I love science fiction, really I do. And like most book lovers when a movie adaptation of a book I love is announced I’m always a little…hesitant. I read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir earlier this year and LOVED it. It was nerdy, technical, but carried the same emotional warmth Andy is known for in his book (and its film), The Martian. There’s always an element of human-ness amongst the data readings he does so well.

It wasn’t until after I’d finished it that I learnt a film adaptation was coming. My key concern: Ryan Gosling as the lead character, Ryland Grace.

I have really enjoyed some of Ryan Gosling’s work. Bladerunner 2049, La La Land, The Big Short, The Notebook, Barbie, to name a few. But did he feel like the right fit for Ryland Grace, the lead character in Project Hail Mary? Not to me.

Grace is a scrappy, socially awkward, smart scientist. He’s clumsy, made a lot of professional errors and to be honest, a little washed up as a scientist. I expected someone nerdy, certainly not Hollywood pretty, and a little off-key. Gosling didn’t feel like that guy.

But I was thankfully corrected.

Did he still carry a little pretty Hollywood edge? Yes, I don’t think he’ll ever be able to shake that. But was I impressed by his take on Grace? Yeah, I have to admit I was.

To add to this, I learned that he was brought into production before the novel was even published. Pre-production began back in 2020 and the novel wasn’t published until 2021. This speaks to Gosling’s focus and the fact he valued Weir’s work enough to invest in it back then, carrying it through the last five years to the film we’ve all enjoyed. The production team brought the same scriptwriter from The Martian on board, carrying that consistency of writing through the project. I have to admit I love that level of dedication and focus.

My favourite part about the film was the way it made you feel. Anyone who’s read the book will remember just how technical some of the chapters were, and Weir himself is such a nerd with the science that he had all kinds of spreadsheets detailing specific data and readings that needed to remain accurate and consistent throughout the story. That is one part that makes it feel real. But he also nails the feeling of Grace, abandoned in space, likely never going home, who meets and makes an unlikely friend. The lifting of burdens between Grace and Rocky is extraordinarily human and hits you in the feels in a way that helps you navigate the technical details. The film managed to hit this emotional note in a way I wasn’t prepared for, whilst also maintaining as much of the technical details a wider audience could handle. It was expertly done, in my opinion.

But what did you think? This is just my opinion, let me know your own thoughts 😊

Have a good week!

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