Anticipation has been high for the arrival of Amazon MGM’s big-budget space movie Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling.
The Phil Lord- and Christopher Miller-directed space adventure, which is eyeing a $50 million-plus box office opening off an estimated $150M+ production budget, sees Gosling’s school teacher Ryland Grace wake up alone on a spaceship light-years from Earth. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing the sun, and save Earth. An unexpected friendship may be the key to this. Sandra Hüller is among supporting cast.
The reviews are coming in and it’s fair to say that the early read on the movie is that it’s a critical hit. The film, which opens March 20, currently has a 94% score from 70+ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Deadline’s Pete Hammond said: “A movie made for Imax, Project Hail Mary is mission accomplished; an entertaining and engaging piece of science fiction that suggests even though we may be worlds apart, in order to save us from ourselves we must band together now more than ever.”
Empire gave the film 4/5 stars, calling it “a very watchable old-school blockbuster crowd-pleaser. Ryan Gosling and an alien made of rocks are the best space-based double-act since R2-D2 and C3-PO.”
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USA Today called the film “the first great movie of 2026”: “The science is accessible and Ryan Gosling is a superb everyman in the excellent space adventure.”
The BBC’s Nicholas Barber gives the film 4/5 stars, noting its 2 1/2-hour length but says despite that “it manages to be zippily entertaining throughout.”
Indiewire also highly approves, writing that “Ryan Gosling goes full ‘Martian,’ and thank the heavens for that … in this enormously entertaining and genuinely inspiring adaptation of Andy Weir’s other smash hit novel set in space.”
Robbie Collin in The Telegraph also gives it 4/5 stars, trumpeting it as “great fun … with flashy practical effects and a heart-warming story, Project Hail Mary is like a medley of all your favourite sci-fi films.”
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Gizmodo was also a fan, noting “it’s got laughs, it’s got stakes, it’s got emotions, it’s got it all. And all of it is viewed through stunning visuals on every level.”
The Irish Times called it a “sentimental treat,” while the Times of London described Gosling’s charisma as “out of this world.”
The Independent also gives the film 4/5 stars: “This Ryan Gosling vehicle is immensely likeable and technically impressive, even if it has the whiff of top-shelf nostalgia.”
The Guardian gave the film 3/5 stars, saying “Ryan Gosling’s charm carries an unserious last-ditch space mission,” calling the film “a bit silly, but Gosling’s charisma keeps it watchable.”
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