Project Hail Mary2026

88/100 Ryan Gosling in a buddy-cop science fiction film about saving the world was not something I knew I needed, but now that it's here, I'm so glad it is. I had, of course, read the book this is based on a while ago, and one of the main strengths of this film is how close it sticks as an adaptation. Dialogue and scenes are lifted seamlessly from the book, and as the book is a great story, this is inevitably the same. The special effects here are off the charts, with almost everything looking really good. Really, the lighting looks reminiscent of an early 2000s movie, which is great, considering that's what I view as one of the best times for colour grading in film. Really, the film is mostly about hope and especially faith in science. The core of the story is that two species face a problem and solve it through the power of science. It goes to some pretty dark places, but never quite loses the optimistic tone this theme offers, making for an intensely enjoyable experience. It's also weirdly funny, and I found myself chuckling at most of the jokes. Gosling here does really well as Grace. He's not my favourite character, but he's genuinely nuanced while still managing to be lovable. Even without the alien heart of this movie, I believe he could have carried the movie by himself. At the heart of this is Rocky, the alien whose existence is sadly spoiled by the trailers, which is a shame because his reveal is really quite good. He is my favourite character in any movie I've seen in a while, I can't believe I got so attached to this rock alien. Also, as a small tangent, I'm not a huge science guy, but this movie's enthusiasm for it is infectious. They also pay attention by not having any noise in space, which is a nice touch. I noticed, I clapped (not really, but you get the point). This is a movie I don't like to spoil, because I believe it deserves more money and your viewership. If you haven't seen it yet, please check it out. I haven't seen a movie this good come out in a while. I can't say much overall, except that this is a great movie which I can't recommend enough.