Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Project Hail Mary” (2026) is one of those films that you enter with high expectations, only to find that it doesn’t meet them in any of the ways you anticipated, yet leaves you just as — if not more — fulfilled in ways you never anticipated.
Long before the release of the film, I had already begun forming expectations and guesses about it, largely due to its sweeping public relations everywhere. I expected it to carry a similar style to “Interstellar” (2014), “The Martian” (2015) or “Arrival” (2016). Basically, another space-exploration science fiction film with visuals that will take a lifetime to forget, imbued with deeply convoluted physics concepts that revolutionize the way we conceptualize the universe, space and time.
To my surprise, “Project Hail Mary” proves to viewers that sci-fi has the potential to be heartwarming, relatable and even a bit silly. Even amid its astonishing visuals of the galaxy and outer space, humor finds its place, reminding us that the genre doesn’t have to be purely serious to leave an imprint on us.
In short, Ryland Grace (portrayed by Ryan Gosling), a middle school science teacher, wakes up on a spaceship with no memory, only to realize he is the sole survivor of a mission to save humanity as the sun dims due to a microorganism known as ‘astrophage.’ During his journey, Grace encounters an alien from 40 Eridani, whom he names Rocky, who is also on a mission to save his own world from the same threat. As the story unfolds, the two form an unexpected camaraderie, which becomes the emotional anchor that ultimately makes the movie compelling to many viewers.
Despite the unforgettable visuals, especially given my experience watching it in IMAX, what leaves a greater imprint on me is the way Lord and Miller juxtapose humanistic connections between Grace and Rocky with the heavy theme of species extinction. The result is an inspiring relationship between two beings from different planets, yet bonded by their shared desire to save their respective species. One of my favorite moments is when Grace experiments with deciding on a preprogrammed voice for Rocky, in which he plays a clip of Meryl Streep and says, “she can really do anything,” before ultimately settling on Rocky’s robotic, computer-generated voice, performed by James Ortiz. In the film’s final scene, Grace finally has the chance to return to Earth, only to discover that Rocky’s ship is in danger. Faced with the choice between going home and saving Rocky and his planet, he chooses the latter, ending up on Rocky’s world and teaching science to Eridian students.
This blend of humor and emotional weight can make the film feel somewhat uneven in tone and may introduce a sense of ‘choppiness,’ especially when compared to some more visually and emotionally cohesive sci-fi films like “Interstellar” and “Arrival.” Yet Lord and Miller seem to be deliberately embracing this more playful approach to bring light to a genre often shaped by emotional gravity and serious spectacle. And perhaps this is precisely what we need: a space story that, for once, does not only seek to make us seriously reflect on the state of our existence, but also offers comfort, humor and moments of laughter.
I saw somewhere online that someone said the deep emotional torment Gosling and Emma Stone inflicted on audiences with the tragically beautiful ending of “La La Land” (2016) has finally been healed, 10 years later, by Gosling and a rock in “Project Hail Mary.” And whatever feeling that sentiment evokes is exactly how I felt walking out of AMC after seeing this film.
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