The expression Hail Mary refers to a last-ditch attempt at an unlikely outcome. And so it is that Project Hail Mary is about a desperate effort to save planet Earth from a destructive force. The sun is dying and with it half the world’s population is expected to be wiped out within 30 years. The cause is a powerful organism named Petrova, which has made a beeline from Venus to the sun. In fact, it has already infected many planets and the world’s greatest scientific minds are trying to find a way to combat it, but to no avail.
That is when the head of what is termed the Hail Mary Project, Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller) contacts Dr Ryland Grace, a scientist cum middle school teacher. Dr Grace, who doesn’t run with the pack, fell out with the establishment after writing a controversial white paper, but now his left of centre thinking is sorely needed. So it is that he is pulled from the classroom and given top level security clearance to try to come up with a solution before it is too late. And, indeed, he has the wherewithal, only to be transported light years away to a distant planet that this destructive organism has not yet invaded.
His task is difficult enough, but it is made all but impossible when he awakens from a coma to find his two crew mates, the module commander and engineer, dead. It is then that he makes contact with a friendly alien, whose planet also faces the same devastating force of the organism and whose colleagues have also perished. Looking like a rock crab (literally, a crab-like rock with moving legs and arms), Dr Grace names him Rocky and the pair joins forces. As their bond grows and their path to finding a breakthrough develops, we get to hear and see Dr Grace’s tense back story.
Visually stunning, Project Hail Mary becomes a slow burn (pun fully intended) of a film. Much of the time is spent on the evolving relationship between Dr Grace and Rocky. That involves first contact and learning how to communicate with one another, before working together and enacting their plan. At the outset, we see Dr Grace disorientated after waking up from a years’ long coma. Thereafter, we get to understand his sense of loss, desperation and hopelessness at the situation in which he finds himself – alone in the vast universe. A decent chunk of time also goes towards establishing the push/pull relationship between Dr Grace’s no-nonsense boss and him.
In one of the roles of his life, Ryan Gosling delivers an emotionally rich performance as the reluctant astronaut. As Dr Grace, he is happy, sad, reflective and determined. Sandra Huller also impresses with her single-mindedness as Eva Stratt, the latter’s eyes forever on the end game. A largely closed book, she doesn’t shirk from the magnitude of her responsibilities for even a moment. There is also an endearing warmth about Rocky, as voiced by James Ortiz.
Based on a best-selling, highly acclaimed 2021 novel by Andy Weir, humour is a critical building block embedded into the script by Drew Goddard (The Martian). Apart from the performances, it is the brilliance of colour and visual effects, along with the soundscape that give Project Hail Mary its depth. Greig Fraser’s (Dune) cinematography is a highlight. While striking on those levels, I felt the film took a long time to get where it needed to go. Some prudent pruning by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who were collectively responsible for The Lego Movie) wouldn’t have gone astray. Still, with no shortage of heart, the work remains on the top tier of science fiction films.
Rated M, Project Hail Mary scores a 7½ out of 10.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- The Titan (Netflix) – movie review
- The Vast of Night (Amazon Prime) – movie review
- Mickey 17 – movie review
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
