“Project Hail Mary”: the optimistic science fiction picture we have yearned for 

In the space movie hall of fame a few titles stand apart as the cream of the crop. 

“Interstellar” (2014), directed by Christopher Nolan is both a scientifically sound and emotionally charged film. Many of the next generation’s black hole cosmologists were inspired by the film’s extraordinary black hole simulation and its forward-thinking use of relativistic physics. 

Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” (2016) perhaps escaped the bounds of human reality with its intrusions into the inner workings of linguistics and memory. Still, the film’s commentary on what it means to be human left me contemplating. 

Great science fiction can be diverse and varying. However, many of the movies contain similar themes. Quite a few include a commentary on humanity in the farthest places from Earth. Others adapt previously agreed upon norms and structures thanks to encounters with alien beings. Most importantly, they boast science that is not only sound, but also interesting and thought provoking. 

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller did all this and more with “Project Hail Mary” (2026), an adaptation of author Andy Weir’s best-selling novel. Weir, most well-known for his novel The Martian and the consequent film, is the king of the type of science fiction that prioritizes optimism for humanity through scientific breakthroughs. 

The film begins with the assertion that the sun is dimming, due to new bacteria called “astrophages” feeding on the sun’s light. The astrophages are durable, therefore rendering any destructive earth technology useless. However, when the creatures consume the sun’s light, they emit that same energy for movement, making them incredibly energy efficient. 

Soon, scientists on earth, including our protagonist and high school- teacher-turned-microbiologist Ryland Grace, realize that another star in the Milky Way has these same astrophages, but their star is not dimming. 

A team of scientists sent a mission to this star system, using the astrophages as fuel — thanks to USC Physics student, Isaac Mottern, for conducting the calculations — we know that the astrophages move the ship at around 93% the speed of light (see below).  The astronauts, including Grace, are sent to investigate the  star, Tau Ceti, 11.8 light years away from earth. 

However, when Grace wakes up on this ship, his crewmates are dead, and he can’t seem to remember much of anything past his name. He freaks out for an adequate amount of time, indulges in some alcohol and comes to terms with the fact that he is in space; but soon, he sees another ship. 

The ship attempts to make contact with Grace first, sending a flying capsule with information about why the ship is in this star system. From some deduction, Grace realizes that both of them are here for the same reason: the astrophages are eating their home stars. Once the ships have attached, Grace boards and makes human’s first ever contact with an intelligent lifeform, one Grace affectionately calls Rocky. 

After getting on the same page in linguistics, engineering, and physics, Rocky and Grace work together to analyze Tau Ceti, find a way to kill the astrophages and save both of their home planets.

THE REST OF THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Grace’s persona was a standout element for me on first watch. This type of protagonist — snarky, charming, and geeky — is a hallmark of Weir’s science fiction, with Mark Watney in “The Martian” (2015) having a similar personality. Just like Matt Damon’s performance in “The Martian,” the clutzy, nerdy version of Ryland Grace in the book was brought to life by Ryan Gosling’s stellar performance, aided by his incredible costumes (I want the knitted sweater he wears RIGHT NOW!). Grace is endearing and a little bit of a loser, but in the end he uses his scientific knowledge and good heart to save humanity.

Greg Fraiser’s incredible cinematographic choices elevated the film even more. Scenes that have stuck with me include the shot of Tau Ceti 4’s atmosphere, with its swirling hues of yellow and green, and the view of Rocky’s ship, with its vibrating strings of gold and green Xenonite. 

More profoundly, though, I most respect the fact that Weir writes his characters as utterly unconnected to their lives back on Earth. In the film, Grace does not really have any friends or family on Earth. It makes his openness to having an alien best friend and saving all of humanity all the more believable and heartwarming. 

His call for survival, therefore, is completely intrinsic. Grace wants to stay alive and protect humanity simply because that is his human nature, one that prioritizes survival and hope in the face of unbeatable odds. 

“Project Hail Mary” displays the capacity of humans for collaboration and perseverance in the wake of something seemingly unsolvable. And, as Grace does end up finding a predator for the astrophages, also saving his new alien friend Rocky in the process. “Project Hail Mary” is a wholehearted rejection of the dystopian pessimism so en vogue for stories in today’s age. 

Pessimism — especially around science and technology — seems to dominate today's conversations, but this film was a breath of fresh air. Truly, “Project Hail Mary” is a triumph of human dedication, inspiring this generation of science lovers to look up and look within, just like its great sci-fi predecessors.