The film adaptation of Project Hail Mary released in theatres on March 20, with advance screenings taking place the weekend prior. Ryan Gosling takes on the role of scientist Ryland Grace, tasked with saving Earth’s dying sun.
The book version was released in 2021, written by Andy Weir (who also wrote The Martian). The movie proves to be a faithful adaptation, though some of the details from the book were left out. The film already has a runtime of two hours and thirty-six minutes, and feels complete without the extra specifics.
As far as plot goes, Project Hail Mary follows science teacher and somewhat-disgraced academic Ryland Grace, who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no clue how he got there. He is able to piece together some of the story, which the audience sees through flashbacks: the sun, as well as many other stars outside our solar system, is dying. This is because of an alien organism called “Astrophage,” which is quite literally eating the stars. Grace was recruited by the government to help study Astrophage, and, more importantly, to stop it from killing the sun. Somehow, this led to him ending up on a spaceship (the Hail Mary), though we won’t spoil that part, since it isn’t revealed until much later in the film.
One of the things that was “spoiled” in the trailers for Project Hail Mary was the character Rocky, a small rock-like alien who Grace befriends in space. Grace and Rocky quickly learn to rely on each other for both scientific help and social connection. Some fans of the book felt that Rocky shouldn’t have been revealed in the trailers, as his appearance is treated more like a plot-twist in the book. However, this early reveal didn’t meaningfully detract from the film, and there were other twists and turns that more than made up for it.
On its own, the story is already compelling, but add Ryan Gosling’s incredible performance into the mix and it becomes even better. Project Hail Mary is truly a film about loneliness and connection, and it tugs at the heartstrings in all the right ways.
The film is also visually stunning. No green screens were used in the process, and all the shots of space were done digitally by real artists. Even Rocky was portrayed by a physical puppet instead of using CGI. To some, this may seem like a superfluous detail, but it makes a noticeable difference in the viewing experience.
All in all, Project Hail Mary is a masterpiece of an adaptation, even if you’ve never read the book it was based on. It is best enjoyed on the big screen to feel the full effect of the visuals, so see it in theatres while you can.
The Pomegranate rates it 5/5 pomegranate seeds.
