Project Hail Mary
★★★★ 1/2
There’s a version of Project Hail Mary that doesn’t work at all.
A version where the science is impenetrable, the humor feels misplaced, the sentiment turns corny and the whole thing collapses under the weight of its own ambition. Frankly, it could have been boring.
Instead, it’s exhilarating.
As a family that almost missed it thanks to storms, sports practices and life, I’m especially grateful this film had enough theatrical staying power for us to catch it on the big screen. (A small plea: let movies stay in theaters longer.) Seeing it in a packed auditorium on a Tuesday night, with what seemed like half an engineering class from OU in attendance, only reinforced that this movie is connecting in a real way.
What amazes me most is how a film this unapologetically science-heavy has become such a crowd-pleaser. But that’s because it doesn’t just operate as hard sci-fi. It blends scientific curiosity, comedy, spectacle and surprisingly moving human emotion in a way that feels accessible without dumbing anything down.
And speaking as someone who has never considered himself a “sci-fi guy,” I can say that accessibility matters. This movie somehow speaks to the common moviegoer as much as it does the genre faithful. I didn’t understand every equation or astrophysics concept, and honestly, I didn’t need to.
Ryan Gosling is a huge reason why.
This film lives or dies on his performance, and he carries it beautifully. There may be very few stretches where he isn’t on screen, and he makes a deeply complicated story feel personal, funny and emotionally grounded. His charm helps, sure, but there’s real range here too. I’d even argue his performance deserves to be part of any awards conversation.
And then there’s the relationship at the center of the film — one of the most unexpectedly wonderful parts of the whole experience. The practical effects and design work used to bring that character to life are extraordinary. It’s a reminder that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have always known how to make the improbable feel emotionally tangible, whether in The Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs or now here.
Visually, the movie is a feast. The neon color palette, the production design, the sound work and the sense of scale all evoke classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey while still carving out its own identity.
I also loved how the flashback structure keeps revealing new layers, keeping us invested in Grace’s (Gosling) journey while making a very talky, idea-driven story feel dynamic.
Yes, at two and a half hours, it occasionally feels long. And yes, I left with a few thematic questions and maybe a little sensory overload. But honestly? That feels less like a flaw than the residue of an ambitious film giving you a lot to chew on.
What lingered most for me was wonder.
This is the kind of original blockbuster I worry Hollywood doesn’t make enough anymore. This film is weird, smart, funny, emotional and just audacious enough to feel miraculous. A moviegoing experience through and through, and easily one of the best films I’ve seen so far in 2026.
And I can’t help but wonder if, much like Sinners did around this same time last year, this could have real awards-season legs. The visual effects and sound design seem like obvious contenders, but I wouldn’t dismiss Gosling either. Without him, this mission doesn’t launch.
