Alex Reviews "Project Hail Mary"

Nothing is as uncomfortable as not knowing or feeling stupid. Now imagine waking up alone and unable to remember your own name…in space…in an unknown section of space. This is reality for middle school teacher, Ryland Grace. Unsure who, where, or what his reality is, Grace has to figure out the reason he’s hurtling through space and not some astronaut on whatever mission or punishment he finds himself dealt.

Project Hail Mary closely follows the Andy Weir novel of the same name and brought to life by directors Lord & Miller. Using almost entirely practical effects is a massive undertaking, but this picture will be among people’s favorites for 2026 or those people are wrong. Incredibly, this is one of the best examples of movie and book partnerships I have encountered. The film takes a very internalized source and develops a grandiose page to life universe. Not really surprising from the minds behind the Spider-Verse films, but it does play incredibly well with the space odyssey theme to have an almost comic or graphic novel texture.

While a picture can be enjoyed for its visuals alone, it becomes great with the players involved and Ryan Gosling has been required viewing since bursting into the top tier talent lists with his Oscar-nominated performance in 2006’s Half Nelson. Very few performers could pull off a Castaway performance, but Gosling is at the top of that list. He’s even better with relationships among the narrative, so it really does present an amazing opportunity to showcase his talents into three major segments… just like the ship in Project Hail Mary: acting with himself, acting with cast mates, and acting with a rock. Yup and Rocky is awesome!

The biggest interest to me with Project Hail Mary is the divide and conquer structure that this team has developed. Andy Weir writes the novel, Drew Goodard writes the film script, and a heavyweight director(s) helm. It worked for The Martian with Ridley Scott, but something really clicked with Lord & Miller with their fantastical visual minds. Project Hail Mary is a phenomenally entertaining start to this crew, but the way they structure the two-and-a-half-hour experience is wholly unique. I have never felt a story with so much strained tension that never felt like it dragged even a moment. It will not only be a favorite among fans, but this picture is also going to be study material for film schools for as long as there are script and directorial classes.

Make sure to see Project Hail Mary in IMAX and every premium format available when it releases March 20^th. I know I can’t wait to see it in Dolby and in IMAX repeatedly!