PROJECT HAIL MARY
9.2 / 10
Project Hail Mary is undoubtedly the best film I’ve seen released in 2026. Yes, I know it’s only April.
Project Hail Mary is the latest adaptation of an Andy Weir novel, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing and Ryan Gosling starring, following Ridley Scott and Matt Damon’s success with The Martian.
Despite the change in team, the Andy Weir DNA remains. The elements that made The Martian so endearing are all here, but the emotional scope and stakes expand far beyond our own solar system. It’s an escalation that pays off, anchored by Ryan Gosling, who absolutely shines. This is arguably his most indelible performance since Drive.
In the near future, scientists discover the Sun is dimming. The world’s greatest minds scramble for a solution, which is how school teacher and failed scientist Ryland Grace ends up alone on a spacecraft light years from Earth — with no memory of how he got there.
The film weaves in flashbacks to reveal the origins of his mission, but where it truly comes alive is with the introduction of Rocky, an alien Ryland encounters near Tau Ceti, on a parallel mission from his own planet. Their relationship becomes the emotional core of the film — and it works. The intergalactic stakes land because they’re grounded in this intimate, one-on-one connection.
Visually, the film is stunning, with exceptional production design and VFX. Major credit to cinematographer Greig Fraser, shooting for IMAX on the ARRI Alexa 65, framed vertically using Atlas Mercury and Viltrox Luna lenses — an unconventional approach that yields a striking result. Shout-out to our friends at Atlas.
Project Hail Mary is an undeniable theatrical experience. It falls just short of perfection due to a lack of true originality in its premise, and a somewhat idealized vision of global cooperation that feels… optimistic, given the world we live in. Minor quibbles.
My score: 9.2 out of 10. See this on the biggest screen you can find.
Project Hail Mary is the latest adaptation of an Andy Weir novel, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing and Ryan Gosling starring, following Ridley Scott and Matt Damon’s success with The Martian.
Despite the change in team, the Andy Weir DNA remains. The elements that made The Martian so endearing are all here, but the emotional scope and stakes expand far beyond our own solar system. It’s an escalation that pays off, anchored by Ryan Gosling, who absolutely shines. This is arguably his most indelible performance since Drive.
In the near future, scientists discover the Sun is dimming. The world’s greatest minds scramble for a solution, which is how school teacher and failed scientist Ryland Grace ends up alone on a spacecraft light years from Earth — with no memory of how he got there.
The film weaves in flashbacks to reveal the origins of his mission, but where it truly comes alive is with the introduction of Rocky, an alien Ryland encounters near Tau Ceti, on a parallel mission from his own planet. Their relationship becomes the emotional core of the film — and it works. The intergalactic stakes land because they’re grounded in this intimate, one-on-one connection.
Visually, the film is stunning, with exceptional production design and VFX. Major credit to cinematographer Greig Fraser, shooting for IMAX on the ARRI Alexa 65, framed vertically using Atlas Mercury and Viltrox Luna lenses — an unconventional approach that yields a striking result. Shout-out to our friends at Atlas.
Project Hail Mary is an undeniable theatrical experience. It falls just short of perfection due to a lack of true originality in its premise, and a somewhat idealized vision of global cooperation that feels… optimistic, given the world we live in. Minor quibbles.
My score: 9.2 out of 10. See this on the biggest screen you can find.