If you look past the swirling colors, rocket-fueled editing, micro-detailed sets, and vibrant music in Project Hail Mary (2026), all you have left are the characters. And that’s enough to make this a great movie. Fully assembled, this is one of the best family films of the last quarter century.
The greatest trick Ryan pulls off is making you believe Gosling doesn’t exist. You forget about the household name acting on screen. Instead, you rally behind Grace, even though he understands science more than his fellow adults. You cheer him on when he succeeds. You empathize with him when he shows cowardice. You’re pulled into his relationship with a rock-like alien.
You can’t look away as their friendship blossoms and they figure out how to save their respective planets. Watching them joke with each other, learn to trust each other, and care for each other will have you beaming like the Sun — you know, before it dies.
Writer Andy Weir added the astrophysics to the story. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller stirred in the chemistry. You feel it in how the visuals and sound play off each other. How the characters interact. How the spirit of discovery fuels the action.
There’s tension that bends you but never breaks you. It’s not meant to. You’re supposed to enjoy this ride, not be dominated by it.
The story shoots forward, then pauses to let you catch up, and breathe it all in, almost like a Hayao Miyazaki film. The pacing makes the 2:36 run time fly by. You’re not stuck in space. You build toward wanting to be there. By the time you leave the theater, you know you’d step up if you were in Grace’s Converse kicks.
You’ve seen end-of-the-world films before. You know the tropes are coming.
The unlikely hero. The last-ditch plan. The setback. The sacrifice. The karaoke moment. They arrive. They pull you in. Miraculously, you love them.
Most importantly, you want to see it all again. The relationships, the jokes, the needle drops, the visuals, and even the tropes all have gravity. Make sure you see it in the theater.
🎬🎬🎬
Where to watch
Rating: PG-13 (Me: 8+)
Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Starring: Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz, Sandra Hüller
Run time: 2h 36m
Post-credits scenes: After the entire credits roll, there is a quick message from Rocky, but it’s unclear what Rocky says.
Bathroom breaks: According to Run Pee, the times are…
- 1:13:40 when Grace tells Rocky he’s a side sleeper anyway.
- 1:57:45 When Eva tells Grace he has three hours to decide.
Sequel? Hoppers scored Pixar’s biggest opening in almost a decade. Expect a sequel.
If you liked Project Hail Mary, check out these films:
- The Martian (2015) (8+)
- Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022) (8+)
- Flight of the Navigator (1986) (6+)
- Apollo 13 (1995) (8+)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) (5+)
- October Sky (1999) (7+)
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