Movie Review: “Project Hail Mary” is Amazing

By Jon Brooks 

The last time I watched a movie in the theater was July 2025. We took our nephew to see “Jurassic World Rebirth.” 

It was one of only two movies I viewed in a theater last year (the other was “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”). 

My movie habits have certainly changed in recent years. But for most of my life, attending movies in the theater was a near weekly occurrence. 

I’m not going to be one of those people who complains that there “aren’t any good movies anymore.” There are plenty of movies I enjoy. 

But the reality is that I yearn for the sort of original, non-sequel “popcorn movies” we saw in the 1980s and 90s. 

Studios desperately cling to the idea that viewers want 52 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies that — with each passing year — feel more and more like homework to keep track of than a light, fun movie-going experience.

“Project Hail Mary” arrived in theaters this past weekend, reminding viewers how much fun a standalone spectacle can be at the movies. 

“Project Hail Mary” is the theatrical adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name. 

Weir also wrote “The Martian,” which was adapted into a hit 2015 film starring Matt Damon. His second novel “Artemis” (read my review) is also being developed into a movie. 

Weir has a knack for writing sci-fi novels with likable characters and intriguing premises, mixing it all together a heaping dose of techno jargon. Through three novels, the concoction has proved itself to be surprisingly compelling. 

Each time I read one of his novels, I’m curious to see how they are going to adapt it for the big screen. 

“Project Hail Mary” centers around middle school science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling). Grace is also a former molecular biologist. 

But in the early stages of the story, our protagonist doesn’t recall those facts… or any salient details of his life. He wakes up from a medically-induced coma on a space ship — a vessel heading to a distant solar system far away from Earth. 

His two crew mates died at some point during the ship’s multi-year journey. Grace is alone, confused, and scared as he tries to wrap his head around his current predicament. 

The movie (like the book) alternates between present day scenes and a series of flashbacks as our hero pieces together details of his past and tries to solve what brought him to this point. 

Overall, the narrative structure works. 

We soon learn that Grace and his compatriots were sent on a mission to save Earth. Specifically, the Sun is dimming. A mysterious microorganism dubbed “Astrophage” is causing the problem. If it isn’t stopped, the amount of sunlight reaching Earth will be too dim to sustain life in its present form. 

This effort creates the main hook for the storyline in “Project Hail Mary.” 

I know what you’re thinking. The plot sounds fairly similar to Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film “Interstellar.” 

While “Project Hail Mary” does hit some of the same beats, the tone is decidedly less brooding in nature. 

The stakes are just as high, but “Project Hail Mary” infuses doses of humor and levity to keep the audience engaged. 

It’s a smart choice that sets it apart from similar sci-fi fare. 

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller deserve much of the credit for that. 

Lord and Miller have directed family-friendly flicks like “The Lego Movie” and the comedic “21 Jump Street” franchise. They produced and co-wrote the animated “Spider-Verse” movies for Sony (read my review of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”). 

They were also originally at the helm of “Solo: A Star Wars Movie” (read my review), but were fired after four-and-a-half months of filming. Ron Howard was brought in to reshoot much of that movie. I have always wondered what the Lord and Miller version of “Solo” would have been like (had they been given leeway to do what they wanted to do). 

The talented pair has shown an ability to bring a stylistic flair and energy to the projects they work on. 

Those talents are certainly on display in “Project Hail Mary.” 

The movie is bright and colorful, and the set of the Hail Mary spaceship is fascinating to look at. 

The screenplay adaptation of Weir’s novel was written by Drew Goddard. Goddard also wrote the screenplay for Weir’s 2011 novel “The Martian.” 

Having read all three of Weir’s novels, it seems like it would be quite a challenge to synthesize his stories into a sensible screenplay. “Project Hail Mary” is Weir’s most ambitious novel to date (the book is more than 500 pages long).

But Goddard seems to have the “Midas touch” in that regard.  

While there are certain parts of the novel that were tweaked and/or removed for the movie, Goddard did an excellent job whittling things down to fit in the 156-minute runtime. 

