“Project Hail Mary” was released on March 20, 2026, and has intrigued many. The plot follows Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling), a teacher-turned-astronaut who wakes up from a coma on a spaceship, unsure of how he got there. He eventually remembers that he is on a suicide mission to save Earth from the dying sun, infected by the microorganism “Astrophage.”

On this mission, Grace comes into contact with another life form: an alien named Rocky who also seeks to save his planet from Astrophage. They learn to communicate with each other and form a special bond.

The acceptance and comradery between Grace and Rocky was unique and inspirational. The human-alien relationship is in many ways unknown and distant, but this film developed their connection with a common goal as the basis of their friendship. This relationship showed how compassion and mutual respect don’t have limits or circumstances.

An impressive part of “Project Hail Mary” was the set and special effects required to bring the film to life. To replicate the zero-gravity effect of the spaceship, wire-harnesses were used to make actors appear as if they were floating. 360-degree sets were also used to capture various camera angles. The effort put into filming this movie can be recognized, as conditions in outer space are unlike anything on Earth.

What made this movie genuinely stand out was the humor incorporated into nearly every scene. Ryan Gosling recently starred in the “Barbie” movie, a comedic-relief type of role, which he added into “Project Hail Mary” as well. Grace was a down-to-earth, relatable character who – at times – felt he wasn’t worthy of being on that spaceship.

Themes of self-doubt, friendship, bravery and perseverance led this story to develop smoothly and all fall into place at the end. The ending was unexpected, yet fit perfectly with what Grace truly valued and learned from his time away from Earth. I give Project Hail Mary 5/5 stars.