‘Project Hail Mary’ Evaluation: Ryan Gosling saves the planet in enjoyable Amazon flick

We do not typically get prime quality popcorn flicks nowadays — films that aren’t simply pure leisure, however which might be additionally extraordinarily well-made, significantly within the post-COVID period. Only a handful of flicks come to thoughts: “Top Gun: Maverick, the “Dune” films, the first “Wicked,” “F1.”

Thankfully, we can add another to the list: “Project Hail Mary.”

Adapted from the 2021 book by “The Martian” novelist Andy Weir, “Project Hail Mary” follows Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a former biologist-turned-middle faculty science trainer who’s wanted by European Space Agency administrator Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller). She believes there’s an opportunity that Grace can save the planet based mostly on a contrarian dissertation he wrote that ostracized him from his friends.

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Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in “Project Hail Mary,” from Amazon MGM Studios.  (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.)

Set in the not too distant future, scientists observe that the sun is dimming by an infectious organism called “astrophage,” which slowly consumes the sun’s energy. Stratt warns Grace that large swaths of the world’s population could begin dying in 30 years if they don’t find a solution. Virtually every star in the galaxy has been infected but one: Tau Ceti, located roughly 12 light years from our solar system.

The mission, dubbed Hail Mary, is to send a three-man crew to Tau Ceti to hopefully discover what is preserving Tau Ceti and replicate it for Earth. Except there won’t be enough energy for the crew to make it back.

Stratt wants Grace to go on a suicide mission.

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Sandra Hüller stars as Eva Stratt and Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in “Project Hail Mary,” from Amazon MGM Studios.  (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.)

Despite his strong trepidation and resistance, Grace wakes up several years later from an induced coma utterly confused, not taking long before realizing he is no longer on Earth and is the only crew member still alive. Never having been in space before, Grace adapts to starship life fairly well.

Upon his arrival at Tau Ceti, Grace discovers he’s not there alone. Next to his rather puny starship is a giant alien spaceship. After a bit of reluctance, Grace accepts an invitation of sorts to meet his counterpart on a makeshift bridge. Standing behind an atmospheric divide is a faceless, spider-like rock creature who Grace names Rocky. The two of them quickly bond — at first with physical gestures that Rocky is able to mimic until Grace develops a communication system based on Rocky’s sound frequencies, eventually giving Rocky an artificial voice (played by James Ortiz).

Rocky has the same predicament as Grace. His home planet is also in danger and, like Grace, he’s the last remaining crew member on his ship. Grace and Rocky find themselves in an unlikely partnership.

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Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in “Project Hail Mary,” from Amazon MGM Studios.  (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.)

Ryan Gosling is easily one of the most charismatic actors working today. He can do comedy, he can do drama, and he’s always so likable. And you need someone like that for a film that’s set on a solo space mission. Gosling showcases all of his talents here, essentially starring as a hero to root for in a sci-fi action adventure as well as a buddy comedy as he develops an adorable dynamic with Rocky that resembles E.T and Elliott. It’s among his best performances.

“Project Hail Mary” is a bold departure from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s past films (“21 Jump Street,” “The LEGO Movie,” the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” saga as producers). According to my pal Evan, who read the Weir novel and saw the film with me, adaptation stays true to the source material, which he said is similarly comical. So hats off to screenwriter Drew Goddard (“The Martian,” “The Cabin in the Woods”).

From the stunning cinematography of Oscar-winner Greig Frasier (“Dune,” “The Batman”) the strong score of composer Daniel Pemberton, the fantastic editing of Joel Negron, to production design and visual effects — Lord and Miller assembled a stellar team across the board. Do not be surprised if “Project Hail Mary” becomes an Oscar contender a year from now.

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Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in “Project Hail Mary,” from Amazon MGM Studios.  (Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.)

The Verdict

Amazon MGM Studios’ “Project Hail Mary” is a crowd-pleasing, out-of-this-world adventure that’s truly meant for the big screen. Gosling gives a winning performance in an enjoyable movie seemingly from a far gone era. And if you can see it in IMAX, definitely do so.

★★★ ½ — SEE IT NOW

“Project Hail Mary” is rated PG-13 for some thematic material and suggestive references. Running time: 2 hours, 36 minutes. In theaters now.

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