The film is paced well and it retains the unique DNA of Weir’s novel. 

In my opinion, the biggest challenge for the filmmakers was the alien creature Rocky. The character is encountered by Grace during his mission and has been featured in various trailers and promotional materials for the film. 

Weir spent considerable time in the novel describing the melodic language of the character (musical notes were used in the book’s printed text) and put a lot of effort into creating a rationale for the creature’s physiology.

I wasn’t sure how it would translate to the screen, but they did a credible job pulling it off. It could have been really cheesy, but the character worked. It is an impressive feat considering the fact that the filmmakers opted to primarily use a puppet for Rocky (with CGI enhancements where needed). 

There were also a few nice supporting performances in the movie. 

One character that should be highlighted is Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller). She leads the international task force addressing the global Astrophage crisis and is the individual who recruits Grace for the project. 

Hüller does a good job creating the “blunt school marm” vibe of the character in the novel. You can see the weight she carries as she’s tasked with saving humanity. 

(In the movie, the character mentions that she grew up in East Germany. In the book, she was Dutch.) 

One other aspect of the production I’d like to highlight is the film’s score by Daniel Pemberton. I’m actually listening to the soundtrack as I type this. 

Pemberton’s score takes a different approach than the soundtracks often featured in these sorts of films. It would have been very easy to do some sort of grandiose orchestral score that sounded like a cheap Hans Zimmer ripoff. 

Instead, Pemberton’s score has moments of electronic bouyancy and whimsy. There are also passages that sound almost tribal in nature. 

In addition, there are some haunting choral arrangements in the soundtrack that bring a religious flavor to certain heady moments in the movie. 

Put together with the pop music featured in the film (such as Harry Styles’ hit “Sign of the Times”), the musical underpinnings give “Project Hail Mary” a unique spirit. 

I want to mention what a fan of Ryan Gosling I’ve become the past decade. 

I remember thinking how much presence he had (with very little dialogue) in 2017’s “Blade Runner 2049” (read my review). 

While he has proven his chops doing brooding protagonists, he’s also shown considerable range creating endearing characters in broad comedies like “The Fall Guy” and the stylish hipster musical “La La Land” (read my review). 

In an age where people say there “aren’t really any movie stars anymore,” Gosling is one of this generation’s most compelling actors. 

He did a terrific job balancing the comedic, poignant, and tragic moments in “Project Hail Mary.”  

Ryland Grace epitomizes the “reluctant hero” in fiction. Gosling’s performance fits the character’s self-effacing demeanor to a T. 

Gosling is starring in the upcoming film “Star Wars: Starfighter” (directed by Shawn Levy). I’m curious to see if he can infuse new life into the “Star Wars” franchise (which has had its struggles in recent years). He might just be the actor to pull it off.

I could probably type a thousand more words about “Project Hail Mary,” but I’m going to leave you with this thought. 

Numerous fans online have pointed out the religious undertones in “Project Hail Mary.” In particular, the ship in the movie is called the Hail Mary and our protagonist’s name is Ryland Grace. 

It has been theorized that it could be a nod to the Catholic prayer "Hail Mary, full of Grace." 

At a time when movie theaters are struggling to bring back audiences to pre-pandemic levels, “Project Hail Mary” reminds us what a magical experience it can be to watch an original, energetic, and lovingly-crafted “popcorn movie” at the cinema. 

Gosling himself addressed this issue to fans at a recent screening of “Project Hail Mary.” The video clip has gone viral, and what he said to the attendees has struck a chord: 

Ryan Gosling just casually dropping in to surprise your theater? Anything is possible when you see #ProjectHailMary — now playing in theaters and IMAX everywhere. Get tickets at link in bio. pic.twitter.com/hBm5BeQErq

— Project Hail Mary (@projecthailmary) March 21, 2026

“It’s not your job to keep [theaters] open, it’s our job to make things that make it worth you coming out…” 

“Project Hail Mary” is one of those movies that’s worth the price of admission. 

