Everyone's Saying the Same Thing About Project Hail Mary

Ryan Gosling is about to head back into space, and early word says he is not just good — he is somehow adorable opposite an extraterrestrial... rock puppet. Yes, an alien rock puppet. The first reactions to Project Hail Mary are out, and they are surprisingly unified.

The setup

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and released by Amazon MGM Studios, Project Hail Mary stars Gosling as Ryland Grace, an astronaut who wakes up alone on a spacecraft with zero memory of how he got there. The job he slowly pieces together is not small: figure out what mysterious substance is draining the Sun and save humanity. Also, he is not alone on that ship — there is an alien presence along for the ride.

Early reactions are loud, clear, and very pro-Gosling

Early screenings pulled in a handful of high-profile voices, all pointing to the same thing: Gosling’s performance, the movie’s humor, and a big-screen must-see vibe.

• Jeff Bezos (posting on X) called it 'outstanding' and singled out Gosling for somehow generating real emotion and chemistry with 'an alien rock puppet,' adding kudos for the Amazon Studios team.
• Michael Giacchino (on Instagram) praised it as an original, smart, human, and deeply moving film that is also genuinely funny — the kind you should catch in a theater.
• Alex Hirsch said it is 'a weird, hilarious, joyful, dazzling gem of a movie,' and urged people to see it on the biggest screen possible.
• Alicia Silverstone shouted out the cast — 'Ryan Gosling is so funny, so charming, so good' — and specifically praised Sandra Huller, adding that she laughed a lot and cried, and that the film feels special.

So far, the chorus is consistent: go big screen, expect laughs and feelings, and prepare to watch Gosling make magic with a non-human co-star. We will see how critics and general audiences line up with that when Project Hail Mary lands in theaters on March 20, 2026.