Have you ever found a piece of media that is so life-changingly compelling that it consumes your every waking thoughts? It’s been a very long time since I have. And then, on April 2, 2026, my life was irrevocably changed when I walked into the AMC 16 in Burbank, CA, and saw Project Hail Mary for the first time. I had no idea what I was getting into; all I knew was that it starred Ryan Gosling, but I left that theatre changed. As of writing this, I have seen it six times in theatres, one of those times in IMAX. There’s something about this movie that’s incredibly special. And I want to talk about it.
In the simplest of terms, Project Hail Mary is a movie about Ryan Gosling going to space, befriending a five-legged rock alien, and ultimately saving the universe. But it is so far from simple. This is a movie about hope; it’s a movie about love. It’s a movie about doing whatever it takes, even when you don’t think you’re brave. It’s a movie that takes the Hero’s Journey and sends it spinning on its head in zero-g. It goes in the opposite direction of what we expect from a character, and I think that’s beautiful. This isn’t the expected journey, or the expected result, and it’s a better story because of that.
(Warning, I will be going into all details about the movie in this section. There will be spoilers)
The movie opens with Gosling hurtling through space. He has just woken up from a coma, and has no idea who he is, or why he’s there. It’s an incredibly compelling way to open a story. Amnesia is a common storytelling trope, but there’s something about the way that Gosling is able to balance the scale of abject horror at his situation, with his almost effortless inherent comedy. With each rewatch of the film, I’m always struck by his delivery of “AM I SMART???” when he recognizes a very intricate piece of lab equipment. It’s a moment of levity in a situation that is genuinely terrifying.
This movie as a whole is structured in such a clever way. We bounce between Grace on the ship, trying to figure out why he’s there, and Grace on Earth. We learn, as he remembers, who he is and what the story is. It adds a sense of mystery and intrigue to the whole adventure. Who is Ryland Grace? Why is he on this ship that is lightyears from home? And as soon as we think we’ve figured it out, we find out at the end that they still have surprises in store for us. That’s something that I really appreciate about this movie.
Anyway, back to the story. So we’re in space, we’re starting to understand why we’re there. And then we encounter something in the distance. Oh wow, that’s a spaceship! Who could have seen this coming? Not me, that’s for sure. I didn’t know anything about this movie going into it. But oh my word, it was instant love at first sight. Ryan Gosling, you are amazing, but Rocky really steals the show. And that is all thanks to his voice actor and lead puppeteer, James Ortiz. There is some amazing chemistry between him and Gosling. And the fact that Rocky is a puppet, and not just CGI is so cool. I love practical effects.
As Grace and Rocky’s relationship develops throughout the film, we get to truly understand what this movie is. It’s an exploration of friendship, sacrifice, and platonic love. Rocky and Grace 100% love each other, especially by the end. There are so many moments where that love is on full display. And it’s all a back and forth between them. A give and a take.
- Grace lies to Rocky about going home, so as to not upset him.
- Rocky offers up the astrophage that Grace needs so he can go home.
- Grace nearly dies on the hull during Time Go Fishing so that he can complete the task.
- Rocky pulls Grace to the medbay.
- Grace comes back to save Rocky.
- Rocky gives Grace a home.
All of these moments are so beautifully crafted, specially grown in a lab to make me cry. This is not even to mention how visually beautiful this movie is. In an era of washed-out, colorless films, Project Hail Mary boldly declares that, actually, color is a GOOD thing. From Grace’s signature bright yellow raincoat to the vibrant greens and reds of Adrian, this is the most beautiful film I have seen in a long time.
And then there’s the score. Wow. Daniel Pemberton is a genius. A magician. There are so many emotions packed into every note. I think some of my favorite parts are when it feels like a conversation between Rocky and Grace. The cute little back and forths. And then, of course, I get my heart ripped out by Time Go Fishing + Excessive Centrifugal Force. That’s an excellent combo that is so good for my mental health. Thank you, Mr. Pemberton 👎👎👎.
This does also mean that this is a movie that absolutely has to be experienced in theatres and not at home on the small screen. IMAX if you’re able to. Unfortunately, however, it will not be in theatres forever. There are a bunch of us trying to fix that, but there’s only so much we can do. (Nothing.)
Now, to talk about the ending. The ending is a bit divisive for some people. Should he have returned to Earth? Was it a good thing that he stayed on Erid? Let me tell you what, to me, the ending was absolutely perfect. Earth took a look at Ryland Grace and said, “Your passions, your choices, your life don’t matter. You will do what we want you to do in service to the greater good.” And you know, in the grand cosmic scheme of things, I get it. You have to do what’s best for the continuation of the human race. But like Stratt said, Grace had no family. There was nothing left for him back on Earth.
Compare that to his life on Erid. Yes, he has to rely on Rocky a lot, probably too much, but they’re already so inextricably linked together, they’ll make it work. He’s finally somewhere that cherishes him. Somewhere that cares about him. And more important than that…he gets to go back to his passion! His life’s calling. He gets to teach. And I think that’s absolutely beautiful.
Not to mention that Stratt gave him three hours to make a life-ending decision. Rocky is giving him as long as he needs. And if that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
What this movie means to me
My whole reason for writing this is so that the fans can have a place to talk about how much this movie means to them. I’m a fan, so I’m going to start with myself. Like I’ve mentioned already, I didn’t know anything about this movie going into it. I was completely blown away from the get-go. I finished the movie, and immediately wanted to go see it again. It was everything to me. I was gripped in a way that I hadn’t felt in years.
But then, unfortunately, I was made to feel immense shame from some of the people around me. They thought it was bizarre that I was so obsessed with a movie. They didn’t understand the concept of a movie changing your life. They thought the movie was cheesy, and they didn’t like the ending. Mind you, these criticisms were coming from fellow teachers, so I don’t even know what that was about. But it was enough to make me feel embarrassed to be so into something. I immediately considered never talking about it again.
Thankfully, I didn’t listen to that, and I was able to embrace such a beautiful and special interest. I continued to go see the movie in theatres, I bought some t-shirts, I bought the LEGO set, I read the book (it’s good, but I like the movie more for the most part–which is sacrilege to admit as an English teacher, I know), and I even wrote some poetry. But most importantly of all, I found community.
I typically avoid fandoms like the plague. There is almost always some sort of stupid discourse, people get mad, and it just becomes unbearable to be a part of. The Project Hail Mary fandom, at least on Twitter (also known as PHMTwt) is so far a really wonderful group of people to be part of. You will find an endless see of “Project Hail ____” Usernames (myself included), a slew of 👎👎👎 reactions, and people hyping each other up with “AMAZE AMAZE AMAZE!!!” It’s really wholesome.
Something else that is really special about it, that has also added to the reasons why the film means so much to me, is the popular headcanon that Ryland Grace is aromantic/asexual (aroace). It is almost unheard of to have the main character of a popular piece of media being massively thought of as aroace. And it is even less heard of for people to not be mad about it. Aroace rep in fandoms and in media is almost always looked down upon. But the PHM fandom not only accepts it, they embrace it. And as a person on the aroace spectrum myself, that means everything to me.
What this movie means to us
Which brings me to the final part of this article. You’ve heard me ramble about what this movie means to me, but I’m only one fan out of many. I opened the floor to others to share their thoughts and their feelings. Now, I only use Twitter, so it’s only a small section of the fandom, but there are over 200 people who want to say thanks.
Thank you to the amazing artists Arsen and Kofu for the amazing art and template for the Thank You notes. This project wouldn't be the same without you!
How Lucky Media 