“Project Hail Mary” is a recently released feature film. This science fiction movie starring Ryan Gosling has become Amazon MGM’s highest grossing film yet.
The film is based upon a novel written by Andy Weir. The film reflects the messages of the novel, creating something that many audiences walk away from with a renewed lens on earth.
The main character, Dr. Ryland Grace, is tasked with the mission to save humanity despite only having experience as a scientist and teacher.
In this timeline, the sun is dying which has incited panic within the astronauts and physicists as they push Grace to help solve the issue. The feeling of confusion and fear has resonated with a lot of people as global conflicts rise.
More than that, this movie introduced a new perspective of alien life and the power of humanity. In many science fiction movies, humans are pictured as destructive and conquering creatures. In movies like “Avatar” and “Mickey 17”, the majority of mankind is seen as an enemy who sees foreign space life as a force to be colonized and possibly destroyed.
In “Project Hail Mary”, Grace does not hold the expected mentality of many science fiction protagonists. This represents an interesting shift in society’s perception. Rather than having a craving for land or resources, humanity uses the highest knowledge we have access to in an attempt to save earth from its death.
Grace does not go through a personal evolution where he sees space life as something to be destroyed. Rather, his growth revolves around finding the courage within himself to complete his mission.
When Grace is face to face with Rocky, there is never an aggressive defense from Grace himself. Not a moment in this film does the audience feel an impending violence towards Rocky, which may have been much more considered years prior to this film’s release.
As coined in social media, we have seen the rise of “hope-core” in films where themes of optimism and positivity shine through. An earlier release, “Superman” (2025) had a similar impact where audiences felt that it encouraged them to think of the beauty of life without diminishing the issues that they are possibly facing.
There is something magical about witnessing society’s shifting perspective through art and media. In “Project Hail Mary”, the audience can see the changing view of what it means to be human and the ways we may interact with what is unknown to us. It highlights more the internal struggles we must conquer before we may reach our highest level of personal exploration, and in turn, the global intellectual understanding.
