Project Hail Mary First Reviews: An Exciting, Heartwarming, Visually spectacular Crowd-Pleaser
Critics say Ryan Gosling has never been more appealing in what is likely to be one of the best films of the year.
Ryan Gosling stars in Project Hail Mary, the latest adaptation of a novel by Andy Weir (The Martian), and the first reviews of the movie are out of this world. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) from a script by Drew Goddard (who earned an Oscar nomination for adapting The Martian), it’s about a high school science teacher who finds himself stranded in space, where he befriends an alien on a similar mission. This is one of the first must-see blockbusters of the year, with stunning visuals, a hilarious but heartfelt performance by Gosling, and a non-human character named Rocky, whom you’re never going to forget.
Here’s what critics are saying about Project Hail Mary:
How good is this movie?
Lord and Miller have created 2026’s first great blockbuster.
— Katie Smith-Wong, Flick Feast
The first great movie of 2026… Project Hail Mary is the type of rousing, exciting blockbuster filmmaking that we rarely see these days.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
Project Hail Mary is a staggering epic: big in spectacle and even bigger in heart, emotion, and awe-inspired wonder.
— Awais Irfan, The Hollywood News
An exquisite masterclass in filmmaking, filled with gobs of heart, hope, and humanity.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
A near-perfect crowd-pleaser.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
TV-dinner sci-fi. There is a slight warmth to their reheated meal that elicits a few tears, even with a hint of overcooked cellophane.
— Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
Forgive me if I say that it’s not a very good movie.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Is it one of the year’s best?
The best film of the year.
— Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue
An early contender for the best films of 2026.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
This is the best film I’ve seen so far in 2026, my first four-star review of the year, and almost assuredly going to wind up on my top ten list come the end of December.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
One of the top films of 2026 to date. I can see Project Hail Mary as part of the dialogue during next year’s award season.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
Lord and Miller have created a new sci-fi classic… a film that deserves to be a part of 2027 Oscar consideration already.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
It’s the kind of film that will go down as one of the defining sci-fi blockbusters of its era – up there alongside contemporary genre masterpieces like Arrival, Interstellar, and Dune.
— Awais Irfan, The Hollywood News
Does it feel especially important right now?
It is a movie about connection and understanding one another, something we need now more than ever.
— Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue
[It’s] a towering achievement and shining beacon of hope for when we all need it the most.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Project Hail Mary wants to be the kind of great escape we need right now, and I have no doubt that many will hail it as one.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
What other movies will it remind us of?
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s immersive dazzler plays like a mash-up of Cast Away, Interstellar, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Those calling it E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial meets Interstellar are giving you an idea of what to expect; this has elements of Gravity and The Martian as well. Moreover, this is probably the most purely entertaining of the lot.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
In its mixture of lighthearted adventure and more thoughtful cosmic reflection, Project Hail Mary most resembles the original Star Trek films, especially the lighter The Voyage Home.
— Jake Cole, Slant Magazine
If we’re going with simplistic movie kinships, I prefer the marriage of two other outstanding Ryan Gosling performances, as a schoolteacher in Half Nelson and an astronaut in First Man.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
[It’s] the kind of unlikely buddy comedy that recalls Lord and Miller’s work on both Jump Street movies.
— Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
Does it ever feel too familiar?
While the premise of Project Hail Mary may initially sound familiar, Lord and Miller elevate the material by filling it with warmth, humor, and a powerful testament of connection.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
What’s special about Project Hail Mary is its potential to tap into memories of different space sagas and alien lifeform movies for different generations.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
It’s baggy and incredibly derivative of movies you’ve seen before.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Will it satisfy fans of the novel?
Fans of the book will be thrilled by such a thoughtful adaptation.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
If you’re a fan of the novel due to its hard science, then you might find yourself disappointed.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Does it strike the right tone?
It’s remarkable how well this tonal shift works.
— Jake Cole, Slant Magazine
Lord, Miller, and Goddard balance tonal fluctuations with assured aplomb.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
They skillfully combine their comedic background with the visual ambition they helped cultivate while producing the Spider-Verse films. The result is a perfect tonal balance for such a large-scale story.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
Phil Lord and Chris Miller magnificently mix action, emotions, and humor, really showing the best example yet of how well they can navigate tone.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
Is the sci-fi stuff overly complicated?
Drew Goddard makes light work of it with a script that articulates the physics without ever dumbing it down.
— Awais Irfan, The Hollywood News
The filmmakers decline to dumb down the science, which is mostly accessible, though how much you keep up with the details seems optional, and unlikely to curb your involvement in the story either way.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
It manages to be smart without alienating those less au fait with the science.
— Linda Marric, HeyUGuys
If The Martian has proved anything, it can make sci-fi both entertaining and educational… Project Hail Mary does the same.
