A Book A Week

Before I dive into just how much I enjoyed the film adaptation of Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir’s novel, I have a bit of a confession. I didn’t love the book. Sure, it was entertaining—a fast-paced, inventive spin on a buddy story—but I found parts of it stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit too far. I had fun with it, but it didn’t land anywhere near my favorite reads of the year.

That said, late last year, some coworkers started a buddy read of the novel in anticipation of the film, and they absolutely loved it. Experiencing their enthusiasm made me reconsider my own take. So earlier this week, I made my way back to the theater—something I admittedly don’t do as often these days—and gave the story another shot on the big screen. From the moment Daniel Pemberton’s score swelled over ethereal, pulsing visuals, I was pulled into this world in a way I never quite was with the book.

We first meet Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace as he emerges from a plastic cocoon, disheveled and disoriented, hooked up to wires and monitors. We know as little as he does. Who is he? Where is he? As he stumbles through the spacecraft, searching for answers, he discovers two other pods—both occupants dead. When he finally looks out a window and sees the endless black of space, the truth hits. He’s alone and adrift among the stars.

Like the novel, the film intercuts this mystery with flashbacks, slowly revealing Grace’s past as a scientist-turned-middle-school teacher whose once-dismissed research may hold the key to saving Earth. A mysterious organism is consuming the sun, and humanity is running out of time. Grace, against all odds, may be the one person who can stop it.

One of the film’s most surprising choices is how openly it embraces one of the book’s biggest twists: Grace’s encounter with an alien lifeform. Rather than treating it as a reveal, the film leans into the relationship that develops. Co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring the character of Rocky to life through the work of James Ortiz, who creates, performs, and voices the rock-like alien. What unfolds between Gosling and Ortiz is unexpectedly moving—a story of two beings from different worlds, united by a shared mission and an even deeper need for connection.

The result is a film that balances action, humor, suspense, and genuine heart. I found myself fully invested this time around, riding every emotional high and low as the story built toward a conclusion that feels both optimistic and earned. It’s rare for an adaptation to elevate its source material in this way, but for me, Project Hail Mary did exactly that. It's a must-see film that transformed a story I merely liked into one I truly loved.