Project Hail Mary, based on the 2021 science fiction novel by Andy Weir (The Martian), is the latest heartwarming space adventure to land in theaters.

Sometime in the near future, a scientist discovers the Sun is dying due to a line from the Sun to Venus that is later known as the Petrova line. The world’s scientist fear that the dying sun will cause a descent into the ice age with the next 20-30 years. After a space probe is sent to investigate, they learn more about the Petrova line and a potential way to solve this problem.

Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is a school teacher and also a molecular biologist. Dr. Grace is sent on a one-way trip to a distant star, 11.9 lightyears from Earth that he hopes will provide a solution to the dying sun and save life on Earth. During his travel, he meets an extraterrestrial being whose world is also threatened by a dying sun.

The non-linear story helps this film feel like a different space story. When the film opens, Dr. Grace is years into space travel and awakens from a coma with no idea who he is and why he’s in space. It’s a clever plot device. As Dr. Grace is learning who he and the details of his mission through dreams and flashbacks, the audience is learning as well. He slowly starts remembering his purpose and the fate that awaits Earth if he fails. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller use Gosling’s star power and charisma to craft an intergalactic tale that’s charming, brilliant, and full of breathtaking visuals.

Project Hail Mary is a multilayered film with something for everyone. If you want to be Neil deGrasse Tyson and peel back the layers to nerd out on space travel, dying planets, theories around astrophage, and space travel this is a fun movie to nerd out on. If you want to watch a fun movie about space with jaw dropping visuals, this is also a this is a fun movie for you.

The film is visually stunning. The sequence when Dr. Grace does a space walk is one of the most visually stunning scenes in years. When the film isn’t being a visual masterpiece, it takes time to be funny and very charming. Sandra Huller plays Eva, the lead for Project Hail Mary. She’s stoic presence onscreen is perfect next to Gosling’s frenzied energy. One of the film’s most charming scenes is the day before launch day when Eva does karaoke, to everyone’s surprise, and performs “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles. The song opens with, “Just stop your crying, it’s a sing of the times. Welcome to the final s how. I hope you’re wearing your best clothes.” The song speaks to what’s happening and how some of them are feeling. It’s the perfect needle drop for this film.

Ryan Goslings is fantastic as Dr. Grace. When he’s alone in space, it reminds me of Tom Hank’s performance in 2000’s Castaway. Both actors have the ability to make the most mundane tasks look interesting. They also can fill the silence in scenes with a facial expression or a smile that speaks volumes. When Dr. Grace meets up with the alien he aptly names “Rocky” the movie hits another gear and becomes a comedy about two people working to understand each other and solve a complex problem.

There’s beauty in how this story is told that also serves as a lesson to the world. Watching nations come together to save humanity on the back of an unlikely hero is the fight we all hope exist deep down within us.

Project Hail Mary is good example of what people want to see when they go to the cinema. It’s got star power, a wonderful story full of hope, beautiful visuals, and you leave the theater thinking about what you just experienced. I hope this film is a sign of the times of where we are headed with blockbuster films this year. Also, we need to put Ryan Gosling in more movies. Whatever “it” is, he has it, and Hollywood could use more of it.

Grade: A-