The decline in the number of people attending movies in theaters has been a recent worry for the film industry. Concern over the film industry’s potential demise in the absence of viewers has grown over the past few years.
However, Ryan Gosling, star of the new film “Project Hail Mary,” feels that the responsibility falls on the film industry, not on audiences.
In a recent interview Gosling was discussing the drop in theater attendance and said to film fans, “It’s not your job to keep them open; it’s our job to make it worth you coming out.”
With this statement he highlights that Hollywood needs to make movies that are worth audiences time, and that is exactly what he did with “Project Hail Mary.”
The film, released on March 20, was directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and is based on Andy Weir’s 2021 book of the same name. The plot follows Ryland Grace, portrayed by Ryan Gosling, as he wakes up from a coma in space, unsure of how he got there, and he slowly remembers that he’s there to save earth.
In this fictional world, the sun is dying, being killed off by something called “astrophage,” and scientists have discovered one planet, Tau Ceti, that seems unaffected. The spacecraft Grace is on is called the Hail Mary, and the mission he’s on is called Project Hail Mary. The mission of the craft: find out what’s preventing Tau Ceti from being affected by the astrophage, bring it back and save Earth.
With the film’s running time of 2 hours and 37 minutes, a plot synopsis would be long and would not do the film justice. So, instead of a synopsis, I will break down why this movie is special and why it is a film worth going to the theater for.
The first thing of note with this film’s release was the ratings it received. The film currently has a 94% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes paired with a 96% audience score. It also has an 8.4/10 on IMDb and a 4.3/5 on Letterboxd.
With the harsh responses and low ratings many recent movies have received, these ratings are impressive. People are often extremely critical of new movies, but “Project Hail Mary” has not had the same reception. I think there are a few reasons for this.
“Project Hail Mary” feels worthwhile to see. It’s a long film and seeing movies in theaters is expensive, however, “Project Hail Mary” feels worth the time and money. There’s no moment in the movie that feels boring or too drawn out; everything fits together to create a funny, compelling and emotional story. Also, due to the long run time, the price to see the film does not seem as disproportionate as a movie that is only an hour and a half.
Another reason for the film’s success is the way in which the audience can connect to the characters. Grace is a character that doesn’t feel particularly connected with the world. He doesn’t seem to have family, friends or any romantic connections, and I think that this is something many people can connect with on a personal level.
Continuing with this theme of connection, the movie creates instant empathy and connection with a non-human character. Rocky, an alien Grace meets during his time in space, is a non-human character made up entirely of rocks. He doesn’t have a face and therefore does not use facial expressions that often connect us with characters.
However, Rocky is a heartfelt, compelling character that is easy to connect with. As Rocky and Grace spend more time together, it begins to feel less like a human and an alien interacting and more like a genuine, loving friendship.
The theme of friendship is paramount to this film. In a film industry in which most movies have some form of romantic relationship, “Project Hail Mary” is an outlier. There is no romantic relationship between any of the film’s characters, and I think that this is an important component to the film’s success. It doesn’t focus on romantic relationships; it focuses on interpersonal connections, even between humans and aliens.
Throughout the film, Rocky and Grace save each other’s lives multiple times. Despite not knowing each other for very long, they form a deep bond that leads to self-sacrifice.
I believe that part of the film’s success is due to the way in which the relationships in this film speak to the necessity of connection. We often feel socially disconnected from one another, and this film reminds us of how important connection is, even with people (or aliens) that are completely different from us.
On a production level I think that some of the film’s success comes from the acting. Ryan Gosling is a universally loved actor, and his performance in the film is unmatched. He does a good job portraying a nerdy and awkward, yet extremely personable character, a character that people can connect with.
Movies like “La La Land” (2016) and “Barbie” (2023) helped to solidify Gosling as a household name, but I think this film helped people see Gosling’s range and the reaches of his acting ability.
Aside from the component of people’s acting performances, the performance of Rocky is a fascinating part of the film. Unlike many movies that feature alien characters, “Project Hail Mary” does not use CGI. Rocky is a puppet, controlled by master puppeteers, adding to the dimension of acting performances in the film.
I think the use of a puppet to portray Rocky rather than CGI makes it easier to empathize with his character. Due to being controlled by humans, his movements feel more natural and fluid than they would if he were CGI. The interactions between Rocky and Grace feel organic because at their core they are interactions between humans.
Overall, “Project Hail Mary” has components that other recent films don’t have. Interpersonal connection that does not hinge on romantic relationships, empathy for non-human characters and Oscar-level acting performances set this film apart.
This is by far the best film I have seen in 2026. I highly recommend going out to see it while it’s still in theaters. Gosling set out to make a film worth audiences’ time, and he has done just that.