The sun is dying. A catastrophic ice age event is projected to occur in the next 30 years. A man wakes up in another galaxy and slowly realizes he is tasked with saving the world. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a book-to-movie adaptation directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller that brings the sci-fi genre to new heights. The movie has received stellar reviews on platforms such as IMDB at a rating of 8.4 stars, marking it the highest rated so far this year.
The movie follows middle school science teacher, Dr. Ryland Grace, who was previously a molecular biologist. Before becoming a teacher, he published a research paper on his belief that life doesn’t require water, which effectively blacklisted him from the science community. As a science teacher, Grace tells his students about how the sun is slowly losing energy to help engage them in a real life scenario and spark curiosity in them.
Soon after, he is scouted by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) for the Petrova Task Force, an international government group, to discover the cause of the dying sun and save humanity. After discovering what the main cause is, Grace is forcefully sent on a mission to the only surviving sun left in the Tau Ceti system to find a cure for Earth’s star. The movie jumps between him on the spacecraft and back on Earth, highlighting how the memories he slowly gains over time affect him and the story alike. In the early days of his waking up, he is approached by an unknown spacecraft, and meets a friendly, intelligent alien he names Rocky (James Ortiz) who is on a mission to save his own star. Together, they work to save both of their planets from ruin.
Gosling is known for bringing a charismatic presence to movies he is in, thriving as Ken in Barbie and Sebastian in La La Land. His role in Project Hail Mary proves to be no exception. He exceptionally plays the character of Grace, who lives alone in his apartment and rides a bike to work every day, giving him life on the screen. Gosling’s array of emotions put on display range from downright hilarious to deeply moving. Grace’s relationship with Rocky touches the hearts of anyone who sees this movie and is one of the funniest and most gut-wrenching on-screen duos in recent years.
Project Hail Mary’s breathtaking cinematography by Greg Fraiser (Dune, The Batman) is a major highlight of the movie. The use of practical sets and the complete absence of green and blue screens makes every scene all the more impressive. The reds and greens used in space are jaw-dropping and unique to the sci-fi genre. Complemented by the thrilling score by Daniel Pemberton, the movie checks all the technical boxes off.
Overall, Project Hail Mary is a wonderful and well-written story and movie that uses its actors and characters to their fullest potential in an engaging space adventure. Hopefully, Andy Weir will continue to write and supply eclectic stories about space travel and lovable characters who we, as an audience, will adore for years to come.
