Project Hail Mary (Christian Movie Review)

Bolstered by an unapologetically optimistic tone and refreshing affirmation of traditional values, Project Hail Mary is a blockbuster done right; a throwback, crowd-pleasing space odyssey that hits all the right notes. 

About the Film 

Moviegoing audiences have frequently expressed a dissatisfaction toward modern Hollywood storytelling. New technology has enabled filmmakers to explore bigger and more ambitious territory, but “bigger” has not proven to always be “better.” Based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir (The Martian) and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (the Spider-Verse films), Project Hail Mary is a near-perfect antidote to that cinematic malady. Simply put, this movie rocks (if you know, you know). Bolstered by an unapologetically optimistic tone and refreshing affirmation of traditional values, Project Hail Mary is a blockbuster done right; a throwback, crowd-pleasing space odyssey that hits all the right notes.

The film had many clear inspirations, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, E.T., Arrival, and even a direct callout to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But one comparable that comes to mind is Top Gun: Maverick. It lacks the high-adrenaline tone of that film, but succeeds for similar foundational reasons—a sense of unabashed earnestness, and a rejection of many of recent cinema’s worst tendencies. Project Hail Mary is consistently funny, but without a trace of snarky or quippy humor. It’s grandiose in scope and visually stunning but doesn’t ever feel like an empty calorie spectacle (notably, not a single green screen was used in the making of the film). It’s simply good, classic, cinematic storytelling.

Perhaps most surprising, it’s a film about an environmental threat that isn’t interested in scolding audiences. In Project Hail Mary, humans aren’t the problem; they’re the solution (with some help from aliens, of course). The characters are flawed and imperfect, but the film emphatically showcases that humans are, in fact, pretty awesome. Not embarrassed by uplifting sentimentality, it’s a story that inspires heroic living instead of trying to guilt audiences into better behavior. The film doesn’t have an antagonist or villain (not even the greedy or corrupt “company man” that these types of stories inevitably have). It’s not a story about what is wrong with humanity; it’s about the values of bravery, sacrifice, and friendship that makes us human.

The story unfolds in two timelines, one set on earth before the space mission, and one during the interstellar mission itself. The latter is carried by Ryan Gosling, who brings his trademark goofy comedic timing as well as a ton of heart and emotion into the character. For most of the film he acts alone or only alongside a single alien (wonderfully brought to life by a mix of digital tools and physical puppetry). That extended scenes of Gosling alone on a ship conducting science experiments are so engrossing is a testament to his excellent performance.

From a technical standpoint, everything from the movement of camera, the effective use of light and darkness, and some excellent sound design, are executed with a sense of purpose. If there’s any area where Project Hail Mary misses the mark, however, it’s that there’s simply too much of it. It has a sprawling two hours and thirty-six minute runtime and eventually runs out of steam. It finishes with series of different endings, none of which feel fully satisfying. There is a point near the end (a reunion of two characters) that arguably would have been a more fitting and open-ended conclusion, but the film just keeps going. I felt restless by the end, which overshadowed how captivated I was for the first two hours.

In the end, there is no shortage of lackluster films being churned out by Hollywood these days, but this isn’t one of them. Project Hail Mary is a triumph on nearly every level; an entertaining crowd-pleaser that is easily the best film of the year so far. Go see it on the biggest screen possible.

Hail Mary and Salvation  

The term “Hail Mary” has been adopted in the sport’s world to indicate a desperate, last ditched, long-shot play for victory. It’s original meaning is as a traditional Catholic intercessory prayer to Mary. A popular version of the prayer includes the closing refrain, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” Project Hail Mary most directly derives its title from the sport’s context (a longshot mission to save the earth) but also reflects the religious meaning in interesting ways.

Despite being a film heavy on science – with a few nods to evolutionary theory – religion and faith play an equally as important role. Of the mission’s chances for success, the female mission head says, “God willing.” When asked if she believes in God, she responds, “It’s better than the alternative.” Grace (Ryan Gosling) appears to accept her statement of faith without criticism. The film’s soundtrack, which often uses song lyrics to reflect the current events of the story, notably plays the Gospel song “Glory, Glory,” by Ike & Tina Turner, during the film’s end credits. In a way, even the protagonist having the name “Grace” has a certain symbolic value. His burden of potentially sacrificing his life for the sake of the world by joining the one-way ticket desperate mission, positions him as a Christ figure.

Project Hail Mary is by no means an overt faith-driven story. But there are subtle nods throughout that it is not just scientific knowledge needed for our salvation, it is Christlike virtues of sacrifice, loving fellowship, and belief. At “the hour of our death,” humanity’s Hail Mary points us back to God.