Starring Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, and Lionel Boyce

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Sony, out now

Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) has no idea who he is or why he’s on a spaceship travelling at near the speed of light out of the solar system. He’s about to find out, and it’s not going to make his day any easier.

The breakout hit of the year sees Drew Goddard, beloved in these parts for Cloverfield, Cabin in the Woods, The Martian… basically his whole oeuvre, team up with equally impressive directorial duo Lord and Miller and one of Canada’s Top Ryans to bring Andy Weir’s novel to the screen. And it’s an absolute home run.

I know it’s early days, but I’m not sure we’re going to get a more coherent, well-made, kind blockbuster than this in 2026. From the opening to the surprising ending, every beat of this movie works.

Goddard’s script is a key part of that. Having worked with Weir before on The Martian (also excellent) Goddard has an ear for what works and a willingness to cut what doesn’t. In his hands, Grace and his alien buddy Rocky (voiced brilliantly by James Ortiz) are intensely likable and relatable, never descending into the Bit Machine mines that so many people worried they would. The friendship between the two is genuine, sweet and very funny. Better still it never takes the easy way out. Both get pushed to the edge by their mission and in both cases, the easy ‘Hollywood’ moment is never taken. Each time, the movie finds emotional honesty in friendship, and love in two brilliant science nerds saving their worlds in the depths of space.

The direction is just as impressive. Lord and Miller have shot very little CGI here and it pays off constantly. The Hail Mary is a full-sized set that could be turned to simulate different orientations, while Blip-A, Rocky’s ship, is a cathedral of weird structures and graceful alien geometry. There are moments of impossible beauty here, always tinged with danger but also always with joy. Rocky and Grace are, literally, boldly going. They always find joy in that, as well as sadness and the weight of their work.

The cast knock it out of the park too. Gosling, on an absolute career tear right now, is incredible as Grace because he’s so honest and open. This is a man who looks like a Canadian god who is convincingly shlubby and unkempt, convincingly shy and self-deprecating. He’s very, very funny but again never at the expense of the movie. His emotional moments, when they hit, do so all the harder for that. As the conversation about positive male role models finally steers away from sociopathic influencers, Grace’s arrival is well-timed. Gosling’s gentle, honest, charming performance is going to make a lot of men feel seen, or aspire to be and that’s a good thing.

He’s not alone either. Ortiz is incredible both as part of the puppeteering team and Rocky’s voice. Enthusiastic, sincere, brave and entirely without filter, Rocky is an alien spider by way of the best room mate ever and every scene he has is fun. The entire cast are this good, with Lionel Boyce a real standout as Carl, Grace’s on-Earth handler and a gloriously laconic presence. But Sandra Hüller must join Gosling as being in the awards race for next year. As Eva Sratt, the head of the project, she’s guarded and curt and desperate and vulnerable, often at the same time. Her friendship with Grace is the friendship of two outsiders, doing their best in an impossible situation. She and Rocky would get on too I think.

Verdict: Heartfelt, funny, wickedly clever and beautiful. Project Hail Mary is 2 hours 36 and feels like 90 minutes. The best big movie of the year so far is here. Go see it. Amaze amaze amaze. 10/10

Alasdair Stuart