Interstellar is my all-time favorite movie, so I was highly anticipating Project Hail Mary, the new sci-fi epic from Spider-Verse helmers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, based on the novel by Andy Weir. Sincere cosmic aesthetic is my jam. The trailer showcased striking visuals, large scale and a promising performance from Ryan Gosling. And while all of those things turned out to be positives that I enjoyed and admired about the film, what stuck with me most was the ineffectual tone that fumbled the merger of dire cosmic stakes with TV sitcom-level LOLs.
Screenwriter Drew Goddard, who appropriately also wrote the script for Andy Weir’s other “astronaut marooned” book-to-film adaptation, The Martian, loaded up his humor firehose and blasted the audience with cutesy jokes that simply did not mesh well with the “end of humanity” stakes. Did that accurately reflect the tone of the book? I don’t care, I didn’t read it. As a movie, it simply did not work for me and became increasingly irritating throughout.
For example, Ryan Gosling is an ostracized scientist that is tapped to advise the international organization of the best science minds to save the sun from dying (and Earth along with it). His engagement with this organization is unironically absurd. In one scene, he shows up to a meeting of these minds as the American bro savior and is immediately thrust into the spotlight as the thought leader because of his rogue theories. The rest of the countries are like: “please tell us what to do, exiled science teacher we just met!” It happens so fast, all while peppered with corny jokes, that it becomes impossible to take the rest of the serious aspects of the film, seriously. If you’re going to go the humor route, it has to strike the optimal tonal balance that results in feeling truly organic. And it doesn’t. It feels palpably forced. This grievance manifests itself in similar ways during the extra-terrestrial courtship, that I won’t spoil for those who don’t want to be.
On the flip side, the film has stunning visuals and production value. The cinematography, visual effects, practical space craft sets, are all impressive and well done. As is Gosling’s performance. He brings his usual levels of intelligence, wit and charm, all of which are engaging qualities to invest in as our protagonist trying to save the world. But all the characters and plot points surrounding him, constructed by dialogue that leaves so much to be desired, all do a story-telling disservice to the elite quality of the below-the-line craft.
I want my review to stand on its own and specific to the merits of this film, but I’ve got a broader cultural bone to pick. It’s hard not to acknowledge the discourse surrounding this film, which has been wildly over-the-top. In my quick reaction video from a couple weeks ago, I was attacked by folks because I had the gall to mildly express my disappointment. None of these people had seen it and couldn’t fathom that I didn’t levitate from my theater seat in awe from this film that they were told by first reactions was a “miraculous masterpiece.” Or dismissed my critiques entirely because I hadn’t read the book. For future reference, it is common, allowed, and logical for film critics to review film adaptations to books they haven’t read. This is the SCREEN Mash, after all. The discourse surrounding Project Hail Mary for reasonably dissenting voices online has been absolutely insufferable and after this I won’t be participating in it further.
In the end, for me, Project Hail Mary is an OK sci-fi film that has some impressive and admirable qualities, but one that I will never think about nor watch again.
