Project Hail Mary (2026) review

The opening starts with disorienting shots that immediately place me in Grace’s confused state being lost and alone. I like how the film makes me feel lost at first, then slowly feeds information until everything becomes clear. The objective and the risks are established early on, so I always know what is at stake. That clarity helps keep the story focused even when it dives into a lot of scientific concepts. The earlier parts reminded me of Arrival because of the communication aspect. Learning how to understand and connect with Rocky feels similar to how language was explored in that film. But here it is handled in a lighter and more playful way. The relationship between Grace and Rocky is honestly funny and endearing. Their interactions carry a lot of the charm of the movie. Despite all the science, their dynamic makes everything feel human. There are a lot of scientific jargons thrown around, but it never fully lost me. It leans heavily into that science nerd energy. The VFX for Rocky are really nice. He actually looks like a real rock based life form. The texture, movement, and presence feel believable. The visuals also carry that signature Greig Fraser look. Cinematically grounded even in space. I think I would have rated this higher if the runtime was shorter. It starts to feel a bit stretched in some parts. Overall it feels like a science nerd feel good movie rather than something as heavy and emotional as Interstellar.