See it on the biggest screen you can find (I watched it on an IMAX screen… and it was amazing!) 

Totally recommended. 

Rated PG-13, Runtime: 2 hrs, 36 min 

>> If you enjoyed my review of “Project Hail Mary,” be sure to follow me on Twitter/X: @TheJonCrunch 

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Book Review: “Cold Zero” By Brad Thor and Ward Larsen

By Jon Brooks 

Aviation-centered thrillers have certainly grabbed the public’s imagination recently. 

Whether we are talking about T.J. Newman’s thriller “Falling” (read my review) or the Netflix movie “Carry-On” (which ranks as one of the streamer’s most-watched movies), we’ve seen some terrific stories built around airplanes, airports, and the world of aviation. 

Brad Thor and fellow novelist Ward Larsen have entered the fray with “Cold Zero.” 

Both writers have had fruitful careers in the thriller genre — Thor with his venerable Scot Harvath series and Larsen with his David Slaton thrillers. (Larsen has also published a number of standalone novels.) 

I have read and reviewed books by both authors on this blog and was thrilled to receive an advance reader copy of “Cold Zero” from the publisher.  

The narrative in “Cold Zero” centers around Hemisphere Airlines Flight 777, an ultra first-class carrier geared toward high-end clients. 

In the opening pages of the novel, the CIA manages to extract Dr. Chen Li (a computer scientist) from China and puts him on the Hemisphere flight— a flight that is bound for New York City. 

Along for the ride is a technology he invented called Sky Fire — a suite of software that has the ability to give geopolitical superiority to those who control it. 

Dr. Li is under the watch of a CIA officer named Kasey Sheridan. 

When the airliner crashes in the Arctic Circle under mysterious circumstances, Li and Sheridan find themselves in a fight to survive and a fight to keep Sky Fire from falling into the wrong hands. 

Forces from the United States, Russia, and China are soon in the game as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. 

“Cold Zero” is a survival story with touches of Tom Clancy’s “The Hunt for Red October” and Alistair MacLean’s “Ice Station Zebra.” 

Despite the novel’s frigid setting, “Cold Zero” is a cool “beach read.” The chapters are short and snappy and the overall story chugs along at top speed. 

Larsen’s experience as a pilot is on display in the novel. He flew more than 20 missions while serving in the U.S. Air Force during Operation Desert Storm. He has also been an airline pilot and is a trained aircraft accident investigator. 

Aviation-related sequences have been solid in his previous novels and they are strong again in “Cold Zero.”  

Thor recently announced on NBC’s “Today” that “Cold Zero” is set to be made into a movie by Netflix. 

According to Deadline, “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto will adapt the screenplay and Peter Berg (who directed “Lone Survivor” and the underrated thriller “The Kingdom”) is set to produce under his Film 44 banner (which has a first-look deal with Netflix). 

Overall, the Thor/Larsen “team up” for “Cold Zero” has resulted in an action-packed novel that serves as a terrific introduction to two of today’s best thriller writers. 

Highly recommended. 

Click here to order your copy of “Cold Zero” 

To learn more about Brad Thor, visit bradthor.com. 

To learn more about Ward Larsen, visit wardlarsen.com. 

>> If you enjoyed my review of “Cold Zero,” please follow me on Twitter/X - @TheJonCrunch 

Related posts on Brad Thor and Ward Larsen: 

> Book Review: Brad Thor’s “Blowback” is Full of Contagious International Intrigue 

> Book Review: “State of the Union” By Brad Thor 

> Book Review: Larsen’s “Deep Fake” is a Gripping Thriller That Will Keep You Guessing 

> Book Review: “Assassin’s Edge” By Ward Larsen 

> Book Review: “Assassin’s Strike” By Ward Larsen 

> Book Review: “Assassin’s Revenge” By Ward Larsen 

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Book Review: Newman’s “Falling” Lifts the Thriller Genre to New Heights

 “If you tell anyone, your family dies. If you send anyone to the house, your family dies.” — “Falling” by T.J. Newman

I'm a sucker for a good airplane thriller...

