On the platform X, early viewers of “Project Hail Mary,” featuring Ryan Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace and penned by sci-fi maestro Drew Goddard, are raving about the film. Media figure Brandon Davis enthused, “‘Project Hail Mary’ is the finest film I’ve seen this year. A true masterpiece. The visuals are groundbreaking, pushing IMAX to its fullest potential. It’s endlessly inventive and explores themes of connection and humanity. An outstanding film.” Film YouTuber @imPatrickT echoed these sentiments, stating, “‘Project Hail Mary’ ranks among the greatest space adventures ever. It’s stunning, heartfelt, and Gosling delivers a spectacular performance. This film will rekindle your love for cinema.”

The acclaim seems widespread, with many echoing Davis’s sentiments, such as film and TV journalist Scott Menzel. In an extensive post, Menzel described the film as an “epic cinematic achievement,” noting that “[co-directors Lord and Miller] have once again elevated their craft, presenting what is not only their most ambitious but also their most accomplished film.” He concluded by asserting, “I seldom use the term ‘masterpiece,’ but ‘Project Hail Mary’ fits the bill and is likely a strong contender for awards across the board.”

The reception to “Project Hail Mary” is overwhelmingly positive, with Bill Bria of /Film praising it as a “nuanced, gorgeous, humanistic marvel.” On X, Bria remarked, “Ryan Gosling delivers one of his finest performances, while Lord & Miller’s talent for vibrant visuals and choreography shines in sci-fi. The film’s effects are reminiscent of ‘Star Trek 1979.’ It’s a brilliantly unique entry among space films.”

Many singled out Ryan Gosling’s performance, including Gregory Ellwood from The Playlist. “Ryan Gosling is utterly fantastic in ‘Project Hail Mary,'” he praised, also noting the “incredibly directed sequences that will leave you breathless.” Critic Eric Marchen concurred, saying, “Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s must-see space odyssey launches as the first great blockbuster of 2026. The stellar cinematography by Greig Fraser reaches new heights, anchored by Gosling’s stellar performance.” So what exactly is “Project Hail Mary” about?

This was a pretty common sentiment across the board, actually. Gizmodo and iO9 writer Germain Lussier agreed, writing, “‘Project Hail Mary’ is pure joy. Hilarious, heartfelt, hugely moving, wildly exciting and absolutely beautiful. The 160 minutes go by in an instant as Lord and Miller keep Weir’s narrative moving like a rocket ship. Gosling is better than ever and the Rocky effect and mind blowing.” (Rocky, for the uninitiated, is a small alien life form who befriends Dr. Ryland Grace during an important mission — more on that shortly.) Critic Scott Mantz also soundly praised the movie in his post, calling the film “an awe-inspiring & sublimely beautiful masterpiece” that’s “loaded with heart, humor, excitement & a deeply moving story!”

A few others honed in on Ryan Gosling’s performance, like Gregory Ellwood from The Playlist. “Ryan Gosling is utterly fantastic in ‘Project Hail Mary,” he wrote, also saying, “[the] movie also has some incredibly directed sequences that will make you gasp.” Critic Eric Marchen agreed, writing, “Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s must-see space odyssey blasts off as the first great blockbuster of 2026. Out-of-this-world cinematography from Greig Fraser reaches for the stars while anchored by a stellar Ryan Gosling performance.” So what is “Project Hail Mary” about in the first place?

Thankfully — for many reasons — “Project Hail Mary” is not based on a true story. Instead, Phil Lord and Chris Miller adapted this story from Andy Weir’s bestselling 2021 novel … and if that name sounds familiar, it’s because Weir also wrote “The Martian,” which became a blockbuster film in 2015 with Matt Damon at the helm and Ridley Scott behind the camera. So what do you need to know about “Project Hail Mary” before you see the movie that many critics and journalists are hailing as one of 2026’s first real masterpieces?

The story begins when Ryan Gosling’s protagonist Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship, initially unaware of how he got there in the first place — only to quickly learn that he’s the only survivor aboard the ship, which is headed towards a star called Tau Ceti. Ryland, as it happens, is also tasked with saving the fate of Earth, and though he thinks he’s completely alone, he has some help from a small alien form he names Rocky (puppeteered and voiced by James Ortiz) who’s also on a mission to save the universe.

Lord and Miller are, frankly, directors who can handle any source material that gets thrown their way — for crying out loud, they made two “21 Jump Street” reboot movies that were actually amazing — and Gosling, who’s one of our best actors, is flanked by other great performers like Sandra Hüller, Ken Leung, and Lionel Boyce, just to name a few. “Project Hail Mary” hits theaters on March 20, 2026 … so get excited.