Project Hail Mary Review: Ryan Gosling Elevates a Flawed Space Comedy
Ryan Gosling’s performance and impressive technical achievements mark Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary, a science fiction adventure released in US theaters on March 20, 2026, following a premiere in London on March 9, 2026. While visually stunning and buoyed by Gosling’s charisma, the film diverges from Andy Weir’s 2021 novel, resulting in a tonal imbalance and a diminished exploration of its source material’s philosophical depth.
The film opens with Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) awakening aboard a spacecraft with amnesia. As his memories return, he learns he is a middle school science teacher thrust into a desperate mission to save Earth from a sun-dimming phenomenon caused by “Astrophages,” a mysterious substance consuming solar energy. Flashbacks reveal Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), a determined government official, recruited Grace for the mission, recognizing his unique understanding of the crisis.
Project Hail Mary employs a non-linear narrative, interweaving Grace’s present-day struggle in deep space with his recruitment and training on Earth. This structure, mirroring the novel, gradually unveils the story, revealing the gravity of the situation alongside Grace’s own rediscovery of his purpose. The film’s cinematography, by Greig Fraser and visual effects, overseen by Paul Lambert, contribute to a sense of immersion, while Daniel Pemberton’s score and a soundtrack featuring classic pop and rock songs enhance the emotional resonance of both timelines, according to reports.
Grace’s isolation is broken by the discovery of Rocky (James Ortiz), an alien scientist from the planet Erid, also attempting to save his home world from the Astrophages. Their unlikely partnership forms the core of the film, shifting the narrative towards a buddy comedy. The two learn to communicate and collaborate, leading to humorous interactions and a growing bond. Though, this comedic turn, while providing emotional moments, is where the film’s flaws become most apparent.
Critics have noted a disconnect between the film’s attempts at levity and its more serious themes. The repetitive gags and childish humor, while intended to lighten the mood, often detract from the story’s potential for philosophical exploration. Despite Gosling’s strong performance, which has been praised for its emotional range and physical commitment, the film struggles to fully develop his character arc as it was presented in the novel.
A significant point of contention lies in the film’s portrayal of Eva Stratt. The narrative reveals that Stratt knowingly subjected Grace to a procedure that induced amnesia and placed him on a potentially fatal mission without his informed consent. While the novel presents Stratt as a morally ambiguous figure whose actions raise complex ethical questions, the film softens her character, framing her as a well-intentioned leader who made a tough but necessary decision. This alteration, critics argue, undermines the novel’s exploration of power, agency, and the justification of extreme measures in the face of existential threats.
The film’s climax features a scene where Grace communicates with Stratt, but the ethical implications of her actions are largely glossed over. The film’s choice to present Stratt’s karaoke performance of Harry Styles’s “Sign of the Times” as a poignant moment further normalizes her behavior, raising concerns about the film’s ethical stance.
Project Hail Mary, produced by Amy Pascal, Ryan Gosling, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, and Rachel O’Connor, carries a reported net budget of $200 million and a gross of $77 million as of its release. The film’s length, clocking in at 156 minutes, has also been cited as a drawback, with some critics arguing that the comedic sequences overstay their welcome.
Despite its shortcomings, Project Hail Mary offers a visually impressive and entertaining experience, particularly for those seeking a lighthearted science fiction adventure. However, its deviation from the novel’s philosophical depth and its problematic portrayal of Eva Stratt prevent it from reaching its full potential.