Ryland Grace wakes up alone in space, humanity’s only hope against a star-eating parasite. He doesn’t remember why he’s there or what he’s supposed to be doing. The crew is dead and he has no idea how to get back home.
If you missed the chance to see Project Hail Mary on the big screen this spring, you finally have the perfect opportunity to catch up. Following a massive theatrical run that saw it gross over $680 million globally, the Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-directed adaptation of the Andy Weir novel is finally available to stream on Prime Video as of today, July 3.
The Best New Sci-Fi Addition To Your Weekend Watchhlist
Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling as science teacher, Ryland Grace, who finds himself alone in space with some very big questions to solve: Why is he here – and where is “here” in the first place? – and what is his mission? Perhaps just as importantly, how can he get back home?
Ryland discovers some of this pretty early on, though the film saves the biggest revelations for last. His mission is to discover how to stop the “astrophage,” a strange celestial parasite that devours stars, leaving entire systems sun-less. The astrophage is currently devouring our planet’s sun, which will soon lead to massive and rapid global cooling and a new ice age, leading to the death of billions and quite possibly the extinction of the human species (and most other species as well).
Alone, Ryland begins piecing together his memories and trying to discover as much as he can about this distant star system – but he’s not alone for long. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it beyond the premise. It’s worth being surprised by the film’s twists and turns.
What I enjoyed most about Project Hail Mary was the film’s ability to tackle an “impossible cosmic puzzle” storyline with heart and cleverness. I expected this to be a very science-forward film, and it is in many ways, but it leans just as heavily into its heartfelt moments. It’s often hilarious, too, and Gosling truly shines in the lead role. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll almost certainly be on the edge of your seat.
In my review of Project Hail Mary, I called the film “delightful” and noted that “we all need these kind of movies right now, the world being what it is. Movies about what we can achieve when working together when we set aside our differences and embrace our common ground. Movies about the power of science and curiosity and the ambition of big ideas. The world is very bleak at the moment, and we have become cynical and jaded, succumbing to tribalism and rancor.”
In an era practically defined by superhero movies, it’s always nice to be surprised by something that’s completely different and totally unexpected. Sometimes that’s a great horror movie, like Weapons. Sometimes you get an action-adventure movie like the criminally underrated Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, or the excellent new Masters of the Universe that blast out of left field and become instant favorites. Sometimes it’s a surprisingly faithful adaptation of a popular sci-fi novel.
Project Hail Mary is available to stream now on Prime Video, though this is not its first time on streaming. It landed on MGM+ earlier this year and is also available on VOD and will release on 4K Blu-ray on August 11. I suspect this will be a very nice addition to your physical media collection if you’re so inclined.