“Amaze Amaze Amaze!”

*Warning: This post contains spoilers for the film-adaption of ‘Project Hail Mary’*

Project Hail Mary piloted into theatres this past Friday, on March 20th. Already, the film-adaption has made $140 million in it’s global opening. As of 2026, it is the biggest debut and highest grossing movie of the year. But these numbers just prove something fans of the book already knew—it’s the story everyone needs to hear right now.

I’ve been following the slow release of PHM (Project Hail Mary) for quite some time now. Since it’s first initial trailer was released back in in June 2025, about nine months ago, anticipation for the film had only grown. The film headlined San Diego Comic Con back in July 2025 in Hall H, with a panel of Ryan Gosling, Andy Weir, Drew Goddard, and co-directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. This was our first little glimpse at the magic within the movie. Since then, the film has only gotten more and more attention with extended trailers, Super Bowl air time, and an amazing SNL appearance from Ryan Gosling.

And now, Project Hail Mary is finally out for the world to see. Those of us who read the book first have been counting down the days. I mean it, I’ve had my tickets booked front row and center for a month, waiting to see my friends Ryland and Rocky on the big screen . . . and it was everything I wanted it to be.

ROCKY AND GRACE SAVE CINEMA

Put the Jazz music away, Ryan Gosling, and go put on the spacesuit. It’s time to meet your intergalactic, extraterrestrial BFF for life. The premise of Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace, a molecular biologist turned Middle School science teacher, who finds himself leading the worlds best scholars to figure out why the sun is dying. Waking up in a spaceship with no memory of his past life, Ryland has to put together the pieces of where he is and why he is there alone. As he realizes that he is humanity’s only shot at saving the Earth, a literal ‘Hail Mary’, Ryland discovers that he isn’t out in space all alone, after all.

Before I get to into it, I just want to mention one thing. Now I can’t lie, I am no science genius. Any sci-fi books I read at the surface level, that is to say, that whatever science mumbo-jumbo is thrown at me usually goes straight over my head. I just nod my head and follow along like a good little reader. But, I’ve read both The Martian and Project Hail Mary, and to me, all the math added up. Xenonite, Astrophage, the Petrova Line—all of that made sense.

All this to say, I can’t really comment on how accurate or in-accurate the science in PHM is. I was an English Literature major, not a molecular biologist like Ryland, okay? If you want a specific review that dives into the intricacies of astrophysics in combination with the complexities of fictional literature, you won’t find it here. You understand, question?

“Good. Proud. I am scary space monster. You are leaky space blob” (Weir, Project Hail Mary).

“UH OH, I ACCIDENTALLY BECOME IMPORTANT AT WORK” – RYLAND GRACE, PROBABLY

Ryland and Rocky are the best team-up duo I’ve seen in a long time. The two of them together act just as you would want a reluctant astronaut and an alien to act—they are friends! It’s actually a beautiful representation that friendship can forever triumph over everything else. Language barriers, chemical makeup, personal desires; when you meet the alien that helps you save the stars, you tend to stick together.

From a book to movie perspective, I think PHM really nailed it. The buildup and flashes as audiences learn about Ryland’s life pre-space was really well-done. Just like in the book, we follow along and learn with Ryland. I think that we can also all agree that while we’ve only known Rocky for one day, we would do anything for him. I was a little worried when promo for the movie first started coming out and Rocky’s existence was well known by everyone. When you read Project Hail Mary, Rocky is kept a little secret and readers don’t know about him before going into the book. I really enjoyed this element of surprise, so I was concerned that people going into the movie would already know about Rocky, and the experience could be dull in comparison.

I’m happy to say that my concern was misplaced. Rocky’s whimsical personality shined throughout the movie. They gave him a lot of time and character development too, which I appreciate. It’s made sure that Rocky is just as important as Ryland is. It’s really all due to James Ortiz, the lead puppeteer and voice for Rocky. He was on set everyday, performing the playful but emotional movements that make up who Rocky is. I really hope that his involvement in PHM brings back a use of these practical skills to movie sets.

“Well, you’re not alone anymore, buddy,” I say. “Neither of us are” (Weir, Project Hail Mary).

