Project Hail Mary (2026)
Project Hail Mary provides world-ending stakes, prospective galactic extinction, and assurances of certain personal doom. But in doing so, it tells a bright story of the resilience of life and the fundamental nature of friendship.
Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, is launched into space with little recollection of how he got there. His task remains clear; he is a part of a last-ditch effort to combat the threat posed by the "astrophage", a lifeform feeding off of stars and dimming them. An alien he encounters, Rocky, voiced by James Ortiz, is on the same mission. The effects used to bring Rocky to life imbue him with personality and liveliness, despite being, well, a rock. The puppetry in particular helps to create the physical attachment between Grace and Rocky. The design is a strong point as well, with Rocky’s body pebbled with little gemstones and ridges.
When first encountered, Rocky's technology is intimidating and mysterious. The camera captures the sheer scale of his ship, revealing it almost appears to be made out of needles pulling rigid thread, poking out into the cosmos. But the tension is broken by a friendly, if misunderstood overture as Rocky attempts to send a package to Grace, which Grace fails to receive. As Grace realizes that Rocky, in their first interaction, has deemed him stupid, the music playfully matches the moment.
The relationship between Grace and Rocky is technically complex with significant narrative payoff. As a team, they can do things they never could accomplish alone. They both commit themselves to tasks the other is incapable of; Rocky makes a 5-kilometer chain with his bare "hands" for their experiment. Grace, through gentle scientific examination and explanation, is able to tell Rocky why his crew died. It is only through coordination that they are able to commit to such tasks as descending dangerously low to collect samples, a sequence which is captured in intense chaos and color.
Rocky handles the concrete, with his material strengths being significant; his vision is literally based on differentiating surfaces topographically; flat images provide him no visual information. Grace handles the abstract; he attacks their problems scientifically and hides the fact that he is destined to die in space, an emotionally complex maneuver meant to spare Rocky sadness.
Grace's identity as a teacher is paramount to the success of the mission and the film. He is given a task no one anticipated: deciphering an alien language, teaching human science to a rock, and facilitating communication with a creature that has little in the way of a discernible head or mouth.
Ryan Gosling depicts charm and Grace with a great deal of conviction. His chemistry with his non-human counterpart is made impressive by the fact that Gosling performed double duty in terms of making his performance physical and expressive. Gosling's best moment comes when Rocky reveals he can help him make it home; after a display of stoicism, Gosling becomes a complex mixture of overwhelmed, thankful, relieved, and left sitting in disbelief.
Grace cites his lack of courage as a deficiency; he does not opt into his mission, claiming to not have the bravery gene. One of the astronauts laughs at him and says, "It is not a gene. You just need to find someone to be brave for."
The film drives this point home when Grace realizes that his friend, now very far away, is in peril; without hesitation, he reroutes away from home so he can find and save Rocky. Their friendship, even across many miles, was unbreakable.
This also leads to a delightful conclusion for Grace's arc. After he returns with Rocky to his homeworld and is lavishly accommodated by Rocky's people, it is revealed that Grace has not only survived and received a happy ending, but he has also returned to the classroom. Chattering rock children exclaim excitedly at the sight of their teacher and their enthusiasm is met with a genuine smile that spreads across Grace's face.
Audaciously hopeful, outrageously friendly, and telling a story with species-wide relevance, this film shakes off the shackles of scientific self-seriousness and embraces laughter and connection. In assessing this film, the reviewer can only agree with Rocky: “Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!”