Project Hail Mary (2026), a Ripe watch

Ryan Gosling shines in every frame of Project Hail Mary. The film pulls you in from the very first scene and does not let go. The visuals are breathtaking, the scale is grand, and the story carries genuine weight. My only wish is that it gave us a little more emotional depth along the way. Mangoidiots rates it a Ripe.

The story follows a solo astronaut in deep space, fighting for survival against impossible odds. If that sounds familiar, it should. Andy Weir, who wrote the source novel, also wrote The Martian. But Project Hail Mary raises the stakes considerably. Here, it is not just one man’s life on the line. The future of all humanity hangs in the balance. That sense of impending doom lands hard from the very beginning and keeps you firmly invested throughout.

The protagonist, Ryland Grace, wakes up aboard a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or how he got there. His past comes back to him gradually, in fragments. It is an effective storytelling device, but it overstays its welcome. After a point, the slow reveal starts to feel repetitive rather than suspenseful. Holding back the mystery a little longer might have served the tension better. And knowing the real person behind Grace earlier could have helped us connect with him more deeply.

Spoiler Alert.

The central threat, a predatory life form feeding on our sun and other stars, is a genuinely fascinating idea. I wish the film had done more with it. There was so much potential in that concept that felt only partially explored.

Where the film does take a firm stand is in how it presents its alien. Rather than keeping things deliberately ambiguous, the story commits to a clear, definite portrayal. That choice works well. Seeing an actual alien, learning to communicate with it, and finding a way to work together is not something we get to see often on the big screen, outside of Star Trek territory. It was a welcome change.

And then there is Rocky. The alien character is the best thing in the film, full stop. Rocky is conceived as genuinely friendly, with no gimmicky horror moments, no hidden treachery, and no cheap twist. That restraint is exactly right. Rocky ends up being the heart of the movie, and every scene with him is a joy to watch.