Project Hail Mary (2025)
I'm normally more of a science-fantasy lover rather than Star Trekkian science fiction but Project Hail Mary has clearly been an exception to the rule since the second I hit play on the audiobook. I've really become aware of how important the right narrator for an audiobook can be and Ray Porter is an absolute star in this respect. It is such a compelling mystery and the layers to it are incredible - with both the mystery of how Grace got on the ship and the slowly increasing levels of discovery to be had with his journey in space.
I really do enjoy walking my dog, but I won't lie and say that I am sometimes a bit tired or reluctant to go out when it's cold and windy (or too hot). A sign that I'm into an audiobook is when I drag that beagle out rain or shine so I can make some more progress. I've listened to Project Hail Mary 3 times now and every time I have found tears in my eyes while walking down that river.
One of the things that immediately worried me about the trailer for the movie was that it kind of ruins the surprise. I genuinely didn't know anything going in and I felt that added an element of almost horror to proceedings. If you haven't seen a trailer or been exposed to much about this property, just dive in blind. It really adds to the experience overall.
It's always difficult when a book you love gets a big Hollywood adaptation. There are loads of great adaptations, but it ultimately is really difficult to capture the full breadth of a story in 2 hours. For context, PHM as an audiobook is 16 hours long. It's very comprehensive in its telling so it was clear from the outset some things will be missed or condensed.
I am delighted to say that it is still a fantastic adaptation. Ryan pushed for the movie to be made himself and the love for the source material is really evident. A lot of what is lost is the bigger picture aspect of Earths survival - no bombs are dropped in Antarctica, no solar farms are created in the Sahara. It's clear that these were left behind because they require a lot of exposition and likely very costly CGI-heavy scenes.
The focus instead is on Grace himself and his relationship with characters both from the book and new additions who combine several other characters. It works largely because Gosling himself is very charming and it likely allowed for more of the budget to be spent elsewhere. I do think it lowers the stakes or, at least, our recognition of the stakes but hopefully the movie can act as a gateway to the book and they will work as companion pieces together if you crave that extra context.
I got to see the film on the IMAX-equivalent here in Ireland, so the screen was massive. It was really the first time in a while that I felt I was experiencing event cinema. It was big, colourful and brave. The cinematography really stands out here with a plethora of interesting shots throughout the film. The use of grayscale, rotating cameras mimicking both the lack of gravity in space and the upturning of Graces world and the removal of the infrared lens to make a practical shot of the Petrova line really stood out. It's also a fantastic example of the blending of practical and digital effects. It all felt like a genuine space, and they make selling Rocky as a living character in our world look effortless.
I saw a fantastic analysis of the type of story that Project Hail Mary provides. Grace does have a streak of luck that might defy logic at times. It's an uplifting movie about self-sacrifice and people coming together for the good of humanity. The analysis discussed how this type of story often becomes more popular in the mainstream when the world itself isn't in a very hopeful place. It's unfortunate that that's the case but I absolutely see that as an interesting additional context added to the huge surge of popularity this book (and cozy fiction) has had in recent years.
It's not perfect and it definitely will play better for fans of the book, but Project Hail Mary is just a fantastic adventure. It really stands out and is the first film in a long time to really wow me visually. I'm finishing this up while Spider-man is on the cusp of release and there is nothing but talk of Doomsday in December but, at the same time, the big movie right now is the Odyssey and Sinners has been a huge streaming hit all year. It's very cool to see that big budget, non-franchise movies can still pierce the social zeitgeist - make good stuff and people will flock to it!
