Written by Carrie Bergan

My husband and I love going to the movies. Sometimes I’m just going for the ride with zero knowledge about the film. Here’s what I knew going into Project Hail Mary, based on what I was told and things friends had told me: it was based on the book by the same author of The Martian, and that it was a tearjerker. 

I really enjoyed the movie adaptation of The Martian, so I was pretty certain I was going to enjoy this overall. I’m not much of a crier over movies, but I was not prepared for the emotions that this film was going to put me through. Be forewarned, I am probably going to spoil the plot of the film in this review, and I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know how close this adaptation is in comparison. However, proceed with caution if you don’t want too many spoilers. 

Project Hail Mary follows a science teacher named Ryland Grace. At the very beginning, he is just waking up with no memory of where he is, who he is, and how he got there. As the movie continues, it bounces back and forth through memories of his life prior to winding up on the spacecraft, and we learn that this was a suicide mission to save Earth from what was a predicted catastrophic environmental disaster. Grace was not a part of the initial crew that agreed to this trip, but due to a turn of events, he was the only one left that was qualified to complete the mission and was drugged, leaving him as the only survivor to continue. 

During his travels, he comes across an alien spacecraft who is trying to save their own planet from the same possible bleak future. Despite not speaking the same language, Grace and the only surviving alien — who Grace names “Rocky” — work together to figure out what is happening to the sun and save their planets. Along the way, they form an unlikely friendship while learning how to communicate and work together, even though neither of them can tolerate the other’s living environment. Rocky creates a bubble suit that allows him to tolerate Grace’s level of oxygen on his ship and makes one for Grace when he comes aboard Rocky’s ship. 

Together, these two manage to solve the problem, but not without several complications that put both Grace and Rocket at risk along the way. I am not someone who cries at movies unless a dog or cat is dying, but the levels of complexity and depth within this film are incredible. I was on the verge of tears several times, on the edge of my seat from the tension, and at times incredibly stressed out for Grace and Rocky. 

The production level was so beautifully done, and the pacing was perfect. I always dock movies when the storyline relies too heavily on jumping through  memories with no clear direction, but this film handled it perfectly. Each scene transitioned smoothly in a way that still created a chaotic feeling that connected with how Grace felt after waking up from his coma and being disoriented. The comedic bits lined up well, helping elevate the connection between Rocky and Grace as their differences were paralleled to each other. 

This is definitely up in the top five list of movies I have seen so far this year, and it was an incredible watch. The book is definitely on my must-read list so I can see how well the adaptation compares, but as a movie itself, it was beautifully done. 

My rating: 8.5/10