If you’re in the mood to giggle like an idiot, shed a few tears, become irrationally emotionally attached to a movie character and find yourself speechless from the beauty of outer space, run as fast as you can and get yourself a ticket to go see “Project Hail Mary.”
Based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, “Project Hail Mary” follows the epic and at times terrifying adventures of science teacher Ryland Grace when he awakes on a mysterious space ship with no recollection of who or where he is, and what he’s doing in outer space.
I went to see the film with my sister after having multiple friends and teachers beg me to watch it. As someone who doesn’t quite care for sci-fi media, I was reluctant to go watch the movie, but I’m really, really happy I did, because it was amazing.
Though I was initially skeptical, the plot, camerawork, cinematography and music of the film made me fall in love with it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget just how stunning this movie was. Visually, it was one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever seen. Watching all the different flashes of colors, the darkness of loneliness followed by the light of hope, on the IMAX screen was mesmerizing, to say the least. It was very easy to tell from the sheer size and scale that the creators of the movie put their hearts and souls into its production.
Aside from the gorgeous visuals, the camerawork really added to the atmosphere of the film. The constant rotating, tilting to one side with each heavy movement, turning upside down with the loss of gravity, surging forward then slowing down with every obstacle—all of it made it feel like I was in the spaceship with Ryland, holding on for dear life and trying not to float away. Each shifting frame created a new sense of excitement, and all of it would’ve been impossible without the talent of the crew, so all my applause goes to the.
The plot and writing of the film was, of course, fantastic. The movie jumps back and forth between the past and the present, giving the audience a direct glimpse of Ryland’s perspective by showcasing fragments of his past exactly as he remembers them. We see the film and follow the plot through his eyes alone, which worked to create a very personal and emotional connection between the character and the audience. Dire as the topic of “Project Hail Mary” may have been, the movie included a lot of dry, awkward comedy and misunderstood jokes in its dialogue, which I appreciated very much. The story—at times heartwarming, at times heartbreaking—coupled with the camerawork, cinematography and performance from all of the cast made the movie so much more special.
One thing I didn’t expect to be so captivated by was the music. I never really pay attention to the background music of any movie that I’m watching, but “Project Hail Mary” utilized the power of music in a way that I’d never experienced before. Each instrumental track reflected the essence of each scene. The bright sounds of choir to showcase hope, low hums and pulsating drumbeats to showcase fear and despair, complete silence to showcase the dire feeling of loss and loneliness—all of it came together to make every minute of the movie feel full of life.
All in all, I give “Project Hail Mary” a solid 9/10. If you’re into sci-fi adventure films, love cinematic and visually aesthetic films, appreciate light comedy and heartfelt character relationships, or just a really big fan of Ryan Gosling, this is the movie for you.
