Project Hail Mary: The Sci-Fi I Didn’t Expect

Imagine sitting in a Mexican restaurant. You order some tacos, but the server gives you a pizza. It isn’t Mexican food, but it’s delicious anyway. That’s how I’d describe Hollywood’s latest science fiction Project Hail Mary. Project Hail Mary seems to do the opposite of classic sci-fi movies, prioritizing the story and keeping the science subtle. But combined with the deeply human themes, Gosling’s wit, and intentionally hidden scientific details, it creates an accessible movie that’s entertaining for all. It has no business being called a science fiction, but it’s still worth a watch.

A major draw of the film is its star actor, Ryan Gosling. Portraying the protagonist, Ryland Grace, he wakes up from a coma to find himself alone on a spaceship. He doesn’t know why he’s there, who he is, or the fact that he’s “11.9 light-years away from [his] apartment." The audience isn’t yet familiar with who Grace is, but neither is Grace himself. So as the movie alternates between the present version of Grace in space and the past version of Grace back on Earth, the audience is brought along on Grace’s journey of self-rediscovery. 

Furthermore, he’s far from your stereotypical hero. He’s not a prodigy or fearless like most heroes. He’s an ordinary high school teacher who got thrown into this situation. Gosling’s facial expressions, vocal variety, and physical presence also create a character that feels fear and doesn’t always know what to do. Grace becomes a protagonist who’s within reach, fostering a deeper and more authentic connection with the audience.

Gosling also brings humor to the film. He drinks vodka on board to cope with his loneliness and embeds jokes into what are supposed to be serious video reports while breaking the fourth wall. Using jokes to deal with his stresses further demonstrates Grace’s human nature and acts as a balance to the otherwise serious mission.

But the story and its emotions/themes really develop when he meets Rocky, an alien from the planet Erid. Despite being two completely different species, they quickly learn to communicate and develop a relationship that resembles a human friendship. They figure out the sun-eating bacteria problem collaboratively, knowing mutual trust is needed to save their planets. And when things inevitably go wrong, they stay loyal to each other. They refuse to leave each other’s side and, at times, are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the other. The friendship that Rocky and Grace have, despite their differences, serves as a model for what human friendships should look like. Although the film is about a scientific existential threat on paper, their friendship is the true reason behind the film’s success. 

 There’s clearly a lot of effort put into this friendship that defines the film. But it seems to be the film's main priority. This overemphasis on emotional storytelling sacrifices the science that backs the whole story’s premise. That’s almost a problem: the science that backs this story is barely brought to light. 

Sure, the film attempts to make itself scientific by mentioning a centrifuge, molecular biology, and displaying a plethora of lab equipment. But these concepts are never explained or developed. They feel extremely shallow, creating a style of science without much substance. The science takes a back seat so that the emotional story of Grace and Rocky can take center stage.

Instead, you have to go looking for the science in the details and stylistic choices made by the producer and author of the Project Hail Mary novel, Andy Weir. In an interview with famous American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Weir breaks down the science. He discusses how Einstein’s theory of relativity and mass-energy equivalence (better known as E=mc2) makes a trip across light-years possible, how the spaceship’s artificial gravity is created using a centrifuge mechanism, and the chain of cause-and-effect reasoning that makes Rocky look like a rock. 

It’s clear that detailed scientific research went into the films, yet none of it seemed to be apparent to the audience because it was so subtly incorporated. It’s hard to create a movie about space and science, but it’s even harder to do it with scientific accuracy. And if the audience could see the effort put into protecting the integrity of the science, the film would become even more impressive. 

However, keeping the science subtle is a deliberate stylistic choice that broadens the film's appeal and emphasizes the friendship between Grace and Rocky. The deeply human themes and a relatable protagonist take you on an emotional and entertaining rollercoaster, and that’s definitely worth a watch.