Project Hail Mary Movie Review: Is the Hype Justified?

In March, the sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, was released. Journalists had already been buzzing about the film in early March, calling it a "masterpiece" and a "new sci-fi classic" — and even critics don't throw around such lofty titles. Furthermore, the public's interest in the new film can be easily explained by the fact that it is the second adaptation of novels by American science fiction writer Andy Weir. The first adaptation, Ridley Scott's The Martian, was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and, of course, earned a place in our list of the best space movies.

But what about Project Hail Mary? Are the critics right when they call it a masterpiece? This spoiler-free review will answer that question.

First, I'll offer a piece of advice that's becoming a staple in my reviews: don't watch the trailer — it contains unnecessary spoilers. This article contains just enough information to avoid ruining your viewing experience and keep all the surprising plot twists under wraps.

To the stars (Ad astra)!

Waking up from an induced coma aboard a spaceship, Dr. Ryland Grace tries to remember his mission and understand what happened to the crew. At first glance, this seems like a banal, yet still decent, premise for a sci-fi thriller with detective elements: after all, the protagonist's amnesia is a staple of the genre. Unfortunately, however, the film turns out to have no detective element at all. A flashback immediately dispels the mystery. Grace recalls that he is a molecular biologist who was researching a beam of light known as the "Petrov Line" — a cosmic phenomenon that is slowly but surely destroying stars. And in 30 years the same fate awaits our Sun.

To prevent a catastrophe, the governments of 21 countries are organizing an initiative called Project Hail Mary. The goal is to build an interstellar ship and equip a crew of three to travel to the constellation Tau Ceti — the only star unaffected by the anomaly's destructive influence. Upon arrival, the astronauts are tasked with understanding how this star survived and sending probes back to Earth with their findings. Unfortunately, the journey does not include a return trip, as the fuel supply is strictly limited, and the amount is only sufficient to reach their destination.

Having regained his memories, Grace discovered that his fellow astronauts — engineer Olesya Ilyukhina and pilot Yao Li-Jie — had died while in an induced coma without ever regaining consciousness. This process had been lengthy and inherently fraught with risk. It seemed the only scientist on board was lucky to survive the flight, but the responsibility for the survival of all humanity now rested on his shoulders.

The above events can be considered a half-hour prologue; the remaining two hours of the film unfold in a rather fluid tone: there are action-packed events, a bit of drama, funny situations, and plenty of touching moments. The film is deeply emotional, and the eccentric protagonist, played by Ryan Gosling, keeps things interesting. The mysterious and sometimes even dark atmosphere is tempered by simple, relatable humor, making it easy to watch.

A similar narrative style was present in The Martian, though Ridley Scott's film strikes a more even balance between comedy and seriousness. And yes, this was the first small slapstick thrown at The Project. Comparisons between the two films are natural, as at first glance they are very similar, but in reality only superficially. The Martian tells a more down-to-earth story about the survival of a specific individual, while The Project is also a reflection on life as a phenomenon, a phenomenon that represents the most precious thing in the universe. Importantly, the film doesn't retreat into complete abstraction or delve into philosophical depths. By the way, we have a list of the best survival movies on our website, which includes The Martian. If you're interested in this topic, be sure to check out the selection.

Not a 10/10, but...

Returning to the question of whether Project Hail Mary is a masterpiece, it's fair to say that the film is overrated. Despite its strengths — Gosling's excellent performance, beautiful special effects, Greig Fraser's innovative cinematography, and the playful direction of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller — the film does have its flaws. Chief among them is its derivative nature, as much of what unfolds has already appeared in other sci-fi blockbusters. This fact in no way makes Project Hail Mary a bad film; it simply suggests that one shouldn't give in to the hype and build inflated expectations.

In terms of ratings, the journalists who gave the film sevens and eights were much closer to the mark. Nevertheless, this new film starring Ryan Gosling is definitely not to be missed. It features vibrant characters, simple humor, and a captivating story capable of touching even the most sentimental viewers. In other words, Project Hail Mary has everything it takes to delight audiences, and it doesn't have to be a masterpiece to do so. Incidentally, there are still plenty of exciting film releases to come, which are covered in our article about the most anticipated movies and TV shows of 2026.