Episode 38 — Project Hail Mary (2026) | Ryan Gosling, First Contact & Why Optimistic Sci-Fi Still Matters | Fork Rating

This week on Movies I Give a Fork About, AJ reviews PROJECT HAIL MARY starring Ryan Gosling — an ambitious, emotional, and visually spectacular science-fiction film from writer Drew Goddard and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

The movie follows a teacher-turned-scientist unexpectedly pulled into a mission tied to a global ecological crisis, unfolding through fragmented memories, isolation in space, and one of the most emotionally rewarding sci-fi journeys in years.

AJ discusses:

• Why the film’s emotional core works so well
• Sandra Hüller’s standout performance
• The storytelling fingerprints of Drew Goddard
• Comparisons to Arrival, Gravity, and 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Whether the slower first act ultimately pays off
• And why optimistic science fiction still matters

No spoilers — just thoughtful sci-fi discussion and a final fork rating.

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Is this movie actually worth your time?

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Movies I Give a Fork About, the podcast where we don't use stars, we use forks. Because not every movie deserves your time. And not every movie earns your emotion. But when one truly does, well, that's when you give a fork. I'm AJ, and today's movie is Project Hail Mary. So the last movie of my weekend theater marathon was Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hewler. And for me, this is exactly the kind of ambitious, thoughtful science fiction that I tend to gravitate towards. And the premise of this film is fascinating. Gosling does not play a traditional action hero astronaut. Instead, he plays a science teacher who is unexpectedly pulled into a mission connected to the very real ecological threat facing Earth. And the story unfolds through a combination of present-day events in space alongside flashbacks and fragmented memories that slowly reveal how humanity has arrived at this moment. And I will say this up front: this movie for me took its time getting there. But once it gets going, the payoff is totally fucking worth it. Visually, this movie is spectacular. The special effects are stunning without overwhelming the emotional core of the story, and there's scale here. Massive, cosmic imagery, isolation, wonder, and fear. But for me, the film never loses sight of the humanity underneath it all. And I think that balance is really difficult to pull off in science fiction. And Ryan Gosling, for me, is excellent here. He brings vulnerability, intelligence, humor, and emotional weight to a character who could have easily become too technical or emotionally distant or too dimensional. And he demonstrates that by understanding that his character works best when played with humility rather than ego. He never turns that role into that space hero swagger, which makes the emotional moments of the film land much more effectively. And I also need to mention Sandra Hewler here, who I absolutely love as a performer. Audiences will recognize her from Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. Both of her performances earned her Academy Award nominations in the same year. And her performance here is also wonderful. It's intelligent, it's grounded, it's emotionally precise. And for me, there's no surprise given her multiple Academy Award nomination projects in recent years. She's compelling without being overwhelming or in your face. And for me, she brings a layer of credibility and emotional depth that strengthens the film. I also immediately recognize writer Drew Goddard when his name appeared in the credits. As someone who both loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and the successful spin-off Angel, you can definitely feel some of his storytelling fingerprints here. For me, Goddard has always been very good at refusing to give audiences a simple, straightforward, okay, problem solved, happily ever after, narratives. Instead, his stories tend to constantly shift emotionally and structurally, and there's tension underneath his writing that keeps you engaged because outcomes never feel entirely guaranteed. And I do also think that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring an unexpected emotional warmth to the material. Even with all the scientific complexity, the film for me never gets feeling too cold or too clinical. Now, this is a spoiler-free review, so I won't ruin anything, but that unpredictability really works in the film's favor. I also feel this movie feels spiritually connected to several iconic science fiction films. There are shades of arrival, 2001 space, odyssey, gravity, and even classic first content storytelling throughout. But most importantly, it still feels like its own thing. There's a surprising, heartwarming emotional core beneath all the science and spectacle, and by the end, the movie becomes much more about connection, sacrifice, curiosity, and survival rather than simply saving the planet. And for me, I was pleasantly surprised by how emotional parts of this movie really became the strong undercurrent of the movie itself, underneath all the science and spectacle, is a story that's ultimately very human and very worthwhile telling. As I said, my biggest criticism is definitely the pacing in the first act. I get that the setup is intentionally methodical, but for me, it occasionally felt a little too slow getting to the larger emotional and narrative payoff. With a film runtime of two hours and 36 minutes, I do think obviously some of the groundwork could have been maybe laid out a little bit more efficiently. That said, once the emotional engine of the story fully clicks into place, the movie becomes incredibly engaging. And perhaps, maybe the slower opening may work better for viewers who really enjoy hard science fiction and the world-building element. So this is a thoughtful, emotionally intelligent science fiction film that trusts its audience. And it asks some really big questions about humanity, survival, loneliness, cooperation, and sacrifice, all while still delivering genuinely spectacular visuals and strong performances. And what I also appreciated in this movie that it chose optimism over cynicism. Even in the middle of enormous stakes and fear, the story still believes in intelligence, cooperation, curiosity, and human decency. And what I appreciated most is beneath all that science fiction scale, the film never loses sight of human emotion. And for me, that's what makes it memorable. And by the end of the movie, for me, the film became less about whether humanity deserves saving and more about whether connection itself is what gives survival meaning in the first place. And this is definitely a movie worth experiencing on the big screen. So my fork rating for Project Hail Mary is for forks. This is a visually spectacular and emotionally rewarding science fiction film that balances intellect, heart, humor, and wonder really, really well, proving that the best science fiction isn't really about space at all, but about what makes us human. And that's today's fork. If you enjoyed the episode, please follow the show and share it with someone who also gives a fork about movies. Until next time, watch boldly, judge honestly, and never be afraid to give a fork.