Gosling magic turns ‘Hail Mary’ into sure bet through tour de force performance
Photo from Wikipedia’s Project Hail Mary page
In Roman Catholicism, the Hail Mary is a prayer that symbolizes hope, faith, and love. In American football, a Hail Mary pass is the low probability throw made when there’s almost no time left and the team is hoping for a miracle. In the movie Project Hail Mary, when the scientists chose this name for the mission to save humanity, it resonates perfectly as the Earth’s last, desperate attempt to survive. Project Hail Mary was an incredible movie from start to finish.
The movie follows Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling, Barbie), better known as Dr. Grace, a scientist who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory. As his memories slowly return, he realizes he’s been sent on a mission into space to save Earth from a mysterious threat that is causing the sun to lose its energy.
When it comes to bringing both humor and humanity to the screen, Gosling is the perfect choice due to his knack for balancing humor with severity. As the film’s star, he makes the movie more engaging by adding humor to tense situations and making his somewhat broken character feel more relatable to the audience. The same charisma and awkward humanity oozed from Ken in Barbie, where Gosling also uses comedy to make his character entertaining and memorable.
Gosling brings Dr. Grace’s character to life by perfectly portraying the picture of a genius, but one sporting an awkward personality. He does so through his incredible use of body language and delivery of dialogues. Dr. Grace is characterized with the struggles of self doubt and frequently questions his own abilities. These flaws make his journey more compelling, as the viewers get to see a main character who is imperfect. Considering Gosling carries the nearly 2.5 hour movie solo speaks to both his charisma as an actor and the faith directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had in his ability to carry the weight. Of course, he doesn’t carry it alone.
Rocky, the alien that runs with Dr. Grace, is a consistent scene-stealer as viewers get to see his and Grace’s dynamic build. Rocky gets his name from the fact that he looks like a rock. So, when Dr. Grace and Rocky first met they were struggling to communicate with each other. Dr. Grace would constantly misunderstand the gestures Rocky was making; in order to fix that problem, he builds a program that can translate what Rocky is saying. Their dynamic ends up being adorable and interactions memorable.
Project Hail Mary does a great job at capturing beautiful cinematography with space sequences that are downright gorgeous. There was little use of CGI, yet the directors were able to make this film very visually appealing by using light and imagery to invoke emotions. This is shown in scenes such as isolation which reflect Dr. Grace’s situation in space as he drifts further and further away from Earth. The use of colors draws attention to the beauty of the scenes, especially when depicting the stars and planets contrasting the dark space, making them stand out. More confined shots done inside the spacecraft build anxiety in order to emphasize the dangers that Dr. Grace faces.
Project Hail Mary also boasts a phenomenal score. Composed by Daniel Pemberton, it adds an emotional depth to the film. In many instances, the score is blasting and makes the impact ten times harder. During moments of loneliness experienced by Dr. Grace, a slower score deepens the sense of resonating isolation. This powerful use of music ties into the film’s pacing, especially in the final parts of the movie.
In the last 30 minutes, viewers get the feeling that the movie is drawing to a big ending, but don’t be deceived: it keeps going. It almost feels like a manipulative sense of denouement, which isn’t something that is a negative because this careful buildup makes the film’s conclusion all the more powerful, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
Overall, it is really refreshing to get a great sci-fi movie that is generally wholesome and light-hearted. Project Hail Mary has truly set the bar high for this genre of films as it nails those emotional, character-driven moments without forgetting to dazzle the audience with expected spectacle.
Grade: A-
Project Hail Mary sticks the landing with heart, humor, and science. Creating such a satisfying moment, it feels like a rescue mission for sci-fi lovers everywhere.
by Ayesha Zafar Ullah
Published April 27, 2026
Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue VII