On a random Sunday night in March, in an act of spontaneous boredom, I decided to go see Project Hail Mary without knowing much about it at all. I went in expecting to be entertained for a few hours, leave, and continue on with my life. Instead, here I am a month later, halfway through the book, a folder full of saves on TikTok, and painstakingly recreating Project Hail Mary characters in Tomodachi Life. (Plus my roommate making fun of me by recreating the book for my mii in the game).
The movie has grown a fast following and continues to do well in its theatrical run. Part of me wants to say this is truly because the movie is just that good, which it is, but I can’t help shake the feeling that the widespread success and quick latching on of by fans is in part due to the current quality of box office movies being released lately. Modern Hollywood in the past few years has been overrun by cash grab sequels, repackaged stories and characters, and all-around poor writing. Project Hail Mary has received such a following because of its good characters, excellent storytelling of a new story, and all-around high-quality production — all things people are feeling a lack of.
What Project Hail Mary has proven is that people are willing to invest time and money into something that is truly good and engaging. This is a lesson that big production houses should take to heart. Lately, there seems to be an air of demanding support for films before they are proven and trying to pander to all audiences simultaneously. This leaves movies falling flat because they have little meaning, and movie-goers are less and less likely to spend money on seeing things in theaters.
As Ryan Gosling said while doing press for the movie, “It is not your job to keep theaters open, it is [movie-makers] job to make things that make it worth it to keep coming out.” He stands behind these words with his work on Project Hail Mary. From its fantastic character development, to its great writing and storytelling, to its gorgeous cinematography and music, it sets a new standard for what filmmakers should be aiming for in their own work. Not only that, but it does all of these while remaining faithful to the book.
Outside of its high quality, it also shares a message of continual importance for us, and that is what we can achieve when humanity works together. Through the ups and downs, every character is working to save humanity (and others!) as a whole in the face of extinction through whatever means they are able to, and no matter the cost. It is not always easy, and sometimes drastic and hard actions have to be taken in times of desperation, but when we are willing to risk everything and do the best we can — the risk is well worth it.
Filmmaking, and media as a whole, has always been about taking a risk and seeing what pays off. In a media landscape where most want to play it safe and expect viewers to watch anyway, Project Hail Mary takes that leap- and it is a risk that paid off well. Grace and Rocky save the stars, Project Hail Mary saves the best of film.
