Critics hail ‘Project Hail Mary’ as a masterpiece after early screenings

Ryan Gosling’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ Draws Rave Early Reactions From Critics

Ryan Gosling’s next big-screen vehicle is generating considerable pre-release heat. Critics and industry insiders who attended early screenings of Project Hail Mary posted their first reactions on Tuesday, delivering what appears to be a near-unanimous wave of praise for the sci-fi adaptation. Multiple reviewers called the film a “masterpiece” and “the first great blockbuster of 2026,” with particular attention paid to Gosling’s lead performance, the emotional storytelling, and Greig Fraser’s cinematography.variety

The film, produced by Amazon MGM Studios and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is based on Andy Weir’s bestselling 2021 novel and follows Ryland Grace, a schoolteacher-turned-astronaut who wakes up alone on a spacecraft with no memory of his identity or mission, only to learn he is humanity’s last hope against a catastrophic solar dimming event.aboutamazon

‘We Need This Movie Right Now’

The social media embargo lifted on February 25, bringing a flood of reactions on X. Drew Taylor of The Wrap called the film “profound and profoundly moving, an absolute masterpiece of hope and humanity,” adding, “As cheesy as it is to say ‘we need this movie right now,’ well, we do.” Variety’s Jazz Tangcay described it as “masterful and so beautifully done,” praising what she called “a career best” from Gosling and “exquisite” cinematography by Fraser, the Oscar-winning director of photography behind Dune.sffgazette

Entertainment journalist Scott Menzel called the film “an epic cinematic achievement,” writing that Lord and Miller “raise the bar once again, delivering what is not only their most ambitious film to date, but arguably their most accomplished.” The film’s depiction of Rocky, a spider-like alien portrayed through puppetry by stage performer James Ortiz, drew particular enthusiasm. Critic Tessa Smith wrote that she “fell in love with Rocky,” while Adriano Caporusso described the central relationship as a “‘Short Circuit’ bromance” taken “to an hysterical extreme.”slashfilm

Some Reservations Amid the Praise

Not every reaction was unqualified. Globe and Mail film writer Barry Hertz noted pacing concerns, citing “too many endings” and a “crucial plot point” that he felt was dropped. Still, even Hertz acknowledged the film could not be dimmed by Gosling’s “galaxy-sized charms,” comparing it to “Interstellar minus the extras.”cinemablend

The screenplay is by Drew Goddard, who previously adapted Weir’s The Martian for Ridley Scott. The cast also includes Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub, with Daniel Pemberton composing the score. Earlier private screenings for Hollywood figures had already begun building anticipation, with director Edgar Wright and actor Josh Gad among those expressing admiration. Gad called the film “the first masterpiece of 2026,” describing it as “part 2001, part E.T., and a touch of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.”wikipedia

Project Hail Mary opens in theaters and IMAX on March 20, with Amazon Prime members able to attend early screenings on March 16.aboutamazon