Spoilers will tap the glass in agreement.

Combining hard science fiction with comedy is a complicated affair. Ideally you want to keep the science as hardcore as possible, so comedy must be situational and your protagonist must remain relatable. Here’s where the movie cheats using Ryan Gosling, who has transition from a very serious lead to a rather comic one. Okey, this one is going to be recommended so let’s get into the critique already.

(Credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

Project Hail Mary (2026) is directed by Phil Lord and Cristopher Miller. The screenplay is by Drew Goddard based upon Andy Weir’s novel. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up inside a spaceship in route to Tau Ceti unable to remember how he got there. As he starts remembering his past life, he discovers he’s part of an expedition to discover the key of how to reinvigorate our dying sun. As he remembers, we also see his past as a school teacher and his first encounter with Government Agent Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller). This will eventually lead to Grace joining the team that seeks to discover the mystery behind the organism named “astrophage” that seems to be cooling the sun, leading to a potential catastrophic outcome in 30 years.

There’s a lot to learn and discover as Grace finds out he’s the sole living member of the crew. Now this is where the film typecast Gosling a little bit, as his character is hardly the instant heroic astronaut. Add to this, the issues that he seems to run against at every turn. However, every challenge pales in comparison to a rather unforeseen encounter with someone who might just become Grace’s greatest ally. I’d rather not say more on that front, but hopefully you’ll be willing to go along with the concept.

And it works. In the end, it’s not the science that wins the day but of course the character(s) that prove that in every one can be hero when the circumstances call for it. It might be a little bit too much for some people to digest, but eventually friendship does win the day. Despite a rather lengthy runtime, I did eat up the character and world building, hook, line and sinker. The first half starts rather heavy on the helping of science, both real and imaginary, with the second half tugging a bit at the heartstrings.

Extremely recommended for both hard science enthusiasts with some heart in them. The comedy is always situational and never really forced. There are some classic emotional beats, but given the isolation of our protagonist, I feel it’s owed to the audience. Well worth a watch and some rewatches.

That will do for now.