Project Hail Mary (12, 156 minutes) delivers a sprawling sci-fi adventure starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher thrust into a desperate mission to avert humanity’s extinction. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film adapts Andy Weir’s 2021 novel, with Weir co-writing the screenplay alongside Drew Goddard.
Plot and Performance
Ryland awakens from a year-long induced coma aboard the starship Hail Mary, disoriented in zero gravity and piecing together his plight through flashbacks. Tasked with reaching Tau Ceti—11.9 billion light years away—the lone survivor investigates why this star resists deadly microbes dimming the sun and others, threatening Earth’s habitability.
Recruited by stern bureaucrat Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller), Ryland’s background as a brilliant molecular biologist makes him ideal, despite his lack of family ties. Stratt notes bluntly, ‘You don’t even have a dog.’ His original crewmates perished en route, leaving him to grapple with a one-way journey powered only for outbound travel.
The narrative shifts tones dramatically when Ryland encounters Rocky, a rock-like, spider-esque alien on a parallel quest to save its species. Their unlikely alliance sparks slapstick humor, transforming the serious sci-fi into an odd-couple comedy reminiscent of lighter space fare.
Verdict: Ambitious but Overextended
At over two and a half hours, the film outpaces Gosling’s prior space role in First Man (2018), a taut true-story drama. While Gosling remains captivating, the runtime feels interminable, unfolding in near real-time. Early screenings draw laughs and praise, positioning this reviewer as a potential outlier amid widespread enthusiasm.
Midwinter Break: Slow-Burn Emotional Depth
Midwinter Break (12, 90 minutes) offers a poignant character study. Lesley Manville portrays Stella, a devout Catholic scarred by injuries from Belfast’s Troubles, now emotionally confined in her marriage to retired architect Gerry (Ciaran Hinds), whose interests lean toward spirits in a bottle.
During a weekend in Amsterdam, Stella contemplates joining a sisterhood of women, signaling a potential break in their longstanding bond. Polly Findlay’s adaptation of Bernard MacLaverty’s novel impresses with exquisite acting and observation, though its deliberate pace borders on sluggish. A tight runtime sustains engagement throughout.
Also Showing
Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come (15, 108 minutes)
This gore-soaked sequel reunites Samara Weaving as Grace, evading hunters from Satan-worshipping elite families in a sprawling mansion. Cuffed initially to her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), Grace fights for survival until dawn, with global control at stake. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood (as a devilish referee), and David Cronenberg (cameo) amplify the chaotic frenzy. Riotous yet graphic male violence against women raises questions about its 15 rating.
Broken English (15, 99 minutes)
A compelling documentary chronicles Marianne Faithfull’s turbulent life. Footage of her 1960s prime with the Rolling Stones contrasts her current frailty, oxygen-dependent yet radiating charisma and spirit.
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