This movie review contains spoilers.
A fact few people know about me is that I hate outer space. The vastness, the darkness, the isolation — nothing is more terrifying. I don’t get to bring it up often, but if someone were to ask what my biggest fear was, I’d say something akin to waking up alone in a spacecraft with no memory of how I got there and no way to get home. So, the mere fact that I sat through all 156 minutes of “Project Hail Mary” and didn’t suffer from a panic attack is nothing short of a miracle. And yet, as soon as I stepped outside the theater, I knew I’d sit through it again and again.
The story combines two of my least favorite things, science and space. Science, because, well, I’m an advertising major for a reason, and space, because I am so unsettled by the thought of its expanse and power. Despite this, I’d argue “Project Hail Mary” is one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time.
For one thing, it is so unbelievably impressive how Ryan Gosling was able to carry the majority of the movie by himself. I have witnessed his talent in “La La Land,” “The Notebook” and even “Barbie,” but this movie showcases how his acting skills are on another level. Most actors would struggle if their scene partner was nothing more than a rock puppet, but Gosling’s character, Ryland Grace, had such chemistry with a faceless alien that by the end of the movie, much of the theater was in tears. Gosling’s performance felt authentic, and you can see how much joy he experienced on the set.
The story itself was also super compelling. The typical hero’s journey was deepened by Grace’s reluctance to join the mission and his loss of autonomy when he is forced into the role against his will. Becoming a hero was not a choice he went into of his own accord. He very well could not have completed the work in space, but his effort to save Earth’s sun and visit Tau Ceti highlighted the nature of his character. He works to save humanity even when it has turned its back on him. Grace is better than me; I would’ve held a grudge and died in space out of spite.
What truly altered my worldview was the hopefulness I felt leaving the theater. Something about the protagonist being a regular guy trying to make his way in life while simultaneously possessing the knowledge and skill required to save Earth made for quite the dynamic. Grace waking up alone in space and piecing together who he is and how he got there was nothing short of remarkable to witness. Then for him to meet, befriend and save Rocky showed his compassion and bravery, which meant more for his character when you remember he thought he was born without the bravery “gene.” On Earth, he views himself a failure, a trait we see him combat within himself in space. Watching this shift play out over the movie’s run time just left me with a sense of inspiration and encouragement.
A fact I learned after finishing “Project Hail Mary,” and rushing home to read every detail about it, is that there were no green or blue screens involved in the making of the movie. The production crew relied on massive sets and LED screens to give the effect of outer space. The moment Grace floats in the Petrova Line, one of the most beautiful scenes in the movie, was filmed with infrared lights that are invisible to the human eye, as opposed to CGI.
A lack of interest in science ended up working in my favor, as the movie was digestible and understandable to the average viewer. I can imagine if I were any more interested in the field, I would have over analyzed every scene, decision and result. Perhaps I would have reacted like the boys walking out of the theater behind my group, who said they’d “give it a 6.5 out of 10,” while I walked in front of them with mascara running down my cheeks. I do believe Andy Weir, author of the book, spoke with physicists and astro-biologists to make his writing as scientifically accurate as possible.
It should be noted that I haven’t read the book, but the movie, and the reviews saying it wasn’t a bad adaptation, certainly make me want to.
Getting over my personal aversion to space was the best thing to happen to me. It meant I got to enjoy a movie of companionship, selflessness and bravery. I don’t know what in the stars aligned for me the night I went to the theater, but this movie truly gave me a fresh outlook on my life. Dare I say “Project Hail Mary” is one of the best movies I have ever seen, statement.