Andy Weir achieved his big breakthrough with the science fiction novel “The Martian.” As realistically as possible, the book followed astronaut Mark Watney, who is accidentally left behind on Mars and must now try to survive in this inhospitable environment while establishing contact with Earth. While Weir does get lost in endless explanations, he repeatedly sprinkles in little jokes and pop culture references to keep things from getting boring. This only works to a limited extent, but Weir comes across as a likable teacher who, while still struggling to keep you entertained, makes you politely laugh at his weak jokes.
An even greater gift for Weir after his book hit the bestseller lists was that Ridley Scott wanted to adapt it into a film. With Matt Damon in the lead role, “The Martian” trimmed the story in exactly the right places and blended the mix of adventure, action, and educational elements so seamlessly that, in this rare case, the film adaptation was actually better than the book. Buoyed by this double success, Andy Weir wrote his novel Project Hail Mary already knowing that a film adaptation would likely be only a matter of time.
In this science fiction story, the focus this time was more on the fiction, though Weir couldn’t resist once again shedding light on every detail of the experiments in the book—with a touch of humor, of course. Once again, a bestseller was born, and with the film adaptation now hitting theaters, the wave of success continues to grow: “Project Hail Mary” isn’t just better than the novel it’s based on—the adaptation starring Ryan Gosling even surpasses “The Martian” and is already a genre masterpiece the likes of which we haven’t seen in years.
Ryland Grace wakes up alone and confused inside a spaceship. The other crew members? Dead. The mission? Unknown. Only gradually does Grace begin to recall the events on Earth that make this flight into the unknown so crucial for survival. But can one man, all alone, save the entire world? That is essentially the premise of “Project Hail Mary.” The film’s trailer already reveals significantly more, and even with prior knowledge, the story still works wonderfully; yet ideally, one begins this journey just like Ryland Grace himself: unaware and curious.
“Project Hail Mary” constantly jumps back and forth between the present in the spaceship and the past on Earth, so this is not purely an interstellar chamber drama. Nevertheless, the film places all its trust in Ryan Gosling; he alone must carry the plot on his shoulders for long stretches—and he does so with ease. Gosling, who initially made a name for himself in smaller dramas early in his career, has repeatedly demonstrated his comedic talent in recent years. This works to his advantage in Project Hail Mary, as audiences have no trouble quickly warming to Ryland Grace, a humorous and likable character.
Gosling also has surprisingly good chemistry with Sandra Hüller, who brings the rather thankless role of the humorless German mission leader on Earth to life and gets her own memorable moment with her rendition of Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.”
While “Project Hail Mary” shares the humorous tone and the “Science is cool!” core message with “The Martian,” the latest Weir adaptation goes a step further and offers a visually stunning sci-fi spectacle, especially in the second half of the film. While never straying too far from the film’s positive underlying mood, it uses a few suspenseful and dramatic moments to create a very well-rounded and emotional overall experience.
The result is a genuine crowd-pleaser of the highest order, a major summer blockbuster—only it’s in March.