In 2021, Andy Weir, renowned author of works such as The Martian and Artemis, released his novel Project Hail Mary, a science-driven space thriller and mystery; recently, the movie arrived in theaters on March 20th, and was an immediate success across the country, amassing over $300 million at the box office since.
Right after the release of Project Hail Mary, readers quickly dove into the book with high expectations following the success of The Martian both on paper and in theaters. A fanbase steadily grew around the story, drawing the attention of directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. News of production only drew more attention and buzz to the book, with readers anxiously awaiting the film’s release, leading to the film’s status as an unquestioned success. Without spoiling the story in any depth, the film follows Dr. Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, on a mission to save Earth by saving the Sun. Dr. Grace awakes on the ship from an induced coma, with no knowledge of what the mission is or why he is there. As he explores the ship and experiences flashes of memory, he remembers his mission and the vitality of his position. He navigates the many issues that come with saving the solar system and discovers that Earth may not be the only planet with a dying star, sending its last hope, its “Hail Mary,” towards a distant star for rescue.
Attempting to adapt a long, serious, and science-heavy novel into a three-hour film, Lord and Miller naturally had to make necessary adjustments. With the time constraint, the directors’ primary method of cutting was to omit the in-depth scientific details the novel focused on, including why the sun was dying, its effects on Earth, the ship’s fuel, and more. Additionally, the novel mainly used Grace’s inner monologue to convey his thoughts and most of the mission. Because they couldn’t convey thoughts in movie format, Lord and Miller chose to use Grace’s voice instead, both through self-recorded videos and conversations.
While Project Hail Mary lacks the groundbreaking feats of 2001: A Space Odyssey or the expansiveness of Interstellar, it was never trying to be one of these films. Instead, it follows an emotional plot with intense character development and companionship that forces you to care deeply about Dr. Ryland Grace by the end of the movie, not just because he is saving humanity, but because you see him grow and overcome challenge after challenge. With not revolutionary, but completely intentional and beautiful cinematography, not one scene is dull. Finally, it must be said that this emotion and connection were largely due to Ryan Gosling’s performance, who, even though he is the only human on screen for much of the movie, you do not get sick of his acting; instead, you become engulfed in the character.
