Rotten Tomatoes Crowns Project Hail Mary As Ryan Gosling’s Best Movie Yet

Early reactions to Project Hail Mary just landed, and the Ryan Gosling-in-space adventure is off to a seriously strong start. The Rotten Tomatoes score is sky-high, the praise is broad, and yes, people are already saying this might be Gosling's best-reviewed movie to date.

The early verdict

The tone everyone keeps circling is a rare three-way balance: hard science, big laughs, and actual feelings. One critic put it simply:

"Project Hail Mary is the kind of ambitious science-fiction blockbuster that remembers something many movies in the genre forget: saving the world can be thrilling, emotional, and genuinely funny at the same time."

Another reviewer pitched it with the kind of comparison that sounds risky on paper but plays like catnip if they pull it off:

"Imagine The Martian meets Half Nelson meets E.T., and you'll get some idea of the mirthful mash-up that is Project Hail Mary."

Plenty of folks called out the pacing: it apparently runs past the two-hour mark but keeps moving thanks to constant problem-solving, a streak of irreverence, and a commitment to keeping the brainy stuff lively. One big-name reviewer was more measured, saying the film clearly wants to be the feel-good escape people are craving right now — and suspects many will treat it that way.

As for the adaptation question, at least one critic waved off the usual book-to-screen worries:

"For once, fans' 'Did they do the book justice?' anxieties are misplaced: The movie version of Project Hail Mary is funny, strange, heartening, and completely satisfying."

Performances and spectacle got plenty of love too. Gosling, specifically, is getting singled out as being right in his sweet spot — roguish but open, charming without coasting — with several reviews calling it his most dialed-in casting since La La Land. The set pieces reportedly pop, and the movie doesn't shy away from clever, speculative ideas while keeping the entertainment value front and center.

The vibe, in short

• Smart sci-fi that still cracks jokes and hits emotionally
• Brisk, problem-solving momentum with hardly any downtime
• Gosling is a standout; the casting clicks
• Adapts the book in a way that satisfies fans
• A few cautious notes, but the consensus skews strongly positive

Scoreboard

Right now, Project Hail Mary sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes from 100 reviews. That comes with a pile of glowing grades — think lots of As and four-star ratings — and puts the film at or near the top of Gosling's filmography on the site. Some are already calling it his best-reviewed film to date.

Release date

Project Hail Mary opens in theaters on March 20, 2026.