By Mahnoosh Arsalan
Staff Writer
2026 is off to a great start in film thanks to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s latest work “Project Hail Mary.” Based on the novel by Andy Weir, “Project Hail Mary” follows a science teacher who finds himself on a spaceship with no recollection of how he got there. After slowly regaining his memories, he remembers his mission: to regulate a foreign body that is harming Earth’s sun. With an unlikely companion, the two work together to save the planet.
Ryan Gosling, portraying science teacher Ryland Grace, is absolutely magnetic. With his humor and charm, the audience automatically feel like they’re a part of Grace’s journey. Throughout the film, while on the ship, Grace conceals his fear to focus on his mission. Admirably, his determination to see his team’s plans through overrides his reluctance to be on the ship. It almost seems like Gosling was made for the role of Grace, since his portrayal remained true to the book, according to many fans.
The film also focuses on Grace’s companion Rocky, an alien from another planet who works with Grace to save Earth. Rocky, voiced by James Ortiz, is an extremely lovable character. The two form a particularly strong bond, which adds such whimsicality to the film. It was so fun seeing these two characters interact and grow together, adding an empathetic yet hard-hitting aspect to the film.
“Project Hail Mary” also excels in its writing. When it comes down to adapting a novel, it is incredibly easy to make mistakes. Fans of the book will be especially picky on how the film is made, since many adaptations end up standing as impersonations of the author's true intentions. So far, “Project Hail Mary” has stellar reviews from book lovers, making it a successful adaptation. This can be attributed to Drew Goddard, co-writer of the film and writer of “The Martian.”
Lord and Miller also deserve praise for their ability to remain authentic towards the novel and Goddard and Weir’s art. Though the two are already icons for their collaboration on “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Project Hail Mary” repopularizes them, making fans already begin anticipating their next collaboration.
Despite excellent writing, pacing, acting and editing, the film excelled in one extremely important thing: cinematography. Lord and Miller got cinematographer Greig Fraser, most known for “Dune” and “The Batman,” to work on the film.
Not getting Fraser on this project would have been a mistake, since this film’s cinematography is on an entirely different tier than most movies. Every shot incorporates purpose and beauty. Fraser tells the story to its truest intent with each scene, just by simple blocking and framing. There are a few scenes in particular that stand out from this film, dazzling the audience with stars and galactic imagery, making the film a fun and powerful IMAX viewing.
“Project Hail Mary” is a well-made, sentimental film. It will tug at your heart strings and immerse you in a universe you would have never otherwise imagined. The scope of this film cannot be detailed, so watch it in theaters while you can.
