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Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary

Believe in the Hail Mary.

2026156 minPG-13Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Directors
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Starring
Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce

Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Project Hail Mary?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Project Hail Mary streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video and Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Project Hail Mary?

Project Hail Mary earns 11 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Universally Loved.

Show 3 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Project Hail Mary worth watching?

Project Hail Mary's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 4.9M ratings across 6 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

84 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Adventure97th percentile among 2020s

Critics 77 · Audience 85

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

92% liked it

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Adventure98th percentile among 2020s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Critics 95% · Audience 95%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 8 wins / 10 noms overall

99th percentile

4.9M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 451% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$200M
Opening weekend$81M
Domestic gross$344M
Worldwide gross$684M

Returned 3.4× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a warm, crowd-pleasing buddy comedy in space that prioritizes charm and sentiment over hard science.

Fans praised

  • Ryan Gosling's performance balances vulnerability, humor, and charisma
  • Rocky is a lovable, emotionally compelling alien character brought to life via practical effects
  • Stunning cinematography and immersive space visuals designed for IMAX

Detractors panned

  • Overly juvenile, Disneyfied tone undercuts the sci-fi stakes
  • Science is dumbed down or ignored, full of logical absurdities
  • Overlong runtime with repetitive problem-solving and forced humor

What stands out

Cinematography90

Stunning IMAX space visuals, practical sets, and Greig Fraser's masterful compositions

ActingDivisive85

Gosling's vulnerable, charismatic performance carries the solo-heavy role; detractors find him miscast and unserious

Effects and spectacleDivisive85

Practical effects for Rocky and ship interiors praised; some CGI moments criticized as cartoonish

CharactersDivisive82

Rocky is adored as a lovable, emotionally resonant alien; detractors see him as a cute gimmick

Emotional impactDivisive78

Grace-Rocky bond deeply moving for fans; detractors find sentiment unearned

Plot and storyDivisive55

Simple save-the-world premise; praised for emotional journey, panned for contrivances and logical gaps

HumorDivisive55

Quirky buddy-comedy banter lands for fans; detractors call it cringey and overdone

PacingDivisive40

Rushed setup, slow middle act, and repetitive problem-solving drag the runtime

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Project Hail Mary like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
HopefulTenseJoyfulContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmAdventurous · 11% of filmsTender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its sci-fi premise and central friendship straight, with a warm, earnest, and adventurous register; humor comes from character and situation rather than ironic distance, and the emotional stakes are sincere throughout.
The rideThe film maintains a steady mix of tension (from the astrophage crisis) and hopeful warmth (from Grace and Rocky's bond), with the heaviest emotional weight spread evenly across the runtime.
StructureThe present-day story aboard the Hail Mary is intercut with flashbacks that gradually reveal Grace's past and the mission's origin, creating a nonlinear structure within a three-act arc. The flashback frame is central to the storytelling.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweetFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, uplifting feeling centered on the friendship and selfless sacrifice, mixed with a bittersweet ache over what Grace gives up and the loss he endures along the way.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows Ryland Grace on a one-way mission to a distant star to save Earth from an energy-draining alien organism, with the plot driven by his scientific investigation and the unexpected friendship that develops. It fits a quest mission archetype, though the emotional core is the cross-species bond rather than a conventional action quest.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsSurvivalPurpose · 9% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the cross-species friendship between Grace and Rocky as they work together to save their respective stars, emphasizing how connection gives life meaning even in the face of extinction.
StanceThe film celebrates friendship and hope as the forces that overcome extinction-level threats, with Grace's bond with Rocky framed as the true success of the mission.

The world

ContemporaryIn transitDomesticScience fiction
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Daniel Pemberton
Settingan interstellar spacecraft and flashbacks to Earth's research facilities
MusicThe score underscores both the vastness of space and the intimacy of the bond between Grace and Rocky.

Content guide

Is Project Hail Mary okay for kids?

PG-13

Project Hail Mary is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some thematic material and suggestive references” (MPAA). As of October 5, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (31/100), sexual content at minimal (6/100), language at minimal (11/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (32/100) and frightening material at moderate (52/100). Overall it is heavier than 20% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 45 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Argentina+13
  • Austria10
  • Belgium12
  • BGC
  • CLTE+7
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceK12
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary12
  • ID13+
  • IndiaU/A 13+
  • IsraelAll
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • MOB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • PRPG-13
  • RO12
  • SingaporePG
  • SK12
  • South Africa13
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
  • Taiwan6+
  • TH13
  • Türkiye13A
  • UA12+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 17% of all filmsHeavier than 20% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 26%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 4%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 4%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 51%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 59%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 59% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Project Hail Mary have?

MovieCove's classifier found 3 depicted content warnings in Project Hail Mary: Kidnapping or confinement (moderate), Medical procedures (moderate), plus 1 withheld here because it would spoil the plot. 2 more are mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory: Suicide, plus 1 behind the spoiler gate. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateKidnapping or confinementMedical procedures
MentionedSuicide

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Project Hail Mary?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Ryan Gosling
as Ryland Grace
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sandra Hüller
as Eva Stratt
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
James Ortiz
as Rocky
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Lionel Boyce
as Carl
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Milana Vayntrub
as Olesya Ilyukhina
Best so far: Their highest-reaching film role to date — the title is too recent to say more.
Ken Leung
as Yao
Best so far: Their highest-reaching film role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Priya Kansara
as Mary
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Mia Soteriou
as Dr. Browne
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Annelle Olaleye
as Olivia
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Maya Eva Hosein
as Rekha
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Project Hail Mary?

Movies like Project Hail Mary include The Martian (2015), Mission to Mars (2000) and First Man (2018). Of the 12 closest matches, half are mission stories, and half are stories about astronauts.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: outer space. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Project Hail Mary?

149 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: space exploration. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.