When it comes to this sub genre in entertainment, I’ve really enjoyed theatrical efforts like “Executive Decision” (1996), “Passenger 57” (1992), and “Non-Stop” (2014). 

Stories such as this are built on the foundational anxieties people have about air travel. Those anxieties serve as fertile ground for cultivating dramatic tension. 

T.J. Newman's debut thriller “Falling” traverses this tried-and-true territory. 

Yet she tweaks the formula to create a fresh, fast-paced narrative that reads like a high-octane mix of a Harlan Coben novel and “ticking clock” movies like “Speed.” 

“Falling” is built around an intriguing premise. 

Coastal Airways pilot Bill Hoffman is in the midst of flying an Airbus A320 with 144 “souls” (as he refers to passengers) from Los Angeles to New York City when he learns his family has been kidnapped — and the only way for his wife Carrie, 10-year-old son Scott, and 10-month-old daughter Elise to live is to crash the plane. 

I know some cynics will say, “But Jon... that setup sounds like numerous high-concept thrillers over the years.” 

True enough, but the way in which “Falling” is crafted sets it apart from those thrillers. 

First and foremost, Newman's decade working as a flight attendant for Virgin America and Alaska Airlines is evident throughout “Falling” (she came up with the premise on a red-eye flight to New York). 

Oftentimes, supporting characters in this type of story can feel one-dimensional. 

One of the strengths of Newman’s novel is her supporting cast. In particular, the flight attendants on Coastal Airways Flight 416 prove to be well-drawn characters.

The trio of Jo Watkins, Michael “Big Daddy” Rodenburg, and fledgling flight attendant Kellie serve critical roles in “Falling.” But Newman doesn't simply prop the characters up as plot devices — she manages to give each individual depth during the novel's suspenseful narrative. 

Being able to draw on her own real-life experience is a considerable benefit. That experience helps to inform the trio of attendants and creates a sense of verisimilitude as events unfold. 

While those three characters stood out for me, the entire cast proves to be pretty compelling. 

At the core of “Falling” is Bill Hoffman, who spends most of the story in the cockpit. Like Sandra Bullock in “Speed,” Hoffman being buckled into a seat tests our protagonist's mettle as he navigates an impossible situation. 

That restriction enhances the sense of hopelessness Hoffman feels as he tries to find a way to save his family and the passengers on the airliner. 

Some authors might have been tempted to make Hoffman a former special forces operator or someone of that ilk — like Steven Seagal’s Casey Ryback character in “Under Siege” (1992) and “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory” (1995). 

Instead, Hoffman is a relatable protagonist more akin to David Beck in Harlan Coben's brilliant 2001 novel “Tell No One.” Having a protagonist with “limits” creates a sense of vulnerability that fuels the dramatic tension. 

Hoffman understands the gravity of the situation, and the power that he as a pilot holds in his hands. 

The internal struggle the character faces works to great effect in “Falling.”  

“Falling” reminded me of Joseph Garber's addictive 1996 thriller “Vertical Run” (a novel that ranks among my all-time favorites) in terms of tone and pace. Both high-concept stories avoid getting bogged down in navel-gazing minutiae. In each case, the authors understand what the mission is, and keep a laser-like focus on building suspense. 

The movie rights for “Falling” were won in a seven-figure deal by Universal Pictures after a multi-studio bidding war. The material seems tailor-made for the big screen, and I'm excited follow the development process. 

It's pretty amazing considering the fact that Newman wrote 30 drafts and received 41 agent rejections before “Falling” was finally published in 2021. 

I zipped through the hardcover of “Falling” in just two days. It is a breezy read at 285 pages, and the author does a brilliant job hooking you into the propulsive plot. 

If you are searching for a gripping standalone thriller to read, add Newman’s “Falling” to your itinerary. It lifts the genre to new heights and is an impressive debut. 

