Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers to the movie, “Project Hail Mary.”
I was a little skeptical when I walked into Fashion Valley’s AMC to watch “Project Hail Mary” starring Ryan Gosling. My social media feed has been flooded with advertisements for this movie for months, to the point that it felt a little too hyped up. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, since I did for the recent release of “Wuthering Heights” and it completely fell on its face.
As I sat a few rows from the front of the screen, I wondered if this Gosling movie would be as beautiful as “La La Land” or as subpar as “Barbie” (yes, I do think everyone’s favorite 2023 movie fell flat). But not long after the lights dimmed and the movie began, I became completely enthralled by the world of “Project Hail Mary.” It’s not often I find myself totally immersed in a film — but this one drew me in like a moth to a flame.
“Project Hail Mary” is set in a dystopian reality where the earth is nearing extinction. With cells called astrophages feeding on the sun, it’s estimated that in 30 years the world will begin cooling and people will start dying. Scientist Ryland Grace (portrayed by Gosling) is chosen to study samples of astrophages, and ultimately (although against his will) becomes the scientist who boards the Hail Mary ship to try to find a solution to save the world from imminent death.
Instead of beginning the film with background as most movies do, we’re plunged straight into the chaos alongside Grace. As he wakes up from a medically-induced coma, he’s confused and can’t remember much about who he is. Fumbling around the ship, we see that the pilot is dead. So many questions are raised, most of which don’t get answered until the end of the movie because the story is told backward.
Grace’s present reality is interspersed with flashbacks of how he got roped into being part of Project Hail Mary. It’s a technique that is incredibly hard to get right without the film coming across as cheesy or confusing. Yet “Project Hail Mary” pulled this off seamlessly, executing each flashback with extreme precision.
An example of this is when Rocky, a rock-shaped alien that becomes Grace’s companion, reveals that he has a mate waiting for him back home. This scene cuts to a flashback of a party the astronauts had before meeting their fate in Hail Mary. Grace says to Eva Stratt (portrayed by Sandra Hüller), who’s overseeing Project Hail Mary, that it’s harrowing to see everyone partying and hooking up the night before meeting their doom. This thematic thread between Grace and Rocky talking about their lovers to this scene of everyone trying to get one last shot at love is a satisfying connection. Almost every flashback scene is like this — poetically taking us to a scene similar to the one we were in before.
Another thing that stood out about “Project Hail Mary” was how visually stunning it was. The moment when Grace boards Rocky’s ship feels akin to walking into a cathedral, just as when the void of space is turned into astrophage’s pink sparks. But perhaps even more breathtaking than all of these things was the friendship between Grace and Rocky.
Grace’s dedication to take care of Rocky and Rocky’s undying loyalty to Grace are what make this movie so special. This friendship that knows no bounds and defies all galactic possibilities isn’t just good scriptwriting; it’s a message that the world so desperately needs to hear.
“Project Hail Mary” made me remember why I love movies so much. Sometimes movies with such an overwhelming amount of promotion, like this one, can feel like a Hollywood cash grab, but this was not the case with this film. This film felt genuine, and it touched on topics and emotions that often get overlooked. From the writing to the acting, nothing about this film felt like it was just an attempt to get money out of fans. It felt like it was crafted with the utmost level of intentionality.
As I walked away from this silver screen cathedral, I was left in tears and with feverish inspiration. I felt like maybe, just maybe, this world is more beautiful than we think.
Adee Tulcan 
Kailyn Collette