By John Corrado
Ryan Gosling received his first Oscar nomination two decades ago for playing a school teacher in the indie drama Half Nelson. Now, Gosling is playing a teacher once again in the sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary, which finds the Canadian actor delivering one of his very best performances.
Adapted from the novel by Andy Weir, who also wrote the book behind Ridley Scott’s immensely entertaining 2015 film The Martian, Project Hail Mary casts Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher with a degree in microbiology who is selected to go up in space on a mission to save the sun.
Like the Matt Damon-starring The Martian, Project Hail Mary is not only another celebration of scientific ingenuity, but also largely a one-man show. What’s even more impressive about Gosling’s performance here is that he is the only human onscreen for much of the running time, and he carries the picture like a true movie star. Gosling’s co-star? An alien rock creature. The film itself is a classic example of soaring, big-hearted blockbuster entertainment. It’s entertaining, visually dazzling, and surprisingly moving.
We first meet Gosling’s Ryland Grace waking up alone on a spaceship, with no recollection of how he got there, forcing him to piece together his past and recovering memories. Through flashbacks to his life on Earth, we see how he was brought in to the the space program by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), who is heading an international task force of scientists.
Ryland is on a mission to research alien microbes called “astrophage” that essentially eat light, and are feeding off the sun’s surface, causing it to dim. The heart of the film comes from the friendship that forms between Ryland and Rocky (voiced by puppeteer James Ortiz), an alien creature that he meets light years away from Earth. The two find a way to communicate, forming a bond as they help each other innovate and survive.
The film comes to us from co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, filmmakers better known for their irreverent humour in comedies like 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street and animated films The Lego Movie and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. But, here, Lord and Miller operate from a place of complete sincerity, and it’s what this material deserves.
Watching Project Hail Mary, we are reminded of the magic of the movies. Not only through visually stunning space sequences that are immaculately shot by cinematographer Greig Fraser, including two set-pieces in particular that feel like instant classic of the genre, but also due to its E.T.-esque ability to make us believe in the friendship between man and alien.
Gosling’s chemistry with Rocky, who was brought to life on-set through an incredible feat of puppeteering, is one of the most endearing aspects of the film. The film’s use of practical effects, including filming on actual sets, adds a more tactile feel to everything that we see. There is also a wholesomeness to Project Hail Mary that feels rare for a big movie in 2026. It defies labels of “family movie,” but very much harkens back to the old school blockbusters of the 1980s that could be enjoyed by anyone.
The screenplay by Drew Goddard, who also adapted The Martian, offers a seamless mix of heady science fiction ideas and emotional storytelling. The overarching themes about loneliness, and the power of connection to another living being, allow the film to very effectively tug at the heartstrings. The story also incorporates in subtle religious undertones as well – e.g., the title itself, the character’s surname being Grace, themes of sacrificing for the greater good – that make it operate on a deeper thematic level.
But it’s Gosling, who has been on a roll as of late including his Oscar-nominated turn as Ken in Greta Gerwig’s box office smash Barbie, who grounds the film with his compelling performance. He’s at once charming and emotive, reminding us of his great screen presence even absent other stars. Moreover, we believe his friendship with the rock creature, which is crucial for this story to work and for the emotional beats to land.
Hüller also lends credibility to the film with her supporting performance, with one of the loveliest grace notes involving her impromptu karaoke performance of the Harry Styles song “Sign of the Times.” Despite running 156 minutes, Project Hail Mary is structured in a way that is always engaging, on an emotional, intellectual, and purely entertainment level. It gives us the feeling while watching it that we are seeing a future classic.
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