Directed by Phill Lord & Christopher Miller, and starring Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary is the story of a scientist who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. As he remembers his past, he discovers a mission to stop a mysterious alien species from killing Earth’s fun, and meets an unexpected friend. 

Book to Movie Adaptation

The movie is an adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 novel Project Hail Mary, but there are some key differences. Starting off, the book includes scientific explanations for pretty much everything that happens, and in contrast, the film is less in-depth than the book. However, this does not affect the viewing experience – many of the things that are explained in the book aren’t necessary to understand and enjoy the movie. The pacing is also different, with the movie moving much faster, meaning that some scenes and plotlines were cut out. There are some differences in the way characters act (for instance, Stratt, played by Sandra Hüller, is more intense and serious in the book), but overall, the movie is a good adaptation of the book, and matches the tone of the original novel. 

Music

The music for the film was done by Daniel Pemberton, who has composed music for hundreds of other films. The music was done very well, and helped create the atmosphere, as well as convey the tones for certain scenes. In lighthearted moments, the music is playful, whereas in serious moments, the music resembles classical music and is more somber. Sometimes, when something exciting is about to happen, there isn’t any music, which makes the movie theater very quiet and tense. 

Cinematography

Greig Fraser, director of photography, was in charge of cinematography. Fraser has worked on many other projects, and has an Oscar for best achievement in cinematography for Dune: Part 1. The movie had great lighting and color grading – instead of being super dark or beige, the movie felt warmer, and there were great uses of color. The camera work itself was also done well and felt natural.

Dialogue 

The book is told through first-person narration, which often does not transfer to film well. This movie, however, was able to do it well. Ryland Grace, the main character communicates his thoughts to the audience by recording himself – the audience is able to see the camera footage. The film also did a great job of showing, not telling. It didn’t overexplain everything, and communicated what was happening in multiple ways – from showing news recording, characters talking to themselves, to allowing the audience to infer and come to their own conclusions. 

Public Reactions

Project Hail Mary has a 8.4 rating on IMDb, a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 4.3 on Letterboxd. Some people praise the movie, calling it a mix of Arival, Interseller, and The Martian, while others call it boring, too long, and unscientific. 

My Thoughts 

I enjoyed the movie. I had read the book prior to watching the movie and felt like they aligned pretty well. I liked that the movie had serious and lighthearted moments, and I would recommend it to someone else. Personally, I feel like the movie is more enjoyable if you don’t focus too hard on the scientific accuracy of things, and don’t go into the theaters thinking that Project Hail Mary will be the next Interstellar. If you want explanations for everything, the book has it. Overall, I would rate it a 3.75 or 4 out of 5. It executed what it set out to do, and was a fun viewing experience. 

Watch Project Hail Mary in theaters.