Unexpected Saviors
Originally a book written by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is now a successful movie adaptation. While most movie adaptations alter the original book’s plot, Weir says differently, telling Polygon that the screenwriters and directors had instead improved the story.
Released in March, Project Hail Mary is a movie directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller about “a science teacher [waking] up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth’s sun and that an unexpected friendship may be the key,” according to IMDb. Overall, this movie has been my favorite watch this year.
The movie begins with the introduction of the protagonist, Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), waking up in a spaceship, later identified as the Hail Mary, with no memory of where he is and why he is there. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that he was a middle school teacher recruited for a life-saving mission by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller). As Grace relearns his purpose on the ship, the introduction of an unexpected ally — and later friend — Rocky (James Ortiz) takes place. Though their friendship had a rocky start, they learn to work together. Both having the same problem, they decide to help save both of their planets.
The first thing about this film that caught my attention was the cinematography. I loved how the camera mimicked the lack of gravity in space, flipping and spinning as it follows Grace throughout the ship. I also loved the visual effects, which I later learned was achieved with zero CGI. According to No Film School, “In an era where massive Hollywood blockbusters rely heavily on digital set extensions and actors acting opposite tennis balls, this movie had to be different to stand out. And now, The Hollywood Reporter has said Project Hail Mary was made without using a single green screen or blue screen shot.”
Another fun thing that I learned through an interview from BBC Radio was that there are a multitude of bloopers embedded into the film. Gosling said, “They’ve included so many of the accidents and mistakes and improvisations.” This is due to Rocky being an actual puppet and being puppeteered around the tight set of the ship.
The soundtrack was the backbone of this film, helping portray the emotions on screen and enhancing the film. Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” became an unofficial theme song for the movie among the fandom. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Gosling said, “It was so fun, because our dressing rooms were down the hall from one another, and I heard—you know, Jimmy—I heard the voice of an angel,” regarding Hüller. “It’s this or nothing,” Hüller said to Gosling, referring to the song. Gosling said it became the “heartbeat of the movie.”
In addition, there was also an original score by Daniel Pemberton. According to Dolby, “This was not Daniel’s first foray into creating music for a science fiction space story, nor was it his first collaboration with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. But it seems like this time had quite a bit more room for exploration and experimentation, which ultimately led him to crafting his own orchestra using some rather unconventional instruments.”
The core themes that stand out in this film are friendship, resilience, and sacrifice. Together, these themes create an emotional rollercoaster of a film. Especially towards the end, I could not stop crying. When I thought the sad parts were over, an even sadder scene would take place and I would cry harder. I had to keep wiping my eyes and looking over to see if anyone noticed me crying.
“Here we are, we’re all back in theaters. It’s not your job to keep them open, it’s our job to make things that make it worth you coming out,” said Gosling in a Variety article. I think his words reflect perfectly how this film has performed. It currently has an 8.4/10 on IMDb. This movie has incredibly lasted in popularity and hopefully it will continue to be a theater favorite.
This film is by far my favorite of the year; it’s an emotional sci-fi story with unexpected friendships and adventure. I give this movie two thumbs down (you’ll get it when you watch the movie.)
