Project Hail Mary 2026 Film Review
Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher, who wakes up from a coma as an astronaut only to realise that he is humanity’s last hope.
Ryan Gosling is outstanding, (when is he not?), he has a craft for playing charismatic yet emotionally vulnerable leads who possess this comedic wit. From the trailers I could tell that the film was going to visually stunning, but wow I was shocked with how stunning it actually was, the cinematography was breathtaking whether in close ups or wide shots, the lighting was atmospheric and did a great job of conveying Grace’s external and internal emotions. I was obviously obsessed with that one scene and how the lighting on Gosling reminded me of him as Seb in La La Land.
My goodness the planet of Adrian was CAPTIVATING, I sat in awe, envying the two whom got to witness such beauty and life. I loved Grace and Rocky’s developing friendship, and how easily that was built on the foundations of trust and cooperation.
One fault, was the pacing of the film. The middle act was excellent and the strongest, however the beginning with Graces memory loss felt a little rushed, I think focusing more on this could have set up and supported the flashbacks to his life before he was aboard the Hail Mary. The final act felt quite long, though it didn’t help that my cinema audience was clearly getting agitated by the end. I haven’t read the book, but the ending would’ve been more satisfying to me if we had more details on the breedings of the Taumoebas, which could have strengthened both the plot and Grace’s decision to not return to Earth more.
If you look past the slight pacing issues, you’ll find a tale of unconventional friendship and moral complexity, brought to life by the endearing lead and beautiful visuals.
