- Primary Subject: First reactions to Ryan Gosling's Project Hail Mary
- Key Update: Critics are hailing the film as a "perfect" adaptation of Andy Weir's novel, Project Hail Mary, with a major focus on bringing Rocky the alien to life.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: February 26, 2026
- Quick Answer: Early reviews call Project Hail Mary a masterpiece, praising Ryan Gosling's career-best performance and Lord & Miller's innovative direction.
With Project Hail Mary due for a streaming and screening release soon, fan and critics' reactions came in piping hot.
From hailing the upcoming epic as a masterpiece for 2026 to applauding the work of filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and Ryan Gosling's best-career performance, here come the stellar reviews online!
Ryan Gosling Receives Nothing But Phenomenal Praise from Project Hail Mary Viewing
Project Hail Mary has been a long time coming. Now that some fans and critics have gained early access to the film, the majority of the best-rated reviews are posted on social media, particularly focusing on Ryan Gosling's "best-career" acting and the "mindblowing CGI" of Rocky the alien. Check out some of the most popular reviews below:
One fan wrote on X that Project Hail Mary was one of the "most delightful, charming, emotionally beautiful movies of the year," while another chimed in to call it "an absolute masterpiece of hope and humanity."
Another fan declared that the filmmakers delivered a "deeply human and heartwarming" take on the space odyssey, while more fan reactions couldn't help bringing Ryan Gosling to the spotlight for his insane "chemistry with a puppet" that could potentially land him the Best Actor award at the Oscars.
Project Hail Mary’s Success Might Just Get “Butts Seated” in Theaters
Last November, Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir justified why the one crucial twist had to be included in the trailer despite spoiling the surprise for non-book readers.
To Weir and MGM, the inclusion of Rocky the alien was more of a "marketing decision" in which, quite opposite to Star Wars in keeping the Darth Vader and Luke's father twist, they aimed to have fans actually know about the iconic character's existence.
"This is a core, central element of the plot that everybody's going to be talking about and that everybody who's read the book already knows about," Weir added, "All trailers are designed to put butts in seats, and we want those butts in those seats. We want people to go now, I want to know what's going on."
While these reviews are part of the pre-launch of the upcoming sci-fi mission, the majorly positive reviews might make a more favorable result than they realize.
Could more fans and critics think the same once the movie's out and about?
Project Hail Mary premieres on the big screens on March 20, 2026, but Prime members can avail exclusive screenings on March 16, 2026.
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