By Sam Gassaway | Photo Editor
As an audience member who fell in love with author Andy Weir’s previous film adaptation “The Martian,” and as someone whose favorite film genre is science fiction, my expectations going into “Project Hail Mary” were very high.
And yet, this film completely blew my expectations out of the water. “Project Hail Mary” delivers an action-packed emotional rollercoaster, full of heart, humor and tension, that kept me at the edge of my seat throughout the entire film.
The film features a number of similarities with another film adapted from Andy Weir’s work, “The Martian,” including its use of video diaries, highly technical sci-fi jargon and the feeling of isolation in space. However, the signature heart of directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller shines through and brings this story in a different direction.
Throughout the film, I laughed, I cried, I felt suspense, I cheered and at the end I felt like I had just ridden on a two hours and 36 minutes long rollercoaster. The relationship between Ryan Gosling and his alien co-star Rocky is at the very core of this film, and I feel like it would not have been as effective without the voice of Lord and Miller behind it.
Speaking of Gosling, he managed to deliver a heartfelt performance that kept me invested in his character. Throughout most of the film, Gosling was the only human character on screen, which in theory would be difficult to keep interesting. However, his performance feels real, and he’s able to carry scenes on his own, and I applaud him for being able to perfectly bounce off his faceless costar.
Director of photography Greig Fraser has been on a generational run throughout the 2020s, and “Project Hail Mary” is no exception. Every frame of this film is dripping with cinematic goodness. When Gosling has to figure out how to communicate with his new alien companion, or when he’s collecting samples from the atmosphere of the planet Adrian, the composition and movement helped showcase the weight of what’s happening on screen.
It’s one of the few films where I recognized the power of the cinematography, and it brought the emotional moments in this film to a whole other level.
My one regret going into this film was not reading the novel by Andy Weir. Much like “The Martian,” his high-tech jargon and technical understanding shine through and creates a sense of realism in this fictional world. I feel like some of these concepts may be hard to understand for the average viewer, but you don’t need a master’s in astrophysics to understand the heart behind this story.
With Weir announcing a new science fiction novel earlier this week, I’m excited to see what happens next, and for another creative team to create a third part to this pseudo trilogy. I don’t feel like “Project Hail Mary” needs a sequel, but I would love to see more of Weir’s storytelling in a world like this.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with “Project Hail Mary.” It’s difficult to come up with any genuine criticism because every aspect of this film is at the height of its field, and there aren’t any weak links in its production.
If you’re looking for a fun adventure, a heartfelt dramatic story, a deep technical sci-fi experience or just a fun way to spend your weekend, “Project Hail Mary” is for you, and I highly recommend watching it in theaters.
