Seeing “Project Hail Mary” made me realize one thing — I’ve never cried more over a rock in my entire life.
Based on the 2021 novel of the same name, “Project Hail Mary” is about Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher, who wakes up with amnesia on a spaceship. He realizes he is the sole survivor of a mission to save Earth.
Played by Ryan Gosling, Grace has to figure out how to save Earth from organisms that are eating and destroying the sun. To do this, he is being sent to the only planet that hasn’t been infected by these organisms so that he can figure out the cure. Along the way, he meets a little alien who’s also trying to save his own planet. Grace names him Rocky — because he literally looks like a rock.
Grace learns how to understand Rocky’s language, and soon enough, they become intergalactic best friends, facing their missions side by side.
What I liked
The story unfolds through flashbacks as Grace gradually regains his memories during his journey through space. I loved the flashbacks inserted between real-time in space because it broke up the movie to where it wasn’t just hours of Grace in space — the visual breaks were much needed.
I liked the use of sound, more so the lack thereof in high-intensity situations. In a specific scene, one character has to make a sacrifice for the other, and instead of loud, banging noises, the sequence was completely silent. I swear it was so quiet, you could hear the people in the audience breathing.
For a movie that has pretty high stakes, it was genuinely so funny. Gosling has such charismatic acting (even with a rock) that you can’t help but love him, and his one-liners throughout were very enjoyable. It felt good watching a space movie that wasn’t pure darkness, chaos and destruction.
And don’t get me started on Rocky. He is the cutest little alien I have ever seen, even though he’s a lump of rocks. He has funny one-liners too, and his friendship with Grace is the heart and the entire point of the film. This isn’t really a movie about space — it’s more about the power of connection and friendship.
The first time we see Grace cry is when Rocky selflessly gives some of his resources to Grace. I kid you not, I was sobbing in the theater. These two characters prove that connection and kindness are the driving factors for living.
I cared more about Rocky’s survival than I did about Grace’s halfway through the movie, and I was seriously feeling maternal instincts toward that cute little guy.
What I didn’t like
Ain’t no way this movie had to be 2 hours and 36 minutes. There is absolutely no way. I understand wanting to incorporate specific scenes and staying as true to the novel as possible, but this could’ve been shortened by at least 20 minutes. This film is a huge time commitment just to see it in theaters.
The verdict
I’m rating “Project Hail Mary” a 3.5 out of five stars for its endearing theme of friendship, funny one-liners and the cutest rock I’ve EVER seen.
Even though it’s a huge time commitment, this is a film you HAVE to see in theaters to really get that grand, space feeling — and I promise you won’t regret the time you spend seeing it.
