Project Hail Mary: Ryan Gosling, Rocky and (very) warm-hearted sci-fi

Project Hail Mary, known in Spain as Proyecto Salvación, begins with a premise very familiar to fans of the writer Andy Weir: a man wakes up on a spaceship, does not remember who he is, does not know exactly what he is doing there, and has to start piecing together his situation with whatever is in front of him.  

In this case we are talking about Ryland Grace, a science teacher played by Ryan Gosling, who gradually understands that his mission is hardly small: there is a problem threatening Earth and he has to try to solve it.

Put like that, it may sound like a typical space-hero movie, but Project Hail Mary goes somewhere else. Toward a scientific, emotional and fairly luminous adventure.

In that sense, it is a kind film. Very kind, in fact. And it has something to be grateful for in these times of dramas and epics: you leave it feeling better than when you went in.

It is a charming work that, despite running for more than two and a half hours, never flags or loses your interest.

The Martian, E.T. and classic Star Trek: fusion!

The comparison with The Martian is inevitable. Not only because Andy Weir is behind both novels, but because the narrative mechanism is very similar: someone trapped in an extremely complex situation, scientific problems explained in a very entertaining way, touches of humor to ease the tension, and absolute confidence that thinking properly before acting is the only thing that can save your life.

In The Martian, this worked because the film turned every problem into something very concrete: food, oxygen, communication, energy, distance. Project Hail Mary is similar but on a bigger scale, because here it is not just one person who has to survive, but the entire human race.

It also takes a lot from E.T. in the way the film shows us the unknown. Far from pure fear and much more from wonder. I will not say much more about that because I do not want to spoil anything.

Another of its undeniable references is the more classic Star Trek . In the way it approaches the problem and resolves it: science, dialogue, cooperation, trust in intelligence and in the possibility of building bridges.  

That kind of science fiction that believes the universe is dangerous, but understandable. That the other can be strange, but not necessarily an enemy. And that the first impulse does not have to be shooting, but understanding.

If you connect with this sci-fi tone, more idealistic and less harsh than, for example, The Expanse, you will like the film.

Ryan Gosling and his flashbacks

Ryan Gosling is very good as Ryland Grace, carrying almost the entire weight of the film, just as Matt Damon did in The Martian.

The film plays a small initial trick in its favor: in the opening stretch he almost seems like a machine from space. He is alone, analyzes, deduces, tests, makes mistakes, corrects himself and tries again.

The character has that aura of a space hero who, even in the worst possible situation, seems capable of finding the solution by putting together a lab with three wires, a notebook and one long night.

But the film does not leave him there for long. Because, thanks to its generous use of flashbacks, it humanizeshim. A lot. He is a brain solving problems, but also a person. With a past, doubts, fear and a certain social and emotional clumsiness.  

The memories give us context, make him vulnerable, and turn what happens on the ship into something more than a succession of scientific tests: they help us understand who he is and why he does what he does.

The best of Project Hail Mary

The film has many things worth celebrating, but one clearly stands out above the rest.

Rocky

Rocky is the best thing in Project Hail Mary.

Yes, even above Gosling.

I do not want to say too much, because part of the fun is reaching him with as little information as possible. But this much can be said: Rocky is the film’s big ace.

The character who changes the energy of the story, gives it soul and turns the survival space adventure into something much more special, something you will remember.

That is why I completely understand the desire to push the character into Oscar and other awards conversations. And yes, it may sound odd from the outside, but it makes sense once you see the film.

Rocky has presence, charisma, emotion and an enormous ability to carry scenes with the simplest of dialogues?

The relationship built around him is what brings the film closest to that E.T. spirit I mentioned earlier. There is discovery, humor, tenderness and yes, also the odd trick to make us like him more than usual, but it works.

Warm-hearted science fiction (and proud of it)

Another of the great strengths is that Project Hail Mary embraces its feel-good nature. It does not try to hide it. It does not add cynicism to look more adult. It does not seem ashamed of wanting to move you.

In fact, there are moments when the film presses the emotional button quite hard, and that may not appeal to everyone, but to me it seems part of its identity.

Project Hail Mary wants to be a science fiction film for many people. It wants to entertain, move you, explain without boring you and make the viewer leave the cinema with a pleasant feeling.  

Also, for lovers of purer science fiction, the scientific component is quite well integrated: the film turns problems into scenes and does not choose the easy solution of dropping exposition on us as if it were a manual.

Ryland Grace has to understand, test and solve. And we enjoy watching him do it.

A family adventure

I also think it is worth noting that, despite its length, it is a fairly accessible film.

It is not the usual 90 minutes of family films, but it does not feel heavy for any kind of audience because it has enough layers for different profiles to enjoy it.  

Anyone who wants space adventure and fiction gets it. Anyone who wants science, too. Anyone who wants emotion will find it. And anyone who just wants to have a good time with Ryan Gosling is not exactly on the wrong track either.

And well, there is also Rocky 🙂

The worst of Project Hail Mary

The worst is closely tied to the best. Its kindness is a virtue, but sometimes the film goes a little too far.

There are moments when everything seems calculated to make you feel good, to make you smile, to move you and to make you think that, deep down, maybe humanity is not that lost after all.  

The comparison with The Martian also works a little against it. If you have seen Ridley Scott’s film, or if you know Andy Weir’s formula well, part of the mechanism will feel familiar. 

The difference is that Project Hail Mary has our dear extraterrestrial and a different emotional charge, but the shadow of The Martian is there.

Verdict

Project Hail Mary is a kind, luminous and highly enjoyable science fiction film. Perhaps too kind at times, but that is a minor flaw.

It works for many reasons: Ryan Gosling, its scientific-puzzle structure, that mix of humor and emotion that inevitably recalls The Martian, and above all Rocky, that new E.T. you did not know you needed.

It does not reinvent space science fiction, but it recovers a more optimistic form of adventure that is absent from almost all of the genre’s latest major examples.

And when you finish watching it, you do so with a smile and good memories, which is beyond the reach of most current releases. For that reason and everything else, do not miss it.

Project Hail Mary factsheet

Field	Data
Title	Project Hail Mary
Original title	Project Hail Mary
Year	2026
Running time	156 minutes
Directed by	Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Screenplay	Drew Goddard, based on Andy Weir’s novel
Main cast	Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub and Ken Leung
Genre	Science fiction
Country	United States
Distribution in Spain	Sony Pictures
Available on	Cinemas and digital platforms, depending on availability