By Jay’Mi Vazquez
Managing Editor
Adapted from Andy Weir’s science fiction novel, “Project Hail Mary,” the film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller is one of the most captivating movies I have seen in a long time.
It is one thing for a film to talk about science, survival and connection, but it is another to ground those themes in scenes that land.
The opening sequence of this film is one of those moments.
Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, wakes up alone in a spacecraft, disoriented and physically weak, which immediately sets the tone for this film.
This opening scene is especially effective because it strips everything down and pulls viewers directly into his reality.
Grace’s amnesia forces the story to begin at a human level before expanding into something much larger.
The narrative structures itself around the gradual return of Grace’s memory through flashbacks.
These scenes could have felt like simple exposition, but instead, they add emotional weight.
Seeing him as a middle school teacher makes his current situation feel more tragic and meaningful, like his purpose is to save those students.
I keep thinking about how reluctant Grace is to take on the mission in the first place, which complicates the idea of him as a traditional hero in this film.
Traditional heroes are usually defined by choice and courage from the start, but Grace does not fit that mold, which in turn makes his success feel more real and earned.
Of course, the film’s most memorable sequence is Grace’s first encounter with the alien Rocky, brought to life with striking visual detail through practical puppetry by performer James Ortiz, enhanced by animatronics and CGI.
The introduction of this character could have easily leaned into fear or conflict; instead, it provides a moment of levity that softens the film’s tone.
I find the scenes where Grace and Rocky learn to communicate with each other especially compelling.
The inclusion of humor in such a dramatized setting makes the film feel more balanced and engaging.
The film reaches a powerful turning point when Grace becomes aware of his chance to return home but ultimately chooses to turn back and save Rocky.
That decision is the emotional climax of the film, which I enjoy.
In that moment, the story is not about saving Earth anymore; it is about who Grace chooses to be.
The film also builds toward a powerful late twist that reshapes how we understand Grace’s journey, revealing that he was drugged and forced into the mission in the first place.
The decision to include that twist so late in the film works really well because it completely reframes everything that comes before it.
It makes his final choice to turn back to help Rocky feel even more powerful because, for the first time, it is fully Grace’s decision.
The ending of the film is especially striking. Instead of returning to Earth, Grace remains with Rocky’s species, teaching and building a life in an unfamiliar world.
It is not the ending I expected, but it shows that his purpose is ultimately defined by what he chooses to give, not where he ends up.
Having a story that begins with confusion and isolation and ends with connection and meaning feels like the most important resolution the film could offer.
