Broncho Movie Review: “Project Hail Mary” Soars Beyond Expectations

“Project Hail Mary” is a science fiction movie directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name. The movie was released on March 9 and has been praised highly by audience members and critics alike, as it has become Amazon MGM Studios’ biggest debut to date. 

The film chronicles Ryland Grace’s (Ryan Gosling) mission to save the world from a microorganism that is eating away at the sun and will cause Earth to cool significantly in the next 30 years. To deter that, Grace must board a ship that will never return to Earth to do research and send their information back.

We are introduced to Dr. Grace as he awakens on the spaceship, deeply disoriented from a medically induced coma. He stumbles across the complex interior, frustrated and frightened as he discovers his crew is deceased. Flashbacks cut in intermittently as Grace’s memory starts to fill in. It is revealed that Grace was working as a science teacher when he was recruited from the government to join a league of scientists and study the microorganism, “Astrophage”. 

While science fiction is never the most sought-after genre for me, this movie was a great blend of science fiction with comedy. The light-hearted moments were well placed in the times of intensity, making it feel aware that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. 

That notion became even more apparent when viewers were introduced to Rocky, an alien from a planet that was also concerned by the destruction of Astrophage. Rocky was also the sole survivor of his spaceship with a similar mission as Grace’s. Rocky’s introduction was well into the first act of the movie, but it was clear that this was the crux of the film.

The relationship between these two lonely alien geniuses. It became less of a movie about saving the world and more of a movie about companionship and the sacrifices you’ll make for someone. The interspecies relationship has clear incompatibilities with language and necessities for life, but motivated by years of loneliness, they find compromises. 

The necessary grandiose visuals are what initially fueled my motivation to see this film, and they did not disappoint. The cutaways to the exterior of the spaceship being swarmed by surrounding stars and planets, paired with pure silence, were simply mesmerizing. Cinematographer Greg Fraiser did an outstanding job creating visuals that make audience members feel so small in comparison to the world they have built. It was nearing existentialism. 

The action climax happens when the pair reaches planet Tau Ceti e to harvest an organism that preys on Astrophage. The mission goes haywire and leaves Grace unconscious, leading to Rocky leaving his enclosure to save Grace, even though he cannot survive without oxygen. This was easily a tear-jerking moment as most moviegoers could assume this would be the end of Rocky. Thankfully, we were proven wrong when Grace recovered; he can rehabilitate Rocky over many days. 

It feels like current movies often do not conclude with a happy ending in order to avoid cliches and dodge predictability in the name of being realistic. Where that can be appropriate, it was so satisfying to witness an ending where everything ends on a positive note.

They were able to send the research back to Earth, Rocky got to return home, and Grace returned with Rocky to his planet and continued as a teacher to his species. It was made clear that Rocky was able to return Grace to Earth, but he was right where he wanted to be. Along with companionship, Rocky provided guidance to Grace as he had very little motivation and fulfillment on Earth, not quite having found a place where he fit until now.