Project Hail Mary Is a Superb Sci-fi Adaptation and Ryan Gosling Needs an Oscar Nomination (Review)

Filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have made a reputation for themselves in Hollywood. They see the potential in things when others are questioning “why bother?” Nearly every project they pair have brought to the big screen has been seen in some regard as foolhardy. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs turned a 30-page children’s book into a critically acclaimed film that earned a sequel. 21 Jump Street revived the ’80s TV series in a way that fully eclipsed the original, and The LEGO Movie turned what could have been just a 90-minute commercial into a thoughtful look at how we use imagination to communicate our ideas.

To that end, adapting Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary into live-action doesn’t seem to fit the bill. Weir’s work has already been hailed critically and even resulted in Best Picture-nominated film The Martian. Though on the surface, this project may not fit into the defining narrative of Lord and Miller’s creative oeuvre, the movie itself proves it fits nicely into their filmography. Having perfected their comedic chops, honed their direction of action outside of animation, and been privy to true visual effects pioneering, Project Hail Mary represents the culmination of Lord and Miller’s careers and further solidifies their place as iconic modern filmmakers.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

PROS	CONS
Ryan Gosling is amazing	Condenses almost too much from the book
Hilarious and heartfelt script
Amazing visual effects

Project Hail Mary Has Incredible Pacing (And a Great Script)

Based on Andy Weir’s novel, Project Hail Mary has a sprawling and ambitious narrative, one that not only hops the globe but sends its main character, Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), to the far reaches of space. An unknown organism, soon dubbed the “astrophage,” has found its way into our solar system and is feeding on the sun’s energy, enough that the star is starting to dim. If something isn’t done to reverse the problem, the sun will cool enough to cause catastrophic issues. Aboard the titular ship, Grace finds himself stranded in space with the mission of saving all of humanity, no memory of how he got there, and a rock-like alien from another planet eager to solve the same mystery.

One of the many magic tricks of Project Hail Mary as a film is how it manages to condense an extensive novel into not only a fully entertaining blockbuster, but one that never dumbs down the science. Penned by Drew Goddard (the Academy Award-nominated writer of The Martian), the script for Project Hail Mary manages to preserve a certain narrative pace, giving the story a brisk feeling that never once feels dull despite clocking in at over two-and-a-half hours long.

This can be seen in one of the earliest scenes in the film, when Gosling’s character is on Earth in his proper element: teaching middle school science. In this one scene, Project Hail Mary not only delivers critical exposition about the larger plot but also sets up major details for the audience without them even realizing it. The scene doubles as a showcase of Gosling’s emotional range, as Grace doesn’t just talk down to his kids about topics that require details, but also has the timidity to acknowledge the cataclysmic implications of the astrophage phenomenon.

Lord & Miller additionally maintain the pacing of Project Hail Mary by knowing when to give the audience a cutaway gag. Something as simple as federal guards eating Sour Skittles not only confirms their comedic sensibilities are on point but that every frame is pushing the narrative and keeping you engaged. There’s not an ounce of fat on the film, no wasted space, and no unclear moments.

As compelling and energetic as Goddard’s script is, the only real fault of Project Hail Mary is that it has to condense an extensive amount of material. Weir’s original novel is almost 500 pages in length, which means multiple subplots and even entire characters need to be excised for the sake of the adaptation. This is largely understandable, and the major beats of the narrative remain fully intact, but these cuts do result in a tiny piece missing from the film because so much of the story has to be condensed. This is most felt with Sandra Hüller’s Eva Stratt; even though the actress is perfectly cast as the hard-nosed head of the Hail Mary project, her presence doesn’t loom quite as large in the film as it does in the text.

Ryan Gosling Deserves an Oscar Nomination for Project Hail Mary

That said, the entirety of Project Hail Mary lives and dies by the performance that Ryan Gosling delivers. From, quite literally, the opening seconds, Gosling reminds us not only how captivating he is as a performer, but also the lengths he’s willing to go to in order to get a laugh. There are so many shades to Ryland Grace, and Gosling is able to spend time in all of them across the film’s runtime, playing a humble and caring scientist with a keen curiosity as well as a distinct emotional range.

Gosling appears in almost every scene of Project Hail Mary, and a lot of the story revolves around him being on his own. If his performance doesn’t work and his character isn’t entertaining, the film fails. Not only does Gosling make the science believable and sell the illusion that he’s a man in space, but he’s funny, heartwarming, and inspiring across the entire picture.

These shades of Gosling’s character are only exacerbated in Project Hail Mary by his biggest scene partner, Rocky, the small alien from Erid who is the secret weapon of the film. Puppeteered and voiced by James Ortiz, Rocky is hilarious and already in contention for one of the best film characters of 2026. This is yet another reason why Gosling’s own performance is so distinct and already worthy of discussion by next year’s awards season. For the majority of the film, Gosling has to act either by himself or opposite a puppet that cannot emote. It’s proof that he’s one of our most compelling performers, and an actor whose range always has new depths.

Project Hail Mary marks the first science-fiction masterpiece of 2026. Not only is it a thoroughly entertaining blockbuster with a distinct story, but it’s also anchored by one of our finest actors at the absolute top of his game. On top of that, Project Hail Mary is really, really funny. Between the many jokes that Lord and Miller can pack into the frame when you’re not expecting them, it also has one of the best cinematic aliens in decades. Comparisons will no doubt abound between Project Hail Mary and The Martian, but as the credits rolled on this film after almost three hours, I was ready for it to start over at the first frame all over again.

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