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Movie Review: “Hunter Killer”

I’ve mentioned many times on this blog my fondness for the novels of Tom Clancy. I was introduced to the books in high school in my sophomore Literary Masterpieces class. 

When the movie adaptation of “The Hunt For Red October” was released March 2, 1990, I absolutely loved it, and went on to see it three times in the theater. 

(Movie buffs might remember when the movie was first released on home video that the VHS cassette was red.)

In the intervening years, audiences have seen other attempts at “submarine thrillers” like “Crimson Tide” and “K-19: The Widowmaker."

Gerard Butler entered the fray last fall with his pet project “Hunter Killer.” I recently purchased it on Blu-ray (I missed the movie during its theatrical run, but thought the trailers looked cool). 

There was apparently a large span of time where "Hunter Killer" sat dormant. It is based on the 2012 novel “Firing Point” by Don Keith and George Wallace. 

“This is a movie that is begging to be made and to reinvent,” Butler says on the disc’s special features. “We re-create the submarine genre as well, which I hadn’t seen one of those in a while.” 

Here is the setup for “Hunter Killer”:

When the USS Tampa Bay disappears (while tracking a Russian Akula-class sub in the Arctic Ocean), Rear Admiral John Fisk (played by musician Common) dispatches the USS Arkansas (a Virginia-class submarine) from a naval base in Scotland to investigate.

Commander Joe Glass (Butler) is the newly-minted honcho on the Arkansas. 

In a parallel storyline, a Navy SEAL team led by Lieutenant Bill Beaman (Toby Stephens from Netflix’s “Lost In Space”) HALO jumps into Russia to conduct surveillance on a naval base located at Polyarny. Defense minister Dmitry Dubrovnik (Mikhail Gorevoy) is planning a coup and takes visiting Russian President Nikolai Zakarin (Alexander Dyachenko) prisoner. 

Before long, the Arkansas discovers the missing U.S. submarine, but is attacked by a Russian sub lurking under a nearby iceberg. 

The alternating threads in the movie are reminiscent of a Clancy novel. In addition to the “submarine,” “SEAL,” and “military coup” storylines, there is also a thread following the command decisions being made at The Pentagon (Gary Oldman has some key scenes as Admiral Charles Donnegan). 

As the pieces move on the foreign policy chess board, Glass & Co. are doing everything in their power to avoid starting World War III. 

I won’t go any further into the plot because I don’t want to give anything away. 

The movie itself flopped at the box office and received mediocre reviews (I believe it has a 37% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes). As a result, I was expecting the worst when I sat down and popped the "Hunter Killer" disc into my player.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed “Hunter Killer.” 

By no means is it the perfect submarine thriller, but I like how it recalls the “Clancy-esque” thrillers of the 1990s. 

There were certain sequences where I wondered how “credible” some of the technical aspects of the submarine procedures were. I figured some creative license was taken for dramatic effect. 

In the film’s commentary track, director Donovan Marsh talks about how they spent time on an actual military submarine (based at Pearl Harbor) and went out to sea for a day testing the combat scenarios seen in “Hunter Killer.” It sounds like the filmmakers had the cooperation of the U.S. Navy, and every effort was made to bring authenticity to the movie. 

“Hunter Killer” does its due diligence as a “techno-thriller.” The film didn’t have the budget many tentpole action movies possess. As a result, certain visual effects aren't as polished as they could be, and some of the green screen work feels awkward, but it is still a handsome production overall. 

Gerard Butler is one of my favorite action stars. His film “Olympus Has Fallen” is a terrific action movie (definitely owes a debt to Vince Flynn’s first Mitch Rapp novel “Transfer of Power”).

I get the sense Butler enjoys the breed of thriller novel I grew up reading. “Hunter Killer” was a movie he’d spent a number of years trying to bring to the big screen. I'm glad it finally made it to screen. 

I’ll admit that I’m pretty easily amused when it comes to movies. I really enjoyed “Hunter Killer.”

It might not be the perfect military thriller, but it is highly entertaining. 

