Book and Movie Review
Last week, March 20th, 2026, the movie Project Hail Mary was released in theaters. The sci-fi movie is based off of the 2021 novel “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir. In this story, astrophages, which are microscopic black dots, are beginning to cover the sun and are projected to lower the Earth’s temperature by 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit in the next thirty years. Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher, assists on this suicide mission to outer space save the Earth from global disaster.
“Project Hail Mary” is a movie I have been anticipating for a while. I read the book earlier this year per the recommendation of my girlfriend and all of the trailers looked exactly like something I wanted to see. Book adaptations have always been a bit finicky for me, but regardless of that, I knew I wanted to give it a chance. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.
I was a huge fan of Interstellar (2014). It was a cinematic masterpiece in my eyes. The cinematography, accompanied by the music of Han Zimmer, was breathtaking. The storyline was fascinating and the emptiness I felt at the end is what gave it five stars. The same could be said for Project Hail Mary.
Project Hail Mary Will Change You, I Promise
Spoilers underneath!
The start of the movie did a perfect job of confusing the audience, especially if they haven’t read the book before. Ryland Grace wakes up alone, among his dead comrades on a space ship headed to a mysterious location. He doesn’t remember how he got there, what he’s doing, or what happened to his shipmates. He doesn’t even know how to work the ship he’s on. He is just as confused as we were watching it (or reading it) for the first time.
To me, Ryan Gosling was a perfect pick to play Ryland Grace. Grace is a complicated character. He is an extremely “happy-go-lucky” guy who is faced with some immensely heavy decisions. As a middle school science teacher, he is always optimistic and cheerful, so his students have the best experience. Even when his students interrogate him about astrophages and whether or not the Earth is ending, he stays as positive as he can.
Grace is also incredibly intelligent. He is a doctor of molecular biology who is very knowledgeable about his field. Despite this, he does not believe he is the best choice for whatever mission he’s being called for. He denies his ability and does his best to avoid being chosen. However, his decision is hardly his to make and he is ultimately pulled into “Project Hail Mary”: a suicide misson to save the planet from its demise.
He constantly stays in the lab and makes insanely quick breakthroughs on astrophages and how they work. The leaders, scientists, and astronauts call on him when they have questions, even when he doubts his own ability. He is humble without even realizing that fact. With all of these factors put together, it made me realize how well Ryan Gosling played his character. Even when I was reading the book it was easy to picture him in that role, and he emulated that book spirit so well.
Sandra Hüller was an impeccable Eva Stratt. She played her role like rent was due. Her coldness toward the situation was perfectly executed, as well as the mix-in of sarcastic humor used with Grace. I think their relationship was done very well. I think it was a little more cold in the book, but the addition of some warmth actually made me like their relationship more. I think it allowed Grace to trust Stratt more, which was ultimately his downfall.
Though odd to some people, I think the karaoke song choice of Sign of the Times by Harry Styles was a perfect pick. It wasn’t in the book (my favorite phrase), but it captured the humor of the scene as well as the impending doom, not only for those going on the suicide mission, but also for those who had to stay behind on Earth and do all that they could to push back on the consequences of the astrophages.
After the death of the primary scientist and the backup scientist who were meant to go on this mission, Grace is asked if he would be willing to sacrifice his life on a one-way trip to save Earth. It is presented to him as a choice, but unfortunately he would be forced to go anyway. A lot of people in the theater were laughing during this scene, which I understand as I think it was filmed in a way to be laughed at, but it was honestly a really emotional scene.
I could feel his internal debate through the screen. You could be the solution to saving the entire planet, but you had to die in the process. It makes me think about all of the middle school students he had to leave behind. Stratt is a very “the end justifies the means” type of person, which definitely showed in this scene.
Rocky was by far the star of the show. Though he (pronouns given to him by Grace) came across as cute, he was truly an extremely smart being. He was all alone for 40 years and he still pushed on to find a solution for his home planet. Though his understanding of Earth terms (like radiation) was nonexistent, he could create models and pathways on command. To testify to his intelligence, Grace had to create an entire system to begin translating Rocky’s words, whereas Rocky’s perfect memory allowed him to immediately start understanding what Grace was saying. That makes Rocky a truly brilliant character.
I loved the character design, just as much as I loved his personality. I had a hard time envisioning what he looked like in the book, but I fell in love with the movie design. Additionally, the way the movie showcased his ability to see using sound was really fascinating. Again, he was smart enough to invent a way to see Ryland Grace and the ship around him.
The best thing that could have happened for him and Grace was that they found each other. Both of them were on crews that had perished and they were able to work together to find a solution for their own planets. Rocky and Grace used their own individual intelligence to help each other with their own missions: save home. I loved their dynamic and their relationship just got better and better throughout the novel. They both made sacrifices for each other as well as gave each other opportunities that they wouldn’t have had if they didn’t meet.
I honestly didn’t have very many complaints. Only a couple stuck out to me, and they were movie-book comparisons that are fine to be left out if one just watches the movie. First, in the book, they had to launch a nuclear strike on Antarctica with the hopes of releasing trapped methane gas, all to cause a massive greenhouse effect. This was meant to warm Earth enough to possibly offset the decrease in temperature over the next thirty years. Though not necessary for the book, it would have added another level of urgency to the situation.
Secondly, though it’s a little complicated to explain, I will try my best. The astronauts going on the ship were required to be tested to see if they had a specific gene that was compatible with being in a coma for over a decade. Ryland Grace, though not initially going into space, was compatible with the coma. That allowed him to be kidnapped and forced to go on the trip anyway.
That is honestly the last of my complaints. I loved the humor of this movie. It was light enough for the crowd to laugh and enjoy it, but had scenes that were incredibly emotional. Both Grace and Rocky were always ready to sacrifice something for each other, which strengthened their bond and the plot. I enjoyed the use of the flashbacks, and how they were helpful in piecing the story together for both the audience and Grace. I can’t imagine what it’s like to experience temporary memory loss, so the style of the movie helped the watchers grasp that with him.
I loved this movie and happily gave it five stars on my Letterboxd. I cannot wait for it to be released on streaming services so I can watch it whenever I want. I honestly might go back and watch it again in theaters. I recommend it to anyone who wants a tear-jerker space movie with a cute alien involved. Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! 👎