Project Hail Mary

The door hisses as Ryland pushes it open, all the oxygen in the bay evaporating. Through his space suit’s plastic face covering he stares into the long dark tunnel that stretches out before him. The metallic and detailed line work is fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Unsure what awaits him in the darkness, he cautiously steps out. Is this really happening? Turning on his flashlight, he takes a shaky step into the darkness. Just keep one foot in front of the other. As he gets farther in, there seems to be no end, but his growing curiosity pushes him to keep going. Something has to be at the end of this tunnel. It could totally be an alien that’ll eat him whole or completely dismember him in some gruesome way. Or there could be nothing and he stepped into some black hole of illusion that will go on and on until the end of time. Maybe he shouldn’t have left the safety of his ship. But what should he do when he finds an alien spaceship at the edge of the galaxy and it magically creates a massive tunnel, clearly inviting him in? Wait. Ryland shines his flashlight higher. Suddenly there seems to be a wall a few feet from him. As he nears it, he realizes it’s made of a slightly clouded, yet translucent glass texture. He can’t physically go any further, but he can peer into the darkness on the other side of the glass wall. Barely breathing from anticipation and fear, Ryland tries to see anything on the other side. Everything is still.

“Hello?” Ryland calls into the darkness. Moments pass. Still nothing happens. He taps on the wall, the sound echoing down the tunnel. Still nothing. “Hellooo?” he tries once more. He’s met with more silence. Ryland sighs. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Then a movement catches his eye. Something is on the other side. It was barely visible, almost the same color as the tunnel that surrounds them. An eerie feeling settles in Rylan’s stomach as he is confronted with the reality that he is not alone.

‍ Waking up in a spaceship far away from home and no recollection of how he got there, science teacher Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) only knows he’s been sent out into space to save Earth. As his memories slowly return to him, he remembers the sun is dying due to a mysterious and unstoppable substance that’s making its way through the galaxy. When it was discovered there is a sun across the galaxy that isn’t dying, a desperate last-hope-kind of mission was created to send astronauts on a one way trip to find out why. This hail mary of a mission falls solely onto Ryland as upon waking from a long sleep he finds his fellow astronauts did not survive the trip. The loneliness starts to eat at him, struggling as he was not prepared to take on this monumental task alone. Yet as he nears the sun he’s been sent to study, Ryland discovers an alien ship awaiting and he realizes he might not be as alone as he thinks.

As explorative space films go, this story has a bit more heart to it. It is slow in its pacing, much like The Martian and Gravity, but doesn’t use the struggle of survival to keep the viewer engaged, but instead a tempting curiosity of an unlikely friendship. With a lot of mysteries waiting at the edge of the galaxy and the pressure of time running out to save Earth, the audience is left entranced with how Ryland will communicate with his newly discovered companion. Will they be able to break boundaries and help each other in their race against time?

Project Hail Mary is a little bit of a new direction for Phil Lord and Chris Miller, a duo that has a history of working on projects like 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie that are focused on its humor and creative experimentation. This sci-fi adaptation of Andy Weir's book by the same title gives Lord and Miller a film centered in drama and the emotional gravity of its characters, yet still keeping the lightheartedness of good humor and quick quips. Paired with beautiful and vibrant graphics of the vast deep space and the detailed creation of alien life, this film is something special to experience.

True to his talent, Gosling gives the story a unique spark and personality that carries the essential essence of the film with his goofy, courageous, and full of heart character. The flashbacks intermittent within the plot guide the mystery of how Ryland came to be the one tasked with saving Earth and what internal battles are unfolding within him. How does someone make such a brave decision to sacrifice himself for the survival of his world? Gosling’s genuine connection to his character shines brightly, making it easy for the audience to see themselves within his virtues and faults.

‍ ‍Project Hail Mary is a testament to the courage, faith, and kindness that’s seeded in the heart of humanity. In the face of certain death and impossible odds, Ryland is able to give himself to the friendship of an entirely other life form and trust in the fate that he’s been delivered. After traveling across the galaxy to build a relationship beyond language barriers and killer atmospheres, Ryland starts to understand that he may have found the purpose he’s been searching for.. Much like the way of life, he finds himself in a bit of an unlucky predicament, takes a wild chance on something he believes in and hopes it pays off in the end.

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