This year's Oscar ceremony has finally come and gone, meaning it is time to officially put a bow on the terrific movie year of 2025. We've already gotten a handful of great movies this year, but from what I've seen nothing has matched the collective excitement thus far than that for Project Hail Mary. I read the book last year and knew immediately that this could be something special if done right, and the directing duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller pulled it off terrifically.
Based on the critically acclaimed science fiction novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary follows scientist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) as he wakes up in space without his memory. As he reorients himself he pieces together the purpose of his mission, to figure out the mystery of a substance eating away at the sun's energy and threatening Earth's extinction.
Despite a fairly bleak premise, Project Hail Mary is a real delight of a story. Similarly to The Martian, Andy Weir crafts a sci-fi story rooted in real science, but does so with a levity that makes it all digestible. The book is as funny as it is scientific, and the Lord/Miller duo was a perfect choice to bring that tone to life. They've made names for themselves with the 21 Jump Street, Lego Movie, and Spider-Verse franchises (although they weren't in the director's chairs for Spider-Verse), so their filmography has constantly shown an affinity for tongue and cheek humour. What impressed me most here is how well they capture the more heartwarming/emotional beats of the story. While still hilarious, this takes itself more seriously than their other work, and the end result is something that feels tonally in line with sci-fi blockbusters of the 80s.
Lord and Miller were a perfect choice to helm the film, but much of the movie's success is how perfectly cast Ryan Gosling is in the lead role. Grace is very much a fish out of water type of character, a high school teacher brought into a global scientific initiative despite largely being laughed out of his field. There's a softness to him that Gosling just fits magically. Gosling's performance is filled with goofy charm, and that endearing quality is crucial in drawing you in as a viewer amidst all of the scientific jargon. On paper it isn't easy to follow along with the physics of it all, but Gosling's everyman persona makes everything feel a bit more tangible. He also carries the two and a half hour runtime nearly on his own aside from the flashback sequences and a companion I won't touch on too much for fear of spoilers. The only character aside from him with much of any screen time is Sandra Huller as the project's director, bringing a cold corporate feeling that works extremely well in contrast to the more juvenile performance from Gosling.
While the fun tone and emotional satisfaction are what make the film feel special, it also helps that it looks and sounds incredible. There have been a handful of reports recently that the film features no green-screens, and while there are still loads of visual effects, there is a feeling of reality that makes everything feel more authentic despite the sci-fi setting. The cinematography from Greig Fraser is truly stunning, making the most out of the cramped insides of a spacecraft only to later blow you away with the beauty of space. Daniel Pemberton's score for the Spider-Verse movies is one of my favourite things about them, and he brings his talents here to perhaps even greater effect. The music is a large reason this is able to capture that nostalgic sci-fi feeling, all while adding to the epic feeling of the story.
Aside from Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, there hasn't been a more fun time at the movies this year. Project Hail Mary is superb blockbuster filmmaking, throwing you into a story that will make you laugh and tug at your heartstrings all while blowing you away with its visuals. Can't wait to see this again. 4.5/5
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