With Ryan Gosling leading and a story by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary had all the ingredients for success. Holding a current 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating and 4.4 stars on Letterboxd, it certainly surpassed expectations…but why?
The film follows the story of Dr. Ryland Grace, a sixth grade science teacher. A ‘Petrova line’ has been discovered between Venus and the Sun, dimming the Sun’s light. With the risk of the world’s temperature dropping fifteen degrees in the next thirty years, the whole world is scrapping together to try and tackle it. Grace is contacted by the Petrova taskforce’s leader, and forced to join Project Hail Mary, the three-man crew responsible for going to space on a one-way ticket to save Earth.
The film is not shot in this exact order – instead it opens with Grace on the Hail Mary spaceship with his memory wiped. We see flashbacks of his life on Earth, allowing the audience to piece together his backstory and why he’s 11.4 light years away from Earth at the same time as him. This is something that cinephiles have greatly praised. Project Hail Mary doesn’t make the audience feel stupid and the script shows rather than tells. The director’s choice to not film it chronologically allows the viewers to work out Grace’s story alongside him.
Furthermore, the film is perfectly paced. It packs a mix of action, complex scientific discoveries, and flashbacks to Earth, coming out a lean 153 minutes. Even though this may seem like quite a long runtime, it doesn’t feel slow. Ryan Gosling performs a compelling one-man show, encapsulating the sarcastic, reluctant, and intelligent character of Grace. There are plenty of humorous moments, and even though the Sun is dying out, Grace doesn’t miss the opportunity to crack a joke. This makes it perfect for the whole family – if someone wants to watch it for the science elements but someone else just wants a feel-good movie, both parties will be satisfied. The excellent cinematography from Greig Fraser (Oscar winner for Dune) also means you never take your eyes off the screen. The colourful outer-space shots are beautiful to look at. As for inside the spaceship, very little CGI was used, making it even more immersive for the audience. There was also a fabulous score by Daniel Pemberton, who is best known for composing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – one of the best scores in recent years.
Overall, the elements that combined for Project Hail Mary’s success are clear. It was a brilliant film, with a strong performance from Ryan Gosling, a compelling plot, and stunning visuals and music to top it all off. If you still want to see it, IMAX is definitely the best format. So take your friends and your family – there is something here for everyone!
