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Ryan Gosling Soars in “Project Hail Mary” as Critics Praise a Big‑Hearted Space Epic

By The Credits  |  March 10, 2026

Ryan Gosling has been to space before, in Damien Chazelle’s magisterial 2018 film First Man, and now he’s back in a different kind of space epic from Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Project Hail Mary, based on the novel by Andy Weir (whose previous novel became Ridley Scott’s The Martian) and adapted by Drew Goddard, finds Gosling playing science teacher Ryland Grace, a man tasked with saving the Earth by sorting out a mysterious substance that’s killing the sun. During his mission, Ryland discovers he’s not alone in his attempt—another interstellar traveler is trying to save his world—it just happens to be an entirely different planet, and he is of an entirely different species.

Gosling’s Ryland begins an interstellar friendship with the alien, whom he names Rocky (as he looks like he’s made of them), and it’s clear Lord and Miller have aimed for the type of big-tent, feel-good epic that legends like Steven Spielberg made his name on. And the great thing is, the critics seem to agree that they’ve succeeded.

Gosling and Rocky aren’t alone; the great Sandra Hüller, Oscar-nominated for Best Actress for her scorching performance in Anatomy of a Fall in 2023, also starred in that year’s The Zone of Interest, both of which were nominated for Best Picture, as well as Ken Leung, Lionel Boyce, and Milana Vayntrub. 

“Even with intimate knowledge of the book, Lord and Miller’s imagining will have you holding your breath, shedding tears, and sighing with relief,” writes Billie Melissa at Newsweek.

“To write more about the pleasures and pains of Project Hail Mary would be a disservice to what’s most entertaining and satisfying about the film: watching it unfold, enjoying the process, accepting the mission, asking the big questions,” writes Katie Erbland at IndieWire.

“It’s no miracle that the film lands its central relationship, but it is impressive that it feels personal despite its grand sci-fi scope,” says AV Club.

Let’s have a look at what some other folks are saying. Project Hail Mary hits theaters on March 20.

Featured image: Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary. Courtesy Amazon MGM Studios.

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The Credits

The Credits is the Motion Picture Association's online platform that profiles below-the-line filmmakers and TV creators. Through in-depth interviews and coverage, we shine a spotlight on all the individuals who are indispensable to the entertainment industry and create the films and series we love.