If you like thrillers by Tom Clancy and his ilk, I think you’ll have a good time watching “Hunter Killer.” 

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TV Review: Netflix Series “Safe” is a Twisty Mystery Channeling Its Inner Harlan Coben

I finally got around to watching Netflix’s bingeable mystery series “Safe.” 

I’m somewhat baffled as to why Hollywood hasn’t tapped the talents of thriller writer Harlan Coben in a more significant way. 

His suburban-oriented thrillers serve as perfect blueprints for compelling movies and television series.

The first time I read a Coben novel was in 2001 when I picked up “Tell No One” at my local book emporium — which features this killer neon orange cover:

It’s a book I perpetually recommend. Bridget actually had to procure me a new copy of the “first edition” a few years ago because my original copy wasn’t returned (memo to self: don’t loan out books you want back). 

“Tell No One” was made into a critically-acclaimed French theatrical film (which has streamed on Netflix in the past). 

While a number of projects based on Coben’s novels are currently being developed in “Tinseltown,” overseas production houses have been producing the author’s wares for years. 

In addition to “Tell No One,” his novels “Just One Look” and “No Second Chance” were adapted into French miniseries. Coben also created an original series for British television called “The Five.” (“No Second Chance” and “The Five” currently stream on Netflix). 

“Safe” is Coben’s first collaboration with Netflix (the series is a co-production with Canal+). 

As I’m writing this post, news broke that Coben closed an exclusive five-year deal with Netflix to develop 14 existing titles along with future projects — including his “yet-to-be” published novel “Run Away.” 

After viewing “Safe,” I can understand why Netflix is making the investment. 

While “Safe” isn’t based on one of Coben’s novels, the eight-episode series has all the ingredients that make his thrillers so delicious. 

The protagonist in “Safe” is Tom Delaney (Michael C. Hall), a surgeon living with his two teen daughters -- Jenny (Amy James-Kelly) and Carrie (Isabelle Allen) -- in a gated community in England. 

Tom is still grieving the recent death of his wife when Jenny (who is 16) goes missing after attending a friend’s party. 

That occurrence sets Tom into a frenzy of worry — exacerbated by the fact that her 19-year-old boyfriend Chris Chahal (Freddie Thorp) has also gone missing after the party. 

What ensues is a tangled web of lies, deceit, murder, and mayhem as Tom becomes an “amateur sleuth” tracking down the whereabouts of his daughter. 

The premise might sound simple, but the execution of the narrative is what makes “Safe” so compelling. 

Hallmarks of Coben’s thrillers are relatable characters and stories. The protagonists are people like you and me — untangling mysteries built on scenarios that could befall any of us. 

I recognized one of the plot elements used in “Safe” from Coben’s 2006 novel “Promise Me.” 

In “Promise Me,” the novel’s protagonist (recurring character Myron Bolitar) makes two neighborhood girls promise him that if they are ever in a bind (for example, the prospect of having to catch a ride with a friend who is intoxicated) and are afraid to call their parents, they must call him. 

There is a similar situation in “Safe” involving Tom Delaney’s best friend Pete Mayfield (Marc Warren), a fellow doctor who helps Tom track down clues.

There are a number of enjoyable performances in “Safe.” In addition to Michael C. Hall’s turn as a grief-stricken father, it was nice to see Amanda Abbington in the series. 

I enjoyed Abbington as Mary Watson in “Sherlock” and Josie Mardle in “Mr. Selfridge” — both series have been favorites of mine the past few years. 

In “Safe,” Abbington plays Detective Sergeant Sophie Mason — Tom Delaney’s girlfriend and neighbor. She’s good at playing soulful, melancholy characters in British dramas. 

Overall, the entire cast is solid in “Safe.” 

As the yarn unravels in “Safe,” the literal walls of the story’s gated community make way for the metaphorical walls people create in their lives. 

“Safe” is a series that keeps you up into the wee hours of the night — “just one more episode.” 

It is an engrossing tale that epitomizes what it’s like to read a Harlan Coben thriller. 

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