In a world where the sun is dimming, two unlikely individuals bring light into each other’s lives while working together to save humanity from extinction.
“Project Hail Mary,” released on March 20, has quickly gained the attention of cinephiles all over the world, including mine. As of April 5, the sci-fi adventure has surpassed $420 million at the box office, profiting off of massive audience interest that is bringing lovers of the movie to not only rewatch it in theaters once or twice, but three or four times.
The movie predominantly follows Ryland Grace, ironically played by the similarly named Ryan Gosling, who is a junior high school science teacher.
However, when introduced with the opportunity to help humanity, for lack of a better term, not painfully die of famine and war over the span of the next few decades, Grace takes it.
This intergalactic journey will prove to be life changing for Grace, since it will be the one to introduce him to his newfound platonic soulmate, whom I cannot name as it is a spoiler, but let’s just say I would kill for a mass-produced plushie of him.
This journey comes about after the discovery of one single star that is not being impacted by “astrophage,” a single-celled alien microbe that is quite literally eating the sun’s heat, simultaneously leaving humanity on a seesaw between life and death. Rest in peace astrophage, you would have loved microwaves.
With humanity facing the possibility of an ice-age-rematch, many incredibly complex yet charming characters come about.
Aside from Grace, whose awkwardness and charm Gosling captures flawlessly, the audience is introduced to Dr. Stratt, played by Sandra Hüller, whose job is to essentially save humanity from mass extinction. I hope that that at least comes with good dental insurance.
In the book, written by Andy Weir, because yes, I’m a firm follower of the book-before-movie rule, Dr. Stratt is characterized as much more of a no-nonsense, I-have-a-world-to-save kind of gal.
However, in the movie, she seems to develop a soft spot for Grace, and after a very boardwalk-of-Titanic-coded conversation with him, she catalysts one of arguably the best scenes in the movie.
Watching Stratt sing “Sign Of the Times” by Harry Styles truly altered my brain chemistry because it’s so fitting for her very doomed character, who is forced to make some of the hardest decisions humanity has ever faced. No wonder Hüller refused to sing any other song.
Although the ever iconic quarter-life-crisis-inducing song, which the movie gained the rights to, is incredibly fitting, the movie’s score is also incredible.
The composer, Daniel Pemberton, truly outdid himself, as I’ve been listening to the score on repeat since I left the theater.
Every note captures the strangely dire yet peaceful essence of the movie so well, using unique sounds such as distorted choirs and even an instrument Pemberton invented just for the film, which replicates squeaky water taps.
This essence would cease to exist if it weren’t for this movie’s incredible cinematography.
More than once, I found myself gaping at the movie theater screen. I feel like many modern movies are afraid of color and afraid of slowing down and simply letting the audience appreciate what’s in front of them.
If I haven’t made it clear enough already, “Project Hail Mary” is not a good example of either of these ailments.
These visuals aid the movie’s overarching message, one of selflessness and connection, flawlessly.
Especially in today’s day and age, when division seems to be adamant not just amongst countries but amongst families, hyper-independence is on the rise, and individuals’ faith in humanity is beginning to run dry, stories like this one grow increasingly important.
Stories of friendship in unlikely places and the things one sacrifices for those friendships. This is a lesson that is vital for all age groups, making “Project Hail Mary” what I believe to be the perfect family movie.
In the famous words of the character I refuse to spoil yet really want a mass-produced plushie of, this movie was “amaze amaze amaze!”
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