Film Review: Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary proves that even if the world—any world—is facing extinction, if you have one friend by your side, you can do anything. Even save a planet. Project Hail Mary approaches space travel with optimism and humor as it asks viewers to consider their own meaning of home and belonging.
Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up alone and disheveled on his spacecraft. Coping with the loss of his fellow astronauts and struggling with amnesia, he attempts to piece together the memories of his past. We can the little home he had on Earth—no family and few friends—so when we return to the vacuum that is space we concede: who could be in more need of a friend?
When Grace meets and befriends Rocky, an extraterrestrial whose planet is facing similar threats as Earth, creativity and unity are what set them on a soul-wrecking journey to save their planets. Their meeting sets in motion a literal Hail Mary. Their authenticity is reflected through inside jokes like fist my bump, Rocky hate Mark, and we go home, statement, and their playful banter. So, it’s only natural that Rocky moves himself onto Grace’s ship.
Between their scientific discoveries, friendship and creativity are explored. We feel right at home with them. Without one another, they would not be able to retrieve the astrophage that could save their home planets. This proves that it is not violence or isolation that can save a world, but connection.
While space exploration and extraterrestrial life can be terrifying and intriguing, Project Hail Mary offers an original, sweet, and comforting side through playful banter, swapping stories, and a lack of personal space—in outer space that is!
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for their work on films such as 21 and 22 Jump Street and The Lego Movie, engage with this theme cinematically through the film’s color palette. From rich greens to the shimmering pink that is the astrophage, it engages with the idea of new life and hope, representing astrophage not as the dark, sun-killing demon it is feared to be, but rather as a symbol of the unity between Grace and Rocky. This is an evolution of coming together.
Many other great space films such as Interstellar, Passengers, and The Martian center on the desire to return to Earth or find a new planet to settle on, but Project Hail Mary offers this fresh perspective. Based on the book by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary’s depiction of Grace and Rocky’s friendship is a lesson in empathy—that home is not a place, but sometimes a person.