The recent adaptation of the sci-fi novel Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, premiered to critical acclaim and was quickly hailed as one of the best films of the 20s. The film follows Ryland Grace, a school science teacher who awakens in a space shuttle millions of miles from Earth with no memory of himself or why he is there. He quickly learns that his mission is to discover why the sun is dying, with the help of his friend Rocky, an alien from another star system.
Firstly, I want to praise the film for featuring zero green screen, utilizing fully built, 360-degree practical sets. This is a breath of fresh air for film. I feel that over the past ten years, Hollywood has been relying too much on CGI and green screen, which makes new films feel fake and corporate. So this film features zero green screens for interior scenes, and an animatronic puppet for Rocky is so nice and gives the film a human touch that I feel is missing from most modern films. The film also uses the beauty of space to its advantage with some truely breath taking shots.
Secondly, the cast does a phenomenal job, and Ryan Gosling was the perfect pick for Ryland Grace, making him really feel like just an average dude with no experience who was shot into space. His relationship with Rocky, as well, is so sweet; they’re such a fun duo, and they can both have so much chemistry together. I was a little worried that Rocky would come off as annoying, like other small alien creatures who join the main character (Baby Yoda), but Rocky is a lot deeper and has way more character than other characters who are similar.
Overall, Project Hail Mary is a beautiful, fun, and emotional experience that feels like the right direction for all future Hollywood Productions.
10/10
