The film Project Hail Mary follows middle school science teacher and molecular biologist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) in his efforts to combat an alien life form known as astrophage that is stealing energy from the sun and causing it to slowly die.
The film, adapted from the novel by Andy Weir, jumps between timelines, showing both the discovery and research phase of the problem, as well as Ryland’s time in outer space seeking a way to get rid of the harmful astrophage.
Part of what makes this movie such a spectacularly immersive experience is that there were no green screens or blue screens in the filmmaking, and there was a very limited amount of CGI used. This is unexpected for a movie that spends the vast majority of its run time set on a spaceship in outer space.
The Hail Mary ship used in filming was real and finely detailed, with attentive set design. When Ryland goes on extra-vehicular missions, Gosling is shot in front of a black background to simulate space and a shifting hue background to simulate planets.
Shots of ship exteriors and space horizons were done through CGI; however, Ryland’s companion, Rocky, a five-limbed boulder-like alien, shockingly is not.
Rocky is portrayed using a practical puppet operated by five people. Using 3D printed components, a fiberglass shell, and detailed paint work, robot designer Neal Scanlon created a realistic creature that was then brought to life by Rocky’s voice actor and primary puppeteer, James Ortiz.
Ortiz makes a viable scene partner for Gosling to interact with – out of an expressionless puppet – through intense body language that is able to clearly portray the character’s emotions even without a face or human voice to display them on.
All of these practical design choices, rather than going with convenient computer-generated effects, are exactly what brings the whole story to life and gives it a sense of immersion that makes the film so compelling and keeps viewers hooked.
While the film portrayal ultimately does an impressive job of putting the novel to screen, it does leave a few small plot holes regarding the function of the various alien life forms that are fully explained in the book. These include how Rocky is able to understand Ryland without a translator, while Ryland needs one to understand Rocky.
The film is beautifully done and viewers do not need to have read the novel to enjoy its epic journey. But fans who have read the book prior will likely appreciate the movie more and have fewer questions walking out of it.
Overall, Project Hail Mary is a very impressive film and a worthwhile watch, earning its place as one of the greatest movie releases of 2026 so far.