FIST MY BUMP

This movie is going to be the one that wins Ryan Gosling his Oscar, I can feel it. Really though, Ryan Gosling doesn’t need an Oscar to tell him that he is a good actor, because we all know it already. His filmography is incredible, and the variety in his roles is such a treat to watch—it’s like a no-skip playlist. And Sandra Hüller? Absolutely amazing. I can’t think of anyone else I would want to play Eva Stratt, the person in charge of Project Hail Mary. As a person with diplomatic immunity, she gets the job done. She knows the Sun is dying, and she is going to do whatever she has to do to save the lives of the people of Earth, even if it puts her in jail.

It’s amazing that Ryland is the main character, and yet, audiences favorite scene from the movie is one where as Eva, Sandra sings Harry Style’s song, “Sign of The Times”. It’s such a beautiful scene and addition to the story, as Eva sings to all of the people that she has recruited, “They told me that the end is near, we got to get away from here . . . We can meet again somewhere, somewhere far away from here.” Even better, Sandra picked that song herself to sing. The first time I knew that this movie was going to work, and that it was placed in the hands of people who understood the book, was when I saw the very first trailer and heard this song playing in the background. It’s perfect.

The music by Daniel Pemberton was also just breathtaking. When talking about the music for the movie, Daniel said, “I was very conscious about trying to make the audience cry. I want them to feel wonder. I want them to feel beauty. I want them to laugh. I want them to feel uncomfortable and weird. I want them to not know what this music is”. As an audience remember, yeah, I think he checked all of those boxes—I did do all of those things.

If you really want to feel the full force of the movie, I suggest watching this video of Harry Styles singing “Sign of the Times” live, when it was first released. Back in 2017, this is how I first discovered the song. Hearing it again in 2026 as part of the soundtrack to Project Hail Mary was full circle.

I AM HAPPY. YOU NO DIE. LET’S SAVE PLANETS!

One of the scenes from the book that I was most anticipating for the film adaption was the realization for Ryland, and for us, that he was not a man willing to sacrifice himself for humanity. When chosen to go in the place of specialist DuBois, who died in an accident, Eva choses Ryland. Ryland, however, refuses to go. He is not the guy who is willing to give his life up for the good of humanity. It’s a real twist of the movie and the book, because Ryland’s character seems like to type of person who would volunteer himself on a suicide-mission in order to save billions of lives. It’s something we all just assumed. The only way they get Ryland into space is by forcing him into an induced coma, causing him his amnesia (which then secured Ryland’s compliance to the mission).

This scene in the movie was executed so well. The ability Ryan Gosling has to go from humorous to heartbreaking is unbelievable. One second, audiences are laughing at Ryland claiming that he could never be an astronaut because he can’t even moonwalk, to holding back tears as Ryland admits he doesn’t want to die. It’s like a well orchestrated match of tennis—we’re going back and forth moment to moment, feeling everything Ryland feels from past to present. While this is one of the most sorrowful moments for Ryland’s character, it’s beautifully performed in the movie.

HAIL MARY, FULL OF GRACE

I could really go on and on about Project Hail Mary. From it’s messages of persevering hope, to the camera angles, to Ryan Gosling’s inevitable ability to make me cry over things like rocks and mannequins (point, Lars and the Real Girl), I think it’s the sci-fi movie of the decade. But I’ll admit, I could be biased! I did read the book back in 2024 and went into the film adaption knowing that I was going to be pleased with whatever I was watching as long as Rocky and Ryland were in it. I guess you’ll just have to go to the movie theatre for yourself and decide . . .

Truly though, I really loved Project Hail Mary. Just like after I read the book, I left the movie theatre feeling hopeful and light. Because listen, we have to tell it straight—it’s hard to be on Earth sometimes. We fight, we hurt, we get scared—to put it in the simplest of terms, it’s just not easy. But we’re only human, and there is a big, bright, rocky kind of world to see once you step outside. It’s hard to remember that. On the times we do forget, though, books and movies like Project Hail Mary can help us remember.

“What’s the point of even having a world if you’re not going to pass it on to the next generation?” (Weir, Project Hail Mary).

Go see PHM on the biggest screen you can find. See it again. See it two more times. Enjoy every moment of this film that was made with love, for the people who believe in hope. And thank Andy Weir a million times. If I had a nickel for every time Andy Weir created something absolutely magical that besotted a whole new generation to the beauty of hopeful whimsy-ness, well, I wouldn’t be rich, but I am extremely grateful.

Project Hail Mary is now released worldwide—look for a theatre near you!