situations.

It does a good job of explaining complex science in a way that's easy to follow, though sometimes the explanations feel overly simple. This is also where the film can feel a bit heavy-handed.

At times, the explanations go on for too long, and the dialogue can feel more like a classroom lesson than part of the story. If you enjoy serious science fiction, you might find parts of it too simple and even slightly silly.

The pacing isn't perfect either. The first half moves swiftly, but a few scenes linger more than required especially towards the climax. While never boring, the film does feel slightly stretched in places.

The look and feel of Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary is visually stunning. It renders a sensory delight with beautifully composed shots by Cinematographer Greig Fraser (Dune) and some gorgeous special effects. Space feels vast and quiet, but also strangely beautiful and never eerie. The filmmakers create an atmosphere that pulls you in and keeps you there.

The soundtrack is a major strength; the music adds emotional depth, making quiet scenes more touching and tense moments more gripping.

Two scenes especially stand out.

Grace holds a small funeral in space for his fellow crew members, a man and a woman, whom he barely knew before this mission. He quietly looks into their lifeless faces before releasing their bodies into the void.

Another one plays out like docking scene from Interstellar as Grace and Rocky attempt a difficult mission to gather a sample from another planet. It's a terrific scene that puts personal stakes and shows their 'camaraderie' in a tension-filled sequence.

Ryan Gosling is effortlessly affable
Ryan Gosling dons the space suit for the second time after Damien Chazelle's sublime First Man, in which he played Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the moon. Here, he makes Grace feel like a real, relatable person rather than just a scientist in a space story. He is almost in every frame and his effortlessly affable presence carries an entire film. There's also a wonderful Meryl Streep nod here, with Gosling nearly cracking mid-performance!

Like the best crowd-pleasers, Project Hail Mary makes you laugh, it makes you weep a little, it keeps you riveted and then leaves you with a big smile by the end.

That's everything you'd want from a fun movie experience, right?

When you think of sci-fi, you often imagine something serious in tone. In most cases, astronauts take on an arduous and often perilous journey to space with no guarantee of return when Earth is in grave danger. And when the survival of mankind is at stake, who really has time for humour?

Turns out, that does not always have to be the case.
In Project Hail Mary, adapted from Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, humour is aplenty. This is not the cold, existential kind of sci fi, nor the brooding space is terrifying kind. This film wants to be warm, hopeful, funny, and just emotional enough to make you care without overwhelming you. For the most part, it succeeds.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film follows Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, a reluctant astronaut who wakes up alone in space with no memory and the burden of saving Earth. As he navigates the vast unknown, the question remains whether he will survive the journey and make it back home.
The film does not always maintain a steady pace. Even in its weaker stretches, Gosling carries it with ease through sheer charm and screen presence. There are moments that feel slow and repetitive, but he ensures your interest never dips entirely.
At its core, Project Hail Mary is about more than survival and science. It is about companionship and, more importantly, optimism. The film leans into the idea that collaboration, even across species, can save the day. That is where it finds its emotional centre.

The relationship between Grace and his alien counterpart Rocky becomes the anchor of the story, giving it a warmth that is rare in big budget sci-fi today. Rocky, in particular, is hard to resist. There is an undeniable charm to him that almost makes him feel like a robo pet in alien form.
That same warmth, however, also softens the impact. Films like Interstellar or even The Martian, also written by Andy Weir, pushed viewers into discomfort. Project Hail Mary often chooses reassurance instead. At times, it explains itself too much and occasionally tells you what to feel instead of letting you sit with the emotion. This is where it slightly loses its edge.
There is a certain softness to the film, almost as if it cannot decide how seriously it wants to be taken. At times, it feels like a high stakes space drama. At others, it leans into a lighter, almost family friendly tone.

The result is a film that remains engaging but not always gripping. There is one standout sequence where silence takes over and the tension is palpable, with the entire theatre holding its breath. Moments like these show what the film is capable of.
Visually and structurally, the film does what it needs to. The science is accessible, the pacing mostly works, and the narrative keeps you hooked. Emotionally, however, it feels uneven.

There are moments that truly land, especially when the film slows down and allows the loneliness to sink in. But just as quickly, it undercuts itself with humour or exposition, almost hesitant to linger in discomfort.
Project Hail Mary is an enjoyable watch. It has scale, heart, and a lead performance that does a lot of heavy lifting. At the same time, it plays things a little too safe, choosing charm over complexity and warmth over weight.
That warmth does not feel misplaced, though. If nothing else, the film proves one thing. Put Ryan Gosling alone in space and he will still find a way to keep you watching.

Project Hail Mary - Final Trailer | Releasing in English, Hindi, Tamil & Telugu on 20 March 2026

PROJECT HAIL MARY - Final Trailer (Hindi) | Exclusively In Cinemas and IMAX 20 March

PROJECT HAIL MARY - Final Trailer (Telugu) | Exclusively In Cinemas and IMAX 20 March

PROJECT HAIL MARY - Final Trailer (Tamil) | Exclusively In Cinemas and IMAX 20 March

PROJECT HAIL MARY - Official Trailer | Releasing Exclusively In Cinemas 20 March 2026

PROJECT HAIL MARY - Hindi Trailer | Releasing Exclusively In Cinemas 20 March 2026

Ryan Gosling is a Canadian musician and an Oscar-nominated actor who rose to worldwide fame with the highly successful romantic drama The Notebook. He went on to garner critical acclaim for his performances in films like Half Nelson, Lars and the Real Girl, Blue Valentine, La La Land and Crazy, Stupid, Love among others. Gosling is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.

Ryan Gosling

Sandra Hüller is a German actress. She has appeared in German, Austrian, American, British and French films. She gained international recognition in 2023 for her starring roles in Jonathan Glazer's Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest and Justine Triet's legal drama Anatomy of a Fall.

Project Hail Mary(2026)