— Katie Smith-Wong, Flick Feast
Problem-solving sequences are as exciting as the action scenes where Ryland dangles outside his ship.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Does it try too hard to tug at our heartstrings?
Even if Project Hail Mary at times leans into the sentiment to an almost saccharine degree, the movie’s natural sweetness is disarming.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
This sappy film… tells viewers exactly what they should be feeling at every millisecond.
— Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
How does it look?
Aesthetically, the filmmakers have assembled a show-stopping knockout.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
The cinematography by Greig Fraser is mesmerizing.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
Greig Fraser should be a lock for another Oscar nomination.
— Matt Goldberg, Decoding Everything
Greig Fraser’s cinematography is bristling with color and ingenuity, the shifting aspect ratios adding intimacy to the Earth scenes and scale to the cosmic setting.
— Awais Irfan, The Hollywood News
The monumental scale and engineering complexity of the alien spacecraft alone are breathtaking, its intricate design hinting at the metal-rich composition of its home planet.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
The directing pair is saying, “See! Look what we’ve created,” as though they’re trying to show why, visually, their film stands up to the many sci-fi classics they make reference to.
— Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
What about the creature effects?
The animation of Rocky is a real feat.
— Jake Cole, Slant Magazine
The emphasis on in-camera effects makes a massive difference to the wraparound feel of the experience.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Despite Rocky being a puppet, the magical illusion that he’s not a real-life being is never broken. It doesn’t even factor into our minds.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Rocky comes memorably alive. Shoutout also to Viz Effx wizard Paul Lambert and his team, as well as creature creator Neil Scanlon.
— Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood Daily
Are we going to fall in love with Rocky?
Audiences quick to anthropomorphize animals will be completely charmed by and instantly enamored with the Eridian engineer.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
You will fall in love immediately with this cheeky little rock-like alien… It’s hard to imagine another movie character this year surpassing Rocky as your favourite 2026 character.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Rocky makes for one of those adorable creature pals that gives E.T. and R2-D2 a run for their money.
— Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood Daily
Everything to do with the onboard alien is far too cute and formulaic.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
How is Ryan Gosling’s performance?
It’s a gorgeous performance, one of his best; he keeps us deeply invested in Ryland’s wins and losses throughout.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Gosling knocks it out of the park… One of the most appealing performances of his career.
— Linda Marric, HeyUGuys
Ryan Gosling’s flawless turn is both hilarious and heartbreaking.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
His comedic timing is precise, nailing the jokes where they count as well as softening the edges so they don’t undercut the drama.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
With Project Hail Mary, Gosling scores one of his best screen roles, a constant star presence often alone on screen, and he keeps us with him all the way.
— Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood Daily
It’s a testament to Gosling’s performance that he remains so commanding and captivating despite often being the only actor on screen for long stretches or acting opposite a CGI character.
— Awais Irfan, The Hollywood News
Are there any other standouts in the cast?
Academy Award-nominee Sandra Hüller, in particular, gives a wonderfully dry performance as Eva Stratt, the determined leader of Project Hail Mary.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
Hüller, in particular, adds shades of character to the imposing Stratt, elevating her relationship with Grace from what it is in the book.
— Awais Irfan, The Hollywood News
With a lesser interpreter in the role, Eva might have read more reductively as just a ruthless bureaucratic leader. But the extraordinary German actress Hüller… never lets the character’s clipped professionalism snuff out her humanity.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
[Hüller will get] an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. (You heard it here first.)
— Donald Clarke, Irish Times
The other key acting triumph here is all off screen, as puppeteer James Ortiz manages to take a visual effect of a bunch of rocks and physically turn it into pure artistry.
— Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood Daily
Does the movie have any problems?
The frequent interruptions of flashbacks of Grace’s life back home are stultifying.
— Jake Cole, Slant Magazine
These flashback scenes are the strongest in the film… The film finds less to work with during its space sequences.
— Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
With a two-and-a-half-hour run time, Project Hail Mary is a tad bit too long, but I feel there only needs to be about 10 minutes cut out to make the movie more precise.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
You can start to feel the lengthy runtime by the end.
— Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
The pacing slackens a little as the complicated process inches forward.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
If it were not for an unfortunate outbreak of too-many-endings syndrome – a hangover from the book – we might have had a classic for the ages.
— Donald Clarke, Irish Times
Should we watch it in IMAX?
This is a must-see on the biggest IMAX screen possible (though it’s basically imperative to see it however you can, on whatever format is convenient for you, in a theater.)
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
I highly encourage you to seek out the film in IMAX if possible.
— Matt Goldberg, Decoding Everything
What directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller achieve, with what I would term the most intimate use ever for the scale of those large IMAX cameras, is a bit of a miracle because it is the humanity, not the hardware, that you take away from this unquestionably theatrical experience.
— Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood Daily
Project Hail Mary opens in theaters on March 20, 2026.
Thumbnail image by ©Amazon MGM Studios
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