Last year, I read (well, listened to) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. As a fan of his previous novel, The Martian, I’d been told this one was just as good—only with an extra helping of scientific jargon. That alone made a film adaptation feel inevitable, especially after Ridley Scott turned The Martian into a critical and commercial hit back in 2015.
So, when I heard that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the duo behind The Lego Movie, would be taking the reins, I was… intrigued. It’s an unexpected pairing, but one that makes sense asthe story’s dry humour feels right in their wheelhouse. After loving the book, this shot straight to the top of my most anticipated films of 2026.
Project Hail Mary follows science teacher Dr Ryland Grace, who wakes up alone on a spacecraft several light-years from Earth with no memory of how he got there. And honestly? That’s about as much as you should know going in. If you’re already sold, stop reading now – this is a film best experienced as blind as possible. For those who need a little more convincing, read on.
As Grace pieces together his fractured memory, he discovers that Earth’s sun is dying – along with nearly every other star in the surrounding systems. His mission is to travel to the one system where a star is not dying, uncover why it has survived, and bring that solution back to Earth. Complicating matters further, his two crewmates have died in hypersleep… but he is not alone. Enter “Rocky,” an alien with no face and an unpronounceable name, whom Grace befriends.
What follows is an unexpectedly heartfelt, often funny, and deeply human buddy space film—one about loneliness, connection, and what it really means to be brave.
It’s also filled with small, delightful moments of communication between Grace and Rocky that I honestly hope become part of the cultural lexicon. Whether it’s Rocky’s enthusiastic “Amaze. Amaze. Amaze,” the gentle stroking of one’s arm to signal farewell, or the hilariously mangled “Fist my bump,” these exchanges are as funny as they are strangely touching. (And yes, it does echo Big Hero 6’s immortal “ba-la-la-la-la” – proof that the fist bump remains cinema’s most misinterpreted gesture).Even small touches elsewhere, like the brief nod to Cape Town accompanied by Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba, drew a warm reaction from my cinema in South Africa.
Ryan Gosling is fantastic as Grace, bringing just the right balance of awkwardness, charm, and reluctant heroism. It’s a demanding role (he carries much of the film’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime) and he does so effortlessly, keeping us invested every step of the way. On Earth, Sandra Hüller provides a grounded, controlled counterpoint, bringing nuance and humanity to a character that could easily have felt cold or unlikable.
The visual effects are equally remarkable, and refreshingly tactile. Much of the film relies on practical builds, from the full-scale spacecraft interiors to the beautifully realised puppet work behind Rocky. In an era dominated by CGI, it’s reminiscent of the philosophy behind Inception and even Oppenheimer – films that prove spectacle doesn’t have to come at the cost of physical craftsmanship. Rocky, in particular, strikes a perfect balance between something wholly alien and something emotionally legible.
Then there’s the score by Daniel Pemberton, which elevates several standout moments: first contact, the painstaking process of communication, and the visually stunning “fishing on Adrian” sequence. If I were a betting man, I’d say this one has a strong shot at awards recognition.
And yes, I know—we’ve just come out of awards season. But indulge me. Between Gosling, Pemberton, and the film’s technical teams, Project Hail Mary feels like a serious contender already. That said, with upcoming releases from Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and the final chapter in the Dune trilogy, competition will be fierce.
I’ve already seen Project Hail Mary twice – and I’ll probably be back for a third viewing. It’s a life-affirming, big-screen experience – the kind that reminds you why we go to the movies in the first place. Having already amassed a record-setting $33 million on opening day in the U.S., it’s clear audiences are connecting with it – and word of mouth is only going to grow.
See it. See it soon. And see it on the biggest screen you can find. Amaze. Amaze. Amaze!
